Smith responds publicly after NABJ criticism
Stephen A. Smith is responding after receiving NABJ’s 2026 “Thumbs Down” award in Atlanta. The organization cited what it described as a recurring pattern of disparaging commentary directed at prominent Black women across politics, sports, and media.
Smith initially pushed back on social media before delivering a longer response on August 17, when he rejected NABJ’s characterization and criticized the organization’s handling of the award. He later discussed the dispute during an appearance on Hannity.
NABJ explained why Smith was selected
NABJ said Smith had established a recurring public pattern of disparaging commentary directed at prominent Black women. The organization said the comments involved people across politics, sports, and media.
NABJ said such commentary can reinforce harmful narratives and undermine fair representation. Its statement connected the award to its commitment to accurate, responsible, and inclusive portrayals of Black communities.
Smith responded on social media
Smith responded publicly after the award was announced through his social media account. He described the situation as an opportunity to respond and said NABJ had taken its turn.
He also said he intended to challenge NABJ publicly. Smith suggested the organization could face questions about its own record involving the Black community, but he did not detail those questions in his initial post.
His response promised a larger rebuttal
Smith initially said he had been quiet about his concerns for years and that NABJ had now started something. He indicated that he planned to publicly challenge the organization over the award.
On August 17, 2026, Smith followed through with a fuller response on his “Straight Shooter” program. He criticized the award, called it one of the lowest insults he had received, and discussed his concerns about NABJ President Errin Haines.
The dispute follows recent criticism
The NABJ decision follows several public controversies involving Smith’s commentary about prominent figures. One recent example involved Representative Jasmine Crockett, whom Smith criticized in 2025 while discussing her language and political style.
Smith later apologized to Crockett for comments he said could be used against her by conservative critics. He maintained that he had the right to scrutinize political figures, adding context to the public record surrounding his commentary.
Smith has also corrected past remarks
Smith has previously issued corrections after making inaccurate statements on air. In March 2025, he apologized after incorrectly suggesting that LeBron James had not attended Kobe Bryant’s memorial service.
Smith corrected the statement during the second hour of First Take and later acknowledged the mistake publicly. He said the subject should not have been raised, while maintaining his other criticism of James.
NABJ and Smith had worked together recently
The award came after Smith appeared prominently at recent NABJ conventions. In 2024, First Take held a live broadcast during NABJ’s convention in Chicago, featuring Chance the Rapper and Chicago Bears players Caleb Williams and D.J. Moore.
In 2025, First Take again appeared at the NABJ convention in Cleveland. Smith participated in programming for attendees and students, making the 2026 award follow recent public collaboration.
Interesting fact: In 2007, Smith made a cameo appearance on ABC’s General Hospital as a television reporter.
Smith is a major ESPN personality
Smith is a featured commentator and executive producer on ESPN’s First Take and hosts The Stephen A. Smith Show on SiriusXM. He also hosts Straight Shooter with Stephen A., where his commentary extends into politics, media, culture, and current events.
NABJ’s stated rationale for the Thumbs Down award addressed Smith’s commentary involving prominent Black women across politics, sports, and media, rather than limiting its criticism to his sports coverage.
Interesting fact: Smith began his newspaper career at the Winston-Salem Journal after graduating from Winston-Salem State University in 1991.
The award was part of a larger NABJ slate
NABJ presented five Thumbs Down awards during its 2026 convention, according to reports on the ceremony. Smith was one of several recipients publicly identified during the annual awards program.
The other recipients were FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, CBS, The Washington Post, and DuJuan McCoy. The list included both individuals and major media organizations in the same ceremony.
NABJ explained the award’s purpose
NABJ described its Thumbs Down award as a way to hold public figures and institutions accountable when their actions are considered harmful to Black journalists. The organization said Smith’s public comments conflicted with its commitment to accurate, responsible, and inclusive portrayals.
NABJ specifically cited what it described as a recurring pattern of commentary directed at prominent Black women across politics, sports, and media. The organization did not identify one individual comment as the sole reason for Smith’s selection.
The dispute continued after Smith’s fuller response
Smith moved beyond his initial social-media reaction with a lengthy public response on August 17, rejecting NABJ’s characterization of his commentary and criticizing the organization’s handling of the award.
NABJ later said President Errin Haines had proposed beginning with a private conversation focused on dialogue, with the possibility of public engagement afterward. Smith also took the dispute to Hannity, where he again defended his record and challenged NABJ’s accusations.
Recent NABJ appearances provide context
Smith and First Take appeared at NABJ conventions in both 2024 and 2025. In 2024, First Take held a live broadcast during the convention in Chicago, while the program also appeared at the 2025 convention in Cleveland.
These appearances occurred before NABJ presented Smith with its 2026 Thumbs Down award in Atlanta. They show that Smith and NABJ had participated in the same convention programming before the 2026 award.
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The next response remains the key development
As of August 19, 2026, Stephen A. Smith has publicly challenged NABJ’s decision to give him a Thumbs Down award and rejected the organization’s characterization of his commentary. After his initial social-media reaction, Smith delivered a longer response on August 17 and later discussed the dispute on Hannity.
NABJ has defended the purpose of the award and said President Errin Haines proposed beginning with a private conversation, with the possibility of public engagement afterward. The dispute, therefore, remains active even though Smith’s promised fuller response has already occurred.
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What do you think about Stephen A. Smith’s response to NABJ’s “Thumbs Down” award? Like this slideshow and comment with your take on the controversy and Smith’s decision to respond.
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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