The Gwen Ifill Emerging Journalist Award recognizes a professional who exemplifies dedication to journalistic excellence, community, and mentorship. The award was presented to Arielle Gray at the 2026 Ifill Forum.
Arielle Gray is a writer, artist and native Bostonian. She is a reporter at WBUR, Boston's NPR station, where she's covered Black and brown communities through the lens of history, art and culture for the past eight years.
Recently, her reporting was published in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s catalogue for their 2025 Allan Crite exhibition. In 2025, she received the Ralph Browne Award from the National Center of Afro American Artists for her community reporting. Her writing and work have appeared in NPR, BBC, the Boston Globe, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, the Boston Art Review and more. She's been an artist in residence at Mass MOCA and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and has co-curated multiple exhibits in Boston highlighting Black history and culture. Arielle is currently working on a book chronicling 20th century Black visual art in Boston.
Reflecting on her childhood in Mattapan, Gray said, “I saw so many things of beauty in my neighborhood that were not portrayed in the news.” Gray sees Black art and culture as “evidence of our humanity.” A consummate researcher, Gray searches for evidence of Black life in archives, while also bemoaning all that has gone undocumented.
“Journalism isn’t just reporting, it’s preservation,” said Gray. “Black women have always been memory keepers, and I am humbled to be a part of that sacred lineage.” Gray’s vision is to honor those who may be left out of the story, and to document the beauty that may not make the front page.
We are proud to recognize Gray’s contributions and the impact of her work in the field of journalism.