2005 AltWeekly Awards Finalists Announced

Entries chosen as finalists in the 2005 Alternative Newsweekly Awards include stories of sexual wrongdoing, injustice, newspaper circulation fraud, homeland security and more. Among the honored entries are a critique of filmmaker Michael Moore, commentary on the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, photos of war zones and nightlife, and “Best of” issues.

Of the 97 papers that entered the contest, 70 are being honored in at least one category. L.A. Weekly is ahead of the pack with 10 finalists. In its size division, the next highest number of finalists from a single paper was four. Houston Press gathered that number of recognitions.

Three papers in the smaller size division have six finalists each. They are Folio Weekly of Jacksonville, Fla., Independent Weekly of Durham, N.C., and The Texas Observer. Orlando Weekly has five finalists, and City Newspaper of Rochester, N.Y., four.

This is the 10th year of the annual awards, which recognize the best work in the 123 newsweeklies that belong to the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. The order of finish will be announced at an awards luncheon to be held June 17 at the AAN annual convention in San Diego. Dan Savage, sex advice columnist and editor of Seattle’s The Stranger, will host the luncheon.

This year a dozen people will accept more than one award. Writer Jeffrey C. Billman of Orlando Weekly, who won three awards last year, is a finalist in three categories again this year: Format Buster, Media Reporting/Criticism and News Story–Short Form.

Named as finalists twice are an illustrator, Rick Sealock, and three art directors: Kris Adams of Charleston City Paper, Karen Steichen of Seattle Weekly, and Don Eggert of Seven Days. Eight writers are named twice: Susan Cooper Eastman of Folio Weekly, Steve Fennessy of Creative Loafing (Atlanta), Terje Langeland of Colorado Springs Independent, Josh Harkinson of Houston Press, Chris Herrington of The Memphis Flyer, Paul Bass of New Haven Advocate, Paul Rubin of Phoenix New Times and Christopher Twarowski of Long Island Press.

Finalists include an unidentified prison inmate who wrote a column from behind bars (Anonymous, Pittsburgh City Paper), the winner of this year’s Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting (Nigel Jaquiss, Willamette Week) and both of the writers selected for AAN’s winter/spring 2004 Diversity Internship grants (Abraham Mahshie, San Antonio Current, and Ayana Taylor, Jackson Free Press).

Finalists are listed in alphabetical order by newspaper. If five finalists are listed in any given division and category, it indicates there is a tie. Links to the winning articles will be added as entrants submit them.

Even if an alt-weekly’s particular entry doesn’t appear below, at least one judge may have championed it. Judges’ complimentary remarks and constructive criticism will be made available to entrants in late June.

ARTS CRITICISM

Circulation < 50,000

Circulation > 50,000

ARTS FEATURE

Circulation < 50,000

Circulation > 50,000

CARTOON

Fewer than five publications

Five or more publications

COLUMN

Circulation < 50,000

Circulation > 50,000

COLUMN — POLITICAL

Circulation < 50,000

Circulation > 50,000

COVER DESIGN

Circulation < 50,000

Circulation > 50,000

EDITORIAL LAYOUT

Circulation < 50,000

  • “Style: The Home Issue,” Kris Adams, Charleston City Paper
  • Me Regeneration,” Kat Vellos, Folio Weekly (PDF file)
  • The Blogger,” Don Eggert, Seven Days (PDF file)
  • Out Damned Spot!”, Monica McGregor, Ventura County Reporter

Circulation > 50,000

  • Kids Rock,” Ryan Ward, Cole Gerst and John Curry, L.A. Weekly
  • “Wave Action,” Kara Brown, Metro Silicon Valley
  • Coffin Classics,” Michael Shavalier, Miami New Times (PDF file)
  • Psyched Out,” Karen Steichen, art director; Jay Vidheecharoen, assistant art director; Tra Selhtrow, illustrator; Seattle Weekly
  • “The Chiva Game,” Jay Vollmar, Westword (PDF file)

