diff --git a/.typos.toml b/.typos.toml
index fa01a8f47d..26093f65a9 100644
--- a/.typos.toml
+++ b/.typos.toml
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ extend-ignore-re = [
     "\"BaR\"",
     "\"xFoObar\"",
     "\"FoO\"",
+    "Smoot",
 ]
 
 extend-ignore-identifiers-re = [
diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 6fa6a80c07..80bc23b3a0 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,3 +1,13 @@
+8.0.0-rc1 | 2025-08-04 09:39:08 -0700
+
+  * Release 8.0.0-rc1.
+
+8.0.0-dev.828 | 2025-08-04 09:38:55 -0700
+
+  * Compile contributors for Zeek 8.0 in the NEWS file (Christian Kreibich, Corelight)
+
+    (cherry picked from commit 4fdd83f3f50a0e4631cb8e08ac931cc37f4637a3)
+
 8.0.0-dev.827 | 2025-08-01 17:10:13 +0200
 
   * ci/windows: No ZeroMQ cluster backend (Arne Welzel, Corelight)
diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 26bb77cbfe..dc798eeb8c 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -6,7 +6,13 @@ release. For an exhaustive list of changes, see the ``CHANGES`` file
 Zeek 8.0.0
 ==========
 
-We would like to thank Bhaskar Bhar (@bhaskarbhar) for their contributions to this
+We would like to thank @aidans111, Anthony Verez (@netantho), Baa (@Baa14453),
+Bhaskar Bhar (@bhaskarbhar), @dwhitemv25, EdKo (@ephikos), @edoardomich, Fupeng
+Zhao (@AmazingPP), hendrik.schwartke@os-s.de (@hendrikschwartke), @i2z1, Jan
+Grashöfer (@J-Gras) Jean-Samuel Marier, Justin Azoff (@JustinAzoff), Mario D
+(@mari0d), Markus Elfring (@elfring), Peter Cullen (@pbcullen), Sean Donaghy,
+Simeon Miteff (@simeonmiteff), Steve Smoot (@stevesmoot), @timo-mue,
+@wojciech-graj, and Xiaochuan Ye (@XueSongTap) for their contributions to this
 release.
 
 Breaking Changes
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index cf4112bb0a..71f2983501 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-8.0.0-dev.827
+8.0.0-rc1