The results are finally in… most of them.
With our sincerest apologies for the delay and a great deal of respect for all of the amazing journalism undertaken by so many Arizona reporters, photographers and editors, we’re proud to announce the winners of the Arizona Press Club’s 2023 journalism contest.
We’re still waiting on a few categories and judges notes. Check back in the coming days.
Congratulations to all the winners and everyone who shared their excellent work!
Virg Hill Arizona Journalist of the Year
- 1st Place: Robert Anglen – Arizona Republic
- 2nd Place: Jen Fifield – Votebeat
- 3rd Place: Dylan Smith – Tucson Sentinel
Judges: Kelly Ann Scott, Houston Chronicle; Charles Ornstein, ProPublica; Scott Kraft, LA Times
Community News Outlet of the Year
- 1st: Conecta Arizona
- 2nd: Arizona Luminaria
- 3rd: Navajo Times
Judges’ comments: Martiza Félix is doing the hard work in community but also presenting a model that’s informing journalism conversations across the country.
Judges: Ashley Alvarado, LAist; Logan Jaffe, ProPublica; Max Gersh, Indianapolis Star
Nick Oza Arizona Photojournalist of the Year
- 1st: Kelly Presnell – Arizona Daily Star
- 2nd: Patrick Breen – Arizona Republic
- 3rd: Mamta Popat – Arizona Daily Star
Judge: Bethany Baker, Francisco Kjolseth, Rick Egan (Salt Lake Tribune.)
Spanish-language news reporting
1st: Beatriz Limón – Arizona Luminaria; “Un programa de ASU está abordando la brecha de diversidad y la retención de maestros en la fuerza laboral educativa de Arizona.”
2nd: Maritza L. Félix, Gustavo Guirado, Liliana López Ruelas – Conecta Arizona, “Fin del Título 42: afirman que las solicitudes de asilo se deberán tramitar en la aplicación CBP One.”
3rd: Bennito L. Kelty – Tucson Sentinel, “Jefa de pequeños negocios por Biden visita Tucson, promete inversión en latinos, tiendas locales.”
Judge: McNelly Torres
Spanish-language feature
Not done
Spanish-language commentary
1st: Maritza L. Félix – Conecta Arizona, “Cruzando Líneas, la columna: “Humanos en conflicto”, por Maritza L. Félix.”
Judge: Laura Castaneda
Don Bolles Award for Investigative Reporting
Not done
Public service reporting
1st: Robert Anglen, Ryan Randazzo – Arizona Republic, “The truth behind the Cyber Ninjas and the Arizona ‘audit.'”
Judge’s comments: The Arizona Republic built on reporting that exposed the Cyber Ninjas audit of the state’s 2020 election results as a partisan attack on democracy with an incredible, perhaps unprecedented, investment in money and time to force an accounting of the truth for the sake of voters and history.
2nd: Angela Gervasi – Nogales International, “Mining developments and zoning plan unfold in Santa Cruz County.”
Judge’s comments: Nogales International’s deep coverage of what an international mining company’s redevelopment plans could mean for a rural community exemplifies the ideal of what local journalism can do in equipping communities with the information they need to navigate existential threats to democratic government and public health.
Judge: Matt DeRienzo
Breaking news
1st: David Smith, Holly James – Navajo Times, “Chinle Flooding”
2nd: Paul Ingram – Tucson Sentinel, “Pima County Attorney won’t charge officers over inmate’s death after jail tasing”
3rd: Camaron Stevenson – Copper Courier, “Anti-abortion Arizona judge recuses himself from abortion case”
Judge: Dana Amihere, AfroLA
Public safety reporting
1st: Jimmy Jenkins – Arizona Republic, “Arizona inducing the labor of pregnant prisoners against their will.”
Judge’s comments: Solid government and human rights watchdog reporting that ultimately prompted legislative action to address the rights of incarcerated pregnant women. The reporting gave voice to a population that is often overlooked and pushed back on non-answers from the state when faced with allegations by multiple named women. The reporter’s expertise and sourcing on the beat shows.
2nd: Isaac Stone Simonelli – Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting, “Sovereign Citizens”
Judge’s comments: A well-executed three-part series exploring a niche movement that has grown since COVID, especially in pockets of the state, that many readers probably have never heard about. Reporting on conspiracy theories and extremism can be tricky, and great care should be made to avoid amplifying harmful ideologies. This piece balances those concerns by wrapping it in greater context and explaining why the public should care. Good use of public records, engaging writing and organization.
3rd: Dylan Smith and Paul Ingram – Tucson Sentinel, “Pima sheriff’s deputies arrest reporter covering protest against Raytheon”
Judge’s comments: A good, deep dive into a breaking news event, with multiple interviews on both sides, good use of public records and an admission by the sheriff of being unfamiliar with his own department’s policies on the matter.
