Gwen Ifill Receives ANWC's 'Excellence In Journalism' Award

Good News For Gwen Ifill
LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 22: Gwen Ifill, Washington Week, PBS NewsHour speaks onstage at the 'PBS Election Coverage' panel during day 2 of the PBS portion of the 2012 Summer TCA Tour held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 22, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 22: Gwen Ifill, Washington Week, PBS NewsHour speaks onstage at the 'PBS Election Coverage' panel during day 2 of the PBS portion of the 2012 Summer TCA Tour held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 22, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

PBS' Gwen Ifill was honored with the Excellence in Journalism Award Monday evening at the American News Women’s Club (ANWC) Annual Roast.

As per tradition, the PBS "NewsHour" and "Washington Week" anchor was roasted by her fellow colleagues at the National Press Club, including ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz and Al Jazeera America host Ray Suarez.

In a room of about 125 people, Raddatz referred to herself as a "61-year-old grandmother, just like Gwen's target audience," while The New York Times' John Harwood called Ifill "the Queen Latifah of political journalism," the Maynard Institute said Monday.

But the evening wasn't all laughs -- there were also words of praise to be said about the veteran journalist.

She is "one of the most successful newswomen in American history," former Washington Post columnist Dorothy Gilliam said.

Previous winners of the award include Bob Schieffer, Eleanor Clift, Katie Couric and the recently retired Barbara Walters. ANWC's annual event honors standout candidates in journalism. Proceeds from the benefit gala go to scholarships awarded to journalism students.

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