Here are the finalists for the 2020 Peter Lisagor Awards

Here are the finalists for the 2020 Peter Lisagor Awards, representing some of the best journalism made across the Chicago region over the past year in more than 100 categories, including newspapers, magazines, television, radio and digital media.

Entries were judged by an impartial SPJ chapter outside Illinois. Winners will be announced virtually on Friday, May 14, when the club will also celebrate its 100th anniversary.

Thank you to all who submitted. Here are this year’s finalists (you can click on the links below to skip to a specific section):

BEST ALL MEDIA
GENERAL INTEREST DAILY NEWSPAPER, NEWS SERVICE OR BUREAU
NON-DAILY NEWSPAPER, MAGAZINE OR NEWSPAPER MAGAZINE SECTION
BROADCAST: TELEVISION
BROADCAST: RADIO
SPECIALTY/TRADE
ONLINE

ALL MEDIA

Best Deadline Reporting

  • Kiran Misra, Chicago Reader, “Most of the people arrested at the protests were Black”
  • Mauricio Pena, Block Club Chicago, “Planned explosion covered Little Village in dust during respiratory pandemic. Why did the city let it happen?”
  • Tom Schuba, Rachel Hinton, Ashlee Rezin Garcia, Jake Wittich, Brian Ernst and Brian Rich, Chicago Sun-Times, “Customers turned away as recreational weed sales wrap up historic first day in Illinois”

Best Investigative Reporting

  • Jodi S. Cohen, Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica Illinois, co-published with Detroit Free Press, Bridge Michigan and Bridge Detroit, “Grace: A failure in Michigan’s juvenile justice system”
  • Staff, Invisible Institute, The Intercept, Topic Studios and iHeartRadio, “Somebody”
  • Casey Toner, Jared Rutecki, Emily Hoerner, Bea Malsky, Forest Gregg and Jean Cochrane, Better Government Association, Injustice Watch, Chicago Reporter and DataMade, “The Circuit”

Best Feature Story

  • Monte Reel, Bloomberg News, “A murder in Honduras reveals the dark side of clean energy”
  • Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica Illinois, “Inside the lives of immigrant teens working dangerous night shifts in suburban factories”
  • Staff, ProPublica Illinois, “COVID-19 took Black lives first. It didn’t have to.”

Best Feature Series

  • Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, “COVID-19: stories of survivors and victims”
  • Staff, Invisible Institute, The Intercept, Topic Studios and iHeartRadio, “Somebody”
  • Staff, Chicago Sun-Times, “Chicago murals, mosaics”

Best Short Film Documentary

  • Martha Irvine, Bram Janssen, Gillian Flaccus, Dmitry Vlasov, Paolo Santalucia and Themis Hakizimana, The Associated Press, “Global Pandemic: Through the Eyes of Children”
  • Martha Irvine, Gerald Herbert, The Associated Press, “Many Americans ‘worried about their next meal'”

Best Photography

  • Colin Boyle, Block Club Chicago, “Protests, looting, police violence: A summer of unrest in Chicago”
  • Staff, Chicago Tribune, “COVID-19 pandemic”
  • Manuel Martinez, WBEZ Chicago, “The life of a marijuana plant”

Best Multimedia Collaboration

  • Staffs, Block Club Chicago, Better Government Association, Chalkbeat Chicago, The Chicago Reporter, La Raza, The Daily Line and The Triibe, “Lens on Lightfoot”
  • Linda Lutton, Andrew Fan, Alden Loury, Paula Friedrich, Aaron Allen and Ashish Valentine, Cate Cahan, City Bureau and WBEZ, “Where banks don’t lend”
  • Mila Koumpilova, Terrence Antonio James, Chalkbeat Chicago and Chicago Tribune, “Pandemic High”

Best Graphics

  • Jason McGregor, Crain’s Chicago Business, “Interactive CTA ridership map and other graphics”
  • Elmarie Jara, ABA Journal, “50 Ways to Market Your Practice and other graphics”
  • Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, “Michael Jordan timeline and other graphics”

Best Illustration

  • David Alvarado, City Bureau, “Chicago budget series”
  • Thoka Maer, ProPublica Illinois, Chicago Tribune, Grenades, “Bread and body bags: How Illinois has spent $1.6 billion in response to COVID-19 so far”
  • Christie Tirado, Gaby Hurtado-Ramos, ProPublica Illinois, “Inside the lives of immigrant teens working dangerous night shifts in suburban factories”

