Willamette Week and Lookout Phoenix Lead a Field of Fantastic Journalism and Art
Lookout Phoenix claimed three First Place awards in only its second year of full eligibility, but it was Willamette Week that took home five Firsts in a remarkable 2026 AAN Awards class that saw 57 publications compete across 32 categories, with over 800 entries total.
Willamette Week (Portland, Ore.) won Editorial Layout, Environmental Coverage, Free Speech & Democracy, Health Care Reporting and Explanatory Journalism. Lookout Phoenix, the LGBTQ+-focused newsroom based in Phoenix, Ariz., won the AAN Excellence in Journalism Award, LGBTQ+ Coverage and Newsletter. AfroLA (Los Angeles, Calif.), Austin Chronicle (Austin, Texas), Chicago Reader (Chicago, Ill.), Seven Days (Burlington, Vt.) and The Stranger (Seattle, Wash.) each claimed two first-place awards.
Order of placement — first, second, third, honorable mention — is revealed below. Judges comments, where available, are in italics. Congratulations to all finalists and winners!
AAN Excellence in Journalism Award
First Place: Under the Badge – Celina Jimenez – Lookout Phoenix
I really appreciated the diversity of the stories all pointing to the same issue. Excellent sourcing and storytelling. This is the sort of reporting that should drive awareness and change. This line really stood out: ‘Notably, a member of Flagstaff Queer Collective told LOOKOUT and New Times that Connelly gave the same response to them two months earlier when the group pressed him on the subject.’ More than any hard data you could dig up it really confirms for the reader that they don’t give shit and don’t intend to change.
Second Place: Health insurance reporting – Benjamin Hardy – Arkansas Times
As a series, it was impactful – not just a story but also actionable guidance. Excellent sources and story telling. Excellent clarity on a messy subject. Great work holding Sanders accountable.
Third Place: Mississippi Immigrants, ICE and Detention – Nick Judin, Taylor Brandon, CJ Charlton – Mississippi Free Press
Excellent sourcing on such deeply personal stories. Impactful on a local and national level.
Honorable Mention: Shaken dry: LADWP’s failure to plan and repair for the “Big One” – Katie Licari – AfroLA
Arts Criticism (Jim Ridley Award)
First Place: Film Criticism – Dom Sinacola – Dom Sinacola – Portland Mercury
A decent critic can get you to read something about a film you’re unlikely to watch. But one as talented as Dom might actually compel you to stream it. And so I am about to check out “Train Dreams” despite his rather brilliant warning that “I work like this, which is about the connectedness of all living things, does not belong on Netflix, where any sense of community goes to die.”
Second Place: Top 25 Oregon Movies of the Past 25 Years – Chance Solem-Pfeifer – Willamette Week
I am myself surprised to cast my vote for a list as one of the year’s best, but the author in this case brought me so far down the Oregon film rabbit hole that I couldn’t deny the piece’s pull and overall attraction. In addition to being an awesome piece of service journalism, this compendium serves as a critical exploration of state movie history, and in a state with more than simply a great motion to make phenomenal films.
Third Place: Music Criticism – Nolan Parker – Nolan Parker – Portland Mercury
Conversational arts pieces, especially cheeky ones, are dangerous, and too often writers are telling us things that are stupid, trite, or downright wrong. Nolan, however, explores the Portland music scene with an insider’s knowledge and ear but also the refreshing enthusiasm of a neophyte scenester. They’re not trying to tell you something other than how great these bands are, in great style, and sometimes that is all we need.
Honorable Mention: D.L. Groover Theater Columns – D.L. Groover – Houston Press
How many outlets in America still have a dedicated theater critic? Let alone one who can reference every show a local actor has done for the past decade. D.L. is one of a kind in his wit, but also unique in his direct brevity and resulting ability to reach those of us who infrequently go to the theater. He writes for readers, not for ego, and continues serving as a role model for all those who aspire to be AAN arts critics.
Arts Feature – Long Form
First Place: Lowering the curtain – Daniella Mazzio, Editor: Philip Montoro – Chicago Reader
Second Place: Art of Politics – Bob Keefer – Eugene Weekly
Third Place: Junk Artist – Stephanie Koithan – San Antonio Current
Honorable Mention: Fantasy A Gets a Crystal Ball! – Vivian McCall – The Stranger
Arts Feature – Shorter Form
First Place: Jenn Taiga talks swords, sadomasochism, and synthesizers ahead of new album and tour – Colin Williams – Pittsburgh City Paper
Exactly the kind of story that couldn’t appear anywhere else, at least anywhere else in Pittsburgh. Colin Williams offers up a profile of a completely unique local musician and loads it with provocative quotes that, sure, would make the average MAGA’s eyes bug out, but it also gives a deep insight into a sonic genre readers may not know exists. I know I nearly sprained a finger clicking up Jenn Taiga’s Bandcamp. I’m sure I’m not the only one.
Second Place: A complicated legacy: Dani Putney, the non-binary child of a mail-order bride, comes to peace with a fractured identity – Max Stone – Reno News and Review
Max Stone crafts a terrific profile of a local poet which perfectly encapsulates the very essence of what an alt-weekly feature should be, highlighting several marginalized communities in the singular form of Dani Putney, and ensuring that this type of coverage is what will keep alternative voices shining brightly into the future.
Third Place: Arthur Tress shows another side of gayness – Glen Starkey – New Times San Luis Obispo
Glen Starkey’s moving profile on the art of Arthur Tress shines a needed light upon what gay photography has the potential to be in an age seemingly flooded with tedious dick pics. Or maybe that’s just what’s in my phone. A refreshing piece made beautiful by the inclusion of several of Tress’ portraits.
Honorable Mention: Tampa Bay’s buzzing feminist sex toy market replaces shame with activism – Selene San Felice – Creative Loafing Tampa
Dildos and sex toys aren’t just for getting off, they can be arty, colorful weapons of rebellion during repressive times. Selene San Felice’s terrific profile of local women- and trans-owned business raging against the current political climate reveals that protest takes many forms, and some methods are even rechargeable. Great headline, too.
