This award, named in honor of the late Jesse Abramson of the New York Herald Tribune, is presented yearly to a TAFWA member in recognition of excellence in track and field journalism. Abramson, who was considered the "dean" of US track writers during his tenure of more than thirty years at the Herald Tribune, covered every Olympic Games between 1928 and 1976, as well as all of the national championships during that period.
Past Winners:
- 2011 Jon Hendershott, Track and Field News
- 2010 Joe Battaglia, Universal Sports
- 2009 Sieg Lindstrom, Track and Field News
- 2008 Curtis Andersen, Eugene Register-Guard
- 2007 John Meyer, Denver Post
- 2006 David Woods, Indianapolis Star
- 2005 David Woods, Indianapolis Star
- 2004 Philip Hersh, Chicago Tribune
- 2003 John Crumpacker, San Francisco Chronicle
- 2002 Brian Cazeneuve, Sports Illustrated
- 2001 Marc Bloom, New York Times
- 2000 John Crumpacker, San Francisco Chronicle
- 1999 Phil Hersh, Chicago Tribune
- 1998 Marc Bloom, New York Times
- 1997 Marc Bloom, New York Times
- 1996 Jim Dunaway, Dunaway Ink
- 1995 Bob Burns, Sacramento Bee
- 1994 Merrell Noden, Sports Illustrated
- 1993 Ron Bellamy, Eugene Register-Guard
- 1992 David Woods, Champaign-Urbana News-Gazzette
- 1991 Elliott Denman, Asbury Park Press
- 1990 Ron Reid, Philadelphia Inquirer
- 1989 Jon Hendershott, Track and Field News
- 1988 Bert Rosenthal, Associated Press
- 1987 Ron Reid, Philadelphia Inquirer
- 1986 Ron Reid, Philadelphia Inquirer
- 1985 Kerry Eggers, Portland Oregonian
- 1984 Don Pierson, Chicago Tribune
- 1983 Frank Litsky, New York Times
- 1982 Elliott Denman, Asbury Park Press
- 1981 Don Pierson, Chicago Tribune
- 1980 Neil Amdur, New York Times
N.B. Dates listed above reflect the year of the work honored, not the year the award was given, so e.g. the 1980 award was actually bestowed in 1981.