Best Data Journalism

  • Matthew Hendrickson, Matt Kiefer, Chicago Sun-Times, “Blacks make up 75% of those charged with violating city curfew, data show”
  • Ash Ngu, Jodi S. Cohen, Jennifer Smith Richards and Thoka Maer, ProPublica Illinois, Chicago Tribune, “Grenades, bread and body bags: How Illinois has spent $1.6 billion in response to COVID-19 so far”
  • Casey Toner, Jared Rutecki, Emily Hoerner, Bea Malsky, Forest Gregg and Jean Cochrane, Better Government Association, Injustice Watch, Chicago Reporter, DataMade, “The Circuit”

GENERAL INTEREST DAILY NEWSPAPERS, NEWS SERVICE OR BUREAU

Best Deadline Reporting – Circulation more than 100,000

  • Peter Nickeas, Jeremy Gorner, Paige Fry, Megan Crepeau, Chicago Tribune, “Gresham funeral home shooting”
  • Katherine Rosenberg Douglas, Paige Fry, Rosemary Sobol, Jessica Villagomez, Chicago Tribune, “Pregnant woman killed”
  • Staff, Chicago Tribune, “George Floyd fallout”

Best Deadline Reporting – Circulation less than 100,000

  • Megan Jones, Sarah Freishtat, Stacy St. Clair, Steve Lord, Aurora Beacon-News, “Fire, looting, tear gas in downtown Aurora; mayor imposes curfew after protest turns violent”
  • Russell Lissau, Douglas T. Graham, Jake Griffin, Joe Lewnard, Daily Herald, “Two girls killed in fire”
  • Joseph S. Pete, The Times of Northwest Indiana, “Protests and civil unrest after the killing of George Floyd”

Best Investigative Reporting – Circulation more than 100,000

  • Lauren FitzPatrick, Chicago Sun-Times, “30 public schools in Chicago are named for slaveholders; surprised CPS promises changes”
  • Todd Lighty, Gary Marx, David Jackson, Chicago Tribune, “Crime and bond reform in Cook County”
  • Tim Novak, Lauren FitzPatrick, Chicago Sun-Times, “Cook County Land Bank Authority investigation”

Best Investigative Reporting – Circulation less than 100,000

  • Jake Griffin, Daily Herald, “Religious institutions got $166M in PPP loans”
  • Eric Peterson, James Kane, Daily Herald, “U-46 teacher fired after accusations of improper relationships”
  • A.D. Quig, Crain’s Chicago Business, “Businesses have to wait for emergency loans from city”

Best Political and Government Reporting – Circulation more than 100,000

  • Nader Issa, Chicago Sun-Times, “At CPS high schools, a stark racial divide on when cops are called on students and arrests”
  • Frank Main, Andy Grimm, Chicago Sun-Times, “Long delays for justice”
  • Gregory Pratt, Alice Yin, Jennifer Smith Richards, Stacy St. Clair, John Byrne, Chicago Tribune, “Chicago mayor’s broken promises”

Best Political and Government Reporting – Circulation less than 100,000

  • Russell Lissau, Daily Herald, “The ‘red mirage’ in the suburbs”
  • Alex Nitkin, The Daily Line Chicago, “Residents await Lightfoot’s master plan on affordable housing as citywide crisis deepens”
  • Lauren Rohr, Katlyn Smith, Daily Herald, “Election 2020: Voting by mail”

Best Education Reporting – Circulation more than 100,000

  • Nader Issa, Chicago Sun-Times, “At CPS high schools, a stark racial divide on when cops are called on students and arrests”
  • Leslie Patton, Nic Querolo, Olivia Raimonde, Bloomberg News, “Education in the age of Covid-19”
  • Jennifer Smith Richards, Jodi Cohen, Chicago Tribune, “Outbreaks and a digital divide: How Illinois schools struggled with COVID-19”

