For work produced in 2023
Student
Best Page Design
1st place
Claire Dixon
On the Record, Manual High School
Entry Title: Our City’s Sanctuary
Best Page Graphics/ Illustrations
2nd Place
Jazmine Martinez
On the Record, Manual High School
Entry Title: Empowering Women Infographic
1st Place
Vanessa Gogel, Kassie Propes
WPMQ – The Pirate Network, Charlestown High School
Entry Title: Charlestown High School Branding Guide
The judges said: “As a design guide, this is very thorough and simple enough to follow. The quality of the logo is as clean as a college or regional mascot. A great example of solid branding!”
Best Web Graphics/Use of Data
3rd Place
Silas Mays, Blake Sinclair
On the Record, Manual High School
Entry Title: Down the Rabbit Hole
2nd Place
Grace Kirby
On the Record, Manual High School
Entry Title: Abortion Across State Borders
1st Place
Claire Dixon
On the Record, Manual High School
Entry Title: Food Deserts in Louisville
The judges said: “Wow, this graphic shows a heckuva lot. The places with high percentage of people who don’t have access to vehicles also don’t have food stores. It probably makes a lot of economic sense to the chains but can you imagine the poor, particularly the elderly, having to bus it or walk with a bunch of groceries. Tell me life is not fair.”
Best Video (non-broadcast)
3rd Place
Sophia Watson
WPMQ – The Pirate Network
Charlestown High School
Entry Title: My Way
2nd Place
Cooper Walton and Abby Prather
Manual RedEye, Manual High School
Entry Title: Louisville community support for Manual students contrasts Westboro messaging
1st Place
Jake Helton and Staff
WPMQ – The Pirate Network
Charlestown High School
Entry Title: Virtual Facilities Tours
The judges said: “What sports facilities for a high school. I like the aerial shots (drone?) and the walk-thrus with the coaches. Excellent video.”
Best Picture Story
2nd Place
Scarlett Frisbie
Manual RedEye, Manual High School
Entry Title: R/W Week: Manual hosts pep rally in anticipation of rivalry game
1st Place
Kassie Propes
WPMQ – The Pirate Network
Charlestown High School
Entry Title: The Sound of Music
The judges said: “It helps to know the story line but this series of photos puts you in the middle of “The Sound of Music.” Nice shots.”
Sports Photography
3rd Place
Aiden Stewart
WPMQ – The Pirate Network
Charlestown High School
Entry Title: Cohen Uses His Head
2nd Place
Kassie Propes
WPMQ – The Pirate Network
Charlestown High School
Entry Title: Pirate Huddles and Heroics
1st Place
Iris Apple
On the Record, Manual High School
Entry Title: New Skate of Mind
The judges said: “Love the color and composition.”
Sports Writing
3rd Place
Aiden Stewart
WPMQ – The Pirate Network
Charlestown High School
Entry Title: Aiden Stewart’s Sports Shorts 2023
2nd Place
Maya O’Dell
On the Record, Manual High School
Entry Title: Turning Pointe
1st Place
Lydia Adams
Manual RedEye, Manual High School
Entry Title: Manual RedEye Sports
Judges said: “Lydia Adams provides insight into the sport of lacrosse and what it takes to get teams on the field. Great job.”
Feature Writing
3rd Place
Sammie Haden
On the Record, Manual High School
Entry Title: Our City’s Sanctuary
2nd Place
Lucy Vanderhoff
On the Record, Manual High School
Entry Title: Grounds for Growth
1st Place
Adi Schanie
WKU News Channel 12
Western Kentucky University
Entry Title: Feature Reporting
The judges said: “These features are alive: Whether they be entertaining seniors lighting up the Internet, or a special needs child getting a thrill through a horse riding program or a refugee from Afghanistan starting from the beginning at Western Kentucky to be a doctor even though she was one in her old country.”
Editorial Writing
1st Place
Grace Fridy and Naomi Fields
Manual RedEye, Manual High School
Entry Title: Louisville’s shortcomings in welcoming adolescents into public spaces
The judges said: “This identifies a problem and proposes a solution — exactly what editorials should do. Good work.”
