2016 AAN Awards Winners Announced

The winners the 2016 AAN Awards were announced today in Austin, Texas. The winners were chosen as the most outstanding from a field of 821 entries submitted by 70 alternative publications across the U.S. and Canada.

The AAN Awards recognize the best in alternative journalism and are a unique chance for alt-weeklies to compete directly against the work of their peers in cities across the continent. Judging was conducted by the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland.

CASH PRIZE CATEGORIES

FEATURE STORY circulation under 45,000

Winner receives $200 funded by Isthmus founder Vince O’Hern.

First Place: The Corvette Thief by Vince Grzegorek, Cleveland Scene

Second Place: A Killing in Pocahontas by Will Stephenson, Arkansas Times

Third Place: Racial Profiling Via Nextdoor.com by Sam Levin, East Bay Express

Honorable Mention: Sea Lions by Nick Welsh, Santa Barbara Independent
FEATURE STORY circulation 45,000 & over

Winner receives $200 funded by Isthmus founder Vince O’Hern.

First Place: Out From Under by Allie Gross, Metro Times

Second Place: Club Dread by Will Sommer, Washington City Paper

Third Place: Accused Murderer Awaits Execution While OC Prosecutors Hide Exculpatory DNA by R. Scott Moxley, OC Weekly

Honorable Mention: How a Dogged DEA Agent Unraveled the CIA’s Alleged Role in the Murder of Kiki Camarena by Jason McGahan, L.A. Weekly
FREE SPEECH

Winner receives $400 funded by Monterey County Weekly founder & CEO Bradley Zeve.

First Place: True Confessions: The Case of Father Edward Fitz-Henry by Sara Rubin and Mary Duan, Monterey County Weekly

Second Place: SN&R vs. Mayor Kevin Johnson (I; II; III; IV; V; VI; VII; VIII; IX; X) by Cosmo Garvin and Nick Miller, Sacramento News & Review

Third Place: Exempt from Disclosure (I; II; III; IV) by Thadeus Greenson, North Coast Journal

Honorable Mention: Taking on Secretive PACs in Mississippi (I; II; III; IV; V; VI; VII; VIII; IX; X) by Arielle Dreher and Donna Ladd, Jackson Free Press
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING

Winner receives $400 funded by New Times co-founder Michael Lacey.

First Place: Rehomed: A State Representative, a Failed Adoption, a Child Exploited (I; II; III) by Benjamin Hardy, Arkansas Times

Second Place: Attorney General Bill Sorrell’s Uneven Compliance With Campaign Finance Law (I; II; III; IV; V; VI; VII; VIII; IX; X) by Paul Heintz, Seven Days

Third Place: Behind the Curtain by Joel Dyer, Boulder Weekly

Honorable Mention: Pinot vs. Coho by Will Parrish, North Bay Bohemian
LGBT COVERAGE

Winner receives $400 funded by Colorado Springs Independent former CEO Fran Zankowski.

First Place: Trans Athlete by Amber Stearns, NUVO

Second Place: Same-sex marriage comes to Louisiana (I; II; III; IV; V) by Kevin Allman, Alex Woodward, Jeanie Riess, Robert Morris, and Charles Cody Siler, Gambit

Third Place: Hello, my name is by Colin Rigley, San Luis Obispo New Times

Honorable Mention: Ruth Coker Burks, the Cemetery Angel by David Koon, Arkansas Times
RACE REPORTING

Winner receives $400 funded by Charleston City Paper co-owner and AAN President Blair Barna.

First Place: Where The Sidewalk Ends by Will Sommer, Washington City Paper

Second Place: That Which Divides Us by Nick Swartsell, Cincinnati CityBeat

Third Place: DiverseCity: An Exploration of Race in Mobile and Baldwin Counties (Stories and Maps) by Gabriel Tynes, Dale Liesch, Jason Johnson, Eric Mann, and John Kelsey, Lagniappe

Honorable Mention: The Most Important Issue in the Mayoral Race No One’s Talking About by Steve Bogira and Mick Dumke, Chicago Reader

WRITING CATEGORIES

ARTS CRITICISM circulation under 45,000

First Place: What Was Withheld; The Sonic Sweet Spot; and Oceanic Aspirations by Sarah Burke, East Bay Express

Second Place: Rite of Refusal;Identity Crisis; and Blackboard Shatteringby Byron Woods, INDY Week

Third Place: Fifty Shades of Grey; Is Loving the Wrong Approach?; and I Thought I Might Find You Here by Eileen Townsend, Memphis Flyer

