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“We are thrilled to recognize the exceptional work of LGBTQ+ journalists through our Excellence in Journalism Awards,” said Adam Pawlus, Executive Director of NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists.
Incorporated in 1991, NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists is a journalist-led association working within the news media to advance fair and accurate coverage of LGBTQ+ communities and issues. In September, NLGJA will host its National Convention in Philadelphia, bringing together more than 700 expected LGBTQ+ journalists, educators, communications professionals and students.
In advance of the convention, the association announced today its recipients for the 2023 Excellence in Journalism Awards. The awards recognize work that was produced between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022, and are decided by a diverse committee of journalism professionals.
National Board President Ken Miguel expressed his enthusiasm for this year’s award recipients, stating, “On behalf of the association, I offer my congratulations to the winners of the 2023 Excellence in Journalism Awards. Each recipient has demonstrated outstanding skill, integrity, and commitment to reporting stories that are essential for LGBTQ+ visibility and equality. Your dedication to highlighting diverse voices, uncovering important issues, and promoting understanding is an inspiration to us all.”
Why it matters
The awards program was started in 1993 to foster, recognize and reward excellence in journalism on issues related to the LGBTQ+ community. Recipients will receive their awards publicly at the National Convention.
The winners
The 2023 NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists Excellence in Journalism Awards recipients are:
Special Recognition Awards
Journalist of the Year Award
Ari Shapiro
This category honors an LGBTQ+ journalist whose exceptional abilities, integrity and distinctive work brought honor to the profession within the past year. This award is not restricted to coverage of LGBTQ+ issues.
Sarah Pettit Memorial Award for the LGBTQ+ Journalist of the Year Award
Victoria A. Brownworth
This is a body of work award recognizing the contributions of an individual journalist within an LGBTQ media publication.
The Al Neuharth Award for Innovation in Investigative Journalism Award
Nico Lang for “These States Had Few, If Any, Trans Student Athletes. They Passed Sports Bans Anyway.”, Huffington Post
The Al Neuharth Award for Innovation in Investigative Journalism is presented to the person or team who best uses innovative approaches for investigative reporting.
Print/Online Awards
Excellence in Book Writing Award
Casey Parks for Diary of a Misfit, Penguin Random House
Excellence in Feature Writing Award
Sam Manzella for “The Stonewall Generation fought for equality. Now they are fighting for their lives.”, LGBTQ Nation
Excellence in Feature Writing, Non-Daily Award
Emma Madgic for “Rediscovering a Forgotten Provincetown Artist”, Provincetown Independent
Excellence in Long Form Journalism Award
Ernest Owens for “Jussie Smollett Wanted to Be a Hero. Instead, He Destroyed His Career”, Rolling Stone
Excellence in Newswriting Award
Elizabeth Harris and Alexandra Alter for their series on book bans across the United States, The New York Times
“Book Banning in the United States: Targeting LGBTQ Themes and Communities”
“With Rising Book Bans, Librarians Have Come Under Attack”
“Book Ban Efforts Spread Across the U.S.”
“How a Debut Graphic Memoir Became the Most Banned Book in the Country”
Excellence in Newswriting, Non-Daily Award
Bennet Goldstein for “Queering the family farm: Despite obstacles, LGBTQ farmers find fertile ground in Midwest”, Wisconsin Watch
Excellence in Photojournalism Award
Nabil Harb and Ashley Dye for “I’m Trying to Focus on the Joy”, The Cut
Excellence in Profile Writing Award
Francisco Vara-Orta for “First gay mayor in U.S. didn’t expect to be LGBTQ rights icon”. Los Angeles Times
Excellence in Sports Writing Award
Nico Lang for “These States Had Few, If Any, Trans Student Athletes. They Passed Sports Bans Anyway.”, Huffington Post
Excellence in Student Journalism Award
Alan Halaly for “Ben Sasse’s anti-LGBTQ past recalls deep-rooted history of campus prejudice”, The Independent Florida Alligator
Excellence in Travel Writing Award
Jim Gladstone for “A Postcard From Berlin”, Passport Magazine
Digital Awards
Excellence in Blogging Award
Andy Dehnart for “Drag Race’s talent has never been better. The producing has never been worse.”, Reality Blurred
Excellence in Digital Video Award
Imaeyen Ibanga for “I’m A Pregnant Man In An Anti-LGBTQ+ State”, AJ+
Excellence in Multimedia Award
T.M. Brown, Michael Beswetherick, Phaedra Brown, Gabriel Gianordoli,
Susan C. Beachy and Tony Cenicola for “Hidden in a Fire Island House, the Soundtrack of Love and Loss”, The New York Times
Excellence in Online Journalism Award
The Insider team for their series on the murders of trans people across the United States
“Love us in private and kill us in public’: How transphobia turns young men into killers”
“They called 911 for assistance. Then police used lethal force.”