Judge: Kristina Davis, San Diego Union Tribune
John Kolbe Award for Political Reporting
1st: Stacey Barchenger – Arizona Republic, “Coverage of Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs”
Judge’s comments: Superb, persistent, insightful reporting all round. The reporter demonstrated doggedness in staying on a good story: the eye-popping amount raised for the inauguration and the secrecy surrounding what paid what to sponsor the events associated with that inauguration. And all this for a person who ran as a candidate who was “committed” to transparency if she were elected. The reporting is a good reminder to not uncritically believe what politicians say on the campaign trail; watch what they do after they’re elected. The eventual disclosure by the governor of many but not all donors after public pressure further demonstrated the need for dogged, accountability reporting like this. Then there’s the hiring of a well-connected consultant by a moneyed Saudi Arabian firm to help it navigate Arizona law- and regulation-making, not to mention the state’s political world, followed by a story about the governor installing a person from her campaign security detail into a job at a state agency with a six-figure salary. Taken all together, the series of stories offered readers of the Arizona Republic a glimpse into the murky world of money, power and relationships that accompany the culture of statehouses. As noted above, good all-round journalism.
2nd: Jen Fifield – Votebeat, “Arizona voters were told the election went fine. Records show a county director saw glaring errors, cashed out, then fled”
Judge’s comments: Rigorous reporting that shines a light on the many steps that go into a successful vote count and what happens when those steps are not followed systematically. Very timely reporting in addition to it being informative. I’ve been around elections and done my own reporting around vote counts and I learned something new by reading these stories.
3rd: Ray Stern – Arizona Republic, “Legislative pork spending on rodeo, tramway and more”
Judge’s comments: The story about the $850,000 study exhibited investigative reporting chops. The other stories in this entry demonstrated a savviness about how state budgets are put togther.
Judge: Trip Jennings
Health reporting
Not done
Environmental journalism
1st: Joan Meiners – Arizona Republic, “Arizona’s colliding heat and housing crises: a deep dive into the intersection of the state’s most pressing social and environmental problems”
Judge’s comments: Such a great, original angle of reporting and SO well researched and well done. Outstanding. I love how clearly she demonstrated the ripple effects on the environment, heat and human health. The interactive element of this that allows people to check their own living areas really also makes it not just accountability, investigative, narrative but also SERVICE and IMPACT. Bravo. Rn this looks like my top choice. Also the writing is phenomenal.
2nd: Brandon Loomis – Arizona Republic, “Energy transition opens new fronts in old mining battles”
Judge’s comments: Brandon is clearly a talented environmental reporter who can explain impact and significance for readers both in Arizona and beyond. I like how he made these issues feel relevant beyond just Arizona.
3rd: Arlyssa D Becenti – Arizona Republic, “Navajo Nation president vetoes a plan to explore for helium near 2 tribal communities”
Judge’s comments: I really liked this reporting- it felt important and critical and I appreciated the deep knowledge the reporter has.
Judge: Amanda Morris, Washington Post
Education reporting
Not done
Immigration reporting
Not done
Business reporting
1st: Natasha Yee – Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting, “Marijuana Social Equity Disparity”
Judge’s comments: Natasha’s series has all the hallmarks of great accountability journalism. It digs in after the fanfare has passed to see what has happened, and whether a program designed to do good is actually doing it. She fills it out with strong prose, intricate detail and fantastic data collection. At its heart, it’s a series about equity that rightfully centers the people who are most vulnerable.
2nd: Robert Anglen – Arizona Republic, “Secrets Spill Out of My Sister’s Closet”
Judge’s comments: Robert does what is often really hard in stories like this: He gets everyone to talk. And he weaves all their perspectives expertly, using court documents and the voices of customers and past employees to give a full picture of the stakes. It’s a fascinating read and a classic, top-notch business series.
3rd: John Washington – Arizona Luminaria, “Labor solutions story”
Judge’s comments: I love John’s approach with this story. He goes into it from a solutions angle, detailing the reach of a program that serves people who are so often forgotten and marginalized. He employs beautiful prose and exquisite detail to humanize this story, which I think is the right approach here, centering the people who are most impacted. We get a sense of what is working in the program — and what the limitations are. A fantastic solutions story.