Enterprise/Investigative Reporting
2nd Place
Adi Schanie and Ben Daniel
WKU News Channel 12
Western Kentucky University
Entry Title: Cave City Official Accused Of Drunk Driving A City Vehicle
1st Place
Caleb Masterson
Manual RedEye, Manual High School
Entry Title: Evolving backward
The judges said: “Excellent report questioning the reliability of metal detectors at duPont Manual High and about problems the brand has had elsewhere. Of course when they went active the line was long and to a chorus of criticism. Good job of digging up details on the devices.”
Government / Politics reporting
3rd Place
Sammie Haden
On the Record, Manual High School
Entry Title: Taking Center Stage
2nd Place
Joanna Lee and Lily Cashman
On the Record, Manual High School
Entry Title: Ruling Out Race
1st Place
Adi Schanie
WKU News Channel 12
Western Kentucky University
Entry Title: Censure Hearing Over An Instagram Post Liked By WKU’s SGA President
The judges said: “A lot of voices and a range of opinions in a short segment. This is balanced student journalism at its best. Kudos!”
Public Affairs reporting
3rd Place
Zoe Huguley
On the Record, Manual High School
Entry Title: Out with the New
2nd Place
Adi Schanie
WKU News Channel 12
Western Kentucky University
Entry Title: Breast Cancer Survivor Creates App Helping Others With Self Breast Exams
1st Place
Lucy Vanderhoff
On the Record, Manual High School
Entry Title: Grounds for Growth
The judges said: “Excellent look at the parks in Louisville. What was a rehabbed place a few years back is looking drab. Louisville is figuring out a systematic way of keep up to date on fixing parks.”
Best News Story
2nd Place
Kaelin Gaydos, Leo Tobbe, Grace Fridy, Caleb Singleton, Ava Blair
Manual RedEye, Manual High School
Entry Title: Louisville community support for Manual students contrasts Westboro messaging
1st Place
Adi Schanie
WKU News Channel 12
Western Kentucky University
Entry Title: Body Camera Footage of Breonna Taylor Raid Shown at Bowling Green Restaurant
The judges said: “A distressing night for some diners at Bowling Green restaurant. Body camera footage of the aftermath of the deadly raid on Breonna Taylor’s home was shown by a Republican women’s group and people not a part of the meeting could see and hear it. The owner of the restaurant to which the meeting was moved at the last minute didn’t know about the footage, and the police officer from the raid didn’t know how the footage would be shown, but apologized. But the Republican women’s group was nowhere to be found. This is commonly known as a cluster —-. Good job of covering so many moving parts.”
Broadcast Awards
Sports Reporting
3rd Place
Tom Lane
WDRB News
Entry Title: Official Dale Ramsey, Jockey Brian Hernandez and family, Blind Oaks trainer
2nd Place
Scott Eckhardt
WLKY
Entry Title: Iron Man
1st Place
Kent Spencer
WHAS-11
Entry Title: Kent Spencer Sports Reporting
The judges said: “Love the retrospective on Denny Crum. Good storytelling. The Louisville man trying to get into the Indy 500 and the interview with the Racing Louisville coach were good stories, too.”
Best Kentucky Derby Story
3rd Place
Divya Karthikeyan
Louisville Public Media
Entry Title: Behind the scenes, Latino immigrants make the Kentucky Derby possible
2nd Place
Mason Brighton
Spectrum News Kentucky
Entry Title: How CJ Shoots Derby
1st Place
Doug Proffitt, Ian Hardwitt and Maggie Vancampen
WHAS-11
Entry Title: More than 300 people get on waiting list to see Secretariat’s gravesite on Oaks day
Best Feature Reporting
3rd Place
Isaiah Kim-Martinez
WHAS-11
Entry Title: ‘They welcomed me with open arms’: PRP High School student with cerebral palsy scores touchdown on senior night
2nd Place
Abbi DiTonno and Randall Kamm
WLKY
Title Entry: Angel in the Outfield
1st Place
Chris Sutter
WDRB News
Entry Title: Southern Indiana golfer named Happy Gilmore, Finding love lost at Walmart, ‘McDonaldland’ in south Louisville
The judges said: “All three pieces well written, shot well, good use of nat sound. All pieces moved in the time allotted. Well done!”