Best Education Reporting – Circulation less than 100,000

  • Carole Carlson, Post-Tribune, “Gary’s Roosevelt High was built for a growing city’s Black students when schools resisted integration. Now it’s shuttered with an uncertain future.”
  • Jake Griffin, Daily Herald, “Preparation and partnership”
  • Madhu Krishnamurthy, Daily Herald, “Pandemic decisions for schools, parents”

Best Science, Health, Technology or Environment Reporting – Circulation more than 100,000

  • Tony Briscoe, Patrick O’Connell, Chicago Tribune, “Climate Change: Great Lakes, High Stakes”
  • Monte Reel, Bloomberg News, “A murder in Honduras reveals the dark side of clean energy”
  • Annie Sweeney, Joe Mahr, Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, “Chicago violence”

Best Science, Health, Technology or Environment Reporting – Circulation less than 100,000

  • Joseph S. Pete, The Times of Northwest Indiana, “Coronavirus vaccine rollout”
  • Joseph S. Pete, The Times of Northwest Indiana, “Bald eagle nest blown down after eight years in Black Oak”
  • Staff, Daily Herald, “Covering COVID-19 in the suburbs”

Best News Column or Commentary – Circulation more than 100,000

  • Maudlyne Ihejirika, Chicago Sun-Times, “COVID-19 fears sandwich generation; Mother’s Day coronavirus social distancing can she feel love?”; “Millennial pandemics surge coronavirus outbreak”
  • Ismael Perez, Chicago Sun-Times, “Mexican mother raised American children; Remote learning bilingual students challenges Chicago public schools”; “Non-voting Latino ballot box”
  • Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, “I was hospitalized with COVID; Single mom hairdresser turned COVID nurse”; “South Loop tribute for dying dad”

Best News Column or Commentary – Circulation less than 100,000

  • Burt Constable, Daily Herald, “Suburban stories”
  • Marni Pyke, Daily Herald, “In Transit”
  • Ted Slowik, Daily Southtown, “Ted Slowik columns”

Best Editorial Writing – Circulation more than 100,000

  • Lee Bey, Chicago Sun-Times, “Keep Mercy Hospital open editorials”
  • Editorial Board, Chicago Sun-Times, “Strife on the streets” and police reform editorials
  • Lorraine Forte, Chicago Sun-Times, “Kids belong in school (real school) despite pandemic” editorials

Best Editorial Writing – Circulation less than 100,000

  • Diane Dungey, Daily Herald, Diane Dungey editorials
  • Editorial Board, Daily Herald, “The COVID-19 test”
  • John Lampinen, Daily Herald, John Lampinen editorials

Best Business or Consumer Reporting – Circulation more than 100,000

  • Tim Novak, Lauren FitzPatrick, Chicago Sun-Times, “Cook County Land Bank Authority investigation”
  • Tim Novak, Robert Herguth, Chicago Sun-Times, “What Chicago’s COVID hospital cost”
  • Peter Waldman, Lydia Mulvany, Polly Mosendz, Jen Skerritt, James Attwood, Bloomberg News, “U.S. meat plants expose dire toll of pandemic”

Best Business or Consumer Reporting – Circulation less than 100,000

  • Amy Lavalley, Post-Tribune, “Last day for Chesterton Tribune”
  • Joseph S. Pete, The Times of Northwest Indiana, “3 Floyds permanently closing Munster brewpub”
  • Rick West, Daily Herald, “Tiny office demand surges”

Best Feature Story or Series – Circulation more than 100,000

  • Megan Crepeau, Jeremy Gorner, William Lee, Chicago Tribune, The face of Cabrini-Green: A lost child, a legacy of failure and a changing neighborhood
  • Stefano Esposito, Chicago Sun-Times, 25 years later, Fox River Grove Metra-school bus crash still haunts engineer, other survivors
  • Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, COVID-19: stories of survivors

Best Feature Story or Series – Circulation less than 100,000

  • Alix Atwell, Daily Herald, COVID diary
  • Burt Constable, Daily Herald, Prince’s second chance
  • Jerry Davich, Post-Tribune, Series on grieving during the pandemic

Best Arts Reporting and Criticism – Circulation more than 100,000

  • Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, ‘Bug’ Steppenwolf review and others
  • Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, Do cop shows like Chicago P.D. reinforce misperceptions about race and criminal justice? A new study says yes.
  • Blair Kamin, Chicago Tribune, In Skokie, an architecturally arresting pot shop reveals how marijuana has gone mainstream