Beat Reporting
First Place: Trans Coverage – Vivian McCall – The Stranger
The writing is vivid while the quotes are colorful and the reporting is solid. These stories are prime examples of classic alternative weekly journalism: Fascinating stories about important topics told in a way you’d want to clip and save. Though the topic is often grim, the writer doesn’t shy away from being irreverent, or even funny, where appropriate. Any alt weekly that wants to start a trans beat (which I would argue is vital today) should use these stories to show the way forward.
Second Place: The Vallejo police shooting of Alexander Schumann – Geoffrey King (Executive Editor and Investigative Reporter)Matthew Brown (Investigative Reporter)Nick Roberts (Video Producer)Sarah Hopkins (Investigative Reporter) – Open Vallejo
These stories are outstanding examples of how police beats should be run in every newsroom. The coverage of the initial shooting is on point, but it’s the follow-up pieces, driven by excellent investigators that clearly know the law better than the officials themselves, that stand out.
Third Place: The War on Drugs – Logan Hullinger – Baltimore Beat
There is a ton of excellent enterprise reporting here, all told well in terms of narrative and visuals. While there is a familiarity to the stories here, it’s because city and police officials continue to insist that the war on drugs is something that can be won, even stories like these show that it can’t.
Honorable Mention: Police accountability reporting by Mathew Schumer – Mathew Schumer – Washington City Paper
Solid, relentless reporting here that shines through clear writing and organization on a beat that every news outlet needs.
Column (Billy Manes Award)
First Place: Disinfect | Payday | Backroom Billy – City Paper Editorial Board – Charleston City Paper
Yes! This is the mission of the local alt weekly. Hold those public officials accountable. Cuz no one else is. Hurrah for Charleston City Paper! Keep digging in on Mayor Cogswell.
Second Place: Seriously? – Jennifer Fumiko Cahill – North Coast Journal
Genius satire.
Third Place: Play Date Column – Nathalie Graham – The Stranger
Some good long features here. Column? Hmm.
Honorable Mention: From the editor – Judith Davidoff – Isthmus
Excellent work speaking the truth to power and doing the alt weekly’s job of operating as the fifth estate, critiquing the fourth estate. Keep up this great work!
Column – Political
First Place: Betsy Phillips Column – Betsy Phillips – Nashville Scene
White Supremacist Violence Has Always Taken Root in Nashville—Writer draws a compelling timeline of how historic white supremacy can be traced to today’s loners turned killers. Fascinating take on how hate begets hate and no one is doing anything to stop it. Her argument that if troubled kids can find each other on line, then why can’t authorities should be a question each of us ask ourselves daily. This is well-researched and a cautionary tale that can’t be ignored.
Republicans, Immigration, Brent Taylor and the Devil—Hilarious takedown of a frighteningly stupid comment from an elected official about an “immigration policy in heaven.” Deciding to “call hell” to get the devil’s take shows a brilliant creative imagination. Writer displays clever off-handed humor throughout the piece ending with the notion that the politician “broke hell.” Hysterical and frightening when the reader realizes she could be writing about any number of todays sanctimonious politicos.
Down the Rabbit Hole on Black Journalist Duke Wellington Berry—This piece made me, throughout, feel privileged to have learned about potentially the first black journalist for a southern newspaper. The fact that it challenged conventional history earns kudos for its excellent research. The columnist thoughtfully posits whether the identities of other pioneers will ever be discovered. Most frustrating, the country’s current rush to erase achievements by anyone other than non-white straight men is a sad but necessary commentary on how dangerous the DEI backlash has become. This should be required reading.
Second Place: Donna Ladd’s Democracy Essays – Donna Ladd – Mississippi Free Press
Democracy | The Epstein Saga Is Not a Game. It’s About Protecting Women and Girls From Rape and Retribution—This article stayed with me for days after my first reading. I was heartbroken and angered through the author’s openness and vulnerability and how her own assault plays like a never ending reel in her mind every time there’s a new assault in the news. Her frustration is palpable as she relates the simple truth that there is a power structure that will ever band together to protect the predators. This column is personal and painful and instructive and galvanizing all at once. I know I will think of her now throughout the Epstein saga and the next time (because sadly there is always a next time) another predator is revealed.
Democracy | ‘Whiteness’ Is an Ancient Con. We Must Win ‘The Game’ Together.—This column resonated because I have long been bewildered by how effective politicians are in trying to “other-ize” people in order to attain and preserve power. And, like the author, I will never understand how people can continue to vote against their best interest. Her exhortation that now is the second best time to put an end to bigotry rings out fiercely. We’re beginning to clutch onto the next rung of that ladder toward fighting against the government sanctioned hatred that hit us like a ton of bricks a decade ago with the twin incidences of incessant social media and the confounding rise to power of a hate monger and all his sycophants. This column takes personal stories and lays out the whys and the consequences of not taking action.
Third Place: From the Editors – The Editors (Erin Phillips, Managing Editor) – Erie Reader
The call is coming from inside the house…This smart and sometimes sassy article perfectly pokes at the ubiquity of social media and the impact of death scrolling and curating one’s own view of the world through the lens we choose and the people with whom we choose to interact with online.I love the pronouncement that we have the ability to curb the never ending “spooky season” in which we are living. Moving from humor to sensible advice (probably unattainable) is effective and thought-provoking, everything a good column should be.
Greetings from this modern world…This peek into the world of AAN was instructive to an outsider. I was struck and saddened by the story of the speaker’s young adult son who lamented that he would never have a room filled with “tangible, collectible, readable items” I can’t even imagine that and it made me pause to consider how empty that would be. The internet is a wondrous tool but, as this column asks, what are we sacrificing in return. The fact that the speaker thinks the pendulum will shift at some point is a hopeful notion to ponder. The resolve of the writer to keep on keeping on strikes just the right note for the preservation of print media and other things analog. Fingers crossed!