Crime/Courts/Criminal Justice reporting
3rd Place
Drew Gardner and Abbi DiTonno
WLKY
Entry Title: Heroic Officers Stop Mass Shooting
2nd Place
John Charlton and Phillip Murrell
WHAS-11
Title Entry: UnGuarded – Dangerous Guardrails
1st Place
John Charlton
WHAS-11
Entry Title: Louisville woman still seeking justice 5 years after violent attack; ‘My case died when she died’
Continuing Coverage
3rd Place
Kayla Moody an Ryan Huie
Spectrum News Kentucky
Entry Title: Unaffordable Housing
2nd Place
WLKY News Team
WLKY
Entry Title: Hoarding Home Danger
1st place
John Charlton and Phillip Murrell
WHAS-11
Entry Title: Tragedies At The Track
The judges said: “Well shot, well produced series of reports on the mysterious deaths of multiple race horses. Reporter went in depth to din out what could be the cause of the problem.”
Public Affairs Reporting
3rd Place
John Charlton
WHAS-11
Entry Title: “Where’s The Ambulance?”
2nd Place
Adi Schanie
WDRB News
Entry Title: Local women travel out of Kentucky for abortion procedures after discovering fatal birth defect
1st Place
Ryan Van Velzer
Louisville Public Media
Entry Title: Fossil fuels failed Kentucky utility customers during winter blackouts
The judges said: “Turns out natural gas supplies weren’t the only problem LG&E faced when it had to go to rolling blackouts for 53,000 customers on the coldest day of the year (December 2022). Lots of problems with coal power-generating units, too. Good follow-up by LPM from legislative testimony.”
General/Spot News Reporting
3rd Place
WLKY News Team
WLKY
Entry Title: Breaking News – Old National Bank Mass Shooting
2nd Place
Connor Steffen and Elijah McKenzie
WHAS-11
Entry Title: Louisville Ford workers rally in support of strike
1st Place
Connor Steffen
WHAS-11
Entry Title: Connor Steffen Reporting
Enterprise / Investigative reporting
3rd Place
Marcus Green, Darby Beane and Darius Bowie
WDRB News
Entry Title: High-risk dams in Louisville lack emergency plans
2nd Place
John Charlton and Alyssa Newton
WHAS-11
Entry Title: Bad For Business
1st Place
Jared Bennett, Justin Hicks, Ryland Barton, Laura Ellis and Adeshina Emmanuel
Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting
Entry Title: Dirty Business: How flood cleanup left eastern Kentucky feeling violated and vulnerable
Best Business/Technology Reporting.
3rd Place
Chris Otts, Travis Ragsdale and Stuart Hammer
WDRB News
Entry Title: ‘Protect what we have’ | At Ford’s Louisville Assembly Plant, Escape’s decline raises questions about future
2nd Place
Noelle Friel, Marc Wilson, Mackenzie Montross andBrandon Jent
WAVE
Entry Title: Kentucky Truck Plant joins UAW strike
1st Place
Jonathon Gregg
Spectrum News Kentucky
Entry Title: Metal Art
Best Government/Politics Reporting
3rd Place
Divya Karthikeyan
Louisville Public Media
Entry Title: Tamika Palmer fights for her daughter, Breonna Taylor, by opposing Daniel Cameron
2nd Place
Valerie Chinn, Darius Bowie, Jason Riley
WDRB News
Entry Title: ATF using national tracing center to help LMPD solve gun crimes, City fighting to keep DOJ findings out of LMPD lawsuit
1st Place
Mark Vanderhoff
WLKY
Entry Title: WLKY – Mark Vanderhoff
The judges said: “This reporter has a good skill of being (able) to clearly and concisely explain the issues at hand, along with good storytelling.”
Best Natpackage/Video Essay
3rd Place
Jeff Knight
WAVE
Entry Title: Mac Lewis Sentenced
2nd Place
Elijah McKenzie
WHAS-11
Entry Title: Cancer patients, families receive red carpet treatment
1st Place
Brooke Hasch and Jessica Farley
WHAS-11
Entry Title: Honor Flight: A salute to service and sacrifice
Sports Action Videography
2nd Place
Kendrick Haskins, Dusty Baker
WAVE
Entry Title: St. X vs Trinity Football Rivalry
1st Place
Alyssa Newton
WHAS-11
Entry Title: Covering the Cards
Feature Videography
3rd Place
Jessica Farley and Brooke Hasch
WHAS-11
Entry Title: 84 Strong: An Honor Flight Bluegrass Special
2nd Place
Jeff Knight
WAVE
Entry Title: The Artist of the Violin
1st Place
Jon Black
WLKY
Entry Title: “I Wouldn’t Miss This Race”
The judges said: “Great visuals with unique angles and perspectives. I love how the natural sound carries the story.”
