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Alternative Newsweekly Award Winners Announced

New York Times media reporter David Carr hosted the 9th annual Alternative Newsweekly Awards Friday at the AAN Convention in San Antonio. (See accompanying story.)

Two newspapers with circulation under 50,000 took the highest number of first-place awards: three each. Independent Weekly of Durham, N.C., won in the Column, Investigative Reporting and News Story categories. Orlando Weekly won in the Illustration, Political Commentary and Religion Reporting categories.

A story in the Ventura County Reporter, “Horace Bristol,” won first place both in the Arts Feature and Editorial Layout categories.

Following is a list of the winners.

ARTS CRITICISM
Circulation < 50,000
First Place: Devin O’Leary, Weekly Alibi
Second Place: James McWilliams, Texas Observer
Third Place: Scot Lockman, Birmingham Weekly

Circulation > 50,000
First Place: Christine Biederman, Dallas Observer
Second Place: Brendan Bernhard, L.A. Weekly
Third Place: J.R. Jones, Chicago Reader

ARTS FEATURE
Circulation < 50,000
First Place: “Horace Bristol,” Hillary Johnson, Ventura County Reporter
Second Place: “The Mad Projectionist,” John Citrone, Folio Weekly
Third Place: “A Love Story,” Brenda Bell, Texas Observer
Honorable Mention: “Culture Club,” Celeste Miller and Emili Vesilind, Syracuse New Times

Circulation > 50,000
First Place: “The Ace is Wild: The Doug Chrismas Story,” Kristine McKenna, L.A. Weekly
Second Place: “Iraq War: The Movie,” Tim Appelo, Seattle Weekly
Third Place/Tie: “Disjointed,” Blake de Pastino, Baltimore City Paper
Third Place/Tie: “Girl,” Felicia Fester, Creative Loafing Atlanta

CARTOON
Fewer than five publications
First Place: “Callahan,” John Callahan
Second Place: “Slowpoke,” Jen Sorensen
Third Place: “Samson Seagull,” Arden Hendrie
Honorable Mention: “The Pain, When Will It End?” Timothy Kreider

Five or more publications
First Place: “Slow Wave,” Jesse Reklaw
Second Place: “This Modern World,” Tom Tomorrow
Third Place: “The City,” derf (John Backderf)
Honorable Mention: “Tom the Dancing Bug,” Ruben Bolling

COLUMN
Circulation < 50,000
 First Place: Melinda Ruley, Independent Weekly
Second Place: Kathy Wilson, Cincinnati City Beat
Third Place: Donna Ladd, Jackson Free Press
Honorable Mention: Cara DeGette, Colorado Springs Independent

Circulation > 50,000
First Place: Bob Norman, New Times Broward-Palm Beach
Second Place: Tristram Korten, Miami New Times
Third Place: Joshua Greene, Cleveland Free Times

COLUMN — POLITICAL COMMENTARY
Circulation < 50,000
First Place: Bob Whitby, Orlando Weekly
Second Place: Jack Spula, City Newspaper
Third Place: Kyle Whitmire, Birmingham Weekly

Circulation > 50,000
First Place: Dan Williamson, The Other Paper
Second Place: Tim Fleck, Houston Press
Third Place/Tie: Bob Norman, New Times Broward-Palm Beach
Third Place/Tie: Nat Hentoff, Village Voice

COVER DESIGN
Circulation < 50,000
First Place: Julie Barnett, San Antonio Current
Second Place: Tak Toyoshima, Boston’s Weekly Dig
Third Place: Gregory Dickens, MetroBEAT

Circulation > 50,000
First Place: Joe MacLeod, Baltimore City Paper
Second Place: Andrea Diaz-Vaughn, Larry Dalton and James McHughes, Sacramento News & Review
Third Place: Tim Silbaugh and Johanna Goodman, Seattle Weekly

EDITORIAL LAYOUT
Circulation < 50,000
First Place: “Horace Bristol,” Monica McGregor, Ventura County Reporter
Second Place: “Against the Odds,” Liz Holm and M.J. Sharp, Independent Weekly
Third Place: “Cover Up,” Diane Sullivan and Donald Eggert, Seven Days

Circulation > 50,000
First Place: “Ms. Fat-So,” Tricia Reinhold, Pittsburgh City Paper
Second Place: “A User’s Guide to Kicking,” John Curry, L.A. Weekly
Third Place: “DIY Directory,” Anne Reeser, Jason Landis and Carson Ellis, Willamette Week
Honorable Mention: “Fast, Cheap, Out of this World,” Joe MacLeod, Baltimore City Paper
Honorable Mention: “Gary Coleman for Governor!” Mark Gartland, East Bay Express

FEATURE STORY
Circulation < 50,000
First Place: “Why Andy Won’t Die,” Dusty Rhodes, Illinois Times
Honorable Mention: “An Unresolved Death,” Mike Keefe-Feldman, Missoula Independent

