Grant Wahl Named 2023 Colin Jose Media Award Winner

Renowned International Journalist Helped Grow the Game Through Coverage at Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports and Other Outlets Before Passing Away in December

FRISCO, Texas (Jan. 25, 2023) – Grant Wahl has been named the recipient of the 2023 Colin Jose Media Award, which honors journalists whose careers have made significant long-term contributions to soccer in the United States.

Wahl will be honored at this year’s National Soccer Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Frisco, Texas. The ceremony will also feature the induction of the 2023 Hall of Fame Class, which includes DaMarcus Beasley, Landon Donovan, Jill Ellis, Lauren Cheney Holiday, Kate Sobrero Markgraf and Slavisa “Steve” Zungul.

Wahl left an indelible legacy on American soccer, helping to grow the game through high-quality, insightful coverage with Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, CBS Sports and his own Fútbol with Grant Wahl platform. He passed away in December at age 49 while covering the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

A renowned international journalist, Wahl worked at Sports Illustrated from 1996 to 2021 covering soccer and college basketball. During his legendary career, Wahl was an ubiquitous presence at World Cups, Women’s World Cups and Olympics, providing a passionate, unique perspective on the sport at its highest levels.

Wahl was also a champion for social justice and used his platform to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and other important issues. He authored two acclaimed books on soccer: 2009’s The Beckham Experiment about England star David Beckham’s move to LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer and 2018’s Masters of Modern Soccer about the playing styles of some of the game’s biggest stars.

The Colin Jose Media Award was created to honor the contributions of members of the print and electronic media, including reporters, columnists, authors, broadcasters, editors, public/media relations professionals and others who specialize in communications with respect to soccer in the United States. The award is named for Colin Jose, Historian Emeritus of the National Soccer Hall of Fame and the preeminent soccer historian of North America.

PAST COLIN JOSE MEDIA AWARD RECIPIENTS

• 2020 – Andrés Cantor, Telemundo Deportes and other television broadcasters

• 2019 – Tony Quinn, Photojournalist

• 2018 – JP Dellacamera, FOX and other television broadcasters

• 2017 – Jim Trecker, Media Relations

• 2016 – Paul Kennedy, Soccer America

• 2013 – George Vecsey, New York Times

• 2012 – Grahame Jones, Los Angeles Times

• 2010 – Paul Gardner, Soccer America

• 2009 – Alex Yannis, New York Times

• 2008 – Ike Kuhns, Newark Star-Ledger

• 2007 – George Tiedemann, Sports Illustrated/Freelance Photography

• 2005 – Seamus Malin, ESPN and other television broadcasters

• 2004 – Jerry Trecker, Hartford Courant