Yes, in my backyard…lovely use of daffodil metaphor to examine our own figurative backyards and take stock of what we’re doing to make the earth a healthier place.
Honorable Mention: Indy Digest – Jimmy Boegle – Coachella Valley
Honorable Mention goes to the CV Independent for its balance between a strong editorial voice mixed with advocacy for readers to dig deeper into stories by providing ample links to articles that will further elaborate on given subjects. The columnist assumes a level of intelligence from his readers and rewards that with commentary that is personal, universal and just ever so snarky.
Cover Design
First Place: Erie Reader Cover Art – Nick Warren, Nicholas Cardell Gore – Erie Reader
Second Place: The Stranger Covers – The Stranger – The Stranger
Third Place: Inlander Cover Design – Derrick King (Sustainability & Election Issue covers)Erick Doxey (Sky Queens photo) – Inlander
Honorable Mention: The Taking Tree, 25 Movies, Portlander of the Year – Whitney McPhie – Willamette Week
Digital Wildcard
First Place: Delaney Hall and beyond: The year in immigration enforcement and its human toll – Andres Kudacki and Krystal Knapp – The Jersey Vindicator
The format truly activated the story and kept you “in it.” Beautiful photography, just-right copy length, and the juxtaposition of type and visuals really brought the story to life. It was clever but easy to navigate.
Second Place: The Haskell Free Library Finds a Solution to Border Restrictions – Eva Sollberger – Seven Days
You took a truly horrifying story and also showed the kindness and resourcefulness of neighbors — the heart of the people. Loved the integration of the history, the personal stories, and political perspectives. A story people should hear!
Third Place: How It Happened: Timeline of Immigration Raid in Carpinteria – Ryan P. Cruz. Elaine Sanders, Maya Johnson – Santa Barbara Independent
Truly an illustration of design acting as a tool for storytelling. So clearly designed — the headers and type on the videos really help call out the main ideas. The piece flows seamlessly and tells the story in a way that keeps the reader’s attention.
Honorable Mention: Michael Karlis Video Reports – Michael Karlis – San Antonio Current
Love how you took stories with a lot of political ins and outs and told them in an easy to digest, charismatic manner. Just the right amount of jumping from visual to visual paired with super clear storytelling made these interesting and palatable — even for a viewer with no skin in the game!
Editorial Layout – Print
First Place: To Bee or Not to Bee – Whitney McPhie – Willamette Week
Really clever layout. Excellent use of color and white space. You made text book photos really engaging in a very creative way. Well done!
Second Place: Pie, Pie My Darling – Corianton Hale – The Stranger
Really excellent, clever layout. It’s not easy to line all the pieces up, so I appreciate the precision. The layout is also very clean. Well done.
Third Place: Poolin’ Around – Corianton Hale, Char Harris, Anthony Keo – The Stranger
Honorable Mention: The Meat Of The Matter: The Real Costs of Local Livestock Farming – written by Evelyn Nelson, print design by Jade Juedes, produced by McKenna Scherer – Volume One
Great balance of illustration and photography throughout. The typography and use of color add a lot of personality and energy to the layout without feeling overwhelming. Everything feels cohesive, polished, and thoughtfully designed. Great job.
Environmental Coverage
First Place: The Taking Tree – Sophie Peel – Willamette Week
This is an impressive piece of journalism. Deeply reported, thoroughly sourced.
Second Place: Vermont’s Loggers and Sawmills Are Disappearing — and That’s Bad News for Forests – Jonathan Mingle – Seven Days
This story deftly balances the micro view of individual single businesses with the larger environmental issues and how it affects Vermont.
Third Place: A community left behind: PFAS crisis unfolds on Lambertville’s Connaught Hill – Jeff Pillets – The Jersey Vindicator
Excellent story. Bringing in this land’s history of neglect and generations of pushing the ‘less-desirable’ elements on it gives this a deep resonance.
Honorable Mention: The Uncounted: Extreme Heat Deaths in a City the Refuses to Look – Marisol Cortez & Greg Harman – Deceleration
Passionate, well-reported, advocacy journalism. This is why people love and support alternative media.
Explanatory Journalism
First Place: Gateway to Nowhere – Sophie Peel, Asa Gartrell, Senya Scott, Seychelle Marks-Bienen – Willamette Week
VERY well done – the issue is explained broadly to make readers aware of issues in this area through the lens of the grocery store closing, but then the team tackles the story by covering seven specific locations to make the impacts in this area clear. The photographs were wonderful. The reporters used the small stories to tell the big one – brilliant. The details were wonderful choices (the old reporter’s adage is to always get the name of the dog, but after this story I wonder if it should be “always find out who cuts her hair now.”) Excellent work.
Second Place: Vallejo advocate charged over ‘offensive words,’ raising constitutional concerns – Matthew Brown (Investigative Reporter), Geoffrey King (Executive Editor) – Open Vallejo
You had me at that lead. The story included so many helpful links to other reporting, both from Open Vallejo and other publications. I appreciated the transparency about trying to get quotes from all the officers mentioned in the story (and the slew of unreturned calls and “No comments” that followed). The photos helped tell the story, and they were beautifully done. Including the policy body cam? Excellent. Great investigation in reading the police reports beyond simple the charges (to learn that so often they weren’t substantiated with details in the reports). Excellent reporting. Kudos to Brown and King.
Third Place: “Educators Hate It, So Why Is Texas Keeping the STAAR Test Alive?” – Brant Bingamon – Austin Chronicle
The reporter gave us a broad understanding of varied issues related to STAAR. Even with zero familiarity with state testing procedures in Texas, I found the story engaging. Opening with the anecdote from the educator drew me in, and the story included relevant cultural, social and financial elements to help readers better understand the impact of the punitive rules related to test results. Bingamon gave us the details and never forgot about the community.
