The finalists for the 2021 AAN Awards have been selected. The 92 finalists below were chosen as the most outstanding from a field of 598 entries submitted by 54 alternative publications across the U.S. and Canada.
Held every year since 1996, the AAN Awards recognize the best in alternative journalism and graphic design and are a unique chance for alt-weeklies to compete directly against the work of their peers in cities across the continent. The contest promotes excellence by recognizing work that is well written, incisively reported and effectively challenges established orthodoxies. These finalists truly represent the best of the best.
This spring, all members of AAN were invited to enter their work from 2020 for awards consideration. Judging was conducted by faculty from Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York, Emerson College, Humboldt State University, Northeastern University, Scripps School of Communication at Ohio University, as well as active and retired members of the media community not affiliated with the Association of Alternative Newsmedia.
The winners will be announced during the 2021 Annual Convention in Boston at a ceremony held Friday, July 23.
Finalists below are listed alphabetically by paper. Categories with four or more finalists indicate either a tie or an honorable mention. Questions may be directed to Molly Hilton at hilton[at]aan.org
CASH PRIZE CATEGORIES
Arts Criticism (Jim Ridley Award)
One $500 prize will be awarded, funded by Nashville Scene.
Lagniappe: “Artifice” (I, II, III) by Kevin Lee
Orlando Weekly:”Translucent: Kieran Castaño’s paintings aren’t just beautiful – they’re necessary” by Leah Sandler
San Antonio Current: Arts Criticism (I, II, III) by Kelly Merka Nelson
Washington City Paper: Visual Art Criticism (I, II, III) by Emma Sarappo
Column (Billy Manes Award)
One $250 prize will be awarded, funded by Orlando Weekly.
Eugene Weekly: “Black Girl From Eugene” (I, II, III) by Ayisha Elliott
The Memphis Flyer: Columns (I, II, III) by Bruce VanWyngarden
Nashville Scene: “Vodka Yonic” (I, II, III) by Fiske Nyirongo, Destiny O. Birdsong, Pooja Shah
Pittsburgh City Paper: “Views” (I, II, III) by Tereneh Idia
Investigative Reporting (David Carr Award)
One $500 cash prize will awarded, funded by AAN.
Dig Boston: “Pandemic Payday” (I, II, III) by Dan Atkinson
Colorado Springs Independent: “Busted: CSPD and other officers disciplined for moonlighting for Teller County sheriff’s private investigations company” by Pam Zubeck
Lagniappe: “A look inside Alacourt” (I, II, III, IV) by Gabriel Tynes
Washington City Paper: “Waste Mismanagement” by Cuneyt Dil
LGBT Coverage
One $500 prize will be awarded, funded by Boulder Weekly publisher Fran Zankowski.
Chicago Reader: “The Pride Issue” by Chicago Reader Staff
Chicago Reader: “We’re not asking for any more than what we are already deserved” by Adam M. Rhodes, Karen Hawkins
The Inlander: “Piecing It Together: A family searches for answers after a gay teen in a small town is beaten and buried in a shallow grave” by Wilson Criscione
Pittsburgh Current: “Gender-Affirming Parenting Is Allowing Kids To Explore Their Own Identities” by Brittany Hailer
Nonprofit Collaboration (The BINJ Award)
One $500 cash prize will awarded to the author/team, funded by the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism
Arkansas Times:”Arkansas poultry workers amid the coronavirus: ‘We’re not essential, we’re expendable’” by Alice Driver, with Arkansas Nonprofit News Network
Arkansas Times: “Arkansas educators hit hard by COVID-19, new figures show” by Benjamin Hardy, with Arkansas Nonprofit News Network
Pittsburgh City Paper: “A changing story by police on a rural Pa. shooting helped fuel white vigilantes and misinformation” by Ryan Deto, Joseph Darius Jaafari, with Spotlight PA