Best Arts Reporting and Criticism – Circulation less than 100,000

  • Joseph S. Pete, The Times of Northwest Indiana, Gary razing historic Memorial Auditorium where Jackson 5, Truman and Sinatra once took the stage
  • Katlyn Smith, Daily Herald, A botanical showplace
  • Barbara Vitello, Daily Herald, The making of a musical

Best Sports Story – Circulation more than 100,000

  • Steve Greenberg, Chicago Sun-Times, Basket cases at Wrigley Field
  • Ben Pope, Chicago Sun-Times, Last fan standing
  • Stacy St. Clair, Chicago Tribune, A dream denied

Best Sports Story – Circulation less than 100,000

  • Joseph S. Pete, The Times of Northwest Indiana, White Sox fan killed in crash attends game with her family – ‘in spirit, one last time’

Best Sports Commentary – Circulation more than 100,000

  • Steve Greenberg, Chicago Sun-Times, Waubonsie Valley basketball Gavin Halagiere one-handed player; Cubs, Wrigley Field and coronavirus; Black Lives Matter
  • Shannon Ryan, Chicago Tribune, Not my coach. Notre Dame icon Lou Holtz risks estrangement from the university and his former players with his tone-deaf RNC speech.
  • Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, ‘Survive and advance’ has a whole new meaning this March.

Best Sports Commentary – Circulation less than 100,000

  • Barry Rozner, Daily Herald, Marc Silverman collects the biggest win of his life; We’ll not see the likes of Theo Epstein again; The story behind Len Kaspers’ bold decision

Best News Photo – Circulation more than 100,000

  • Erin Hooley, Chicago Tribune, Looting at Lake and Dearborn
  • Ashlee Rezin Garcia, Chicago Sun-Times, Burning rage
  • E. Jason Wambsgans, Chicago Tribune, Clash in Kenosha

Best News Photo – Circulation less than 100,000

  • Brian Hill, Daily Herald, Centenarian’s COVID birthday
  • Karie Angell Luc, Elgin Courier-News, U-46 superintendent’s tweet sparks anger from parents of special needs students who want return to in-person learning

Best Feature Photo – Circulation more than 100,000

  • Brian Cassella, Chicago Tribune, Working from home
  • Armando L. Sanchez, Chicago Tribune, Election Celebration

Best Feature Photo – Circulation less than 100,000

  • Joe Lewnard, Daily Herald, Kites and shadows
  • Karie Angell Luc, Elgin Courier-News, Halloween trick-or-treaters just as fun to watch from the windows at senior complex in Elgin
  • John Starks, Daily Herald, Pandemic seder

Best Sports Photo – Circulation more than 100,000

  • Brian Cassella, Chicago Tribune, 104-yard return
  • Jose M. Osorio, Chicago Tribune, Missed opportunity

Best Sports Photo – Circulation less than 100,000

  • Mark Welsh, Daily Herald, Championship hug
  • Mark Welsh, Daily Herald, Rush for glory

Best Design (no circulation restriction)

  • Bryan Barker, Chicago Sun-Times, COVID-19 page 1 designs
  • Akiko Spencer, Chicago Sun-Times, Sport page designs
  • Eric White, Chicago Sun-Times, White hot

Best Technology Reporting (no circulation restriction)

  • Joseph S. Pete, The Times of Northwest Indiana, Tech company claiming it will transform Gary was barred from selling securities in California
  • John Pletz, Crain’s Chicago Business, What COVID-19 means for Chicago’s tech sector
  • John Pletz, Crain’s Chicago Business, Why venture capitalists are writing checks without a meeting

Best Special News Section (no circulation restriction)

  • Staff, Chicago Sun-Times, The year in review
  • Staff, Chicago Sun-Times, In this together
  • Sports Staff, Chicago Sun-Times, Visionaries

NON-DAILY NEWSPAPER, MAGAZINE OR NEWSPAPER MAGAZINE SECTION

Best In-depth Reporting

  • Clarissa Donnelly-DeRoven, Chicago Reader, This is how deportation fractures American families
  • Stephanie Goldberg, Crain’s Chicago Business, Critical conditions
  • Dave Oberhelman and Elena Ferrarin, Glenview Herald, It’s my son; I miss him

