FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, July 23, 2024
PRESS CONTACT: Clare Lefebure
Press@nlgja.org or 202-588-9888
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists announced the recipients of its 2024 Excellence in Journalism Awards and recognized exemplary work produced in 2023. The highest individual awards, Journalist of the Year and Sarah Pettit Memorial Award for the LGBTQ+ Journalist of the Year, have been awarded to Steven Romo and H.L. Comeriato, respectively.
“It is always a pleasure to recognize the recipients of our annual Excellence in Journalism Awards,” said NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists Executive Director Adam Pawlus. “This year’s winning pieces show that LGBTQ+ people are living full and unfiltered lives all over the world: from queer roller derby stars in the Bay Area, to drag performers in rural Appalachia, to thrifting collectives in Nigeria, our communities are everywhere.
“As important as it is to tell stories of everyday queer joy, it is also vital that journalists cover the coordinated and systematic assault on the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans. This year, we’ve recognized pieces that reveal the spread of this campaign, like a Los Angeles Times article exposing the anti-LGBTQ+ crusade sweeping through California school boards and a Reuters investigation into the rise of anti-trans bills across the country. Others, like an NBC News article on a trans Missouri teenager and her family, put the spotlight on the people impacted by these legislative efforts. Congratulations to all of the winners, and thank you for your vital coverage of LGBTQ+ communities, people and issues.”
The NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists Excellence in Journalism Awards were established in 1993 to foster, recognize and reward excellence in journalism on issues related to the LGBTQ+ community.
The 2024 NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists Excellence in Journalism Awards recipients are:
Special Recognition Awards:
Journalist of the Year Award
Steven Romo
Sarah Pettit Memorial Award for the LGBTQ+ Journalist of the Year
H.L. Comeriato
The Al Neuharth Award for Innovation in Investigative Journalism
KXAN Investigates for “OutLaw: A Half-Century Criminalizing LGBTQ+ Texans”
Companion Podcast
Policies & Proposals / Explore the Stories Page
Inside the Investigation
Print/Online Awards:
Excellence in Book Writing Award
Curtis Chin for “Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant: A Memoir” Little, Brown and Company
Excellence in Feature Writing Award
Tom Donaghy for “Who Killed the Fudge King?” in The Atavist Magazine
Excellence in Feature Writing, Non-Daily Award
Daniel Villarreal for “‘Bury them in fruit jars.’ A gay mass murder and the cover-up that followed” in LGBTQ Nation
Excellence in Long Form Journalism Award
Jenna “J” Wortham for “Want to Love Your Body? Try Swimming Naked.” in The New York Times
Excellence in Newswriting Award
Kevin Rector, Howard Blume and Mackenzie Mays for “How conservatives are waging a coordinated, anti-LGBTQ+ culture war in California schools” in Los Angeles Times
Excellence in Newswriting, Non-Daily Award
Jo Yurcaba for “Raising a trans kid in Missouri has become a ‘dystopian nightmare’ for families” for NBC News
Excellence in Photojournalism Award
Stephen Tayo for “Where We Are: The Thrift Market” in The New York Times
Excellence in Profile Writing Award
Jo Yurcaba for “How Zooey Zephyr, Montana’s first trans legislator, became a national celebrity” for NBC News
Excellence in Sports Writing Award
Marisa Ingemi for “Bay Area Derby, where queer skaters are ‘fiercely welcome,’ fights to survive” in San Francisco Chronicle
Excellence in Student Journalism Award
Joel Lev-Tov for “Trevor Project in crisis amid financial woes, staff dissension, ‘union busting’: sources” in The Washington Blade
Excellence in Travel Writing Award
Jason A. Heidemann for “The Great Gay American Road Trip” in Passport Magazine
Digital Awards:
Excellence in Blogging Award
Charlotte Clymer for “To the Man on the Northeast Regional” in Charlotte’s Web Thoughts
Excellence in Digital Video Award
Salgu Wissmath for “Chosen Family” in San Francisco Chronicle
Excellence in Multimedia Award
KXAN Investigates for “OutLaw: A Half-Century Criminalizing LGBTQ+ Texans”
KXAN
Companion Podcast
Policies & Proposals / Explore the Stories Page
Inside the Investigation
Excellence in Online Journalism Award