Circulation > 50,000
First Place: “The Girl Who Played Dead,” Julie Lyons, Dallas Observer
Second Place: “War of Words,” Joe Miller, The Pitch
Third Place: “How Sweet It Was,” Celeste Fraser Delgado, Miami New Times
Honorable Mention: “Fishing the Mainstream,” Tommy Craggs, SF Weekly
Honorable Mention: “A Duty to Hack,” Matt Palmquist, SF Weekly

FOOD WRITING
Circulation < 50,000
First Place: S.C. Davis, MetroBEAT
Second Place: Ron Bechtol, San Antonio Current
Third Place: Adam Wilcox, City Newspaper

Circulation > 50,000
First Place: Robb Walsh, Houston Press
Second Place: Dara Moskowitz, City Pages (Twin Cities)
Third Place: Robert Sietsema, Village Voice
Honorable Mention: Jonathan Kauffman, East Bay Express

FORMAT BUSTER
Circulation < 50,000
First Place: “Clubscrawl,” Staff, Columbus Alive
Second Place: “Mayoral Pop Quiz,” Ted S. McGregor, Pacific Northwest Inlander
Third Place: “The Great Gubernatorial Quiz,” Hillary Johnson, Ventura County Reporter

Circulation > 50,000
First Place: “2003 Illustrated,” Michael Mechanic and Jesse Reklaw, East Bay Express
Second Place: “Expresso,” Dave Nuttycombe, Washington City Paper
Third Place: “The Seminal Test,” John Graham, Willamette Week
Honorable Mention: “What Do You Do?” Kevin Banks, Boston Phoenix

ILLUSTRATION
Circulation < 50,000
First Place: “Face Off,” Joe Bluhm, Orlando Weekly
Second Place: “Children of the Damned,” Peat Shaulis, Fort Worth Weekly
Third Place: “Oscar! Oscar!” Marc Bell, The Coast
Honorable Mention: “Scenes from the Underground,” Sandra Hoover, Reno News & Review

Circulation > 50,000
First Place: “Clan of the Cave Geek,” Chris Sickels, Cleveland Scene
Second Place: “The Great Left Hope,” Ismael Roldan, SF Weekly
Third Place: “Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid,” Schonie Hamilton, John Yardley, Jim Stawniak and David Chestnut, Creative Loafing Atlanta
Honorable Mention: “The Best of Tucson,” John Craig, Tucson Weekly

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
Circulation < 50,000
First Place: “Deep Trouble,” Jennifer Strom, Independent Weekly
Second Place: “The Orkin Scam,” Jeffrey C. Billman, Orlando Weekly
Third Place: “Buncombe Justice on Trial,” Cecil Bothwell, Mountain Xpress,

Circulation > 50,000
First Place/Tie: “Stolen Souls,” Dan Malone, Fort Worth Weekly
First Place/Tie: “Death, Maiming, Money and Muni,” Peter Byrne, SF Weekly
Second Place: “The War Within,” Julie Jargon, Westword
Honorable Mention: “Innocent!” Adam Clay Thompson, San Francisco Bay Guardian

MEDIA REPORTING
Circulation < 50,000
First Place: “News Kid on the Block,” Justin Park, Syracuse New Times
(Park’s story is also the recipient of the Connye Miller Award for Media Reporting.)
Honorable Mention: “Send in the Scabs,” Jeffrey C. Billman, Orlando Weekly
Honorable Mention: “News Wars,” Joe Piaseki, Pasadena Weekly

Circulation > 50,000
First Place: “Off Target,” Eric Wemple and Josh Levin, Washington City Paper
Second Place: “All in the Family,” Tali Woodward, San Francisco Bay Guardian
Third Place: “The Next Battle in the Newspaper Wars,” Dave Schimke, City Pages (Twin Cities)

MUSIC CRITICISM
Circulation < 50,000
First Place: Sara Bir, North Bay Bohemian
Second Place/Tie: Andy Smetanka, Missoula Independent
Second Place/Tie:Donna Ladd, Jackson Free Press
Third Place: Frank DeBlase, City Newspaper

Circulation > 50,000
First Place: Roni Sarig, Creative Loafing Atlanta
Second Place: Gary Giddins, Village Voice
Third Place: Kate Sullivan, L.A. Weekly
Honorable Mention: Jonathan Valania, Philadelphia Weekly

NEWS STORY
Circulation < 50,000
First Place: Jon Elliston, Independent Weekly
Second Place: Mike Keefe-Feldman, Missoula Independent
Third Place: Jessica Lyons, Monterey County Weekly

Circulation > 50,000
First Place: Lisa Davis, SF Weekly
Second Place: Borzou Daragahi, Long Island Press
Third Place: Forrest Norman, Miami New Times
Honorable Mention: Trevor Aaronson, New Times Broward-Palm Beach

