Creative Loafing Atlanta, Houston Press, Independent Weekly, L.A. Weekly, Phoenix New Times, and The Village Voice were among the honorees.
The ruling overturns a lower court ruling granting Maricopa County sheriff Joe Arpaio qualified immunity.
Miami New Times editor Chuck Strouse will lead both papers. New Times Broward-Palm Beach editor Eric Barton will depart.
Miami New Times, Jackson Free Press and The Memphis Flyer each received first-place Green Eyeshade awards from the SPJ southeastern division.
Monterey County Weekly took first place for General Excellence.
Houston Press, L.A. Weekly, and Phoenix New Times each came out as winners in the Western Publishing Association's Maggie Awards.
Former Pacific Northwest Inlander reporter Nicholas Deshais and Miami New Times writer Gus Garcia-Roberts are finalists for the prestigious Livingston Award.
Pain & Gain, starring Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson and Mark Wahlberg, is based on a three-part series that was published in 1999.
Independent Weekly, Miami New Times, and New Times Broward-Palm Beach were named winners of the Society of Professional Journalists' 2011 Sigma Delta Chi Awards.
Manhattan Media CEO Tom Allon says the company will unveil "a new incarnation" of the nypress.com website in early 2012.
