Mission / History

Our Mission

The National Sports Media Association, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, which seeks to develop educational opportunities for those who are interested in pursuing a career in sports media, through networking, interning, mentoring, and scholarship programs.

The NSMA also honors, preserves and celebrates the diverse legacy of sports media in the United States.

Our History

Salisbury, NC restaurant owner, and boxing promoter Pete DiMizio started the organization as a way to honor sportscasters and sportswriters. The first North Carolina Sports Writers and Broadcasters banquet was at DiMizio’s Restaurant in 1953.

DiMizio died in 1958, but a small group of Salisbury residents created the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association in 1959, with the first national awards banquet on April 12, 1960. The NSSA, as it was known then, added a Hall of Fame in 1962, with Grantland Rice as its first inductee.

In 2016, NSSA changed its name to the National Sports Media Association, Inc. (NSMA).

And the next year, the NSMA moved its headquarters to Winston-Salem, NC, where more than $2 billion has been invested in downtown since 2000.

That kind of spending, when combined with the sports interests in Winston-Salem, makes this an ideal partnership for the NSMA. We benefit from a vibrant and growing downtown, five colleges and universities, professional baseball, professional hockey, and professional tennis. Winston-Salem is also home to one of Learfield IMG College's headquarters (one of the largest college athletics multimedia rights holders in the country).

And while Winston-Salem is growing steadily, it is not outgrowing its infrastructure. With a population of more than 250,000, it has a big-city vibe, with a small-town feel.

The perfect fit for the National Sports Media Association, which have small-town roots and big-time ambitions.