The finalists for the 2019 AAN Awards have been selected. The 92 finalists below were chosen as the most outstanding from a field of over 600 entries submitted by 55 alternative publications across the U.S. and Canada. For the first year ever, size divisions based on print circulation were eliminated, allowing AAN members to compete for the title of “Best of” within AAN.
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. These finalists truly represent the best of the best.
The winners will be announced during a reception on July 13 at the AAN Convention in Boulder.
Finalists below are listed alphabetically by paper. Categories with four or more finalists indicate either a tie or an honorable mention.
Investigative Reporting (David Carr Award)
One $500 prize will be awarded.
Metro Silicon Valley: Sheriff Texting Scandal (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII) by Jennifer Wadsworth
Miami New Times: Marijuana in Miami (I, II, III) by Meg O’Connor
Orlando Weekly: Everyone’s a suspect: Amazon Rekognition (I, II, III, IV) by Monivette Cordeiro, Joey Roulette, Colin Wolf
Feature Story
One $500 prize will be awarded, funded by Isthmus Founder Vince O’Hern.
Chicago Reader: Justice Delayed by Maya Dukmasova, Dave Newbart
Chicago Reader: The trials of Stuart V. Goldberg, Chicago’s flashiest defense attorney by Maya Dukmasova, Kevin Penczak, Jake Malooley
INDY Week: Ronnie Long Has Spent Four Decades in Prison for Rape. Did He Really Do It? by Erica Hellerstein
Riverfront Times: The Pool Repairman and the Hollywood Hustler by Robert Langellier
Free Speech & Open Government
One $500 prize will be awarded, funded by Monterey County Weekly founder & CEO Bradley Zeve.
Dig Boston: The Massachusetts Public Records Law Fails Three out of Three Times by Maya Shaffer
Monterey County Weekly: Taking on Greenfield City Hall, getting sued for it, and winning (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX) by Mary Duan, Sara Rubin, Kelly Aviles
The Memphis Flyer: Behind Closed Doors by Toby Sells
LGBT Coverage
One $500 prize will be awarded, funded by Boulder Weekly publisher Fran Zankowski.
Orlando Weekly: Say Her Name by Monivette Cordeiro, Colin Wolf
Salt Lake City Weekly: Pride Issue by Enrique Limón & City Weekly Staff
Tulsa Voice: Every single other: Tulsa’s LGBTQ+ community comes to worship by Fraser Kastner
Washington City Paper: Asylum Seekers by Andrew Giambrone
Arts Criticism (Jim Ridley Award)
One $500 prize will be awarded, funded by the Nashville Scene.
INDY Week: Arts Criticism (I, II, III) by Brian Howe
The Memphis Flyer: Book Reviews (I, II, III) by Jesse Davis
Washington City Paper: Arts Criticism (I, II, III) by Kriston Capps
Willamette Week: “Baring It” and Other Stories (I, II, III) by Shannon Gormley
Column
One $250 prize will be awarded, funded by The Billy Manes Foundation.
Coachella Valley Independent: Know Your Neighbors (I, II, III) by Anita Rufus
Nashville Scene: Vodka Yonic (I, II, III) by Elizabeth Jones, Laura Hutson, Kat Ridley
North Coast Journal: Seriously? (I, II, III) by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill
Pittsburgh City Paper: Peepshow, a sex and social justice column (I, II, III) by Jessie Sage
Column-Political
One $250 prize will be awarded, funded by The Billy Manes Foundation.
