Charging Buffalo Award

Since 1993, Buffalo Nite honors a Buffalonian or a friend of Buffalo with the “Charging Buffalo” Award in recognition of his/her career achievement and relationship between Western New York and the Washington, D.C. Metro area.

2023 Charging Buffalo Award Recipient

Ms. Julie Pace – American Journalist

Julie Pace is Senior Vice President and Executive Editor of The Associated Press.

Previously, she was Washington Bureau Chief for AP, directing AP’s coverage of the presidency, politics, and the U.S. government.

Before that, Pace was AP’s White House Correspondent, contributing aggressive news reporting and sharp analysis to the AP news report. Pace won the White House Correspondents’ Association Merriman Smith award in 2013 for her work explaining the Obama campaign’s complex approach to voter turnout.

She joined AP in 2007 as a multimedia reporter, developing and executing AP’s plans for live video coverage of 2008′s Election Day and the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

A native of Buffalo, New York, Pace began her career as a reporter in 2003 at South Africa’s only independent television network, before spending two years reporting on politics and elections at the Tampa Tribune and its partner television station WFLA. She is a graduate of Northwestern University.

Past Award Winners

  • 2019 – Jamie Stachowski, James Beard Chef and Owner
  • 2018 – Peter M Cuviello, Senior Client Partner (Retired Alumnus), Deloitte Advisory, Defense Segment, US Federal Services; Deloitte & Touché LLP 
  • 2017 – Margaret Sullivan, Media Columnist for the Washington Post 
  • 2016 – Kim Keenan, President and CEO of Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC)
  • 2015 – Megan Smith, US Chief Technology Officer
  • 2014 – H. David Jay, Architect
  • 2013 – The Honorable Tom Reynolds, former Congressman
  • 2012 – Jim Militello, Radio Sports Reporter for Associated Press Broadcast
  • 2011 – Tracy O’Grady, Owner and Executive Chef, Willow
  • 2010 – Erik Brady, Sportswriter for USA Today
  • 2009 – Donald E. Will, President and CEO of Will Poultry Company
  • 2008 – Charles W. Roesch, Owner of multifaceted restaurant and catering business
  • 2007 – The Honorable Bill Paxon, Buffalo area Congressman and lobbyist
  • 2006 – Michael A. Fitzpatrick, General Secretary, International Association of Iron Workers
  • 2005 – Tom Toles, Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist for the Washington Post
  • 2004 – The Honorable Jack Quinn, Buffalo area Congressman
  • 2003 – The Honorable(s) Jack Kemp, John LaFalce, and Hank Nowak, Buffalo area Congressman and Buffalo Nite founders
  • 2002 – Gwen Ifill, Managing Editor and Moderator, PBS Washington Week
  • 2001 – Scheduled for September 12, cancelled
  • 2000 – The Honorable Daniel Patrick Moynihan, U.S. Senator, State of New York
  • 1999 – Marv Levy, Head Coach of the Buffalo Bills
  • 1998 – James T. Molloy, Doorkeeper, U.S. House of Representatives
  • 1997 – The Honorable Thomas A. Constantine, Administrator, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
  • 1996 – David O. “Doc” Cooke, Pentagon administrator
  • 1995 – Wolf Blitzer, CNN television correspondent
  • 1994 – Mark Russell, Political satirist
  • 1993 – Tim Russert, Moderator of Meet the Press, NBC Washington Bureau Chief