The judges for the 2022 AAN Awards have made their decisions, honoring 95 individual finalists from a field of over 560 entries submitted by AAN member publications across the U.S. and Canada.

Seven Days (Burlington, Vt.) led with 13 awards for design and journalism. Chicago Reader, the host publication for the 2022 AAN convention, came in second with seven nominations. The Reader (Omaha) and Williamette Week both notched six finalist nods.

Winners and placements will be announced during the 2022 “ChicagoAAN” Annual Convention at a ceremony held Friday, July 22, at the Medill School of Journalism in downtown Chicago.

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 work published in 2021 for awards consideration. Judges came from faculties from California State University, Columbia College Chicago, Eastern Kentucky University, Flagler College, Michigan State University, Penn State University, Towson University, University of Illinois, University of New Hampshire and the University of South Florida as well as active and retired members of the media community not affiliated with the Association of Alternative Newsmedia.

The 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 Todd Stauffer (todd at aan.org).

 

2022 AAN Awards Finalists

Arts Criticism

Publication: Chicago Reader
Title: Joffrey’s Nutcracker gets a new home; Hubbard Street and 10,000 Dreams challenge stereotypes while centering AAPI choreographers
Credit: Irene Hsiao, Kerry Reid

Publication: Isthmus
Title: A transformative ‘Shrew’
Credit: Gwendolyn Rice

Publication: Seven Days
Title: Arts Criticism by Margot Harrison
Credit: Margot Harrison

Publication: The Reader (Omaha)
Title: Who Gives a Rat’s Asteroid, I Explain and Complain About the Bourdain Refrain, My Year Without Movie Theaters
Credit: Ryan Syrek

 

Arts Feature

Publication: Chicago Reader
Title: Neo: where misfits fit in
Credit: Leor Galil, Philip Montoro

Publication: Metro Times
Title: A decade later, Detroit’s crowdfunded RoboCop statue is finally complete — but still awaiting a final home
Credit: Michael Jackman

Publication: Seven Days
Title: The Producer | Joshua Sherman spearheads an arts-led revitalization in Norman Rockwell’s Arlington
Credit: Dan Bolles

 

Beat Reporting

Publication: Mountain Xpress
Title: Asheville education budget reporting
Credit: Daniel Walton

Publication: Pacific Sun
Title: Marin County Homelessness Coverage
Credit: Nikki Silverstein

Publication: Santa Fe Reporter
Title: Police and Public Safety
Credit: Jeff Proctor

Publication: Seven Days
Title: Beat Reporting Colin Flanders
Credit: Colin Flanders

 

Nonprofit Collaboration (BINJ Award)

Publication: Eugene Weekly
Title: “Swept Away”
Credit: Joanna Mann, Jennah Pendleton, Addie Peterson, Silas Sloan

Publication: Santa Fe Reporter
Title: Bright Futures
Credit: Julia Goldberg, Magnificent Farrell, Kiera Ortiz, Urmi Vallassery, Nick Romero

Publication: Seven Days
Title: Roaches and Broken Locks: Mark and Rick Bove’s Growing Empire of Affordable Rentals Vexes Code Enforcers
Credit: Derek Brouwer, Liam Elder-Connors

 

Cartoon

Publication: Charleston City Paper
Title: Cartoons by Steve Stegelin
Credit: Steve Stegelin

Publication: Charleston City Paper
Title: Lowcountry, by Robert Ariail
Credit: Robert Ariail

Publication: Little Village
Title: Futile Wrath by Sam Locke Ward
Credit: Sam Locke Ward

Publication: Seven Days
Title: Cartoons by Tim Newcomb
Credit: Tim Newcomb

 

Column (Billy Manes Award)

Publication: Boulder Weekly
Title: Cannabis columns
Credit: Will Brendza

Publication: Coachella Valley Independent
Title: The XX Factor
Credit: Kay Kudukis

Publication: Eugene Weekly
Title: Obituaries for the Unhoused
Credit: Bob Keefer, Ella Hutcherson

Publication: Isthmus
Title: From the editor
Credit: Judith Davidoff

 

Cover Design

Publication: Metro Times
Title: Everything you wanted to know about getting a COVID-19 vaccine but were afraid to ask
Credit: Evan Sult

Publication: Nashville Scene
Title: Nashville Scene Cover
Credit: Elizabeth Jones

Publication: Orlando Weekly
Title: Wild Things; Skin Deep; Sparkle Plenty
Credit: Daniel Rodriguez, Mauricio Murillo, Jessica Bryce Young

Publication: Riverfront Times
Title: Covers by Evan Sult
Credit: Evan Sult

 

Editorial Layout

Publication: C-Ville Weekly
Title: Drink Charlottesville – Max March
Credit: Max March