Honorable Mention: Climate Shifts Could Reshape Oregon’s Pinot Noir Industry – Branden Andersen – Newsberg
Solid work about a topic I knew little about before this explanation. The reporters did a wonderful job balancing the scientific research with quotes from the businesses and vintners.
Feature Photography
First Place: Ridge Donut Cafe works to rise above the complexities baked into running a donut shop – Roberto Felipe Lagares – City Newspaper
Second Place: Dave Decker – Dave Decker – Creative Loafing Tampa
Third Place: Overnight at Sakuracon – West Smith – The Stranger
Honorable Mention: Skateboards Only: The Marginal Way Skatepark Has Been Carving Out DIY Space for 20 Years – Liam Griffith – The Stranger
Feature Story – Long Form
First Place: The ghosts of Geneva’s ‘home for wayward girls’ – Katie Prout, Editor: Taryn McFadden – Chicago Reader
This story so adeptly and movingly goes back in time to use historical records, interviews with subjects whose lives continued on in the aftermath of the largely unregulated “home,” and the changing tide of juvenile justice reform–along with an engrossing narrative style–that makes this piece such an achievement. This reporter delved so deeply into the past and present lives of both the women and men who were sent to Geneva, made such good use of historical records, and made this story both cinematic and useful for policy change. It’s truly worth of this year’s first-place award!
Second Place: Keepers of the quiet goodbye: Hospice for unhoused people – Scott Thomas Anderson – Sacramento News and Review
The reporting of this story and the real digging into the lives and later motivations of the people who fought to build this hospice for the unhoused in Sacramento makes this story both a great read and an example of what a small, dedicated group of people can do to make social change real. It’s an example of solidly reported journalism that also has real stakes, not just for Sacramento but for other groups fighting similar battles.
Third Place: ‘We are not moving on’ – How a Pasadena church is helping one senior through wildfire recovery – Corinne Ruff – AfroLA
Through Ms. Alice and her circle, this is a story that sheds light on how a community was affected and (not yet) moved on from the Eaton Fire–one that I haven’t till now seen reporting on. It’s a really well-reported and movingly told piece that looks at migration, roots, and resilience as one woman is uprooted from her longtime home and how community comes together for each other in a daily and unseen way–until this story and it’s well-reported coverage.
Honorable Mention: All the singlet ladies: Little Rock Central High’s girls wrestling team dominates the state – Matt Campbell – Arkansas Times
This is a fantastic example of how a sports story can become a masterpiece feature. The reporting is so good and the narrative so masterful that I felt like I was on the mats with the reporter, the coaches, and the girls.
Feature Story – Shorter Form
First Place: Facing our darker history: As the feds censor narratives about racism, local officials tell the truth about Reno’s Chinatown and its government-ordered destruction – Frank X. Mullen – Reno News and Review
Spectacular writing and retelling of history in light of today’s political climate and administration’s violence toward history. Well done!
Second Place: ‘Until there is no longer a list:’ Memorial honors 250 of Tucson’s homeless who died – Mia Kortright & Paul Ingram – Tuscon Sentinel
Rich, clear reporting on a heart-rending topic. Thank you for doing this story.
Third Place: Blind Mother Seeks Right to Care for her Son – Maggie Dougherty (reporter), Zach Adams (photographer) – Illinois Times
Excellent writing on an important, profoundly problematic topic. Well done!
Honorable Mention: Newest Americans – Lucy Tompkins – Seven Days
love the weaving of personal story with the larger crisis
Food Writing
First Place: Jordan Barry – Jordan Barry – Seven Days
The depth of knowledge and expertise here is delightful. These stories are food-focused, interesting and enticing. Vermont is lucky to have Jordan Barry!
Second Place: Food Writing by Margaret Littman – Margaret Littman – Nashville Scene
An excellent selection of food writing that is timely, newsy and engaging. Littman demonstrates a command of her subject while keeping the stories approachable. Well done!
Third Place: Food Writing — Ron Bechtol – Ron Bechtol – San Antonio Current
Honorable Mention: Middle Eastern restaurant Old School keeps it commercial-free – Mike Sula, Editor: Taryn McFadden – Chicago Reader
This is a fascinating deep dive, an only-in-Chicago story and a lovely portrait of a singular character. Bravo!
Free Speech & Democracy
First Place: Portlander of the Year: The Frog – Rachel Saslow – Willamette Week
If one of the great reasons for having an alternative outlet is to report the accurate record from the ground of a story that ballooned nationally and somewhere in that process became grossly distorted, then the tale of Portland’s frog as told by Rachel Saslow is the finest example of this critical utility imaginable. Thanks to the ideal imperfect character and subject and the author’s ability to find certain needed light and humor in the tragic ICE mayhem of last year, this was the only First Amendment story of the lot which truly made for a fun read despite all of the medicine dissolved into the sugar.
Second Place: Vallejo advocate charged over ‘offensive words,’ raising constitutional concerns – Matthew Brown (Investigative Reporter), Geoffrey King (Executive Editor) – Open Vallejo
I tend to think that most police departments in America are fucked up. But if there is one thing I learned from reading both Anna and Matthew’s outstanding features on assaults on free speech, it is that the problem in that city is beyond extraordinary, with years of improprieties and gross abuse compounding current situations. Considering the subject who was choked and killed by cops or the enforcement apparatus attempting to block a homeless advocate from speaking out against questionable camp clearouts, the people of Vallejo can at least be confident that they have this outstanding independent outlet working on behalf of the community’s best interests.
Third Place: Academic Freedom at Mississippi Schools and Universities Under New Trump Administration – Torsheta Jackson, Jaylin R. Smith, Ashton Pittman, Heather Harrison – Mississippi Free Press
It’s a testament to how much peril the First Amendment is truly in that more than half of the submissions in this category related to campus crackdowns on free speech. And while many submissions including this one effectively communicate the sense of terror permeating universities, Torsheta’s writing shows the recipe for damage as well as the main dish and the start of its digestion from campus to the State House as well. There’s not a bit of naked advocacy here, yet the author pulls no punches in exposing a school founded by Confederate bigots returning to its ugly roots.