Best In-depth Reporting in a Community Newspaper

  • Cailey Gleeson, Emma Oxnevad, Ella Lee, Brita Hunegs, Keira Wingate, The DePaulia, Calvente series
  • Tom Robb, Niles Journal, Yousif’s death brings calls for better safety
  • F. Amanda Tugade, Grace Del Vecchio, Kelly Garcia, Corli Jay, City Bureau and Austin Weekly News, Chicago’s heated 2021 budget season

Best In-depth Reporting in a Business Magazine or Newspaper

  • Danny Ecker, Crain’s Chicago Business, Missing Pieces
  • Danny Ecker, Crain’s Chicago Business, Downshift

Best News Column or Commentary

  • John W. Fountain, Chicago Crusader, We wear the mask and other columns
  • Georgia Garvey, Pioneer Press, Why are we in quarantine? We’re saving lives of people we will never meet; First Christmas present; Five elephants
  • Liane Jackson, ABA Journal, Cruel justice equation; Behind bars in Scandinavia

Best Editorial Writing

  • Ann Dwyer, Crain’s Chicago Business, A reason for optimism; The face of public corruption is all smiles; The door to change is now open
  • Michele Weldon, West Suburban Living Magazine, The lost art of saying sorry; Avoiding a fall of discontent; Dishing up change

Best Business Reporting

  • Aaron Gettinger, Hyde Park Herald, Wesley’s Shoes celebrates 50 years of ‘sit-and-fit’ business
  • Mark Guarino, Philip Montoro, Chicago Reader, Will Bloodshot Records stay in the saddle?
  • Peter Waldman, Lydia Mulvany, Polly Mosendz, Bloomberg News, Cold, crowded, deadly: How U.S. meat plants became a virus breeding ground

Best Feature Story

  • Micco Caporale, Brianna Wellen, Chicago Reader, Tiger King of the Midwest
  • Leor Galil, Philip Montoro, Chicago Reader, The saga of Punkin’ Donuts
  • Kate Silver, Chicago Health Magazine, Learning from the dead: The enduring gift of donating a body to science

Best Feature Series

  • Martha Bayne, Jim Daley, Bea Malsky, Jason Schumer and The TRiiBE, South Side Weekly,
  • Staff and Sujay Kumar, Chicago Reader, Pandemic Personal Essays
  • Jackie Rosa, Bobby Vanecko, Dimitriy Leksanov, Jackie Serrato, Madeleine Parrish and Kia Smith, South Side Weekly, Defund the Police series
  • South Side Weekly, Protest Timelines

Best Non-deadline Reporting

  • Katie Scarlett Brandt, Chicago Health Magazine, The Great Unequalizer: Chicago faced severe health inequities long before Covid-19. Whose job is it to solve the problem?
  • Maya Dukmasova, Sujay Kumar, Chicago Reader, That lockout you witnessed? It didn’t happen.
  • Adam M. Rhodes, Karen Hawkins, Chicago Reader, We’re not asking for any more than what we are already deserved

Best Political Reporting in Newspaper or Magazine

  • Kiran Misra, South Side Weekly, The contradictions of a progressive police chief
  • John Pletz, Crain’s Chicago Business, Why Lyft is spending money on Illinois pols
  • A.D. Quig, Crain’s Chicago Business, Here’s what really happens when states raise taxes on millionaires

Best Education Reporting in Newspaper or Magazine

  • Emma Court, Shruti Singh, Bloomberg News, It’s hard to keep a college safe from Covid, even with mass testing
  • Madeleine Parrish, South Side Weekly, North Lawndale teachers and parents tackle school closures head-on
  • Staff, Crain’s Chicago Business, Crain’s Forum on education

Best Arts Reporting and Criticism

  • Hannah Edgar, Brianna Wellen, Chicago Reader, The remarkable life of Art Castillo and Moulin Jimmy’s
  • Leor Galil, Philip Montoro, Chicago Reader, Chicago punk was born queer
  • Irene Hsiao, Kerry Reid, Chicago Reader, Dancing alone together

