For the past two years, Simon Warner -- director of the Centre for the Study of the World's Popular Musics at the University of Leeds -- has been a final-round judge in the Music Criticism category of the AltWeekly Awards contest. In his most recent column for the Web site PopMatters, Warner says AAN papers "cover that edgy waterfront the mainstream editors still have great difficulty embracing." He also discusses the judging process that this year resulted in Rene Spencer Saller of Illinois Times and Melissa Maerz of City Pages (Twin Cities) landing top honors for their writing.

Sponsored by the Missouri School of Journalism, the feature writing and editing competition is the country's oldest. Sarah Hepola won in the Fashion & Design category for "Think Pink," an article about the Mary Kay cosmetic empire. Writers from East Bay Express, L.A. Weekly, Houston Press, Sacramento News & Review, Riverfront Times and Scene were finalists in various categories. Click here for the full list of winners and finalists.

A list of story ideas generated by AAN editors during the "75 Story Ideas in 75 Minutes" session in San Diego was added to the AAN Library today. The session was moderated by OC Weekly editor/publisher Will Swaim and transcribed by executive editor Matt Coker. Also posted in the Library: Willamette Week's thorough deadline schedule for major issues, special sections and event guides in 2005. The schedule and its operational function were addressed by WW editor Mark Zusman during the "Sequencing the Editorial and Production Process" session on Friday morning in San Diego.