Honorable Mention: Unearthing disturbing details about Pete Hegseth’s past – Sara Rubin – Monterey County Weekly
Most of the submissions in the First Amendment category this year were utterly terrifying. And the catalyst for many of them can be traced to the Trump administration and its contempt for free speech. This feature, however, and the reason for its honorable mention, is the lone entry which put the journalist in direct confrontation with a top official. Bravely taking on the challenge of investigating power drunk war pig Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Sara and her editors prevailed in revealing a critical aspect of his flawed record which both mainstream news outlets and members of Congress seemingly glossed over.
Health Care Reporting
First Place: Operation: Merger – Anthony Effinger – Willamette Week
This year’s Health Care category was a challenge to judge. There are many high quality entries. “Operation Merger” is well written, in depth while maintaining reader interest and readability, and explores a topic which must be of interest to your readers. What made it stand out from other entries was the thought given to the layout and art elements. It seems clear that the creative and editorial teams worked together to present WW readers with an in depth piece that uses on point visual elements to draw the reader in and keep the reader’s attention.
Second Place: Psychedelic therapy: Nevada patients, doctors and lawmakers push for a legal pathway – Jason Sarna – Reno News and Review
The photo of Mr Tucker fishing as a lead photo draws readers in with its juxtaposition to the title. The chosen outtake is well chosen … it sums up in a sentence the purpose of the entry. (At least that is how it struck this judge.) Layout aside, the substance of the entry is clear and guides the reader through the complexities of this issue in a way that readers should find engaging and relatable. The depth is still there, but explanation is clear.
Third Place: “Healing Algorithms | From scheduling appointments to detecting fractures and strokes, AI is revolutionizing health care in Vermont” – Ken Picard – Seven Days
Art used to illustrate and act almost as part of the title/heading does a great job of providing a visual overview and drawing the reader in. The entry is well-written and educates readers on what is happening right now in healthcare AI in their own community. The extension into what future AI may bring and what the challenges are to creating the future technology brings a greater understanding of a topic which impacts us all. I am sure your readers found the story engaging and informative in a way that made sense of a topic which is hard to fully grasp.
Honorable Mention: Diverted from jail – Caleb Wiseblood – Santa Maria Sun
Cover art is used well to draw the reader’s attention. The entry took advantage of an event that impacts your community to present the details of the diversion program. Sharing the reasons behind support and opposition to the program in this specific case gives readers a clearer understanding of the issues surrounding the program while keeping them engaged.
Housing
First Place: Felony Landlords: How Jacksonville’s Rental Market is the Wild West – Carmen Macri – Folio
Excellent use of data to uncover the landlords driving the city’s eviction crisis and thorough, incisive analysis of the legal loopholes and lack of accountability.
Second Place: Unhoused in Orlando – McKenna Schueler – Orlando Weekly
Very nice package of stories detailing the homeless crisis in Orlando.Great reporting to show that jails and booking centers had become de facto homeless shelters. Great to include the dignity bus program to highlight a solution.
Third Place: Satisfying Settlement: After Two-Plus Years of Stress and Expense, Lake Tamarisk Residents Reach an Agreement With Intersect Power Regarding the Easley Solar Project – Kevin Fitzgerald – Coachella Valley
Well reported story on the personal costs to residents in fighting — and winning — an agreement from a solar installation developer to mitigate environmental and quality- of-life factors.
Honorable Mention: Pennsylvania Homeless Advocates Condemn Trump’s Plans to Punish the Unhoused, Involuntarily Commit Them – Pat LaMarche – Bucks County Beacon
Thorough, clear reporting and writing with compelling quotes and examples of how a national executive order impacts the local community.
Illustration
First Place: Curling – Kyle Olson – Isthmus
Such a pleasing cover, both in style and execution! Love the overhead view, the illustration style, and the palette. I don’t think the illustration could possibly feel more integrated with the publication title. So cohesive. Congratulations!
Second Place: In Memoriam 2025 – Taylor Stringer – Nashville Scene
Love the style — really skilled rendering. The publication logo and title of the piece feel so well integrated. So cohesive!
Third Place: Pet yoga – Courtney Dicmas – Isthmus
Such a smart illustration style — so whimsical and smile-inducing. Love all the different colored lines and some of the lines being negative space. So skilled. And the way the pets fit into the owners’ bodies is just so clever. Well done!
Honorable Mention: Hippie Christmas – Megan Stout – Isthmus
So successful in many ways: the composition, the integration with the publication title, conveying the message of the piece. Really pleasing palette and hand. And everything teeters so perfectly! Well done.
Immigration Coverage
First Place: Black immigrants navigate dual Identities and erasure as ICE crackdowns continue – Aaricka Washington, AfroLA and Michelle Zacarias, CALÓ News – AfroLA
“Black Immigrants Navigate Dual Identities and Erasure as ICE Crackdowns Continue” by AfroLA and CALÓ News is a standout entry. What distinguishes this piece is its deliberate centering of Black immigrants — a population that is too often rendered invisible in immigration coverage dominated by other narratives. The reporters don’t simply acknowledge this gap; they fill it with precision, humanity, and data. By weaving together the personal testimony of advocates like Guerline Jozef with hard statistics — such as the stark finding that Black migrants represent only 6% of the ICE detention population yet account for 28% of all abuse-related reports — the story builds an evidence-based case for why this community’s experience demands specific journalistic attention. The piece tackles the intersection of race, immigration status, and criminalization without flattening the tensions involved, including the difficult political divisions between Black and non-Black Latine communities in the wake of the 2024 election. Rather than shying away from that friction, the reporters treat it as essential context, elevating the story beyond advocacy and into rigorous public-interest journalism.The collaborative model — a Black-focused outlet and a Latine-focused outlet reporting together — is itself a form of the solidarity the story describes, and it shows in the depth of community access and the care with which both communities are represented.
