Announcing the Bill Connolly Rising Star Awards
By Emmalee Torisk, ACES Awards Committee
ACES: The Society for Editing is proud to announce the Bill Connolly Rising Star Awards.
Named for a founding ACES member and former ACES Education Fund president, the Connolly Awards recognize emerging stars in the world of editing who show exceptional promise and dedication to their craft.
The award honors editors who have made significant contributions — such as to the larger editing community or to a publication or organization — by way of their work. Rising stars may be advocates for editing, have done excellent editing work, or be committed to their and others’ growth as editors.
Candidates have been working in the editing field for 10 years or less but have already made positive impacts in one of three categories: innovation, outreach and advocacy, and excellence and achievement. One winner will be selected for each category and receive a certificate and a one-year ACES membership.
Candidates should be ACES members in good standing at the time of application, and they can self-nominate or be nominated.
ACES will accept nominations from Sept. 1 through Oct. 15.
learn more about the Bill Connolly Rising Star Awards
The three inaugural winners of the Connolly Awards will be announced late this year and recognized at ACES 2026 Atlanta, ACES’ 30th annual national conference.
Connolly, who died in December 2023 at the age of 86, was a retired copy editor and senior editor of The New York Times who was instrumental in developing ACES and establishing its bylaws. He served on the ACES Executive Committee for 15 years. He was the first president of the ACES Education Fund, formed to create scholarships for students interested in becoming editors, and served on its Board of Directors until the spring of 2023.
Learn more about Bill Connolly.
ACES: The Society for Editing
ACES: The Society for Editing is the nation’s leading organization of editing professionals, educators, and students. Founded in 1997 by copy editors, ACES is dedicated to improving the quality of the written word and the working lives of editors. It sets standards of excellence and gives a voice to editors in journalism, government, business, publishing, and beyond through top-notch training, networking, and career opportunities. ACES hosts an annual in-person conference and, since 2022, an annual virtual conference. ACES Academy hosts monthly webinars. ACES also offers certificates in editing, which it co-hosts with The Poynter Institute, a global leader in journalism.
The ACES Education Fund
The ACES Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and its predecessor have awarded nearly 150 scholarships since 1999 to students who have a passion for editing. The ACES Education Fund is run entirely by volunteers, and all awards come from individual donations.
