The finalists for the 2018 AAN Awards have been selected. The finalists below were chosen as the most outstanding from a field of nearly 700 entries submitted by 55 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.
The winners will be announced during a reception on July 28 at the AAN Convention in San Diego.
Finalists below are listed alphabetically by paper. Categories with four or more finalists indicate either a tie or an honorable mention. Categories with less than three finalists indicate that a 3rd place was not awarded.
CASH PRIZE CATEGORIES
FEATURE STORY circulation under 40,000
Winner will receive $250 funded by Isthmus founder Vince O’Hern.
Folio Weekly: Let the Ceremonies Begin by Daniel Brown
Fort Worth Weekly: All the Pretty People by Kathy Cruz
The Inlander: Life After Freeman by Mitch Ryals
Tulsa Voice: Thick black smoke by Mason Whitehorn Powell
FEATURE STORY circulation 40,000 & over
Winner will receive $250 funded by Isthmus founder Vince O’Hern.
Houston Press: Corrupt Businessmen Looted Venezuela, and Now Many Live Quietly in Houston and Miami by Zach Despart
Houston Press: The Mercury 13 Women Were Ready for Space, But NASA Never Gave Them a Chance by Dianna Way
Orlando Weekly: Billy Manes’ closest friends and colleagues bid farewell to an incomparable man by Jessica Bryce Young, Tony Mauss, Erin Sullivan, Jeffrey C. Billman, Dave Plotkin, Stephanie Porta, Brendan O’Connor, Jason Ferguson
Phoenix New Times: The New Indian Massacre by Antonia Farzan
FREE SPEECH
Winner will receive $500 funded by Monterey County Weekly founder & CEO Bradley Zeve.
Metro Silicon Valley: Milpitas City Manager Misuse of Taxpayer Funds (I; II; III; IV; V) by Jennifer Wadsworth
Miami New Times: Miami Dade’s Drones Stopped from Spying on the Public (I; II; III) by Jerry Iannelli
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
Winner will receive $500 funded by Boulder Weekly editor Joel Dyer.
Chicago Reader: The infamous practice of contract selling is back in Chicago (I; II) by Rebecca Burns, Robin Amer, Sarah Blustain
Houston Press: At Alliantgroup, Sexting, Racist Emails and Harassment Were S.O.P., Ex-Employees Charge by Craig Malisow
Santa Fe Reporter: Nuclear Neighborhood by Aaron Cantú
Willamette Week: For More Than 30 Years, Kim Bradley Hid From Her Husband by Nigel Jaquiss
LGBT COVERAGE
Winner will receive $500 funded by Boulder Weekly publisher Fran Zankowski.
Creative Loafing Charlotte: Time Out Youth’s Sanctuary for LGBTQ Kids Moves to Facility More Than Twice its Current Size by Ryan Pitkin
Houston Press: Debra Schmidt is the Hockey Playing Pirate Assistant Chief of HCSO by Meagan Flynn
Orlando Weekly: By night, Orlando’s drag queens entertain the masses. By day, they lead the fight for LGBTQ rights by Monivette Cordeiro
Phoenix New Times: I Didn’t Know There Was Help by Amy Silverman
WRITING CATEGORIES
ARTS CRITICISM circulation under 40,000
Charleston City Paper: Spoleto Festival Reviews (I; II; III) by Mary Scott Hardaway
INDY Week: Arts Criticism (I; II; III) by Brian Howe
INDY Week: Arts Criticism: (I; II; III) by Byron Woods
Orlando Weekly: (I; II; III) by Jessica Bryce Young, Richard Reep
ARTS CRITICISM circulation 40,000 & over
Houston Press: Stage Reviews (I; II; III) by D.L. Groover
L.A. Weekly: Film Critic (I; II; III; IV; V) by April Wolfe
The Memphis Flyer: Movie Reviews (I; II; III; IV; V) by Chris McCoy
Willamette Week: (I; II; III) by Shannon Gormley