Dig Boston: Apparent Horizon (I, II, III) by Jason Pramas
Maui Time: Coconut Wireless (I, II, III) by Axel Beers
Triad City Beat: Citizen Green (I, II, III) by Jordan Green
Triad City Beat: Columns (I, II, III) by Brian Clarey
Best Nonprofit Collaboration (The BINJ Award)
One $500 cash prize will awarded to the author/team, funded by the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism
INDY Week, with NC Health News: State Law Orders Insurers to Cover Autism Therapies. Why Are So Many Families Going Without? by Sarah Ovaska-Few
INDY Week, with The Appeal: The Cheat Sheet Taught N.C. Prosecutors How to Get Rid of Black Jurors by Jacob Biba
Santa Barbara Independent, with KCRW: One Year Later by Tyler Hayden
Santa Fe Reporter, with New Mexico Fund for Public Interest Journalism: Place Making by New Mexico Fund for Public Interest Journalism
Salesperson of the Year
This year, an additional competition took place, in which AAN Member papers submitted nominees for Salesperson of the Year, based on a winning pitch deck that demonstrates a focus on meeting client needs, offering creative and integrated solutions. Three finalists were chosen by a judging panel of past AAN Ad Directors. All three finalists receive free registration for the AAN Convention and tiered cash prizes, funded by The Media Audit. Winner will be announced during the main AAN Awards Ceremony.
Pittsburgh City Paper: Blake Alexander Lewis
Pittsburgh City Paper: Kaitlin Oliver
The Georgia Strait: Robyn Marsh
Arts Feature
Cincinnati CityBeat: Magical Realism by Zachary Petit
Colorado Springs Independent: Beam me up, Grandma by Alissa Smith
Good Times Santa Cruz: Santa Cruz Goes Dark by Steve Palopoli
Willamette Week: Roll of a Lifetime by Matthew Singer
Beat Reporting
INDY Week: Incarceration and Criminal Justice Reporting (I, II, III, IV) by Sarah Willets
Phoenix New Times: Criminal Justice Coverage (I, II, III, IV, V) by Sean Holstege
Seven Days: Education Writing (I, II, III, IV, V) by Molly Walsh
The Inlander: Sexual Harassment in Higher Ed (I, II, III, IV, V) by Wilson Criscione
Food Writing
The Inlander: Don’t Sauté Your Laptop (and Other Home Cooking Tricks) by Daniel Walters
Monterey County Weekly: Burning Questions (I, II, III) by Dave Faries
Salt Lake City Weekly: Food Reviews (I, II, III) by Alex Springer
Seven Days: Food Writing (I, II, III) by Hannah Palmer Eagan
Immigration Coverage
INDY Week: Credible Fear: A Triangle Woman Says She Could Be Killed If She’s Deported to Honduras by Erica Hellerstein
INDY Week: The Hunted: What’s Life Like for a Young North Carolina Man After Being Deported to El Salvador? by Victoria Bouloubasis
The Memphis Flyer: There Is No Line: The Troubled State of our Immigrant Community by Maya Smith
Westword: Here Today, Here Tomorrow by Chris Walker
Long-Form News Story
Phoenix New Times: Missing Deadly Signs (I, II, III) by Bill Myers
Seven Days: Sheriff, Inc. by Alicia Freese
The Inlander: A Long Road to Die by Samantha Wohlfeil
Music Writing
Boulder Weekly: Music Writing (I, II, III) by Angela K. Evans
Charleston City Paper: From hip-hop veterans to freshly tapped talent, meet the women who are changing the local rap game by Kelly Rae Smith and Heath Ellison
Cincinnati CityBeat: Revenge of the Synth by Mike Breen
San Antonio Current: Ada Vox: How a Singing Drag Queen from San Antonio Got America to Listen Up by Chris Conde
Cover Design
Metro Times: Covers (I, II, III) by Tom Carlson
Orlando Weekly: Covers (I, II, III) by Melissa McHenry, Robert Bartlett, Chris “Tobar” Rodriguez