General News Videography
3rd Place
Jonathon Gregg
Spectrum News Kentucky
Entry Title: Don’t Lose Focus
2nd Place
Alyssa Newton
WHAS-11
Entry Title: Let’s do a Day Turn
1st Place
Jon Black
WLKY
Entry Title: Ballardsville Firefighter Funeral
The judges said: “Excellent visual and NAT sound. What was seen and heard in this package really shows the emotion of the ceremony.”
In-Depth/Investigative Videography
1st Place
Alyssa Newton and Isaiah Kim-Martinez
WHAS-11
Entry Title: Road to Reform: Lessons for Louisville Special
The judges said: “Hands down – the visuals convey and adds to the written words of the script. The NATs are excellent used to carry the visual.”
Best Newscast
3rd Place
WLKY News Team
WLKY
Entry Title: WLKY 6pm News
2nd Place
WHAS-11
WHAS-11
Entry Title: WHAS11 Newscast: Old National Bank Shooting and DOJ Announces Consent Decree
1st place
Thomas Gleaton and Rod Hissong
WDRB News
Entry Title: WDRB News at 10
The judges said: “Great lead-in videos indexed, clips rapid fire, pacing the broadcast about the downtown shooting. Extremely well-edited. Almost every angle covered. A survivor of a mass shooting, and tips to tell the kids. Second attachment is the follow-up broadcast the next day with body cam footage from the responding officer who was shot. You could not stop watching the two broadcasts.”
Print/Online
Best Page Design
1st Place
Bill Campling
The Courier Journal
Derby Preview
Judge’s comments: Very clean and dynamic cover. The colors work well together, especially when half the elements are black and white. Great work!
Page Graphics / Illustration
2nd place
Marc Murphy
Political Cartoons/Local and State Focus by Marc Murphy
1st Place
Bill Campling
Courier Journal
Community Forum
Judge’s comment:
What an amazing example of quality illustration and page designing! Each is clever, well understood and aesthetically pleasing. A wonderful set of artistry!
Best Video (non-broadcast)
3rd Place
Abby Hooven
Henry County Local
Entry Title: Jim Green Track & Field Center Ceremony
2nd Place
Chris Otts
WDRB
Entry Title: Explaining different wage increases in UPS agreement
1st Place
Jeff Faughender
The Courier Journal
Entry Title: Safer Sidelines
The judges said: “Excellent video. Good editing. Thank you, Matthew and Kim, for taking your pain to make something right. Glad you took the second alternative.”
Best Picture Story
3rd Place
Sam Draut
WDRB
Louisville holds community vigil after mass shooting
2nd Place
LEO Weekly
The Infield
1st Place
Jeff Faughender, The Courier Journal
Controlled Burn
The judges said: “Love that opening B&W image.”
Sports Feature Photography
3rd Place
Sam Upshaw
Courier Journal
Off the Court
2nd Place
Alyssa Newton
WHAS-11
The Last Game
1st Place
Matt Stone
Courier Journal
On the Bench
Judge’s comments: Great moment and clean background.
Sports Action Photography
3rd Place
Christopher Fryer
Louisville Business First
Crossing the Finish Line
2nd Place
Scott Utterback
The Courier Journal
Slam Dunk
1st Place
Jeff Faughender
The Courier Journal
Tipoff Elegance
Judge’s comments: Wow, that’s a banger, portfolio image right there of the creative crop of the tip off. So many people have photographed this moment, so it takes a lot to find something different. Great work here!
Feature Photography
3rd Place
Alyssa Newton
WHAS11
Officer shot in the head during mass shooting goes home
2nd Place
Christopher Fryer
Louisville Business First
Meidinger Tower Reflection
1st Place
Christopher Fryer
Louisville Business First
Fourth Street Live Window Washer
The judges said: Beautiful clean composition!
General News Photography
3rd Place
Alyssa Newton
WHAS-11
‘I deserve to live as I am” Pride and Protest
2nd place
Michael Clevender, Scott Utterback
Courier Journal
Tornado Damage
1st Place
Christopher Fryer
Louisville Business First
Krista Gwynn
Sports Reporting
3rd Place
Jason Frakes
Courier Journal
‘Overkill’ or status quo?
