For the second consecutive year, Gambit Weekly of New Orleans led the pack in the Alternative Newsweekly Awards with four first-place awards, followed by LA Weekly with three firsts, and Independent Weekly, The Local Planet Weekly, and The Village Voice, each with two.
A group of Columbia University journalism students took first place in feature writing among smaller circulation papers with a series of first-person vignettes from near the World Trade Center on Sept. 11 and the days following. "Seven Days at Ground Zero" appeared in The Local Planet Weekly of Spokane, Wash.
The Local Planet Weekly was also awarded a first place in media reporting. Larry Shook's "All in the Family" reported on conflicts of interest in the Cowles family's ownership of both downtown Spokane development and the Spokesman-Review.
Thomas Francis (Cleveland Scene) took the first place in media reporting for larger circulation papers.
The Village Voice took a first for photography for Andre Souroujon's photograph of downtown Manhattan overlaid with a pre-Sept. 11 souvenir postcard that replicates the missing trade towers. The judges said the photograph "could have been trite, but the execution was of such a high caliber that it didn't come off that way at all."
Among smaller circulation papers, Nancy Santos of Charleston City Paper took first place for photography.
The Village Voice also won first-place in feature writing for Michael Kamber's series on illegal immigrants, "Crossing to the Other Side."
The awards, announced today at the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies annual convention, recognize superior journalism and graphic design among the 120 AAN member papers, which include alternative newsweeklies across the United States and Canada.
In the small circulation category, Gambit won firsts in column-political commentary (Clancy DuBos), news feature (Katy Reckdahl), health care (Michael Tisserand), and music criticism (Scott Jordan). Overall, Gambit was honored with five Alternative Newsweekly Awards. Last year, Gambit also brought home four first-place awards and nine in all.
Melinda Ruley and James Morrison, of Durham, N.C.'s Independent Weekly, were awarded first place for column writing and arts criticism, respectively.
In the large-circulation category, three of LA Weekly's five awards were first-place finishers: health care (Sara Catania); illustration (Brian Stauffer); and news feature (Celeste Fremon).
In the second annual Alternative Newsweekly Award Cartoon competition, Garret Gaston won first place for his strip "La Petite Camera," among those cartoons that appear in five or fewer AAN papers. Among cartoons that appear in more than five papers, Ken Fisher (Ruben Bolling) took top honors for "Tom the Dancing Bug."
Folio Weekly's John E. Citrone won a first place in arts feature for "A Small World," a story about an eccentric artist who works in miniature. In the large circulation arts feature category, Andy Markowitz of Baltimore City Paper took a first for "True Stories."
Dave McKenna of Washington City Paper placed first in large-circulation column writing, which the judges said combined "hard-news instincts with nice writing."
Jim Schutze of Dallas Observer took his second straight first-place award for column-political commentary.
In the investigative category, William Dean Hinton of Orlando Weekly won first place for his story about a pastor bilking a housing authority.
In the large circulation category, "Fallout," by Lisa Davis and John Mecklin of SF Weekly continued to rack up first place prizes. It also won the George Polk Award, an IRE prize and the John Bartlow Martin award.
Joey Sweeney of Philadelphia Weekly took a first in music criticism, after placing third last year.
In news story writing (stories 1,500 words or less), Michael Haddigan, Arkansas Times placed first and received an honorable mention in the small circulation division, while Kevin Griffis, Creative Loafing Atlanta, took first place among large circulation papers.
In cover design, Matt Youngmark (Tacoma Reporter) and Basil Childres, Anne Reeser and Martin Thiel (Willamette Week) were the first-place winners in the two circulation divisions.
For editorial layout, Lisa Horstman (Metro Pulse) and Dean Sebring (Miami New Times) took firsts, while in illustration Ryan O'Rourke (Weekly Planet Sarasota) was the first-place winner in the smaller circulation division.