Best Sports Story

  • S. Nicole Lane, Brianna Wellen, Chicago Reader, Bound to the point

Best Photography

  • John R. Boehm, Zac Osgood, Crain’s Chicago Business, 40 under 40 photos
  • Joe Lewnard, Glenview Herald, Hockey Shadows
  • Karie Angell Luc, Glenview Announcements, The Grove in Glenview at Christmas

Best Design

  • Thomas J. Linden, Crain’s Chicago Business
  • Jason McGregor, Crain’s Chicago Business
  • Karen Freese Zane, Crain’s Chicago Business

Best Special News Section

  • Philip Montoro, Leor Galil and Reader Staff and Freelancers, Chicago Reader, The best Chicago albums of the 2010s
  • Staff, South Side Weekly, Chicago reacts to the killing of George Floyd

Best Illustration

  • Alicia Goluszka, The DePaulia
  • Keith J. Taylor, Chicago Public Square
  • Grae Rosa, South Side Weekly

General Excellence

Davon Clark, Haley Tweedell, South Side Weekly
Staff, Crain’s Chicago Business

BROADCAST: TELEVISION

Best Spot News Story

  • Jennifer Lay-Riske, Joe Kolina, Rob Stafford, Allison Rosati, Lexi Sutter, Chris Coffey, Natalie Martinez and Brant Miller, NBC 5 Chicago, WMAQ, Chicago Safety

Best In-depth News Story or Series

  • Daniel Andries, WTTW, Making sense of 2020
  • Christian Farr, Doug Webber, Rich Moy, NBCChicago.com and NBC 5 Chicago, WMAQ, Race in Chicago: The Talk
  • Martha Irvine, Gerald Herbert, The Associated Press, Many Americans ‘worried about their next meal’

Best Investigative Report

  • Matthieu Fauroux, Yves Schaeffner, Vincent Gobert, France 2, Suppressed Voters
  • Hilda Gutierrez, Raul Quinones, Carolina Cruz, Katherine Smyser, Lisa Capitanini, WSNS Telemundo Chicago, COVID: Before and after death
  • Douglas Wolfe, Andy Barker, WAND TV, Unauthorized business

Best On-Camera Talent

  • Christian Farr, NBCChicago.com and WMAQ TV
  • Jeremy Ross, WBBM-TV2

Best Feature News Report

  • Tonya Francisco, Brad Piper, WGN-TV, Policy Kings
  • Martha Irvine, Bram Janssen, Gillian Flaccus, Paolo Santalucia, Dmitry Vlasov, Themis Hakizimana, The Associated Press, Global pandemic: Through the eyes of children
  • Roz Varon, Irit Nayden, Casey Klaus, WLS-TV, New Way to Holiday

Best Public Affairs Programming

  • WTTW News Staff, WTTW, Peace & Justice: a WTTW news special

Best Business or Consumer Reporting

  • Kane Farabaugh, Voice of America TV, Producing in a Pandemic
  • Doug Wolfe, Andy Barker, WAND TV, Predatory Loans

Best Health or Science Reporting

  • Kane Farabaugh, Voice of America TV, High-tech fight against COVID-19
  • Hilda Gutierrez, Raul Quinones, Luis Figueroa, WSNS Telemundo Chicago, Smelly illegal parking lot

Best News Specialty/Arts/Culture/Entertainment News/Feature or Series

  • Tonya Francisco, Brad Piper, WGN-TV, Vee Jay records
  • Roz Varon, Joseph Imbrogno, Sarah Jackson, WLS-TV, Buddy Guy Radio

Best News Specialty/Business/Consumer News Feature or Series

  • Kane Farabaugh, Voice of America TV, Between Trump and Trade
  • Roz Varon, James McIntyre, David Knickerbocker, WLS-TV, Chicago Auto Show

Best News Specialty/Crime News

  • Christian Farr, Mike McGovern, NBCChicago.com and WMAQ TV, Harvey Police Suburban Bus Controversy
  • Christian Farr, Mike McGovern, NBCChicago.com and WMAQ TV, The Death of Eric Lurry
  • Christian Farr, Doug Webber, NBCChicago.com and WMAQ TV, Package Thefts

Best News Specialty/Education/Schools News

  • Roz Varon, Joseph Imbrogno, WLS-TV, Bus driver celebration

Best News Specialty/Health/Science News

  • Kane Farabaugh, Voice of America TV, 50 years ago, Apollo 13 moon mission became NASA’s ‘successful failure’