Frankie de la Cretaz, Rachel Miller and Sally Tamarkin for “Let Them Play” in Self
“Youth Sports Can Be Life-Changing—Here’s Why Everyone Should Get to Play”
“What It Looks Like When Trans Kids Are Simply Allowed to Play Sports”
“Stop Excluding Trans Girls in the Name of ‘Protecting Women’s Sports’”
“How to Make Your Local Youth Sports Leagues More Welcoming to Trans Kids”
Editorial Awards:
Excellence in Column Writing Award
Steven Overly for “I had decades to make peace with my sexuality. My disability is a different story.“ in The New York Times
Excellence in Opinion/Editorial Writing Award
Lydia Polgreen for “Born This Way? Born Which Way?” in The New York Times
Broadcast Awards:
Excellence in Documentary Award
KXAN Investigates for “OutLaw: A Half-Century Criminalizing LGBTQ+ Texans”
KXAN
Companion Podcast
Policies & Proposals / Explore the Stories Page
Inside the Investigation
Excellence in Local Television Award
Douglas Stewart and Lucia Suarez Sang for “Pride is Everywhere: A Celebration of LGBTQ+ Visibility” for Fox 61
Excellence in Network Television Award
Antonia Hylton, Emily Berk, Eric Salzman and Mary Godie for “The Rise of Anti-drag Extremism” for NBC News
Excellence in Podcasts Award
Abigail Beckman for “A year since Club Q” in Colorado In Depth
Excellence in Radio Award
Amanda Michelle Gomez for “‘Everybody needs to be brave’: for one D.C. drag queen, the show must go on” for WAMU
Coverage Awards:
Excellence in Bisexual Coverage Award
Billie Walker and Samantha Allen for “In 2023, We Finally Got the Nuanced Bi Characters We’ve Been Waiting For” in them
Excellence in Business Coverage Award
Anis Heydari and James Dunne for “All beer is queer – LGTBQ beer ads are old hat, despite new troubles for Bud Light“ for CBC News
“How Bud Light mishandled the Dylan Mulvaney backlash”
“World This Weekend – Heydari on Queer Beer”
Excellence in Critique Writing Award
Jude Cramer for “What Does Queer Gen Z Want on TV? Everything Under the Rainbow“ in Into More
Excellence in Education Coverage Award
Hannah Denham for “Samford LGBTQ+ students say they aren’t protected from discrimination” for AL.com
Excellence in Food Writing Award
James Factora for “Silver Iocovozzi Is Leading a New Wave of Queer Food Culture” in them
Excellence in Health or Fitness Coverage Award
Fenit Nirappil, Carolyn Van Houten, Emily Guskin and Scott Clement for “For trans people, medical visits can be more traumatizing than healing” in The Washington Post
Excellence in HIV/AIDS Coverage Award
Orion Rummler for “‘I’ve been in that room’: How HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ resonated for a survivor of the AIDS crisis” in The 19th
Excellence in International Coverage Award
James Longman, Bruno Roeber, Aicha Elhammar and Staff of Nightline for “Am I Next? Gay and Targeted in Uganda” in ABC News Nightline
Excellence in Legal Coverage Award
Minami Funakoshi and Disha Raychaudhuri for “The rise of anti-trans bills in the US” in Reuters
Excellence in Nonbinary and Gender Nonconforming Coverage Award
Kyle Almond, Carolyn Kaster, Austin Steele, Will Lanzoni and Brett Roegiers for “Drag performers are shining deep in coal country” in CNN
Excellence in Political Coverage Award
Jo Yurcaba for “From drag bans to sports restrictions, 75 anti-LGBTQ bills have become law in 2023“ for NBC News
Excellence in QPOC Coverage Award
Nisa Khan for “‘This Is Resistance’: Queer Palestinian Artists and Activists in the Bay Area Are Speaking Out” for KQED
Excellence in Religion Coverage Award
Jason DeRose for his NPR coverage of religion and LGBTQ+ issues
“Why you might notice more religious groups at Pride celebrations this year”
“Congregations leave United Methodist Church over defiance of LGBTQ bans”
“The Vatican says priests can baptize transgender people”
“Hanukkah celebrations inspire Jewish joy despite war and increasing antisemitism”
“Pope Francis approved: Catholic priests may now bless same-sex couples”
Excellence in Theatre Coverage Award
Joshua S. Mackey for “James Ijames and Calvin Leon Smith Talk Broadway’s ‘Fat Ham’ and the Value of Being ‘Soft’” in Into More
Excellence in Transgender Coverage Award
PBS NewsHour for “Trans in America” for PBS
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About NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists
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. We promote diverse and inclusive workplaces by holding the industry accountable and providing education, professional development and mentoring. For more information, visit www.nlgja.org.