For a PDF file containing the complete list of winners
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Here's a complete list of the nominees in alphabetical order, with links to some of the award-winning stories:
Arts Criticism
Circulation < 54,000 James Morrison, Independent Weekly
Stephanie von Buchau, Pacific Sun
Bob Lancaster, Arkansas Times
Circulation > 54,000 Greg Tate, The Village Voice
Brendan Bernhard, LA Weekly
Kent Williams, Isthmus
Arts Feature
Circulation < 54,000 "A Small World," John E. Citrone, Folio Weekly
"Trojan Horses," Eric Rezsnyak, Syracuse New Times
"Chronicle of the Lost Nashville," Michael Kreyling, Nashville Scene
"Catching Fire," John Threlfall, Monday Magazine
Circulation > 54,000 "True Stories," Andy Markowitz, Baltimore City Paper
"Namdi's Biggest Gamble," George Tysh, Metro Times
"Sounds of Success," Matt Palmquist, SF Weekly
"Mind the Arts Gap," Scott Henry, Creative Loafing Atlanta
Cartoon
Appearing in 5 or fewer AAN papers "La Petite Camera," Garrett Gaston
Appearing in more than five AAN papers "Tom the Dancing Bug," Ken Fisher (Ruben Bolling)
Column
Circulation < 54,000 Melinda Ruley, Independent Weekly
Retha Oliver, San Antonio Current
Briony Penn, Monday Magazine
Circulation > 54,000 Dave McKenna, Washington City Paper
Mark Zusman and John Schrag, Willamette Week
Toni Schlesinger, The Village Voice
Column-Political Commentary
Circulation < 54,000 Clancy DuBos, Gambit Weekly
Circulation > 54,000 Jim Schutze, Dallas Observer
Ray Hartmann, Riverfront Times
Cover Design
Circulation < 54,000 Matt Youngmark, Tacoma Reporter
Jessica Thomas, Ryan Heck & J.J. Marley, Orlando Weekly
Kimberly Miers & Jessica Kourkounis, Blue Dog Press
Laura Egley Taylor, Santa Fe Reporter
Circulation > 54,000 Basil Childres, Anne Reeser & Martin Thiel, Willamette Week
Annette Waurick, The Georgia Straight
Brian Hogan, Philadelphia City Paper
David O. Barranco, Joe MacLeod & Nolen Strals, Baltimore City Paper
Editorial Layout
Circulation < 54,000 Lisa Horstman, Metro Pulse
Todd Bates, Weekly Planet Sarasota
Nancy Santos & Amy Pastre, Charleston City Paper
Anthony Udrovich, Cityview
Circulation > 54,000 Dean Sebring, Miami New Times
Bill Smith & Anne Fishbein, LA Weekly
Brian Hogan, Philadelphia City Paper
Anne Reeser & Martin Thiel, Willamette Week
Feature
Circulation < 54,000 "Seven Days at Ground Zero," Multiple authors, The Local Planet Weekly
"Collateral Damage," David Potorti, Independent Weekly
"Little Monster," Anne Schindler, Folio Weekly
Circulation > 54,000
"Crossing to the Other Side," Michael Kamber, The Village Voice
"Forget Me Not," Charles Siderius, Dallas Observer
Health Care
Circulation < 54,000
"Slice of Life," Michael Tisserand, Gambit Weekly
"Loss of Life," Kelly Davis, Ventura County Reporter
"Frozen Out," Barbara Solow, Independent Weekly
Circulation > 54,000
"Losing Dorothy," Sara Catania, LA Weekly
"The New Drug War," Patty Wentz, Willamette Week
"Dealing Drugs the Legal Way," Mara Shalhoup, Creative Loafing Atlanta
Illustration
Circulation < 54,000
Ryan O'Rourke, Weekly Planet Sarasota
Cathie Hahnel, Monday Magazine
Rhett Thiel, Gambit Weekly
Dan Brawner, Nashville Scene
Circulation > 54,000
Brian Stauffer, LA Weekly
Craig La Rotunda, New Times Los Angeles
David Hollenbach, City Pages (Twin Cities)
Paul Moch, Washington City Paper
Investigative
Circulation < 54,000
"A Wayward Shepherd," William Dean Hinton, Orlando Weekly
"Moving Violations," Doug Trapp, Cincinnati CityBeat
"The Number's Game," Nate Blakeslee, The Texas Observer
Circulation > 54,000
"Fallout," Lisa Davis & John Mecklin, SF Weekly
"The Kids Are Not All Right," Amy Silverman, Phoenix New Times
Mara Shalhoup, Creative Loafing Atlanta
Media Reporting
Circulation < 54,000
"All in the Family," Larry Shook, The Local Planet Weekly
"Grading the Daily," Willy Stern, Nashville Scene
Circulation > 54,000
"Satan or Savior," Thomas Francis, Cleveland Scene
"Bad News," Bob Whitby, New Times Broward-Palm Beach
Music Criticism
Circulation < 54,000
Scott Jordan, Gambit Weekly
Chad Nichols, The Texas Observer
Chris Herrington, Memphis Flyer
Circulation > 54,000
Joey Sweeney, Philadelphia Weekly
Roni Sarig, Creative Loafing Atlanta
Chris Baty, SF Weekly
News Feature
Circulation < 54,000
Louisiana Lockdown," Katy Reckdahl, Gambit Weekly
Circulation > 54,000
"Miracles and Pain," Celeste Fremon, LA Weekly
"The Poisoning of Whitaker," Nigel Jaquiss, Willamette Week
"Shades of Gray," Multiple Authors, Phoenix New Times
News Story
Circulation < 54,000
"Huckabee Frees Career Burglar," Michael Haddigan, Arkansas Times
"East Camden Safety Concern," Michael Haddigan, Arkansas Times
"The Poster Police," Jon Elliston, Independent Weekly
"Fishing for Answers," Andrew Findlay, Monday Magazine
Circulation > 54, 000
"Mystery Money," Kevin Griffis, Creative Loafing Atlanta
"A Sorry Excuse," Bob Norman, New Times Broward-Palm Beach
"Cop Out," Amanda Scioscia, Phoenix New Times
"Prison Coffee," Erica Barnett, Seattle Weekly
Photography
Circulation < 54,000
Nancy Santos, Charleston City Paper
Alan Pogue, The Texas Observer
Walter Coker, Folio Weekly
Circulation > 54,000
Andre Souroujon, The Village Voice
Michelle Gienow, Baltimore City Paper
Darrow Montgomery, Washington City Paper