Willamette Week: “Jammed” by Latisha Jensen, with Report For America
Right-Wing Extremism Coverage
One $500 cash prize will awarded, funded by Anonymous
The Inlander: “Triggered: How America’s social unrest and weakened institutions have incited vigilantes” by Daniel Walters
Monterey County Weekly: “Hate in Monterey County – and efforts underway to stop it” (I, II, III, IV, V) by Monterey County Weekly staff
Pittsburgh City Paper: “Pittsburgh’s Colcom Foundation linked to White Nationalism” (I, II) by Ryan Deto
Triad City Beat: “The lost boys of Ukraine: How the war abroad beckoned American white supremacists” by Jordan Green
WRITING CATEGORIES
Arts Feature
Las Vegas Weekly: “Intimacy & Innovation” by Brock Radke
Seven Days: “In the Shadows: The Legend of Author and Folklorist Joe Citro” by Dan Bolles
Washington City Paper: “The Day the Music Died: Local and Regional Performers Reflect on Life Without Live Music in the Wake of Coronavirus” by Kristina Gaddy
Willamette Week: “Starving Artists” by Shannon Gormley
Beat Reporting
Boulder Weekly: “Unhoused” (I, II, III, IV, V) by Emma Athena
Metro Silicon Valley: SJPD Brutality During Summer Protests (I, II, III, IV, V) by Grace Hase, Jennifer Wadsworth
Seven Days: Beat Reporting (I, II, III, IV, V) by Derek Brouwer
Pittsburgh Current: Education Reporting (I, II, III, IV, IV) by Mary Niederberger
Feature Story
Chicago Reader: “From soldier to worker” by Maya Dukmasova, Sujay Kumar
Leo Weekly: “A Three-Part Series On The Protests In Louisville” (I, II, III) by Cary Stemle
Nashville Scene: “Safety, Compensation and Accountability at Nashville Construction Sites” by Alejandro Ramirez
The Pitch: “The fight for racial equality has boosted Black-owned businesses, but it won’t fix their issues forever” by Hanna Ellington
Food Writing
Chicago Reader: “Chicago’s Restaurant Scene & Pandemic Pivots” (I, II, III) by Mike Sula, Karen Hawkins
Lagniappe: “Beer & Loathing” (I, II, III) by Alyson Sheppard
North Coast Journal: Food Writing (I, II, III) by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill
The Pitch: “Food writing: From normal to COVID” (I, II, III) by Liz Cook
Health Care Reporting
Dig Boston: “Boston’s Murky World of Open-Source COVID-19 Vaccine Research” by Tadhg Larabee
The Inlander: “Offering free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds, crisis pregnancy centers try to ‘slow down’ thoughts of abortion in an ultimate quest to stop it” by Samantha Wohlfeil
Monterey County Weekly: “The only way Monterey County reopens during the pandemic is if all voices are at the table to find solutions” (I, II, III) by Pam Marino
Seven Days: “It’s in the Building: How COVID-19 Overwhelmed a Burlington Nursing Home” by Derek Brouwer, Colin Flanders
Immigration Coverage
Dig Boston: “Coronavirus Leaves International Students Uncertain About Future” by Grace Symes
INDY Week: “Because of What I Did As a Three-Year-Old, I Have No Access to the American Dream” by Jeremy Carballo Pineda
INDY Week: “As Election Day Looms, José Chicas Feels Like He’s in Limbo” by Sara Pequeño
Little Village: “The ‘long and terrifying’ journey of two friends fleeing Modi’s India for Iowa City” by Ikram Basra
Long-Form News Story
Cleveland Scene: “Caught Between Here and There: Octavius Williams Was Convicted of Attempted Murder in 2011. Now, He’s Free, But Far From Finished With His Case” by Eric Sandy
Eugene Weekly: “Begin Modeling” by Donald Morrison
The Inlander: “Doomed: How a fire destroyed the town of Malden in a matter of hours” by Wilson Criscione
Washington City Paper: “How the D.C. Police Department, DOJ, and D.C. Attorney General’s Office Shield Cops’ Bad Acts” by Mitch Ryals
Music Writing
Austin Chronicle: Music Writing (I, II, III) by Kevin Curtin