Best News Specialty/Human Interest

  • Nick Blumberg, WTTW / Chicago Tonight, Mini therapy horses take their visits virtual
  • Karen Jordan, Kevin Dalton, WLS TV, Balloon emergency landing
  • Douglas Wolfe, Steve Nichols, WAND TV, Justice walk

Best News Specialty/Politics/Government News

  • Douglas Wolfe, Andy Barker, WAND TV, I-TEAM: Self dealing

Best Video Journalist

  • Kane Farabaugh, Voice of America TV
  • Evan Garcia, WTTW

BROADCAST: RADIO

Best Breaking News Story

  • Staff, WBEZ Chicago, 2020 election results

Best In-depth News Story or Series

  • John Lippert, Natalie Moore, Better Government Association, WBEZ, Amazon’s massive Chicago-area expansion was fueled by $741 million from taxpayers
  • Michael Puente, Ariel Van Cleave, WBEZ, Meatpacking workers’ dilemma: Quit job or face COVID-19 risks
  • Patrick Smith, Rob Wildeboer, WBEZ Chicago, Chicago’s antiviolence workers press on despite pandemic

Best Investigative Reporting

  • Linda Lutton, Andrew Fan, Alden Loury, Paula Friedrich, Aaron Allen, Cate Cahan, Ashish Valentine, City Bureau and WBEZ, Where banks don’t lend

Best Reporter

  • Michael Puente, WBEZ
  • Patrick Smith, WBEZ

Best Feature Reporting

  • Adriana Cardona-Maguigad, WBEZ, The rise of Chicago teen activists
  • Michael Puente, Carrie Shepherd, WBEZ, A mostly Latinx city In Northwest Indiana is hit hard by COVID-19
  • Staff, WBEZ, A most unusual school year

Best Business or Consumer Reporting

  • Michael Puente, Ariel Van Cleave, WBEZ, How to make your own hand sanitizer? Just ask your neighborhood craft brewery
  • David Schaper, WBEZ, Boeing’s 737 Max crisis

Best Health or Science Reporting

  • Reed Pence, Radio Health Journal, Aspects of COVID – A series
  • Kristen Schorsch, WBEZ, Women have few options for giving birth on the South Side. 2 midwives want to change that
  • Kristen Schorsch, WBEZ, The pandemic revealed another gap in Chicago health care: Hospitals are on their own to transfer patients

SPECIALTY/TRADE

Best Deadline Report

  • John Gregory, Theme Park Tribune, COVID-19 suggestions for Orlando theme parks leave gaps in guest, employee safety

Best In-depth Report or Series

  • Mila Koumpilova, Kiannah Sepeda Miller, Alejandra Cancino, Katie Drews Better Government Association, Chalkbeat Chicago, Chicago public schools’ COVID-19 spending
  • Tom Polansek, Reuters, Meatpacking and COVID-19

Best Commentary

  • David Greising, Better Government Association
  • Mark Walsh, ABA Journal

Best Business or Consumer Reporting

  • Kim Chipman, Bloomberg News, California water futures begin trading amid fear of scarcity
  • Jack Farchy, Isis Almeida, Andy Hoffman, Ruben Munsterman, Bloomberg News, Europe’s banks fall out of love with commodity traders
  • PJ Huffstutter, Reuters, U.S. dairy farmers dump milk as pandemic upends food markets

Best Feature Story or Series

  • Harris Meyer, ABA Journal, Covid-19 deaths in nursing homes prompt lawsuits and tough questions about who’s responsible
  • Amanda Robert and Harris meyer, ABA Journal, Law and aging
  • Staff, ABA Journal, COVID-19 and the legal profession

Best Design

  • Thomas Gaulkin, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
  • Sara Wadford, ABA Journal

ONLINE

Best Multimedia Feature Presentation

  • Natalie Castaneda, Martha Irvine, Bram Janssen, Gillian Flaccus, Dmitry Vlasov, The Associated Press staff, Pandemic through kids’ eyes
  • Bea Malsky, Jared Rutecki, Emily Hoerner, Forest Gregg, Jean Cochrane, Abby Blachman, Better Government Association, Injustice Watch, Chicago Reporter, DataMade, The Circuit
  • Jason McGregor, Stephen J. Serio, Alex Garcia, John R. Boehm, Bob Secter, Crain’s Chicago Business, Police reform