ARTS FEATURE circulation under 40,000
Boulder Weekly: Roots and Shoots by Caitlin Rockett
City Newspaper: The creative dissent of Stephanie Mercedes by Rebecca Rafferty
Creative Loafing Charlotte: 5 Artists Who Will Not be Ignored by Kia Moore
Good Times Santa Cruz: Luck of the Draw by Georgia Johnson
ARTS FEATURE circulation 40,000 & over
The Inlander: Arachni- Dermic Arts by Chey Scott
L.A. Weekly: Rape Choreography Makes Films Safer, But Still Takes a Toll on Cast and Crew (I; II) by April Wolfe
L.A. Weekly: Who Was Anton LaVey? An L.A. Exhibit Sheds Light on Satanism’s Black Pope (I; II) by Gwynedd Stuart
Willamette Week: The Dream of Portland Is Alive in Japan by Matthew Korfhage
BEAT REPORTING circulation under 40,000
Coachella Valley Independent: End-of-Life-Reporting (I; II; III) by Kevin Fitzgerald
Creative Loafing Charlotte: Crime Reporting (I; II; III; IV; V) by Ryan Pitkin
Lagniappe: Deputy purchased controlled substances, not arrested (I; II; III; IV; V) by Jason Johnson
Seven Days: ‘Til Death Do Us Part: Maidstone’s Grisly Murder-Suicide Was Domestic Violence; Questions Arise About Heroic Response to DCF Worker Shooting; Thin Ice Breaks, and a Game Warden Launches a Dangerous Rescue; Death by Drugs: Opiates Claimed a Record Number (I; II; III; IV; V) by Mark Davis
BEAT REPORTING circulation 40,000 & over
The Inlander: Criminal Justice Coverage (I; II; III; IV; V) by Mitch Ryals
The Memphis Flyer: Art of the Deal: What Happened at MCA? by Chris Davis
Santa Barbara Independent: Mental Health (I; II; III; IV) by Nick Welsh
Washington City Paper: Housing Complex (I; II; III; IV; V) by Andrew Giambrone
BLOG
Austin Chronicle: Chronolog: Music (I; II; III; IV; V) by Kevin Curtin
Houston Press: Houston News (I; II; III; IV; V) by Meagan Flynn, Dianna Wray, Margaret Downing
Nashville Scene: Nashville Cream (I; II: III; IV; V) by D. Patrick Rodgers, Megan Seling, Stephen Trageser
Pittsburgh City Paper: BlogH (I; II; III; IV; V) by Rebecca Addison, Ryan Deto, City Paper Staff
COLUMN circulation under 40,000
Creative Loafing Charlotte: Editors Note (I; II; III) by Mark Kemp
Fort Worth Weekly: (I; II; III) by Anthony Mariani
Nashville Scene: Vodka Yonic (I; II; III) by Megan Seling, Elizabeth Jones, Nancy Floyd
North Coast Journal: Seriously? (I; II) by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill
COLUMN circulation 40,000 & over
Phoenix New Times: (I; II; III) by Stuart Warner
Pittsburgh City Paper: Pittsburgh Left (I; II; III) by Charlie Deitch
The Memphis Flyer: Waiting for the Test to Come; From the Editor (I; II; III; IV; V; VI; VII; VIII; IX; X) by Bruce VanWyngarden
Westword: Calhoun (I; II; III) by Patricia Calhoun
COLUMN (POLITICAL) circulation under 40,000
Folio Weekly: Fightin’ Words (I; II; III; IV; V) by A.G. Gancarski
Jackson Free Press: Playing Politics with Race, Civil Rights (I; II; III) by Donna Ladd
Triad City Beat: Citizen Green: cops, needles, Charlottesville (I; II; III) by Jordan Green
COLUMN (POLITICAL) circulation 40,000 & over
Dig Boston: Apparent Horizon (I; II; III) by Jason Pramas
Gambit: Politics (I; II; III) by Clancy DuBos
Santa Barbara Independent: Reporter’s Notebook: Trump’s Inauguration (I; II; III) by Kelsey Brugger
FOOD WRITING circulation under 40,000
Fort Worth Weekly: (I; II; III) by Chow, Baby, Eric Griffey
Lagniappe: If grits ain’t groceries… by Andy MacDonald