NEWS STORY — IN-DEPTH
Circulation < 50,000
First Place: “Bloody Shoes and Snitches,” Leslie Blade, Cincinnati City Beat
Second Place: “The Best Council Money Can Buy,” Terje Langeland, Colorado Springs Independent,
Third Place: “Stinging Back,” Terje Langeland, Colorado Springs Independent

Circulation > 50,000
First Place: “Rent a Patient,” Paul Rubin, Phoenix New Times
Second Place: “Boss Hogtie,” Jason Cherkis, Washington City Paper
Third Place: “Harvest of Pain,” Vince Beiser, L.A. Weekly

PHOTOGRAPHY
Circulation < 50,000
First Place: “Fallen Soldiers,” Sean Cayton, Colorado Springs Independent
Second Place: “Faces of Iraq,” Alan Pogue, Texas Observer
Third Place: “Training Day,” Tim McGivern, Weekly Alibi

Circulation > 50,000
First Place: “Germantown Avenue,” Michael T. Regan, Philadelphia City Paper
Second Place: “Best of Pittsburgh,” Heather Mull, Pittsburgh City Paper
Third Place: “Great Walls of Detroit,” Dirk Bakker, Metro Times

RELIGION REPORTING
Circulation < 50,000
First Place: “Gay? Exodus International Can Fix That,” Jeffrey C. Billman, Orlando Weekly
Second Place: “Roadblock to Peace,” Terje Langeland, Colorado Springs Independent
Third Place: “Defender of the Faith,” Pete Sherman, Illinois Times

Circulation > 50,000
First Place: “True Believer,” David Schimke, City Pages (Twin Cities)
Second Place: “Fallen Angel,” J.D. Sparks, Dallas Observer
Third Place: “Doing Time,” Scott Nowell, Houston Press

The following media professionals judged the entries in the awards competition: Craig Aaron, Donnell Alexander, Paul Ben-Itzak, Chris Beringer, Joel Bleifuss, John Bloom, Katherine Boo, Anthony Dias Blue, John Burks, John Burnett, David Bollier, Russell Carollo, David Carr, Russell Clemings, John Cloud, Tracy Collins, David Corn, Anne-Marie Cusac, Bill Daley, Justin Davidson, Lane DeGregory, John Doe, J. Freedom DuLac, Cathleen Falsani, Kelly Frankeny, Nora Gallagher, Mario Garcia, Nick Gillespie, Michael Goldberg, Amy Goodman, Cynthia Gorney, Florence Graves, Tom Hallman, Margo Hammond, Glenn Harper, Sheila Himmel, Sid Holt, Chris Jones, Mad Kane, Rafique Kathwari, Molly Katzen, Keith Kelly, Tom Kelsch, Mignon Khargie, Peter Klein, Anita Kunz, Robert Kutner, Lucie LaCava, Brian Lambert, Jill Landes, Thomas Leitch, Louise Lief, William Marsden, David Mazzarella, John Miller, Phil Nesbitt, James Norton, Viveca Novak, Jesse Oxfeld, Michael Parenti, Mary Beth Pfeiffer, David Pratt, Sara Quinn, Raul Ramirez, Suneel Rattan, Ron Reason, D.K. Row, Miguel Sancho, Tom Scocca, Steven Shaw, Yonat Shimron, Choire Sicha, Michael Skube, Art Spiegelman, David Sterritt, Joe Strupp, Tony Sutton, Andras Szanto, Lee Thornton, Tommy Tomlinson, Mercedes Lynn de Uriarte, Steven Waldman, Simon Warner, Robin Washington, Warren Watson, Gayle White, Yumi Wilson, Mary Wiltenburg, Eric Wittmershaus, Matt Wuerker, Bill Wyman, Jeffrey Zaslow, Jason Zengerle and Kim Zetter.

Alternative Newsweekly Award Winners Announced

LA Weekly, Chicago Reader, Gambit Weekly, Cincinnati CityBeat each take two firsts