Honorable Mention: Jess T. Dugan’s Portraits Look Into You; Art in Odd Places; and The “Visual Anthropology” of Bayeté Ross Smith by Richard T. Reep, Orlando Weekly
ARTS CRITICISM circulation 45,000 & over

First Place: Fifty Shades of Grey; Batkid Begins; and Best of Enemies by J.R. Jones, Chicago Reader

Second Place: Margot Robbie Will Be a Major Star if She Stays Nasty; ‘Get Hard’ Has Too Many Prison Rape Jokes, but Kevin Hart’s Neediness Saves the Movie; The “Man-Child Movie” Trend Must End by Amy Nicholson, L.A. Weekly

Third Place: It Used To Be Better by Richard Speer, Willamette Week

Honorable Mention: It Follows; Southpaw; Females Are Strong as Hell by Curt Holman, Creative Loafing Atlanta
ARTS FEATURE circulation under 45,000

First Place: Rap’s Poetic License: Revoked by Sam Lefebvre, East Bay Express

Second Place: Code Green by Brian Howe, INDY Week

Third Place: Best of Enemies by Chris McCoy, Memphis Flyer
ARTS FEATURE circulation 45,000 & over

First Place: Why CDs May Actually Sound Better Than Vinyl by Chris Kornelis, L.A. Weekly

Second Place: Can Budget-Slasher Jason Blum Prove the Way Hollywood Makes Movies is Horrifyingly Wrong? by Amy Nicholson, L.A. Weekly

Third Place: The Demon Dog in Denver by Alan Prendergast, Westword

Honorable Mention: Monsters & Demons by Mike Bookey, The Inlander
BEAT REPORTING circulation under 45,000

First Place: Farming, Sustainability and the Environment in Western NC (I; II; III; IV; V) by Carrie Eidson, Mountain Xpress

Second Place: Criminal Justice Reporting (I; II; III; IV; V) by John H. Tucker, INDY Week

Third Place: Cops and Courts (I; II; III; IV; V) by Mark Davis, Seven Days

 

BEAT REPORTING circulation 45,000 & over

First Place: Education Reporting (I; II; III; IV; V) by Daniel Walters, The Inlander

Second Place: Marijuana in Arizona (I; II; III; IV; V) by Ray Stern, Phoenix New Times

COLUMN circulation under 45,000

First Place: Streetside (I; II; III; IV; V) by David Hudnall, The Pitch

Second Place: Poli Psy (I; II; III) by Judith Levine, Seven Days

Third Place: H1gher Learning (I; II; III) by K.J. Kearney, Charleston City Paper

Honorable Mention: WTF: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (I; II; III) by Ken Picard, Seven Days
COLUMN circulation 45,000 & over

First Place: Vodka Yonic (I; II; III) by Clara Kim, Kim Green, and Abby White, Nashville Scene

Second Place: Columns (I; II; III) by Robrt Pela, Phoenix New Times

Third Place: Lady Things (I; II; III) by Lizzy Acker, Willamette Week

Honorable Mention: Playback (I; II; III) by Kevin Curtin, Austin Chronicle
COLUMN (POLITICAL) circulation under 45,000

First Place: Seven Days by Robert Gammon, East Bay Express

Second Place: Citizen Green (I; II; III) by Jordan Green, Triad City Beat

Third Place: Editor’s Note (I; II; III) by Aaron Yarmuth, LEO Weekly

Honorable Mention: Columns (I; II; III) by Clancy DuBos, Gambit
COLUMN (POLITICAL) circulation 45,000 & over

First Place: Politics & Prejudice (I; II; III) by Jack Lessenberry, Metro Times

Second Place: Columns (I; II; III) by Ben Joravsky, Chicago Reader

Third Place: Columns by (I; II; III) by Stephen Lemons, Phoenix New Times

Honorable Mention: El Jefe (I; II) by Chuck Strouse, Miami New Times
FOOD WRITING circulation under 45,000

First Place: Food Writing (I; II; III) by Helen Freund, Gambit

Second Place: Food Writing by Luke Tsai, East Bay Express

Third Place: Making Cents: A by-the-numbers look at the price of dining in Charleston by Stephanie Burt, Charleston City Paper
FOOD WRITING circulation 45,000 & over

First Place: ‘Young & Hungry’ Columns (I; II; III) by Jessica Sidman, Washington City Paper

Second Place: Wok Away by Lauren Saria, Phoenix New Times

Third Place: Food Writing (I; II; III) by Martin Cizmar, Willamette Week

Honorable Mention: Food Writing (I; II; III) by Besha Rodell, L.A. Weekly
LONG-FORM NEWS STORY circulation under 45,000

