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