North Coast Journal: (I; II; III) by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill
The Pitch: KC Restaurants (I; II; III) by Liz Cook
FOOD WRITING circulation 40,000 & over
Dig Boston: Drunk Brunch Love; A Reckoning for Restaurants in Boston and Everywhere; Ice Cold Democracy (I; II; III) by Haley Hamilton
Las Vegas Weekly: Soul Food in Vegas by Brock Radke
The Inlander: (I; II; III) by Chey Scott
Washington City Paper: (I; II; III) by Laura Hayes
IMMIGRATION COVERAGE circulation under 40,000
INDY Week: Immigration Issue (I; II; III) by Victoria Bouloubasis, Erica Hellerstein, Sarah Willets
Nashville Scene: Refugees Are People by Jennifer Justus
San Antonio Current: Don’t Mess With Dreamers: Young San Antonians Prepare for a Life Without DACA by Lyanne Guarecuco
Wisconsin Gazette: The Rising: Activists flex muscles (I; II; III) by Lisa Neff
IMMIGRATION COVERAGE circulation 40,000 & over
L.A. Weekly: In Tijuana, the Recently Deported Are Trapped in Purgatory by Jason McGahan
Miami New Times: From Cuban Immigrant to Wannabe Jihadi by Jessica Lipscomb
Phoenix New Times: Sara’s Demons Crossed the Border With Her by Valeria Fernandez
Willamette Week: Where Is Daddy? by Rachel Monahan
LONG-FORM NEWS STORY circulation under 40,000
C-Ville Weekly: Life & death by Samantha Baars
Fort Worth Weekly: Keep Holding On by Teri Webster
Monterey County Weekly: Monterey County’s cold cases haunt families, communities and investigators by Pam Marino
Triad City Beat: First do no harm by Jonathan Michels
LONG-FORM NEWS STORY circulation 40,000 & over
Miami New Times: A Mysterious Murder and Floating Bales of Drugs in the Florida Keys by Tim Elfrink
The Inlander: The Big Business of Virtual Education by Wilson Criscione
The Inlander: The Dead Don’t Lie (I; II) by Samantha Wohlfeil, Mitch Ryals
Westword: Homeless Millionaire by Alan Pendergast
MUSIC WRITING circulation under 40,000
Boulder Weekly: (I; II; III) by Angela K. Evans
Boulder Weekly: (I; II; III) by Caitlin Rockett
Creative Loafing Charlotte: (I; II; III) by Mark Kemp
Santa Fe Reporter: An Oral History of Storming the Beaches with Logos in Hand by Alex De Vore
MUSIC WRITING circulation 40,000 & over
L.A. Weekly: Brain Surgery Stole Tokimonsta’s Ability to Make Music. Here’s How She Got It Back (I; II) by Rebecca Haithcoat
Las Vegas Weekly: Accidental Pop Star Shamir comes around again — This time on his own terms by Geoff Carter
The Inlander: (I; II; III) by Dan Nailen
Willamette Week: Thor Lindsay R.I.P.; Iggy Pop’s Body; Solange in Concert (I; II; III) by Matthew Singer
DESIGN CATEGORIES
COVER DESIGN circulation under 40,000
Good Times Santa Cruz: Doublespeak to Me; Swan Song; Fully Lit (I; II; III) by Tabi Zarrinnaal
Lagniappe: The Cost of Clean Water (I; II; III) by Laura Rasmussen
New Times San Luis Obispo: (I; II; III) by Alex Zuniga, Jayson Mellom
Santa Fe Reporter: (I; II; III) by Anson Stevens-Bollen
COVER DESIGN circulation 40,000 & over
Austin Chronicle: (I; II; III) by Jason Stout, Devaki Knowles, Mike Reddy
Chicago Reader: (I; II; III) by David Sampson, Paul John Higgins, Finer Signs, Sue Kwong, Danielle Scruggs, Andrew Nawrocki, Vince Cerasani
Las Vegas Weekly: (I; II; III) by Elizabeth Brown, Corlene Byrd, Ian Racoma, Las Vegas Weekly Design Staff
Willamette Week: (I; II; III) by Vicente Marti, Rachel Brown Smith, Vanessa Rivera
EDITORIAL LAYOUT circulation under 40,000
Colorado Spring Independent: Holiday in Dystopia by Dustin Glatz