2nd Place
Tim Sullivan
LEO Weekly
Sports reporting entries
1st Place
Brooks Holton
Courier Journal
Brooks Holton articles
Judge’s comments: Good look at the diminishing attendance figures under Louisville coach Payne. And interesting piece on Louisville star Wesley Cox, who played in the 1975 Final Four, getting a new pair of legs. Good job.
Sports Feature Writing
3rd Place
Abby Hooven
Henry County Local
‘Living Witness’
2nd Place
Eric Crawford
WDRB News
Parris Jones goes home, Nadim returns, Taqwa Pinero comes back on a mission
1st Place
Stephanie Kuzydym
Courier Journal
Best friends die separate, untimely deaths, setting families on mission of hope
Judge’s said:
Stories like this don’t come around very often. Max and Grant were buddies on the wrestling team of University of the Cumberlands. After Grant collapsed and died, Max helped raise money for a funeral and became a source of support for the grieving family. He demanded accountability from the university after Grant ran up and down an incline and the team wasn’t allowed to drink water (His medication from narcolepsy made his mouth dry) Three years later, Grant’s parents were driving to Louisville to attend Max’s funeral. He was shot during a robbery. (I am certain I have not done the summation well). It is a piece of friendship and devotion, and I recommend you read it if you have the chance.
Sports Column Writing
3rd Place
Tim Sullivan
LEO Weekly
Sports column writing entries
2nd Place
Eric Crawford
WDRB News
Louisville basketball woes, Notre Dame win is why Louisville brought Brohm home
1st Place
C.L. Brown
Courier Journal
CL Brown Columns
Judge’s comments: In-your-face writing, whether it be about a former athletic director, a basketball coach on the ropes or the horse racing industry under question after the deaths at Churchill Downs. C.L. Brown keeps you in the middle of things.
Best Kentucky Derby story
3rd Place
Jason Frakes
Courier Journal
‘He was one of a kind’: Secretariat’s legacy remains untouched 50 years after Triple Crown
2nd Place
Tim Sullivan
LEO Weekly
Derby Day Deaths Underscore Racing’s Continued Risks
1st Place
Brooks Holton
Courier Journal
How Secretariat changed Ron Turcotte’s life – and helped decorated jockey inspire others
Judges said: It would be enough for a horse to win the Triple Crown, but that wouldn’t be enough for Secretariat. This story tells of the impact a horse can have even on the best of jockeys and the relationship between the two — tongue grabbing. By the end of story, you will know why Secretariat probably was the best of all.
Best Feature Writing
3rd Place
Amanda Hancock
Courier Journal
Amanda Hancock articles
2nd Place
Maggie Menderski
Courier Journal
Maggie Menderski submission
1st Place
Sarah Ladd
Kentucky Lantern
A conversation with Silas House, Kentucky’s new poet laureate; Kentucky sign language interpreters embody others’ words, are servants at heart; Meet some of the Kentuckians answering 988
Judges said: These three stories paint a rich and interesting portrait of the people of Louisville, making it the award-winning package. What a compelling story behind the story of the sign language interpreters varied stories of people thrust into prominence during the pandemic. This piece showed diversity of the interpreters, the poignant story of the one who had died recently, the statistics sharing the need. The story about the people who answer the 988 help line to prevent suicide also mixed very personal stories, while providing lifesaving info and the reason for the 988 shift. And the poet laureate profile rounded out the mix detailing his challenges as a writer from Kentucky and the first openly gay state poet laureate. His personal story was told with sensitivity and social context that make it an interesting read for a broad audience.
Personality / Profile Writing
3rd Place
Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez
Courier Journal
Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez articles
2nd Place
Haley Cawthon
Louisville Business First
Mary Gatton; Hal Hedly; Marcus McAlpine
1st Place
Kirby Adams
Courier Journal
Kirby Adams articles
Judge’s comments: Kirby Adams like to write a good profile. Kirby makes the characters dance off the pages: A clever carny foodie (are there any that aren’t?) who draws attention with his clever plays on words. Dan started with Dan Good. Then there is the poor guy suffering from numerous ailments so much so they called him the second chance guy. You wonder what makes he defeat the odds. And of course, the hat girls. I was almost going to skip reading it but the description blazed the colors and makeup of their shop. Good job of making these people come to life for the CJ readers.
