The WSJ's Brody Mullins has won the 2006 Dirksen Award, FishbowlDC has learned.

"The Everett McKinley Dirksen Awards for Distinguished Reporting of Congress carry prizes of $5,000 each to the winning print and broadcast journalists...Entries will be judged on how well they covered the workings of the Congress as a whole, or helped illuminate the actions of elected officials or congressional staff, or described the workings of congressional policies."

See a list of previous winners here.

UPDATE: More good news in the Mullins circle...girlfriend Lauren Poplawski of Qorvis was just named one of the 10 "rising stars" of PR yesterday by PR Week.

>UPDATE: Mullins won for his piece, "Behind Unraveling Of DeLay's Team, A Jilted Fiancee," which discussed Michael Scanlon and his former fiance Emily Miller.

>UPDATE: FishbowlDC can only assume that judges panel particulary loved Brody's touch in getting the save-the-date card into the story, as well as his kicker to the story: "Friends say Ms. Miller still has Mr. Scanlon's four-carat engagement ring."