Boulder Weekly: Music Writing (I, II, III) by Angela K. Evans
INDY Week: Music Writing (I, II, III) by Sarah Edwards
Nashville Scene: Music Writing (I, II, III) by Andrea Williams
Political Column
Austin Chronicle: “Austin At Large” (I, II, III) by Mike Clark-Madison
Chicago Reader: Political Commentary (I, II, III) by Ben Joravsky
Jackson Free Press: “Mississippi Governor Plays Covid, Race Politics” (I, II, III) by Donna Ladd
San Antonio Current: Current Events (I, II, III) by Sanford Nowlin
DESIGN CATEGORIES
Cover Design
Detroit Metro Times: Covers by Evan Sult
North Coast Journal: Covers by Jonathan Webster, Soni Lopez-Chavez
Riverfront Times: Covers by Evan Sult
San Antonio Current: Covers by Samantha Serna, Tom Carlson, Melissa McHenry
Editorial Layout
The Inlander: “Progress Edition” by Derek Harrison
Las Vegas Weekly: “Caucus 2020” by Corlene Byrd
Las Vegas Weekly: “Staying Busy and Mentally Healthy” by Corlene Byrd
Washington City Paper: “Behind the Movement” by Maddie Goldstein, Darrow Montgomery, Ella Feldman
Illustration
Inlander: “Is Privacy Dead” (I, II) by Jeff Drew
Metro Times: “Summer Guide” (I, II) by Noah MacMillan
Nashville Scene: “The Boner Awards” by Holly Carden
Seven Days: New Year Cover by Jeff Drew
Photography
Pittsburgh City Paper: “Pittsburgh in Protest” (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X) by Jared Wickerham
Riverfront Times: “The Lede” (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X) by Theo Welling
Washington City Paper: “2020” (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X) by Darrow Montgomery
Willamette Week: “Portland Streets” by Alex Wittwer
OUTSIDE-THE-BOX CATEGORIES
Cartoon
Charleston City Paper: Cartoons (I, II, III, IV, V) by Steve Stegelin, Robert Ariail
Dig Boston: Lunchtime Comix/The New Normal (I, II, III) by Cagen Luse
Little Village: “Futile Wrath” (I, II, III) by Sam Locke Ward
Seven Days: Cartoons (I, II, III, IV, V) by Tim Newcomb
Innovation/Format Buster
Seven Days: “Green Mountain Quaranzine: Seven Days’ First (and We Hope Last) Pandemic Literary Journal” by Dan Bolles, Contributors
Washington City Paper: “2020 Vision” by Josh Kramer
Washington City Paper: “The Nature of D.C.” by Julia Terbrock, Kayla Randall, Maddie Goldstein, Ronan Lynam, Carlos Carmonamedina, Tenbeete Solomon
Multimedia
Little Village: “Iowa City teen Kasey Dawson overcame homelessness and loss to graduate high school. A year later, she’s still fighting for a place to call her own”(I, II) by Emma McClatchey, Jason Smith
Queen City Nerve: Black Lives Matter Coverage (I, II, III, IV) by Justin LaFrancois, Ryan Pitkin, Grant Baldwin, Joshua Galloway, Yolián Ortiz
Volume One: “Outbroken: A pandemic’s impact on Wisconsin farms & food” by Joel Pearish Don Ross, Nick Meyer Eric Christenson, Rebecca Mennecke Andrea Paulseth, Tom Giffey Taylor McCumber, Alex Barber Kyle Lehman, Anthony Casonova
Special Publication
INDY Week: “Everything You Wanted to Know About Coronavirus But You Were Too Afraid to Ask” by INDY Week Staff
Pittsburgh Current: “Historical Context: Violence Occurring Against Black Pittsburghers Today Has Been Happening For More Than A Century-And-A-Half ” by Jody DiPerna, Elaine Frantz, Charlie Deitch, Jake Mysliwczyk, Deesha Philyaw, Caitlyn Hunter, Larissa Mallon
Seven Days: “August Kids VT” by Kids VT Staff
Yes! Weekly: “Triad Coloring Book” by Alex Farmer
Special Section
Chronogram: “The Future is Now” by Brian Mahoney
Little Village: “Reader-Submitted Photo Issue” by Jordan Sellergren
Mountain Xpress: “2020 Voter Guide” by Jeff Fobes, Scott Southwick, Virginia Daffron, Molly Horak, Daniel Walton, David Furr, Tiffany Wagner, Sara Brecht, Cindy Kunst, Able Allen, Laura Hackett
Seven Days: “Staytripper July 2020” by Seven Days Staff