First Place: How does a mother lose custody of her child to a man the courts know has beaten her? In Eastern Jackson County, it’s not that hard and An eastern Jackson County court found it easy to blame a domestic-violence victim by David Hudnall, The Pitch

Second Place: The Brady Bunch by Toby Sells, Memphis Flyer

Third Place: Horrific Healthcare by Bruce Rushton, Illinois Times
LONG-FORM NEWS STORY circulation 45,000 & over

First Place: No Admitting by Alan Prendergast, Westword

Second Place: A Drug Rehab Mogul Built an Empire That’s Now Being Probed by the FBI, DA and State of California by Hillel Aron, L.A. Weekly

Third Place: Rat Tale by Aaron Mesh, Willamette Week

Honorable Mention: Unanswered by Max Blau, Creative Loafing Atlanta
MUSIC WRITING circulation under 45,000

First Place: Music Writing (I; II; III) by Matt Stieb, San Antonio Current

Second Place: Music Writing (I; II; III) by Grayson Haver Currin, INDY Week

Third Place: We’ll Always Have Short Vine by Brian Baker, Cincinnati CityBeat

Honorable Mention: Music Writing (I; II; III) by Alex De Vore, Santa Fe Reporter
MUSIC WRITING circulation 45,000 & over

First Place: Music Writing (I; II; III) by Andy Hermann, L.A. Weekly

Second Place: Music Writing (I; II; III) by Laura Johnson, The Inlander

Third Place: Music Writing (I; II; III) by Matthew Singer, Willamette Week

Honorable Mention: Music Writing (I; II; III) by Ron Knox, Washington City Paper
PUBLIC SERVICE circulation under 45,000

First Place: Prying Loose Gov. Bruce Rauner’s secrets (I; II; III; IV; V) by Bruce Rushton, Illinois Times

Second Place: Racial Discrimination in Downtown Athens, GA (I; II; III; IV; V; VI; VII; VIII; IX; X) by Blake Aued, Flagpole Magazine

Third Place: The Fight to Change the Mississippi Flag (I; II; III; IV; V; VI; VII; VIII; IX; X) Todd Stauffer, Donna Ladd, Arielle Dreher, Kristin Brenemen, Imani Khayyam, Amber Helsel, Micah Smith, Dustin Cardon, Adria Walker, Maya Miller, Zilpha Young, and Kimberly Griffin, Jackson Free Press
PUBLIC SERVICE circulation 45,000 & over

First Place: Flint Water Coverage (I; II; III; IV; V) by Curt Guyette, Metro Times

Second Place: Home Sweet Hustle (I; II; III) by Nigel Jaquiss, Willamette Week

Third Place: Water District Conflicts of Interest in a Time of Drought (I; II; III; IV; V; VI; VII; VIII; IX) Josh Koehn, Metro Silicon Valley

Honorable Mention: OC Snitch Scandal (I; II; III; IV; V; VI; VII; VIII; IX) by R. Scott Moxley, OC Weekly

DESIGN CATEGORIES

COVER DESIGN circulation under 45,000

First Place: Covers by Dave Kirby, Susan France, and Mark Goodman, Boulder Weekly

Second Place: Covers (I; II; III) by Trask Bedortha, Todd Cooper, Darren Quardt, and Andy Singer, Eugene Weekly

Third Place: Covers (I; II; III) by Jennifer Hoffman, Cincinnati CityBeat

Honorable Mention: Covers (I; II; III) by Anson Stevens-Bollen, Santa Fe Reporter
COVER DESIGN circulation 45,000 & over

First Place: Covers (I; II; III) by Jason Stout, Austin Chronicle

Second Place: Covers (I; II; III) by Lisa Cunningham, John Colombo, Sarah Wilson, Renee Rosensteel, Heather Mull, and David Pohl, Pittsburgh City Paper

Third Place: Covers (I; II; III) by Wes Duvall and Rachel Hortman, Creative Loafing Atlanta

Honorable Mention: Covers (I; II; III) by Elizabeth Jones, Nashville Scene
EDITORIAL LAYOUT circulation under 45,000

First Place: Taco Town by Staff, Santa Barbara Independent

Second Place: Wanted: Shelter by Eli Miller, San Antonio Current

Third Place: San Antonio Emojis by Sarah Flood-Baumann, San Antonio Current
EDITORIAL LAYOUT circulation 45,000 & over

First Place: SummerTimes Music Preview by Tommy Washbush, Isthmus

Second Place: All You Need is Grub by Elizabeth Jones, Nashville Scene

Third Place: Adventures in Drinking by Elizabeth Jones, Nashville Scene

Honorable Mention: Cool Summer by Corlene Byrd, Las Vegas Weekly
ILLUSTRATION circulation under 45,000