Gambit Weekly of New Orleans and Cincinnati CityBeat each took two first-place awards in the eighth annual Alternative Newsweekly Awards contest, while LA Weekly and Chicago Reader led the field of large circulation papers with two firsts each. Among individual contestants, Heather Swaim of OC Weekly and Thomas Francis of Cleveland Scene were the only AAN members winning two Alternative Newsweekly Awards this year. Swaim took a first in Editorial Layout and a third in Cover Design, while Francis picked up a first place in News Story (under 1,500 words and up to three entries) and an honorable mention in media reporting. Tom Robbins (The Village Voice) won first place in Investigative Reporting (circulation more than 50,000) for “The Lush Life of a Rudy Appointee: Russell Harding.” Robbins’ piece has already been honored by the Investigative Reporters and Editors. In the 50,000 and under circulation division, Leslie Blade of Cincinnati CityBeat won first place for her story “Piling On,” a gripping deconstruction of a police investigation. In News Feature, Metroland’s Nancy Guerin (Albany, N.Y.) won first place (50,000 and under) for “Schenectady Calling,” a feature on the mayor’s attempts to lure Guyanese immigrants to the area. In the large-circulation division, Chicago Reader’s Mike Sula took first place for his “Killer on the Loose,” a medical mystery story about a flesh-eating bacteria outbreak at Evanston Hospital. Gambit Weekly’s two firsts were won by Sara Roahen in Food Writing and Scott Jordan for music criticism. It’s Jordan’s third consecutive first-place award — he won for Music Criticism in 2002 and Sports Writing in 2001. Roahen’s food writing took an honorable mention in 2001 for Arts Criticism. These two firsts, plus a second place in Cover Design for Dora Sison, gives the New Orleans alt-weekly 23 total awards in the contest’s eight years. That puts Gambit and Durham, N.C.’s Independent Weekly in a tie for total number of awards among small circulation papers. Independent Weekly also went to 23 this year with a first-place in business writing for Barbara Solow’s “Blue Notes.” Cincinnati CityBeat’s two firsts were for Illustration — Ryan Greis & Sean Hughes for “Does Your Vote Count?” — and Blade’s Investigative Reporting award. Among large-circulation papers, LA Weekly’s John Powers took first-place in Arts Criticism and Max S. Gerber won in Photography. Added to Bill Smith’s honorable mention in Cover Design, LA Weekly now has a total of 29 Alternative Newsweekly Awards, the most of any AAN paper. Chicago Reader picked up firsts in Music Criticism (Monica Kendrick) and News Feature (Sula’s “Killer on the Loose). Kendrick took a first-place award in music criticism in 2001 and placed second in the same category in 1998. In its first year as an AAN member, Greenville, S.C.’s MetroBEAT won a first place for James Shannon’s political commentary. The first-place winners in this year’s Wild-Card Category, Business Writing, were Solow for “Blue Notes” in small-circulation and Gayle Reaves of Fort Worth Weekly for “Accounting for Anguish” in large circulation. Gambit’s Roahen and Dara Moskowitz of City Pages (Twin Cities) were the first-place winners in Food Writing, a new category this year. Walter Coker of Folio Weekly (Jacksonville, Fla.) took first place for photography, his fifth consecutive award. Here is a complete list of the winning entries in this year’s contest: ARTS CRITICISM Circulation < 50,000
First Place: Margaret Regan, Tucson Weekly
Second Place: Rodney Welch, Columbia Free Times
Third Place: S. Michael Bowen, Pacific Northwest Inlander Circulation > 50,000
First Place: John Powers, LA Weekly
Second Place: Joy Press, The Village Voice
Third Place: Robert Lalasz, Washington City Paper
Honorable Mention: Glenn Dixon, Washington City Paper ARTS FEATURE Circulation < 50,000
No award Circulation > 50,000
First Place: “Plays Well with Others,” Andy Newman, Pittsburgh City Paper
Tie/ Honorable Mention: “Temma Lowly and the Meaning of Life,” Fred Camper, Chicago Reader
Tie/ Honorable Mention: “Dancing with the Butoh Masters,” Bernice Yeung, SF Weekly BUSINESS REPORTING Circulation < 50,000
First Place: “Blue Notes,” Barbara Solow, Independent Weekly Circulation > 50,000
First Place: “Accounting for Anguish,” Gayle Reaves, Fort Worth Weekly
Honorable Mention: “Enough to Make You Sick,” Thomas Korosec, Dallas Observer CARTOON 4 or fewer papers
First Place: Various Strips, Chris Ware
Second Place: “La Petite Camera,” Garret Gaston
Third Place: “Slowpoke,” Jen Sorenson
Honorable Mention: “Suspect Device,” Greg Peters 5 or more papers
First Place: “Tom the Dancing Bug,” Ruben Bolling (Ken Fisher)
Second Place: “The City,” Derf (John Backderf) COLUMN Circulation < 50,000
No award Circulation > 50,000
First Place: Chuck Strouse, New Times Broward-Palm Beach COLUMN-POLITICAL COMMENTARY Circulation < 50,000
First Place: James Shannon, MetroBEAT
Second Place: Al Diamon, Portland Phoenix
Third Place: Nate Blakeslee, The Texas Observer Circulation > 50,000
First Place: Robert Nelson, Phoenix New Times
Second Place: Jim Schutze, Dallas Observer
Third Place: Chris Potter, Pittsburgh City Paper COVER DESIGN Circulation < 50,000
First Place: David Jayne, Andrea Diaz, David Robert & Ben Purvis, Reno News & Review
Second Place: Dora Sison, Gambit Weekly
Third Place: Don Eggert & Diane Sullivan, Seven Days
Tie/Honorable Mention: Amy Pastre, Charleston City Paper
Tie/Honorable Mention: Alex Abatie, Santa Barbara Independent Circulation > 50,000
First Place: Todd Bates, Weekly Planet (Tampa)
Second Place: Jay Vollmar, Westword
Third Place: Heather Swaim, OC Weekly
Tie/Honorable Mention: Bill Smith, LA Weekly
Tie/Honorable Mention: Brian Hogan, Philadelphia City Paper
Tie/Honorable Mention: Tricia Reinhold, Heather Mull & Brian Holderman, Pittsburgh City Paper EDITORIAL LAYOUT Circulation < 50,000
Honorable Mention: “Driving Green,” Monterey County Coast Weekly Circulation > 50,000
First Place: “Bombshell,” Heather Swaim, OC Weekly
Second Place: “Oh, My Goth,” Doug Kubert & Jay Thornton, The Pitch
Third Place: “Hope in Hell,” Frank Goodenough, Dallas Observer FEATURE STORY Circulation < 50,000
First Place: “Five Days in the Psych Ward,” Adrienne Martini, Metro Pulse
Second Place: “Long Lost Friend,” Tricia Booker, Folio Weekly
Third Place: “Jump Jim Crow,” Ron Netsky, City Newspaper
Honorable Mention: “Justice Denied,” Jill Kramer, Pacific Sun Circulation > 50,000
First Place: “The Others,” Jason Cherkis, Washington City Paper
Second Place: “Little Big Shot,” Annys Shin, Washington City Paper
Tie:/Honorable Mention: “Little Big Man,” Brad Zellar, City Pages (Twin Cities)
Tie:/Honorable Mention: “Crazy White Mother,” Glenna Whitley, Dallas Observer FOOD WRITING