Second Place: South Texas internment camps – Dean Zach – San Antonio Current
“Repeating History” by Dean Zach for the San Antonio Current shows a simple but devastating editorial insight: the Crystal City WWII internment camp and today’s Dilley Immigration Processing Facility sit less than an hour apart in South Texas, making the repetition of history not a metaphor but a geographic fact. By centering the voices of survivors now in their 80s — men who were kidnapped from their homes, stripped of their passports, and imprisoned as children — alongside a scene of a Dilley city council meeting where officials cheerfully describe finger-painting activities without once mentioning the toddler who died inside the facility, Zach constructs a portrait of historical amnesia that is both meticulous and haunting. The story is the antidote to what survivor Naganuma calls his country’s short memory.
Third Place: Smoke and Mirrors: Fallout from Federal Raids at Glass House Farms – Ryan P. Cruz, Tyler Hayden, Nick Welsh – Santa Barbara Independent
The Santa Barbara Independent’s “Smoke and Mirrors” is distinct from routine raid coverage because it refused to let the story end when the armored vehicles drove away in a cloud of smoke. The reporting follows the fallout in every direction simultaneously: the minute-by-minute timeline reconstructs the chaos of the Carpinteria operation with precision; the family portraits — Sandra Hernandez shackled and deported to Tijuana without access to her diabetes medication, Juve Lima tased and torn from two young children, a son whose mother’s deportation wasn’t slowed even by his sister’s active military service — give the statistics a human cost that lingers long after the piece ends. Then the package does something rarer still: it turns the camera on the institutions that were supposed to protect these residents and documents their helplessness in real time, from a seven-hour county supervisors hearing that produced almost no actionable power, to a packed emergency town hall where a council member was cut off mid-sentence while suggesting the city declare an emergency. The exchange between Supervisor Roy Lee — himself a Chinese immigrant — and the county sheriff, in which Lee asks whether anything can be done to protect him from racial profiling and receives the answer “between little and nothing,” names the gap between the promise of equal protection and the reality of living without it, and it does so through the voices of the people inside that gap.
Honorable Mention: Immigration in Vermont – Lucy Tompkins – Seven Days
Seven Days’ Vermont immigration series by Lucy Tompkins slow down, go quiet, and follow the fear into the places where it has settled permanently into daily life. Across these three pieces, Tompkins builds a portrait of a community that has effectively retreated from public life — dairy workers who no longer leave the farms where they live and work, attending Mass in cramped milking parlors because their priest now drives to them through the snow with a chalice and communion wafers in a plastic container; parents who are signing standby guardianship paperwork for their U.S.-citizen children, quietly preparing for an arrest that hasn’t happened yet but feels inevitable; and immigrants who crossed the border seeking safety now reluctant to cross it at all. What distinguishes this series in the Immigration category is its precision about a specific, underreported geography — rural Vermont, a Canadian border region where green-striped Border Patrol vehicles are a daily sight and where the number of children on farms with tenuous legal-status parents has quadrupled in just four years — and its insistence on showing not just the crackdown itself but the elaborate, exhausting infrastructure communities build around fear: the personal shoppers, the raiteros, the volunteer attorneys, the neighbors who sign up to be emergency guardians for children they may one day have to raise.
Investigative Reporting (David Carr Award)
First Place: Crash, call, collect: Midtown clinic linked to RICO scheme enterprise – Scott Johnson – Lagniappe
Investigative reporting about the way private businesses operate can require far deeper sourcing, creativity and shoe leather than public policy matters where information is more accessible. Scott Johnson’s dogged reporting into a scheme involving car accident victims, opportunistic lawyers and subpar health care overcame all of those obstacles and led to swift and significant impact on behalf of the public.
Second Place: Juvenile detention centers – Madeleine O’Neill – Baltimore Beat
Baltimore Beat’s devastating examination of what a change in the state statute of limitations on past sex abuse claims uncovered about systemic taxpayer-funded abuse of children, and current lawmakers’ focus on limiting liability instead of accountability, was an invaluable public service to the people of Maryland.
Third Place: Police call to OB mayor’s second office spurs questions – Rob Holbert and Kyle Hamrick – Lagniappe
Lagniappe’s investigation into one mayor’s pattern of violent and erratic behavior truly evoked the spirit of David Carr’s style of investigative journalism, where the reporting is deeply sourced, no stone is unturned, and the most absurd and vivid details come to life in explaining to readers the extent of a powerful person’s corruption and abuse.
Honorable Mention: ‘I can’t breathe’: video shows death Vallejo police concealed for years – Anna Bauman, Investigative Reporter (lead author, 2025 article, contributor, 2024 article)Geoffrey King, Executive Editor (editor and contributor to both the 2024 and 2025 articles)Nick Roberts, Video Producer (2025 OSINT forensic video examination and production)Laurence Du Sault, Investigative Reporter (lead author, 2024 article) – Open Vallejo
Open Vallejo deserves something beyond the words “honorable mention” — perhaps “special recognition” — for its work to tell the real story behind the long-ago death of a man in police custody, and for its coverage of the 2025 police shooting of Alexander Schumann, as a continuation of its work. Each investigation builds on years’ of award-winning, impactful reporting Open Vallejo has done to hold its local police department accountable. There is evidence that the depth and rigor of Open Vallejo’s reporting has prompted a culture of scrutiny and prevention that reversed a longstanding pattern of police killing people.
LGBTQ+ Coverage
First Place: Queerness and Far-Right Politics – Tori Gantz – Lookout Phoenix
Lookout is doing remarkable, enterprise driven work that is original, deeply intentional, well written and deeply reported. Across the entire newsroom it seems. It’s really quite moving. As an old school journalist, I am always impressed by rigor in the reporting, and writing. But where I’m most critical is in the idea itself. Ambitious enterprise reporting is an art, and great news writing feels like it’s harder to come by these days. The selection of stories told me a few things—Tori understands how to work a beat and localize wider issues with compelling, community driven reporting.