EDUCATION (Wild Card Category)

Circulation < 50,000

  • School or Scam?“, Jennifer Barnett Reed, Arkansas Times
  • “Command Performance,” Parts 1 and 2, Terje Langeland, Colorado Springs Independent
  • “Why Luis Can Read,” Carole Bass, New Haven Advocate
  • “No Soldier Left Behind,” Zachary Smith, Santa Fe Reporter

Circulation > 50,000

FEATURE STORY

Circulation < 50,000

Circulation > 50,000

FOOD WRITING

Circulation < 50,000

Circulation > 50,000

FORMAT BUSTER

Circulation < 50,000

Circulation > 50,000

ILLUSTRATION

Circulation < 50,000

Circulation > 50,000

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING

Circulation < 50,000

  • “Honor Among Thieves” Parts 1 and 2, Terje Langeland, Colorado Springs Independent
  • “Booty Call,” Susan Clark Armstrong, Folio Weekly (PDF file)
  • “LA’s Real Drinking Problem,” Chip Jacobs and Kevin Uhrich, Pasadena Weekly (PDF file)
  • “Rate of Exchange,” Jake Bernstein and Dave Mann, The Texas Observer

Circulation > 50,000

  • Newsday Circulation Scandal Investigative Series, “Loseday,” “Dumping Newsday Every Day,” “For a Few Dollars More,” “Cleanup or Shakedown” and “Unbelievable!”, Christopher Twarowski and Long Island Press news staff, Long Island Press (PDF file)
  • “Sick District,” Bob Norman, New Times Broward-Palm Beach
  • “Blue Mob,” Parts 1 and 2, Aina Hunter, Scene
  • “The 30-Year Secret” and “Who Knew,” Nigel Jaquiss, Willamette Week

MEDIA REPORTING/CRITICISM

Circulation < 50,000

  • “A Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy” and “The Monitor,” Fiona Morgan, Independent Weekly
  • Bogus Outrage” and “Reagan Ain’t God,” Jeffrey C. Billman, Orlando Weekly
  • Owning the Airwaves and Media Monopoly series, “Cross Talk,” “The Beast by the Tail,” “A Confluence of Dunces,” “Currying Favor,” “Talking Heads,” “Radio Free Gonzales,” “The Uprising” and “Policing the Airwaves,” Lisa Sorg, Elaine Wolff, Gilbert Garcia, Michael Cary, Abraham Mahshie and David Martin, San Antonio Current
  • “Deconstructing Al,” Brenda Bell, The Texas Observer
  • (The first-place winner in this category and division will also be the recipient of the Connye Miller Award for Media Reporting.)

Circulation > 50,000

MUSIC CRITICISM

Circulation < 50,000

Circulation > 50,000

NEWS STORY –- LONG FORM

Circulation < 50,000

Circulation > 50,000

NEWS STORY –- SHORT FORM

Circulation < 50,000

Circulation > 50,000

PHOTOGRAPHY

Circulation < 50,000

  • “A Gullah Tale,” photo essay, Nancy Santos, Charleston City Paper
  • Rites of Spring,” Walter Coker, Folio Weekly (PDF file)
  • Haiti After the Coup,” Alan Pogue, The Texas Observer (PDF file)
  • Nick at Night,” Nick Goodenough, Ventura County Reporter

Circulation > 50,000

SPECIAL SECTION

Circulation < 50,000

  • The Best of Greater Rochester,” Erica Curtis, City Newspaper
  • Annual Manual,” Kirk Ross, Grayson Currin, Byron Woods, York Wilson, Liz Holm and Kelly Lojk, Independent Weekly (PDF file)
  • Summer Guide 2004,” Inlander Staff, Pacific Northwest Inlander
  • 7 Nights,” Don Eggert, art director; Paula Routly, writer/editor; and Matthew Thorsen, photographer; Seven Days (PDF file)

Circulation > 50,000