Eugene Weekly: Tracking the Backlog and Searching for Justice (I; II; III; IV) by Todd Cooper
Tulsa Voice: Tulsa Tough by Georgia Brooks , Morgan Welch, Madeline Crawford
Seven Days: On the March by Diane Sullivan, Matthew Thorsen and James Buck
EDITORIAL LAYOUT circulation 40,000 & over
Chicago Reader: The foodways of Chicago’s new immigrants by Vince Cerasani, Jake Malooley
Las Vegas Weekly: Electric Impact by Corlene Byrd
Las Vegas Weekly: The Pillars of Taco Vegas by Corlene Byrd
Santa Barbara Independent: The Forever Season by Caitlin Fitch
ILLUSTRATION circulation under 40,000
C-Ville Weekly: From the ground up by Barry Bruner
Nashville Scene: Bingo Cards (I; II) by Lauren Cierzan
Santa Fe Reporter: Predator Politics by Anson Stevens-Bollen
Seven Days: State of Need by Diane Sullivan, Rob Donnelly
ILLUSTRATION circulation 40,000 & over
Dig Boston: Smokers; Drinkers (I; II) by Kuresse Bolds
Las Vegas Weekly: Modern Love by Ian Racoma
Phoenix New Times: The CBD Oil Boom by Chris Whetzel, Zac McDonald
The Inlander: Scholastic Fantastic (I; II; III; IV; V) by Jeff Drew
PHOTOGRAPHY circulation under 40,000
C-Ville Weekly: Summer of white nationalist rallies (I; II; III; IV; V; VI) by Eze Amos
INDY Week: Hogwashed, part 1 by Alex Boerner
Seven Days: (I; II; III; IV; V; VI; VII; VIII; IX; X) by Matthew Thorsen
Style Weekly: The Resistance (I; II; III; IV; V; VI; VII; VII; IX; X) by Scott Elmquist
PHOTOGRAPHY circulation 40,000 & over
Isthmus: Ford Tough by Nick Berard, Carolyn Fath
The Inlander: (I; II; III; IV; V; VI; VII; VIII; IX; X) by Young Kwak
Washington City Paper: 2017: A Year in Photos by Darrow Montgomery
Willamette Week: (I; II; III; IV; V; VI; VII; VIII; IX; X) by Daniel Stindt
OUTSIDE-THE- BOX
CARTOON
INDY Week: Peripheral Vision (I; II; III; IV; V) by V.C. Rogers
New Times San Luis Obispo: (I; II; III; IV; V) by Russell Hodin
Slowpoke Comics: (I; II; III: IV; V) by Jen Sorensen
Style Weekly: The HR Department (I; II; III; IV; V) by Ed Harrington
HOUSE AD CAMPAIGN
Seven Days: Cannabeat (I; II; III; IV; V) by Don Eggert, Corey Grenier, Andrea Suozzo
INNOVATION / FORMAT BUSTER
C-Ville Weekly: Stand with Charlottesville by Lisa Provence, Samantha Baars, Erin O’Hare, Jessica Luck, Susan Sorensen, Jackson Landers, Eze Amos, Natalie Krovetz, Bill LeSueur
INDY Week: How to Win Friends and Gerrymander People; The Anatomy of Failure; Raleigh’s New Logo (I; II; III) by Jeffrey Billman, Shan Stumpf
Orlando Weekly: Florida Film Fest/420 Issue by Chaya Av, Chris Tobar Rodriguez, Jessica Bryce Young
Pittsburgh City Paper & Cleveland Scene: The Rivalry Issue: Pittsburgh Vs. Cleveland (I; II; III; IV; V; VI; VII) by City Paper & Cleveland Scene Staff
MULTIMEDIA
Creative Loafing Charlotte: Muslim in Charlotte (I; II; III; IV; V) by Lara Americo
L.A. Weekly: Short Form Documentary Profiles (I; II; III; IV; V) by Drew Tewksbury, Peter Holderness, Sean Deckert, Hso Hkam, Mara Shalhoup, Gloria Moran
Seven Days: Seriously: Let’s Talk About Sexism, Baby by Bryan Parmelee
Seven Days: The 500th Stuck in Vermont by Eva Sollberger
SPECIAL SECTION
L.A. Weekly: People Issue 2017 by Staff
Santa Barbara Independent: Keep Santa Barbara Great Again by Tyler Hayden
Santa Fe Reporter: Santa Fe Annual Manual by Staff
Willamette Week: Going Costal (I; II) by Martin Cizmar, Alyssa Walker, Sophia June, Matthew Korfhage, Walker Macmurdo, Aaron Mesh, Andi Pruitt, Matthew Singer