Circulation < 50,000
First Place: Sara Roahen, Gambit Weekly
Second Place: Gary Laing & Sam Lange, The Local Planet Weekly

Circulation > 50,000
First Place: Dara Moskowitz, City Pages (Twin Cities)
Second Place: Paul Reidinger, San Francisco Bay Guardian
Third Place: Naomi Wise, San Diego Reader ILLUSTRATION

Circulation < 50,000
First Place: “Does Your Vote Count?” Ryan Greis & Sean Hughes, Cincinnati CityBeat
Second Place: “Overwhelmed,” Gregory Dickens, MetroBEAT
Third Place: “Fat Chance,” Harry Bliss, Seven Days

Circulation > 50,000
First Place: “Campbell’s Cuts,” Jeremy Bruneel, The Georgia Straight
Second Place: “To Dive For,” David Terrill, The Pitch
Third Place: “Lien Times,” Christiane Granert, Washington City Paper
Honorable Mention: “How to Succeed in Business,” Josef Gast, Cleveland Scene

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING

Circulation < 50,000
First Place: “Piling On,” Leslie Blade, Cincinnati CityBeat

Circulation > 50,000
First Place: “The Lush Life of a Rudy Appointee: Russell Harding,” Tom Robbins, The Village Voice
Second Place: “Mouth Wide Shut,” Ron Russell, New Times Los Angeles
Third Place: “The Sinister Side of Yusuf Bey’s Empire,” Chris Thompson, East Bay Express

MEDIA REPORTING

Circulation < 50,000
First Place: “Copping Out,” Maria Luisa Tucker, Santa Fe Reporter
Second Place: “The State of Radio,” Jeremy Hadley, Tom Grant & Rob Wilkinson, The Local Planet Weekly

Circulation > 50,000
First Place: “Reality TV Bites,” Jennifer Mathieu, Houston Press
Second Place: “Professor Soundbite,” Amy Roe, Willamette Week
Tie/Honorable Mention: “Hip-Hopcrisy,” Thomas Francis, Cleveland Scene
Tie/Honorable Mention: “Incessant Static,” Kathy Glasgow, Miami New Times

MUSIC CRITICISM

Circulation < 50,000
First Place: Scott Jordan, Gambit Weekly

Circulation > 50,000
First Place: Monica Kendrick, Chicago Reader

NEWS FEATURE

Circulation < 50,000
First Place: “Schenectady Calling,” Nancy Guerin, Metroland
Second Place: “A Trial in Tulia,” Liliana Ibara, The Texas Observer

Circulation > 50,000
First Place: “Killer on the Loose,” Mike Sula, Chicago Reader
Second Place: “Dirty or Duped?” Mark Donald, Dallas Observer
Third Place: “Drugstore Cowboys,” Justin Berton, East Bay Express
Honorable Mention: “The Bishops Set Me Up!” Jason Cherkis, Joe Dempsey, Sarah Godfrey, David Morton, Annys Shin, Chris Shott, Elissa Silverman and Erik Wemple, Washington City Paper