Judge: Chabeli Carranzana, The 19th
Sports reporting
Not done
Column/Opinion
1st: Blake Morlock – Tucson Sentinel, “What the Devil won’t tell you”
2nd: Bill Goodykoontz – Arizona Republic, for various media columns
3rd: Hank Stephenson – Arizona Agenda, for various pieces
Judge: Melinda Henneberger, Kansas City Star
Personality profile/human interest reporting
1st: Emily Bregel – Arizona Daily Star, “In Sonora, ‘searching mothers’ comb the desert for disappeared loved ones”
2nd: Kianna Joe, Holly James – Navajo Times, “Christine Lester”
3rd: Ray Stern – Arizona Republic, “Jake Hoffman personifies conservative power in Arizona”
Judge: Laurie Notaro
Arts, food and beverage reporting
Not done
Photojournalism – sports
Not done
Photojournalism – picture story
Not done
Photojournalism – feature pictorial
Not done
Photojournalism – news
Not done
Print page design portfolio
1st: Rick Konopka – Arizona Republic, “Four the sweep/Hate/O’Connor Obit”
2nd: Priscilla Bolaños – Nogales International, “Photo spreads”
Judge: Nicole Vas, LA Times
Digital design portfolio
1st: Mason Callejas – Arizona Republic, “4 years of high school interrupted by COVID. Here’s what 11 Arizona graduates have to say”
2nd: Andrea Brunty – Arizona Republic, “The Bitter End”
3rd: Jamie Donnelly – Arizona Daily Star, “#ThisIsTucson Eat+Drink”
Judge: Kelsey Harrell, Tampa Bay Times
Audio storytelling
1st: Christopher Conover, Summer Hom, Danyelle Khmara, Katya Mendoza, Paola Rodriguez, Zac Ziegler – Arizona Public Media, “Tapped: Season 2”
2nd: Katya Mendoza, Zac Ziegler, Paola Rodriguez, Tony Perkins – Arizona Public Media, “That Was Exactly Us: Stories of Latino culture in baseball and empathy through adaptive sports”
3rd: Kaely Monahan – Arizona Republic, “Arizona HERstory on Valley 101: Meet Ayra Hackett, community leader and Black publisher”
Judge: Julieta Martinelli, Futuro Media
Video storytelling
1st: Arizona Republic Staff, “Beyond the Gridiron: Basha”
Judge’s comments: Impressive amount of resources dedicated to high school football. The storytelling is engaging. High quality videography. Great access. Really good character development. Editing is strong.
2nd: Katya Mendoza, Diana Cadena, Clarice Bales, Bob Lindberg, Danny Sax – Arizona Public Media, “Be Lezo Like – Remembering the life and legacy of former UA hurdler Lezo Urreiztieta”
3rd: Camaron Stevenson – Copper Courier, “Closing Foreign Farms, Opening Fissures”
Judge: Katie Campbell, ProPublica
Student news
1st: Alex Appel, Francesca D’Annunzio and Joshua Shimkus – Cronkite News, “Arizona’s defunct border wall leaves trail of runaway costs, error-filled invoices and questions about state’s oversight”
2nd: Alex Wakefield – State Press, “Tempe entertainment district could use over one million gallons of water daily”
3rd: Phineas Hogan – State Press, “Israel and Palestine Conflict at ASU”
Judge: Alexei Koseff, Cal Matters
Student features
1st: Fatima Gabir – State Press, “Sudan Will Not Be Forgotten:
Judge’s comments: Overall, this story is well written, and provides a unique look into the largely ignored conflict in Sudan. As a journalism feature, it is uncomfortably close to essay, hanging on the writer’s personal story and that of the writer’s family, advocating for more US attention to the conflict in Sudan. That being said, the information is supported by significant additional reporting and does not appear to violate contest rules. The personal stories provide a unique and compelling narrative, creating interest for readers in an otherwise distant issue, which is the point.
2nd: Sophia Braccio – State Press, “Dorm Away from Home”
Judge’s comments: This story is a great idea — looking at the personalization that makes dorm rooms home. Writing is mostly clean, and moves along well. It could have been better with more depth. At a time when mental health is a huge issue on college campuses, this seems a missed connection. In that context, personalizing space is a therapeutic act, and I wanted to know more about the emotional effect of this decorating, and how it has/hasn’t helped. The story also could have addressed conflict between roommate styles.
Judge: Lisa Davis
Student photojournalism
1st: Mason Kumet – The Daily Wildcat, “Arizona Secures Bowl Eligibility”
Judge’s comments: Fun photo and the photographer did well handling a chaotic moment.
2nd:Calvin Stewart – State Press, “ASU wide receiver Melquan Stovall stiff arms a Colorado defender”
Judge’s comments: This is good sports action. I like the moment happening.
3rd: Reece Andrews – State Press, “ASU senior gymnast Hannah Scharf throws up the fork on the floor.”
Judge’s comments: This is a fun moment.
Judge: Grace Hollars, Indianapolis Star