Column Writing
3rd Place
Joseph Gerth
Courier Journal
Joe Gerth column
2nd Place
Lennie Omalza
Courier Journal
Lennie V. Omalza columns
1st Place
Maggie Menderski
Courier Journal
Maggie Menderski submission
Judge’s said: Maggie Menderski’s reporting shines with heart and detail. You can tell she’s passionate about getting the scene right, and her diligence pays off.
Editorial Writing
3rd Place
Marnie McAllister
The Record
Let us be moved
2nd Place
Bonnie Jean Feldkamp
Courier Journal
Bonnie Jean Feldkamp editorials
1st Place
Bonnie Jean Feldkamp
Courier Journal
Courier Journal Editorial Board
Judge’s comment:
Strong editorials on three different but hugely important issues. Well-argued and persuasive.
Business / Technology reporting
3rd Place
Stephen Schmidt
Louisville Business First
KY Innovation: Jockey Cam; The last chemical weapon; Supporting Ukraine workers
2nd Place
Bailey Loosemore
Courier Journal
Bailey Loosemore articles
1st Place
Chris Otts
WDRB News
Ford plans new EV at Louisville plant, Decline in Ford Escape raises questions about its future, Humana-Baptist feud
Judge’s comments: Good scoops on electric vehicles to be built in Louisville by Ford and good perspectives on Ford’s Escape plans and hospital and insurer dispute. Good job of telling people what these stories mean.
Crime / Courts / Criminal Justice
3RD Place
Aprile Rickert
Louisville Public Media
Former Southern Indiana Sheriff Jamy Noel faces criminal inqury
2nd Place
Joseph Garcia
WHAS-11
Shively Police officer demoted after threatening handcuffed teen in jail cell with taser
1st Place
Lucas Aulbach
Courier Journal
Lucas Aulbach articles
Judge’s comments: Very descriptive coverage but nothing to drag down the fast-paced movement of the stories. You feel and see the panic but are guided step by step on what happened and the occasional examples of human reaction. These stories could have easily been a mish mosh of details and observations but there was a steady hand guiding these stories.
Continuing Coverage
3rd Place:
Liam Niemeyer
Kentucky Lantern
Tornado donations coverage
2nd Place
Josh Wood
Courier Journal
Josh Wood articles
1st Place
Marcus Green
WDRB News
Dam Conditions in Louisville
Judge’s comments: Good job, WDRB. You followed up on the dangerous dams after a dam near Fairdale was reported at risk of failure. Showing the locations of aging city dams probably shook up viewers who probably didn’t know there could be a problem with them and reporting about the budget process to keep them in shape. Louisville people were lucky this got attention before something bad happened.
Education Reporting
3rd Place
2nd Place
McKenna Horsley
Kentucky Lantern
‘Or’ ignites latest conflict over what Kentucky schools may teach about sex, gender; Kentucky’s worsening teacher shortage requires an ‘across the pipeline’ approach, officials say; Study: Building a new public university in Southeastern Kentucky ‘problem
1st Place
Jess Clark, Justin Hicks
Louisville Public Media
We tried to drive a JCPS bus route. Here’s how it went.
Judge’s comments: What an interesting story. Louisville Public Media tries to follow the school bus routes and schedule which failed on the first day of school in 2023. Well they couldn’t do it on time as the bus drivers were saying. Clever way of showing the public the problem.
Government Reporting
3rd Place
Marcus Green
WDRB News
Louisville lobbying law, 2-way streets plan, job targets fall short for nonprofit at center of ethics case
2nd Place
McKenna Horsley
Kentucky Lantern
Kentucky’s youth are caught in the middle as Beshear-Cameron spar over transgender care; Woman in Beshear’s abortion ad says she wants to give voice to victims; Kentucky lawmakers are pre-filing bills ahead of the 2024 session […]
1st Place
Josh Wood
Courier Journal
Greenberg administration’s first year woes
Judge’s comments: Favoritism, nepotism and behind-the-scenes shenanigans take center stage in a review of the Louisville mayor’s first two years in office. Careful research using public documents and plenty of responses from those involved make for solid journalism. Well done!
