Simone WilsonIt's award season again for America's journalists, and LA Weekly is racking up the noms like a fat chick on Pinterest.
On a national scale, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia just released its list of finalists for the annual AltWeeklies Awards, the most coveted alt-plaques around. At that June 8 ceremony, along with many of our sister papers under Village Voice Media (SF Weekly, Miami New-Times, etc.), LA Weekly is up for four big ones.
And on a regional scale…
… the L.A. Press Club has nominated us for 17 whopping prizes at the SoCal Journalism Awards this June 24. (Short recap of last year: While we were stuffing our faces with self-congratulations and dessert thingies, the LA Weekly was showered with more blue ribbons than the Los Angeles Times overall, and the Weekly's own Patrick Range McDonald happened to take home “Journalist of the Year.” Not bad.”)
Without further ado, here are this year's nominees, with links — so you know who to root for, and why.
NOMINEES FOR ALTWEEKLIES AWARDS
Food Writing: Jonathan Gold, for his reviews of Red Medicine, Noodle Boy and Cochon 555's Traveling Pork and Wine Bacchanalia. (Note: Gold has since flown his longtime LA Weekly residency for the Times. We're currently in the sixth stage of grief: paywall fury.)
Music Reporting/Criticism: James Moreland, for his concert reviews on Buffalo Springfield at the Wiltern, the Go-Go's & Girl in a Coma at the Greek Theatre and Morrissey & Kristeen Young at the Shrine Auditorium.
News Story (Long Form): Chris Vogel, for his reporting on corruption and violence within the L.A. County Sheriff's jail system. See “Wheelchair Hell in Men's Central Jail” and “Men's County Jail Visitor Viciously Beaten by Guards.”
Editorial Layout: Darrick Rainey, for his design of “There Goes the Neighborhood,” a spread in our annual fashion issue.
NOMINEES FOR SOCAL JOURNALISM AWARDS
Print Journalist of the Year: Chris Vogel.
Online Journalist of the Year: Simone Wilson.
Entertainment Journalist of the Year: Karina Longworth.
Personality Profile: Ben Westhoff, “Bud Bundy, Original Gangsta.”
Business: Dennis Romero, “Porn Defends the Money Shot.”
Columnist: Gendy Alimurung.
Entertainment Reviews/Criticism/Columns: Karina Longworth.
Entertainment News or Feature: Karina Longworth, “This Is Awkward” (on Miranda July's new film and MOCA exhibit).
Sports: Hillel Aron, “The Bikeroots.”
Design: Darrick Rainey, for his Skrillex cover.
Online Feature: Amanda Lewis, “Secret Stairs Are Awesome for Exercise and Urban Hiking. But the Neighbors Are Not Happy.”
Online Multimedia Package: Mars Melnicoff, “Desert Rats: L.A. County's Private Property War.” Also, Chris Vogel and Simone Wilson, “LAPD Detective Says Combs and Knight Ordered Killings.”
Online Entertainment News/Feature: Rebecca Haithcoat, “Meet Speak, Who Co-Wrote Kreayshawn's 'Gucci Gucci'.”
Weblog: Amy Scattergood, for LA Weekly's food blog, Squid Ink.
Best Facebook Presence by a News Organization: Web editors Jake Swearingen, Keith Plocek and Liz Ohanesian, for LA Weekly's Facebook page.
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