First Place: Sweet Deal by Jeff Drew, Seven Days

Second Place: Terry Francona, In Tito We Trust by Oliver Barrett, Cleveland Scene

Third Place: Best of Charleston (I; II; III; IV) by Scott Suchy, Charleston City Paper

Honorable Mention: Summer Food by Trask Bedortha, Eugene Weekly
ILLUSTRATION circulation 45,000 & over

First Place: Crime-Fighter + Criminal by Jeff Drew, The Inlander

Second Place: Best of the Blotter by Tray Butler, Creative Loafing Atlanta

Third Place: Best of Nashville by Rachel Briggs, Nashville Scene

Honorable Mention: Brain’s Song by Daniel Hertzberg, Nashville Scene
PHOTOGRAPHY circulation under 45,000

First Place: 2015 Music Coverage (I; II; III; IV; V; VI; VII; VIII; IX; X) by Todd Cooper, Eugene Weekly

Second Place: Chasing Ebola (I; II; III; IV; V; VI; VII; VIII; IX; X) by Steven King, Worcester Mag

Third Place: Photos (I; II; III; IV; V; VI; VII; VIII; IX; X) by Bert Johnson, East Bay Express

Honorable Mention: Photos (I; II; III; IV; V; VI; VII; VIII; IX; X) by Scott Elmquist, Style Weekly
PHOTOGRAPHY circulation 45,000 & over

First Place: Photos (I; II; III; IV; V; VI; VII; VIII; IX; X) by Darrow Montgomery, Washington City Paper

Second Place: Freddie Gray Protests: The Battle of Sandtown-Winchester by J.M. Giordano, Baltimore City Paper

Third Place: Photos (I; II; III; IV; V; VI; VII; VIII) by Young Kwak, The Inlander

ONLINE CATEGORIES

ARTS & CULTURE BLOG

First Place: Cultist (I; II; III: IV; V), Miami New Times

Second Place: Chow Bella (I; II; III: IV; V), Phoenix New Times

Third Place: Live Culture (I; II; III: IV; V), Seven Days

Honorable Mention: Potlikker (I; II; III: IV; V), Creative Loafing Tampa
MULTIMEDIA

First Place: Burnside Skatepark Turns 25 by Lucas Chemotti, Willamette Week

Second Place: Chasing Ebola by Walter Bird Jr, Steven King, Mike Murray, and Joe Santa Maria, Worcester Mag

Third Place: U.S. Winter Swimming Championship by Eva Sollberger, Seven Days

Honorable Mention: Mac’s Club Deuce: An Oral History by Ryan Pfeffer and Laurie Charles, Miami New Times
STAFF BLOG

First Place: News Blog (I; II; III: IV; V), Houston Press

Second Place: Riptide (I; II; III: IV; V), Miami New Times

Third Place: Fresh Loaf (I; II; III: IV; V), Creative Loafing Atlanta

Honorable Mention: Scene and Heard (I; II; III: IV; V), Cleveland Scene

OUTSIDE-THE-BOX CATEGORIES

CARTOON (listed alphabetically by last name)

First Place: V.C. Rogers, INDY Week (I; II; III; IV; V)

Second Place: Jen Sorensen, Jen Sorensen Comics (I; II; III; IV; V)

Third Place: Harry Bliss, Seven Days (I; II; III; IV; V)
INNOVATION / FORMAT BUSTER

First Place: The Militant LGBTQ Agenda! by NUVO Editors, NUVO

Second Place: The Goonies Issue by Matthew Korfhage, Andy Kryza, and Matthew Singer, Willamette Week

Third Place: Food Issue by Wes Duvall, Rachel Hortman, Stephanie Dazey, Brad Kaplan, and Jennifer Zyman, Creative Loafing Atlanta

Honorable Mention: Gender Pronouns: An Introduction by Em DeMarco, Pittsburgh City Paper
SPECIAL SECTION

First Place: People 2015 by Staff, L.A. Weekly

Second Place: The Food Issue: An Exploration of Midwestern Cuisine by Jake Malooley, Robin Amer, Aimee Levitt, Mike Sula, Gwynedd Stuart, Julia Thiel, and Tanner Howard, Chicago Reader

Third Place: DISH: The Gullah Issue by Kinsey Gidick, KJ Kearney, Jeff Allen, Robert Moss, Eric Doksa, David Shields, and Charlotte Jenkins, Charleston City Paper

Honorable Mention: 20/20 Hindsight: A Look Back on Two Decades of Vermont News, Views and Culture by Pamela Polston, Paula Routly, Cathy Resmer, and Don Eggert, Seven Days

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