Second Place: Long Live the Queens – Andrew Jankowski, Rachel Saslow, Brianna Wheeler, Nicole Eckrich, Tim Tran, Charlie Bloomer – Willamette Week
This piece was a joy to dive into. First, it was beautifully designed. Kudos. The intentionality of this feature really caught me by surprise. I don’t really follow any drag scenes, so I couldn’t pinpoint any particular queen or scene. I loved that the scope of the piece tells its own story about the drag scene in Portland. The mini profiles are fabulous and a showcase a diverse set of contributors.
Third Place: Escaping Arizona – Ellie Samsal, Joseph Darius Jaafari – Lookout Phoenix
This was another one where the scope, ambition and reporting won me over. Kudos to what appears to be an incredibly led newsroom. I spent some time reading other folks work and I’m just so impressed by the work being done by the team at the Lookout.
Honorable Mention: Mia Kortright – Tucson-area LGBTQ reporting – Mia Kortright – Tucson Sentinel
The pink pistols story alone won me over. Such an original, fun, unexpected news feature. Excellent work.
Marketing Campaign (House Ads or Developed for a Client)
First Place: Fuck Marry Kill – Cassie Arredondo, Zeke Barbaro, Cassidy Frazier – Austin Chronicle
What can we say? It gets your attention, makes its point and takes no prisoners.
Second Place: Out on A Limb Campaign – designed by Jen Bartlett for The Athens County Independent – Athens County Independent
I don’t 100% get this, but I can’t look away, and I love the sentiment. Go team.
Third Place: Best of Nashville 2025 – Elizabeth Jones, Tracey Starck, Mary Louise Meadors, Sandi Harrison – Nashville Scene
Holds to the theme, does the job.
Music Writing
First Place: Music writing by Taylor Ruckle – Taylor Ruckle – Washington City Paper
Engaging stories about music with a call to action. Your subhead says it all – the scene still stands for more than just music.
Second Place: C-VILLE toured the open-mic circuit and here’s what we heard – Tami Keaveny, Ella Powell, and CM Turner – C-VILLE Weekly
Such a great idea! I loved that it wasn’t just a listicle, it was an opportunity for lots of little stories.
Third Place: Chris Farnsworth – Chris Farnsworth – Seven Days
The Dead story was so engaging – great job finding a new story to tell about a band and fandom that’s been around so long. I want nothing to do with that festival but I’m so glad I got to read about it.
Honorable Mention: Music Writing by Bobbie Jean Sawyer – Bobbie Jean Sawyer – Nashville Scene
What a lovely story about Luke Bell, really thoughtful and respectful.
News Photography
First Place: Exposed – James Buck – Seven Days
Second Place: Open Vallejo news photography – Geoffrey King – Open Vallejo
Third Place: Delaney Hall Protests – Andres Kudacki – The Jersey Vindicator
Honorable Mention: Dave Decker – Dave Decker – Creative Loafing Tampa
News Story – Long Form
First Place: Harris County Death Sentences Can Last a Lifetime – April Towery – Houston Press
You’ve given voice to a forgotten population. The personal stories, vivid descriptions and diverse sourcing make this a compelling read. This story delivers outstanding public-service journalism by combining important contextual data with great storytelling. This story makes clear the real financial and policy implications of the death penalty in Harris County. A strong example of investigative reporting at its best.
Second Place: A Man’s Battle With Mental Illness Led to a Spasm of Violence in Milton – Colin Flanders – Seven Days
A great piece of narrative writing. I felt empathy for Aaron and the police officers who did what they could to help him. The story made clear the deficiencies of how society handles mental illness. It challenges readers to think beyond the immediate act of violence and consider prevention, intervention and the limits of existing systems. I was glad to see the writer handled mental health histories, criminal proceedings and community effects are handled with care, avoiding stigmatizing language. I was impressed at the pacing of the story. It gave readers time to process the compelling anecdotes and legal information while moving the story forward. What sets this work apart is its ability to reframe a crime story as a public health and public policy story — an informed way of highlighting government activities.
Third Place: The Disappearing Registrants – Thadeus Greenson – North Coast Journal
I felt a sense of outrage over this story. The ill-advised law change, accompanied by the flimsy justification and lack of awareness by lawmakers led to a concerning outcome for the main subject in this story. It’s unfortunate Statehouse reporters didn’t flag this problem more prominent several years ago. Rather than treating this issue as a bureaucratic anomaly, the piece frames it as a meaningful public concern rooted in policy choices, enforcement practices and resource limitations.I appreciated the accessible, yet not overly simplistic, way the legal details are presented.
Honorable Mention: Emmanuel Irono Was Barred from D.C. Contracts, Now He’s Trying to Build a Restaurant Empire – Alex Koma – Washington City Paper
The top entries in this category were picked for their focus on civil liberties and underreported systems affecting vulnerable people, but this story stood out for its persistent digging into a powerful figure who seems to operate in plain sight, yet largely outside of scrutiny. This is a great example of watchdog journalism, following the story beyond official penalties to reveal how influence and control can be quietly maintained. By examining Irono’s web of business interests and relationships, the reporter shines an important light on a subject many in power-saturated DC might overlook.
News Story – Shorter Form
First Place: Incarcerated firefighters face trauma without equal support and pay – Audy McAfee – AfroLA
Excellent example of giving a voice to a group of people others have forgotten about or didn’t realize even existed. I also appreciated the context you mixed in with the storytelling. Individual experiences are framed within broader issues like the pay differences and mental health assistance. Story is nicely organized, tackling this topic in an approachable way. This is a great example of journalism that informs, highlights and serves the public interest. I hope it leads the corrections systems to consider reforms!