NEWS STORY

Circulation < 50,000
First Place: Tim McGivern, Weekly Alibi
Second Place: Terje Langeland, Colorado Spring Independent
Third Place: Traci Moyer, Illinois Times
Circulation > 50, 000
First Place: Thomas Francis, Cleveland Scene
Second Place: Joe Miller, The Pitch
Third Place: Amy Silverman, Phoenix New Times

PHOTOGRAPHY

Circulation < 50,000
First Place: “Through the Lens,” Walter Coker, Folio Weekly
Second Place: “Brotherhood of the Neighborhood,” Bill Kennedy, The Texas Observer
Third Place: “Women Through the Lens: Portraits and Profiles,” Nancy Santos, Charleston City Paper

Circulation > 50,000
First Place: “Microbats, Broken Skulls, Rocket Girls & Prehistoric Beach Bears,” Max S. Gerber, LA Weekly
Second Place: “We’re #1,” Steve Satterwhite, Miami New Times
Third Place: “Local Discovery Awards,” Saul Bromberg & Sandra Hoover, San Francisco Bay Guardian The following individuals were the final-round judges in editorial categories: Arts Criticism: David B. Edelstein; Christopher Knight; D.K. Row Arts Feature: Katha Pollitt; Sarah Vowell; Lawrence Weschler Business: Myron Kandel; Rex Seline; Eben Shapiro Column: Karen Heller; Adam Hochschild; Laurie Roberts Column/Political Commentary: Joe Conason; Dale Mcfeatters; Geneva Overholser Feature Story: Ellen Barry; Madeleine Blais; Tom Hallman, Jr. Food Writing: Anthony Dias Blue; Linda Giuca; Phyllis Richman Investigative: Kim Christensen; Dianna Hunt; Phil WilliamsMedia Reporting: David Carr; David Folkenflik; Michael WolffMusic Criticism: Dee Dee Bridgewater; Chet Flippo; Tom Piazza News Feature: Alex Kotlowitz; David Plotz; Susan Tifft News Story: Michael Grunwald; Steve Mills; Jason Riley The following individuals were the first-round judges in editorial categories: Craig Aaron (News Feature); Brett Anderson (Column); Joel Bleifuss (Feature); Gene Bourg (Food Criticism); Jay Davis (Feature); Jane G. Dubose (Business); Mark Fitzgerald (Media Reporting); Cynthia Franklin (Business); Glenn Harper (Arts Feature); Will Hermes (Music Criticism); John Kessler (Food Criticism); Andrew Leonard (Business); Eric Lorberer (Arts Criticism); Kay Mallett (Arts Criticism); Kate Marsh (Arts Criticism); Brad McKee (Feature); Sia Michel (Music Criticism); Jim Naureckas (Media Reporting); Mark Naymik (Column/Political Commentary); Rick Nelson (Column); James Norton (Arts Criticism); Linda Perlstein (Feature); Thane Peterson (Arts Feature); Mary Beth Pfeiffer (News Story); Bruce Rodgers (News Feature); Michael Schaffer (News Feature); Andrea Simakis (News Feature); Chris Smith (Investigative); Joe Strupp (News Feature); Chris Suellentrop (Column/Political Commentary); Jon Tevlin (Investigative); Nicholas Thompson (Investigative); Emily White (Feature); Josh (News Story); Craig Winneker (News Feature); Bill Wyman (Feature). And finally, graphic entries were judged in one round by the following artists: Jessica Abel (Cartoon); Greg Bennett (Cartoon); Jonathan Berlin (Illustration); Celeste Bernard (Editorial Layout); Nanette Bisher (Cover Design); Steve Dorsey (Cover Design); Thomas E. Franklin (Photography); Bill Gaspard (Editorial Layout); Jennifer Gilman (Editorial Layout); Gayle Grin (Illustration); Christine Mcneal (Photography); Rhonda Prast (Illustration); Richard Thompson (Cartoon); Kathleen Vincent (Cover).

Alternative Newsweekly Award Winners Announced

Two Sept. 11 Pieces Take First Place, Gambit Weekly Wins Four Firsts

For the second consecutive year, Gambit Weekly of New Orleans led the pack in the Alternative Newsweekly Awards with four first-place awards, followed by LA Weekly with three firsts, and Independent Weekly, The Local Planet Weekly, and The Village Voice, each with two.

A group of Columbia University journalism students took first place in feature writing among smaller circulation papers with a series of first-person vignettes from near the World Trade Center on Sept. 11 and the days following. “Seven Days at Ground Zero” appeared in The Local Planet Weekly of Spokane, Wash.

The Local Planet Weekly was also awarded a first place in media reporting. Larry Shook’s “All in the Family” reported on conflicts of interest in the Cowles family’s ownership of both downtown Spokane development and the Spokesman-Review.