Social Justice Reporting.
3rd Place
Michael Jones, Laurel Deppen
Louisville Business First
Opportunity Louisville: Investing in West Louisville + Addressing gun violence
2nd Place
Sylvia Goodman
Louisville Public Media
Kentucky institutions begin to make progress repatriating Native American remains
1st Place
Bailey Loosemore
Courier Journal
Bailey Loosemore articles
Judge’s comments: Louisville’s homeless situation summed up in three stories. An increase in the city clearing homeless camps, a program that gets the homeless into a former hotel — some with permanent housing for the first time in 15 years — and a church gets opposition from its neighbors when it applies to build an affordable rental building. Some wins, some losses for the homeless.
Health Reporting
3rd Place
Chris Otts
WDRB News
High-profile disputes between Louisville-based Baptist Health, Humana
2nd Place
Sarah Ladd
Kentucky Lantern
University of Kentucky works to understand how to prevent Alzheimer’s. You might be able to help; COVID-19 interrupted Kentucky nursing students’ education; ‘Flying blind:’ A Kentucky COVID-19 pandemic retrospective
1st Place
Connor Giffin, Eleanor McCrary
Courier Journal
A Heavy Burden
Judge’s comments: So many facets of this series deserve recognition: From the documenting of the disparity where higher risks fell on some neighborhoods; to real estate groups trying to weaken the protective laws; through the personal stories that show the human toll; to how to test your home for lead paint. This series demonstrates bold public service journalism, the kind of stories that show the power of reporting in-depth in our communities, making a difference by shining the light on important problems that might otherwise remain hidden.
Best Enterprise/Investigative Reporting
3rd Place
Liam Niemeyer
Kentucky Lantern
In a rural Kentucky community, the roar of a suspected crypto ‘mine’ never ends
2nd Place
Ryan Van Velzer, Bec Feldhaus Adams
Louisville Public Media
Coal’s Dying Light
1st Place
Stephanie Kuzydym
Courier Journal
Safer Sidelines
Judge’s comments: Safer sidelines tackles the difficult topic of high school athletics and the dangers and deaths that occur there every year. The series provides heart-wrenching examples that describe the issue from national figures to high school parents reeling over the unexpected deaths of their children through the response or lack of one by the school athletic community. And the series goes farther to explain multiple aspects of the problem and how the sidelines can be safer. How to find out about AEDs and action plans and what foundations are helping across the nation. At a time of shrinking news staffs across the country, the series reminds us of the potential of local journalism to make a difference in each community. The online graphic presentation team deserves a special shoutout: the work is eye-catching, inviting while reflecting the serious topic. The accompanying piece detailing how the reporter followed a story of “The Boys Who Died of Football,” adds another compelling layer to the powerful series.
Web Graphics/Best Use of Data
3rd Place
Chris Otts
WDRB News
Illustrating raises in UPS contract, Vehicles affected by UAW strike, $114 million subsidy for One Park project
2nd Place
Allison Stines
Louisville Business First
National Blue Ribbon Schools
1st Place
Allison Stines
Louisville Business First
Fast 50 Awards
Judge’s comments: Great graphics and information about the top 50 fastest growing companies in Louisville. Pretty exciting considering all the data.
Best Special Section
3rd Place
Allison Stines
Louisville Business First
Book of List – 2023
2nd Place
Allison Stines
Louisville Business First
Fast 50
1st Place
Isaiah Kim-Martinez, Alyssa Newton, Joseph Garcia
WHAS11
Road to Reform: Lessons for Louisville ahead of looming federal oversight
Judge’s comments: Good job by WHAS11 to make sense out of the issues facing the Louisville police when the federal government oversees operations to curb misconduct. Great idea to travel to New Orleans (a city said to have faced the same issues as Louisville) to give Louisville residents a glimpse of what they could expect under a federal consent decree. Good attempt in explaining a complex subject.
Rookie of the Year:
Eleanor McCrary
Courier Journal
Judge’s comments: Impressive work by Eleanor McCrary and Connor Giffin reporting that Louisville was way behind other cities in getting lead paint out of coatings in rental properties. Hey. this was a big thing in the 1950-60s. They also showed how real estate interests were behind the hampering of ways to rectify the problem. Talk about impact.
Journalist of the Year:
Stephanie Kuzydym
Courier Journal