Publication: C-Ville Weekly
Title: Final Frontiers – Max March
Credit: Max March

Publication: The Inlander
Title: For the ‘Gram
Credit: Derek Harrison

 

Feature Story

Publication: Chicago Reader
Title: A bouquet of pharmacy roses
Credit: Katie Prout, Sujay Kumar

Publication: Isthmus
Title: Howl: Will Wisconsin ever make peace with wolves? Or will vengeance prevail?
Credit: Ron Seely

Publication: Riverfront Times
Title: St. Louis Leads America in Child Murders — and It’s Getting Worse
Credit: John Tucker

Willamette Week
Title: Who Poisoned Joe Gilliam… Twice?
Credit: Nigel Jaquiss

 

Food Writing

Publication: Chicago Reader
Title: Food writing by Mike Sula
Credit: Mike Sula, Karen Hawkins

Publication: New Times San Luis Obispo
Title: Flavor
Credit: Camillia Lanham

Publication: Orlando Weekly
Title: Epic labor shortage may reforge Orlando’s restaurant industry
Credit: Faiyaz Kara

Publication: Seven Days
Title: Food Writing by Melissa Pasanen
Credit: Melissa Pasanen

 

Health Care Reporting

Publication: Lagniappe
Title: Stress levels for caregivers rose with hospitalizations
Credit: Lynn Oldshue

Publication: The Inlander
Title: With unvaccinated COVID patients swamping local hospitals, exhausted health care workers stare down death on a daily basis
Credit: Samantha Wohlfeil

Publication: Seven Days
Title: The Doctor Won’t See You Now: Patients Wait Months for Treatment at Vermont’s Biggest Hospital
Credit: Colin Flanders, Chelsea Edgar

Publication: Willamette Week
Title: Drug and Pony Show
Credit: Anthony Effinger

 

Illustration

Publication: Isthmus
Title: Howl
Credit: Claire “Snaggle Tooth” Warhus

Publication: Nashville Scene
Title: Best of Nashville
Credit: Lucie Rice

Publication: Seven Days
Title: Illustration by Sean Metcalf
Credit: Sean Metcalf

Publication: Washington City Paper
Title: Metr-Oh No
Credit: Justin Johnson, Nayion Perkins

 

Immigration Coverage

Publication: Dig Boston
Title: Uncharted Waters
Credit: Ziqi Wang

Publication: INDY Week
Title: Untitled and Ongoing Struggle
Credit: Jane Porter, Caryl Espinoza-Jaen

Publication: The Inlander
Title: As Afghanistan falls to the Taliban, Spokanites try, mostly in vain, to rescue their Afghan friends and family
Credit: Daniel Walters

Publication: The Reader (Omaha)
Title: Tackling Omaha’s Language Barriers
Credit: Bridget Fogarty

 

Innovation/Format Buster

Publication: Austin Chronicle
Title: The 2020/2021 Austin Music Awards
Credit: Kevin Curtin, Raoul Hernandez, Zeke Barbaro, Jared Sosa, Tamar Price, David Brendan Hall, Mike Bartnett, James Renovitch, Elizabeth Westwood

Publication: Pittsburgh City Paper
Title: Unraveling: A comic artist’s journey through alcoholism and recovery in the pandemic
Credit: Andrea Shockling

Publication: The Reader (Omaha)
Title: Omaha Has Issues
Credit: Leah Cates, Chris Bowling, Mark McGaugh, Karlha Velásquez

Publication: Willamette Week
Title: Eat Outside Guide
Credit: Matthew Singer

 

Investigative Reporting (David Carr Award)

Publication: Dig Boston
Title: Battle: SCARS
Credit: Laura Kiesel

Publication: Lagniappe
Title: Soft Landings at the University of Alabama
Credit: Rob Holbert

Publication: Nashville Scene
Title: Ongoing issues at Metro Arts
Credit: Erica Ciccarone

Publication: Reno News & Review
Title: Stewart Indian School’s 200 unmarked graves
Credit: Frank X. Mullen

 

LGBT Coverage

Publication: INDY Week
Title: Legislating Bodies
Credit: Sara Pequeño

Publication: Seven Days
Title: Vermont Has Endangered Transgender Prisoners. Change Is Coming — but Is It Enough?
Credit: Chelsea Edgar

Publication: The Reader (Omaha)
Title: Caught in a Culture War, Nebraska Trans Kids Fight for Acceptance
Credit: Leah Cates

 

Multimedia

Publication: LEO Weekly
Title: Breonna Taylor, In The Words And Photos Of Her Sister
Credit: Danielle Grady, Ju’Niyah Palmer

Publication: The Reader (Omaha)
Title: Taking Omaha for A Ride: Is Our Transit System Working for Everyone?
Credit: Addie Costello