Thomas Francis (Cleveland Scene) took the first place in media reporting for larger circulation papers.

The Village Voice took a first for photography for Andre Souroujon’s photograph of downtown Manhattan overlaid with a pre-Sept. 11 souvenir postcard that replicates the missing trade towers. The judges said the photograph “could have been trite, but the execution was of such a high caliber that it didn’t come off that way at all.”

Among smaller circulation papers, Nancy Santos of Charleston City Paper took first place for photography.

The Village Voice also won first-place in feature writing for Michael Kamber’s series on illegal immigrants, “Crossing to the Other Side.”

The awards, announced today at the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies annual convention, recognize superior journalism and graphic design among the 120 AAN member papers, which include alternative newsweeklies across the United States and Canada.

In the small circulation category, Gambit won firsts in column-political commentary (Clancy DuBos), news feature (Katy Reckdahl), health care (Michael Tisserand), and music criticism (Scott Jordan). Overall, Gambit was honored with five Alternative Newsweekly Awards. Last year, Gambit also brought home four first-place awards and nine in all.

Melinda Ruley and James Morrison, of Durham, N.C.’s Independent Weekly, were awarded first place for column writing and arts criticism, respectively.

In the large-circulation category, three of LA Weekly’s five awards were first-place finishers: health care (Sara Catania); illustration (Brian Stauffer); and news feature (Celeste Fremon).

In the second annual Alternative Newsweekly Award Cartoon competition, Garret Gaston won first place for his strip “La Petite Camera,” among those cartoons that appear in five or fewer AAN papers. Among cartoons that appear in more than five papers, Ken Fisher (Ruben Bolling) took top honors for “Tom the Dancing Bug.”

Folio Weekly’s John E. Citrone won a first place in arts feature for “A Small World,” a story about an eccentric artist who works in miniature. In the large circulation arts feature category, Andy Markowitz of Baltimore City Paper took a first for “True Stories.”

Dave McKenna of Washington City Paper placed first in large-circulation column writing, which the judges said combined “hard-news instincts with nice writing.”

Jim Schutze of Dallas Observer took his second straight first-place award for column-political commentary.

In the investigative category, William Dean Hinton of Orlando Weekly won first place for his story about a pastor bilking a housing authority.

In the large circulation category, “Fallout,” by Lisa Davis and John Mecklin of SF Weekly continued to rack up first place prizes. It also won the George Polk Award, an IRE prize and the John Bartlow Martin award.

Joey Sweeney of Philadelphia Weekly took a first in music criticism, after placing third last year.

In news story writing (stories 1,500 words or less), Michael Haddigan, Arkansas Times placed first and received an honorable mention in the small circulation division, while Kevin Griffis, Creative Loafing Atlanta, took first place among large circulation papers.

In cover design, Matt Youngmark (Tacoma Reporter) and Basil Childres, Anne Reeser and Martin Thiel (Willamette Week) were the first-place winners in the two circulation divisions.

For editorial layout, Lisa Horstman (Metro Pulse) and Dean Sebring (Miami New Times) took firsts, while in illustration Ryan O’Rourke (Weekly Planet Sarasota) was the first-place winner in the smaller circulation division.

For a PDF file containing the complete list of winners cli ck here.

Here’s a complete list of the nominees in alphabetical order, with links to some of the award-winning stories:

Arts Criticism

Circulation < 54,000
James Morrison, Independent Weekly
Stephanie von Buchau, Pacific Sun
Bob Lancaster, Arkansas Times

Circulation > 54,000
Greg Tate, The Village Voice
Brendan Bernhard, LA Weekly
Kent Williams, Isthmus

Arts Feature

Circulation < 54,000
“A Small World,” John E. Citrone, Folio Weekly
“Trojan Horses,” Eric Rezsnyak, Syracuse New Times
“Chronicle of the Lost Nashville,” Michael Kreyling, Nashville Scene
“Catching Fire,” John Threlfall, Monday Magazine

Circulation > 54,000
“True Stories,” Andy Markowitz, Baltimore City Paper
“Namdi’s Biggest Gamble,” George Tysh, Metro Times
“Sounds of Success,” Matt Palmquist, SF Weekly
“Mind the Arts Gap,” Scott Henry, Creative Loafing Atlanta

Cartoon

Appearing in 5 or fewer AAN papers
“La Petite Camera,” Garrett Gaston

Appearing in more than five AAN papers
“Tom the Dancing Bug,” Ken Fisher (Ruben Bolling)

Column

Circulation < 54,000
Melinda Ruley, Independent Weekly
Retha Oliver, San Antonio Current
Briony Penn, Monday Magazine

Circulation > 54,000
Dave McKenna, Washington City Paper
Mark Zusman and John Schrag, Willamette Week
Toni Schlesinger, The Village Voice