“The unsolved murders of Eastern Avenue”
Editorial Awards
Excellence in Column Writing Award
LZ Granderson for his work at the LA Times
Excellence in Opinion/Editorial Writing Award
Bryn Nelson for “How Stochastic Terrorism Uses Disgust to Incite Violence”, Scientific American
Broadcast Awards
Excellence in Documentary Award
Alex Liu, Leonardo Neri and Steven Flynn for “A Sexplanation”, Herra Productions
Excellence in Local Television Award
PJ Randhawa, Eric Desrosiers, Roberta Romero and Michael Botsford for “Transgender Hate & Hope”, King 5 News
Excellence in Network Television Award
Soul of a Nation Presents for “PRIDE: To Be Seen”, ABC News
Excellence in Podcasts Award
Victoria Dominguez Peek, Elena Schwartz, Jared Downing, Colton Salaz, Madeline Ducharme, Anna Phillips and Mary Harris for “What Texas’ Attacks on Trans Health Care Did to One Family”, Slate’s What Next
Excellence in Radio Award
Hayley Sanchez and Kevin Beaty for “For the Colorado Springs LGBTQ community, the Club Q shooting has dredged up memories of the area’s bigoted past — and the huge progress made (and yet to make)”, Colorado Public Radio
Coverage Awards
Excellence in Bisexual Coverage Award
Clare Mulroy for “To disclose or not to disclose: Inside the push for bisexual-affirming medical care”, USA Today
Excellence in Business Coverage Award
Ben Steverman for “New York Gay Bars Are Declining—and Covid Isn’t All to Blame”, Bloomberg
Excellence in Critique Writing Award
Naveen Kumar for “Fire Island Is a Love Story About Queer Alienation”, Them
Excellence in Education Coverage Award
ABC News Live for “Acceptance High”, ABC News Live
Excellence in Food Coverage Award
H Conley for “I Realized I Was Trans While Making Cheese”, Bon Appétit
Excellence in Health or Fitness Coverage Award
Dan Diamond, Fenit Nirappil and Lena H Sun for “Inside America’s monkeypox crisis — and the mistakes that made it worse”, The Washington Post
Excellence in HIV/AIDS Coverage Award
Jordan Gonsalves for “A Positive HIV Test Shattered His Dreams of Serving in the U.S. Army. Now He’s Suing”, Time Magazine
Excellence in International Coverage Award
Valerie Hopkins and Valeriya Safronova for “‘I’m Afraid for My Future’: Proposed Laws Threaten Gay Life in Russia”, The New York Times
Excellence in Legal Coverage Award
Nico Lang for “Alabama Is Trying to Raise the Legal Driving Age for Trans People to 19”, The Daily Beast
Excellence in Political Coverage Award
Matt Lavietes for his coverage of the political firestorm in Florida brought on by the passage of the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, NBC News
“‘Groomer,’ ‘pro-pedophile’: Old tropes find new life in anti-LGBTQ movement”
“Here’s what Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill would do and what it wouldn’t do”
“Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs bill limiting LGBTQ classroom instruction”
“I cannot teach in Florida’: LGBTQ educators fear fallout from new school law”
Excellence in QPOC Coverage Award
Maggie Sivit and Ari Mejia for “Traveling parties are part of a queer Chicago culture of partying as resistance”, WBEZ Chicago and Vocalo Radio
Excellence in Religion Coverage Award
ABC News Studios for “Mormon No More”, ABC News
Excellence in Theatre Coverage Award
Tim Teeman for “Inside Beanie Feldstein and Lea Michele’s ‘Funny Girl’ Broadway Meltdown”, The Daily Beast
Excellence in Transgender Coverage Award
Wren Sanders and the Them team for their Trans Futures Week series, Them
Excellence in Nonbinary and Gender Nonconforming Coverage Award
Minami Funakoshi for “Gender & Language”, Reuters
To learn more about NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists, or to become a member, visit https://www.nlgja.org.