Second Place: No Children – Joanna Hou – Willamette Week
Great example of accountability journalism — letting people know where their tax money is going. The reporter does good work to connect the audit’s findings to a specific public official. I appreciate how the reporter lays out how public funds were spent, how enrollment figures failed to match funding levels and why that discrepancy raises concerns. The financial math is clearly explained and easy for readers to understand. The sourcing is also good. The story relies on a mix of official records, watchdog voices and direct responses from Barnes (I was fully expecting to read “Barnes couldn’t be reached for (or declined) comment,” but was happy when I saw you got her to talk. You also do good work to give the story context, explaining Oregon’s preschool funding system, pandemic-era disruptions and oversight challenges.
Third Place: Fisheries face threats – Jack O’Toole – Charleston City Paper
This story was a nice respite from the crime, mayhem and government bickering that dominated this category. This is a well‑sourced examination of an issue that many people probably don’t think about when they’re picking up dinner at the grocery store. The reporter shows strong knowledge of the topic and takes care to present well-grounded assessments, policy options and a variety of stances. You provided an in-depth look at the situation and associated threats without confusing readers. I also appreciate you including experts and data to give the piece additional credence.
Honorable Mention: Highway patrol trooper returns to duty after deadly July crash – Shiloh Antonuccio – Athens County Independent
Great story that holds law enforcement accountable for a controversial decision. The writing is easy to follow, and the timeline of events is laid out in a way that allows readers to quickly understand what happened and why it matters. The tone avoids speculation while handling a sensitive subject with respect. The story also benefits from a reliance on knowledgeable sources, including law enforcement statements and official reviews. I liked how you worked to establish speeds and distances using the expert who crunched all of the facts and figures. The extended explanation of that felt like it ran on a little long, slowing down the momentum of the story. In a case like this in the future, where there’s a technical/complex explanation needed to back up an assertion, you can put the explanation in a sidebar — ‘How we determined speed and distance.’
Newsletter
First Place: Eyes on the State by LOOKOUT – Tori Gantz – Lookout Phoenix
This is a high-quality, well-reported, clear, and well-written newsletter. Essential reading.
Second Place: Isthmus Insider – Judith Davidoff – Isthmus
Friendly and chatty while also being journalistically well done. I would look forward to this newsletter in my inbox.
Third Place: Sunday Best – Seven Days Editors – Seven Days
Interesting variety of stories.
Honorable Mention: Stet News – Staff – STET News
This small nonprofit entry does a good job leveraging its resources to produce a relevant and interesting newsletter.
Solutions Journalism
First Place: “If You Build It…” – Brant Bingamon – Austin Chronicle
The design team drew me in with the treatment of photos. Effective layout and use of art. The reader walks away with an understanding of the efforts of Moreau/Foundation Communities’ impact on homelessness in Austin. But the reader also gets a sense of why some oppose those efforts. In addition, the background information which answers the “why” the Housing First approach works is clear and convincing, supported by real-life implementation and results.
Second Place: Solutions Journalism – Madeleine O’Neill – Baltimore Beat
Art and outtake treatment are appealing and represent the content very well. As a reader, I walked away with a strong sense of frustration that reform efforts had resulted in virtually no change. Readers will not only realize the ways initial reform attempts have failed, but should have some hope that a solution is possible based on the example of Illiniois and what Maryland can learn from Illinois.
Third Place: Returning to Balance: Harm Reduction in Native Communities – Rachael Schuit – Crosswinds News
The series of articles has a consistent thread of how cultural identity is being used as a tool to improve outcomes in the topics covered: youth suicide prevention, substance abuse recovery, and domestic violence healing. As a reader, I walked away with a better understanding of how culture, specifically Native culture, is being used to improve outcomes. Readers will be left with much to think about.
Honorable Mention: Helpline provides counseling to address – and prevent – relationship violence – Elizabeth Moss – AfroLA
The entry explores a different response to domestic violence, which leaves readers (at least this reader) wondering how this approach could be implemented in more communities. Would have liked more data showing how effective the helpline approach is and quantitatively how it has changed rates of domestic violence.
Special Publication – Print
First Place: How to Seattle – The Stranger – The Stranger
Incredibly well-done visitors guide that includes the expected and a lot of the unexpected – “Say Hi to Dave Mattews – with high-level writing and design.
Second Place: Seven Daysies: All the Best: The Locals’ Guide to Vermont – Seven Days staff – Seven Days
Good reader-driven “best of” that includes a clear explanation of the process.
Third Place: Inlander Annual Manual – Inlander Staff and Contributors – Inlander
This issue includes a wide range of information for readers. Comprehensive and comprehensible.
Honorable Mention: The Rochester Ten – CITY staff – City Newspaper
Interesting profiles of a varied group of people making a difference in the Rochester community.
Special Section – Print
First Place: Peak Iowa 2025 – Little Village staff and contributors (27 freelancers) – Little Village
Original, informative, and entertaining.
Second Place: 30th Birthday Issue – Seven Days staff – Seven Days
This is a terrific effort. I might quibble with the sections that are essentially marketing oriented, but they serve more to bond with the reader than to hard-sell them. The shout-out to the drivers and list of staff members past and present also were nicely done.
Third Place: The People Issue 2025 – Staff: Devyn-Mitchell Brown, Kerry Cardoza, Micco Caporale, Leor Galil, Jamie Ludwig, Taryn McFadden, Philip Montoro, Shawn Mulcahey, Kerry Reid, Charli Renken, Mike Sula, Tyra Nicole Triche, Kirk Williamson, Story editor: Jamie Ludwig, Photo editor: Kirk Williamson – Chicago Reader
Strong selection of individuals to highlight.
Honorable Mention: Best of Northern Nevada 2025 – Staff and contributors – Reno News and Review
“Best of” issues are a staple of regionally oriented issues, but this one is unusually comprehensive with a sprightly design, which elevates it above the usual.