Pittsburgh City Paper: Covers (I, II, III) by Lisa Cunningham, Jared Wickerham, Xiola Jensen, Maya Puskaric
Santa Fe Reporter (I, II, III) by Anson Stevens-Bollen
Editorial Layout
City Newspaper: The Fate of Parcel 5 by Ryan Williamson
Eugene Weekly: I Married A White Supremacist by Tracy Sydor, Trask Bedortha, Todd Cooper
Las Vegas Weekly: Life Is Beautiful by Ian Racoma
Nashville Scene: Summer Guide by Elizabeth Jones
Illustration
The Inlander: Scholastic Fantastic (I, II, III, IV, V) by Jeff Drew
Las Vegas Weekly: Raiders: The New Gruden Era Begins by Ian Racoma
Nashville Scene: Bonnaroo Bingo by Holly Carden
Riverfront Times: Title Mine by Evan Sult
Photography
Cincinnati CityBeat: Photography (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X) by Hailey Bollinger
Orlando Weekly: Havana or Bust by Robert Bartlett
Style Weekly: Protest (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X) by Scott Elmquist
Washington City Paper: 2018 by Darrow Montgomery
Cartoon
Charleston City Paper: Editorial Cartoons (I, II, III, IV, V) by Steve Stegelin
Seven Days: Cartoons (I, II, III, IV, V) by Tim Newcomb
Slowpoke Comics: Cartoons (I, II, III, IV, V) by Jen Sorensen
Tom Tomorrow: This Modern World (I, II, III, IV, V) by Tom Tomorrow
Innovation/Format Buster
The Inlander: Miller Cane: A serialized novel printed in weekly installments by Samuel Ligon, Jacob Fries
Maui Time: Walk Story (I, II) by Axel Beers, Tommy Russo
Monterey County Weekly: Student Voices (I, II) by Lorenz Cushman, Students at 13 Monterey County high schools , Marielle Argueza, Erik Cushman
Seven Days: Give and Take Series (I, II, III, IV, V) by Paula Routly , Paul Heintz, Matthew Roy , Sasha Goldstein, Andrea Suozzo, Candace Page, Alicia Freese, Mark Davis, Carolyn Fox , Elizabeth Seyler, Diane Sullivan , Taylor Dobbs, Molly Walsh, Katie Jickling
Multimedia
Chicago Reader: The Block Beat (series in collaboration with The TRiiBE) by Tiffany Walden, Morgan Elise Johnson, Philip Montoro
Eugene Weekly: Lincoln Street Sessions (I, II, III, IV, V) by Trask Bedortha, James Bateman, Todd Cooper, Sarah Decker, Meerah Powell, Hunter McNie
Santa Barbara Independent: Lompoc Riverbed Evictees’ Triage Center to Close by Erika Carlos
Seven Days: Stuck in Vermont: Photographer Matthew Thorsen Gets the Last Word by Eva Sollberger
Special Section
North Coast Journal: Media Literacy Issue by Staff
Pittsburgh City Paper: Election Guide by Ryan Deto, Lisa Cunningham, Alex Gordon, Jared Wickerham, Amanda Waltz, Hannah Lynn, Jordan Snowden, Maggie Weaver, Tereneh Idia, Gab Bonesso, Jessie Sage
Salt Lake City Weekly: City Weekly’s Beer Issue by Enrique Limón & City Weekly Staff
Santa Fe Reporter: Love and Sex by Alex De Vore, Anson Stevens-Bollen, Charlotte Jusinski, Hunter Riley, Anastacio Wrobel, JC Gonzo
Special Publication
Pittsburgh City Paper: City Guide by Lisa Cunningham, Alex Gordon, Ryan Deto, Hannah Lynn, Rob Rossi
San Antonio Current: San Antonio Flavor – Winter 2018 by Jessica Elizarraras, Greg Jefferson
Santa Fe Reporter: Restaurant Guide by SFR Staff and Freelancers
Seven Days: From Burlington With Love: Insider Intel on What’s Good by Carolyn Fox, Dan Bolles, Cathy Resmer, Katy Isaacs, John James, Kirsten Cheney, Todd Scott, Don Eggert, Brooke Bousquet, Diane Sullivan
Pingback: was just nominated for the AAN Best Political Columnist #Award I won last year; thanks to @Fara1, John Loftus, & all my @DigBoston peeps for putting out the paper with me every week; congrats to @CriticalMANews for her nomination, too! http://aan.org/