Column-Political Commentary

Circulation < 54,000
Clancy DuBos, Gambit Weekly

Circulation > 54,000
Jim Schutze, Dallas Observer
Ray Hartmann, Riverfront Times

Cover Design

Circulation < 54,000
Matt Youngmark, Tacoma Reporter
Jessica Thomas, Ryan Heck & J.J. Marley, Orlando Weekly
Kimberly Miers & Jessica Kourkounis, Blue Dog Press
Laura Egley Taylor, Santa Fe Reporter

Circulation > 54,000
Basil Childres, Anne Reeser & Martin Thiel, Willamette Week
Annette Waurick, The Georgia Straight
Brian Hogan, Philadelphia City Paper
David O. Barranco, Joe MacLeod & Nolen Strals, Baltimore City Paper

Editorial Layout

Circulation < 54,000
Lisa Horstman, Metro Pulse
Todd Bates, Weekly Planet Sarasota
Nancy Santos & Amy Pastre, Charleston City Paper
Anthony Udrovich, Cityview

Circulation > 54,000
Dean Sebring, Miami New Times
Bill Smith & Anne Fishbein, LA Weekly
Brian Hogan, Philadelphia City Paper
Anne Reeser & Martin Thiel, Willamette Week

Feature

Circulation < 54,000
“Seven Days at Ground Zero,” Multiple authors, The Local Planet Weekly
“Collateral Damage,” David Potorti, Independent Weekly
“Little Monster,” Anne Schindler, Folio Weekly

Circulation > 54,000
“Crossing to the Other Side,” Michael Kamber, The Village Voice
“Forget Me Not,” Charles Siderius, Dallas Observer

Health Care

Circulation < 54,000
“Slice of Life,” Michael Tisserand, Gambit Weekly
“Loss of Life,” Kelly Davis, Ventura County Reporter
“Frozen Out,” Barbara Solow, Independent Weekly

Circulation > 54,000
“Losing Dorothy,” Sara Catania, LA Weekly
“The New Drug War,” Patty Wentz, Willamette Week
“Dealing Drugs the Legal Way,” Mara Shalhoup, Creative Loafing Atlanta

Illustration

Circulation < 54,000
Ryan O’Rourke, Weekly Planet Sarasota
Cathie Hahnel, Monday Magazine
Rhett Thiel, Gambit Weekly
Dan Brawner, Nashville Scene

Circulation > 54,000
Brian Stauffer, LA Weekly
Craig La Rotunda, New Times Los Angeles
David Hollenbach, City Pages (Twin Cities)
Paul Moch, Washington City Paper

Investigative

Circulation < 54,000
“A Wayward Shepherd,” William Dean Hinton, Orlando Weekly
“Moving Violations,” Doug Trapp, Cincinnati CityBeat
“The Number’s Game,” Nate Blakeslee, The Texas Observer

Circulation > 54,000
“Fallout,” Lisa Davis & John Mecklin, SF Weekly
“The Kids Are Not All Right,” Amy Silverman, Phoenix New Times
“Grading the Daily,” Willy Stern, Nashville Scene

Circulation > 54,000
“Satan or Savior,” Thomas Francis, Cleveland Scene
“Bad News,” Bob Whitby, New Times Broward-Palm Beach

Music Criticism

Circulation < 54,000
Scott Jordan, Gambit Weekly
Chad Nichols, The Texas Observer
Chris Herrington, Memphis Flyer

Circulation > 54,000
Joey Sweeney, Philadelphia Weekly
Roni Sarig, Creative Loafing Atlanta
Chris Baty, SF Weekly

News Feature

Circulation < 54,000
Louisiana Lockdown,” Katy Reckdahl, Gambit Weekly

Circulation > 54,000
“Miracles and Pain,” Celeste Fremon, LA Weekly
“The Poisoning of Whitaker,” Nigel Jaquiss, Willamette Week
“Shades of Gray,” Multiple Authors, Phoenix New Times

News Story

Circulation < 54,000
“Huckabee Frees Career Burglar,” Michael Haddigan, Arkansas Times
“East Camden Safety Concern,” Michael Haddigan, Arkansas Times
“The Poster Police,” Jon Elliston, Independent Weekly
“Fishing for Answers,” Andrew Findlay, Monday Magazine

Circulation > 54, 000
“Mystery Money,” Kevin Griffis, Creative Loafing Atlanta
“A Sorry Excuse,” Bob Norman, New Times Broward-Palm Beach
“Cop Out,” Amanda Scioscia, Phoenix New Times
“Prison Coffee,” Erica Barnett, Seattle Weekly

Photography

Circulation < 54,000
Nancy Santos, Charleston City Paper
Alan Pogue, The Texas Observer
Walter Coker, Folio Weekly

Circulation > 54,000
Andre Souroujon, The Village Voice
Michelle Gienow, Baltimore City Paper
Darrow Montgomery, Washington City Paper