Publication: The Reader (Omaha)
Title: Photo Collection: Community Fills the Streets for Native Omaha Days 2021
Credit: Chris Bowling

Publication: Seven Days
Title: “Stuck in Vermont: A New Era for the House of LeMay”
Credit: Eva Sollberger

 

Music Writing

Publication: Austin Chronicle
Title: Faster Than Sound
Credit: Rachel Rascoe

Publication: Chicago Reader
Title: Music writing by Leor Galil
Credit: Leor Galil, Philip Montoro

Publication: Colorado Springs Independent
Title: LOST IN SPACE: NFT-loving pop stars shoot for the stratosphere | ?Larger than live: A new wave of concert documentaries gives Beatles, Bowie and Oasis fans a backstage pass | THE HOLY GRIAL OF HIP-HOP: Who bought Wu-Tang Clan’s Once Upon a Time in Shaolin
Credit: Bill Forman

Publication: C-Ville Weekly
Title: Sound Choices – Desiré Moses
Credit: Desiré Moses

 

News Story – Long Form

Publication: INDY Week
Title: The Hate In Our State
Credit: Sara Pequeño

Publication: Orlando Weekly
Title: Sick Puppies
Credit: Ava Loomar

Publication: Seven Days
Title: Vermont Publishing House Chelsea Green Is Peddling Coronavirus Misinformation
Credit: Chelsea Edgar

Publication: Willamette Week
Title: Killer Weed
Credit: Tess Riski

 

Photography

Publication: Chicago Reader
Title: How live music looks during COVID
Credit: Kathleen Hinkel, Philip Montoro, Amber Huff

Publication: Orlando Weekly
Title: Rainbow tribe: Orlando artist Crummy Gummy documents a colorful company of genderfluid youth
Credit: Mauricio Murillo

Publication: Pittsburgh City Paper
Title: Pittsburgh 2021
Credit: Jared Wickerham

Publication: Seven Days
Title: We’re Nobodies
Credit: James Buck

 

Political Column

Publication: Charleston City Paper
Title: Poisoned water; Red snowflakes; Yahoo caucus
Credit: Andy Brack

Publication: New Times San Luis Obispo
Title: The Shredder
Credit: The Shredder

Publication: San Antonio Current
Title: Bad Takes: Kevin Sanchez
Credit: Kevin Sanchez

Publication: Triad City Beat
Title: TCB Editorial
Credit: Brian Clarey

 

Right-Wing Extremism Coverage

Publication: Riverfront Times
Title: Inside Gun-Surrendering Criminal Mark McCloskey’s Very Sad St. Louis Rally
Credit: Daniel Hill

Publication: The Inlander
Title: North Idaho’s right-wing Redoubt News is more than just a website that shamed an alleged rape victim
Credit: Daniel Walters

Publication: The Paper
Title: Cowboys for Trump Leader Calls For New Rally With “Blood Running From the Building”
Credit: Tierna Unruh-Enos, Pat Davis

Publication: Triad City Beat
Title: Three indicted in Capitol insurrection worked with NC Oath Keepers
Credit: Jordan Green

 

Special Publication

Publication: North Coast Journal
Title: Humboldt Insider
Credit: Staff

Publication: Pittsburgh City Paper
Title: City Guide
Credit: Pittsburgh City Paper staff

Publication: Seven Days
Title: Kids VT Winter 2021-2022 issue
Credit: Kids VT Staff

Publication: Volume One
Title: City Guide 2021
Credit: Nick Meyer, Taylor McCumber, Hleeda Lor, Tom Giffey, Rebecca Mennecke, Andrea Paulseth, James Johonnott

 

Special Section

Publication: Austin Chronicle
Title: Best of Austin 2021
Credit: Kimberley Jones, Zeke Barbaro

Publication: Chicago Reader
Title: 50th Anniversary issue #1
Credit: Chicago Reader Staff

Publication: Colorado Springs Independent
Title: Cannaverse
Credit: Indy Staff

Publication: Little Village
Title: Best of the CRANDIC 2021
Credit: Jordan Sellergren, Genevieve Trainor, Emma McClatchey, Celine Robins

 

Special Vaccine Coverage Award

Publication: Triad City Beat
Title: Why I Changed My Mind
Credit: Sayaka Matsuoka

Publication: Washington City Paper
Title: When Black Residents Wanted To Get Vaccinated, Accessing the COVID-19 Shot Wasn’t Easy
Credit: Amanda Michelle Gomez

Publication: Willamette Week
Title: Big Shots
Credit: Sophie Peel, Rachel Monahan

Publication: Willamette Week
Title: Long Shot
Credit: Rachel Monahan