Best News Web Site

  • Staff, Block Club Chicago
  • Staff, Chicago Sun-Times
  • Staff, Daily Herald

Best Individual Blog Post – Independent

  • Derrick Clifton, them.us (Conde Nast), Derrick Clifton on race, LGBTQ+ rights and politics
  • Michele Weldon, USA Today, NBC Think, Ms Magazine, I can’t forget those silver haired ladies on the silver screen, USA Today; COVID-19 has made me rethink much of my life, NBC Think; Power outage? A metaphor for where women stand today,” Ms. Magazine
  • Cassandra Greer-Lee, Sarah Conway, City Bureau, Coronavirus in jail: The life and loss of Nickolas Lee

Best Individual Blog Post – Affiliated

  • Logan Jaffe, ProPublica Illinois, A sundown town sees its first Black Lives Matter protest
  • Ishena Robinson, The Root, Black leaders, We need you to tell the full story when talking about Black crime and Black humanity
  • Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica Illinois, The stolen childhood of teenage factory workers

Best Continuing Blog – Independent

  • Derrick Clifton, NBC News THINK, Derrick Clifton on entertainment and online culture
  • Charlie Meyerson, Keith J. Taylor, Chicago Public Square, An army of officers; Shop safely; Pritzker vs Trump kind of hell
  • Stan Zoller, Buffalo Grove News and Information, Resident faces multiple charges; Irate customer a challenge for employees; Woman scammed after caller spoofs

Best Continuing Blog – Affiliated

  • Mark Konkol, Patch.com, Emails, secret report show politics of science guiding Pritzker; More than a protest: Chicagoans fight city’s knee on their necks/How to talk to your stubborn parents about coronavirus precaution
  • Staff, Chicago Sun-Times, Homicide watch

Best Email Newsletter

  • Lisa Donovan, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune’s The Spin with Lisa Donovan newsletter
  • Staff, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Sun-Times coronavirus newsletter
  • Staff, Chicago Sun-Times, Morning Edition, Chicago Sun-Times

Best Deadline Reporting

  • Colin Boyle, Grace Del Vecchio, Block Club Chicago, Protesters try to tear down Columbus statue in Chicago as clashes between police, activists turn violent
  • Mauricio Pena, Block Club Chicago, Planned explosion covered Little Village in dust during respiratory pandemic. Why did the city let it happen?
  • John Pletz, Crain’s Chicago Business, DoorDash imposes $1.50 ‘Chicago fee’ on customers

Best Non-deadline Reporting

  • Sandy Bergo, Chuck Neubauer, Better Government Association, Chicago Sun-Times, Top legislators blowing past limits in Illinois campaign finance reform law
  • Jodi S. Cohen, ProPublica Illinois, co-published with Detroit Free Press, Bridge Michigan and Bridge Detroit, A teenager didn’t do her online schoolwork so a judge sent her to juvenile detention
  • Georgia Gee, Derek Kravitz, Sky Chadde, Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting, Confidential coronavirus outbreak data shows undisclosed incidents at prisons, workplaces, schools, meatpacking plants across Illinois

Best Series — Non-deadline Reporting

  • Alexandra Arriaga, Lynda Lopez, Paco Alvarez, Linghua (Lily) Qi, Pat Sier, City Bureau, South Side Weekly, Block Club Chicago, Immigrant communities and the Illinois Tax Amendment
  • Jodi S. Cohen, Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica Illinois, co-published with Detroit Free Press, Bridge Michigan and Bridge Detroit, Grace: A failure in Michigan’s juvenile justice system
  • Casey Toner, Jared Rutecki, Emily Hoerner, Bea Malsky, Forest Gregg, Abby Blachman, Better Government Association, Injustice Watch, Chicago Reporter, DataMade, The Circuit

Best Breaking News Story

  • Jamie Nesbitt Golden, Maxwell Evans, Block Club Chicago, Police shot a Black man In Englewood. Then misinformation spread like wildfire
  • Mauricio Pena, Block Club Chicago, Demolition disaster leaves neighborhood covered in dust during respiratory pandemic
  • Tom Schuba, Rachel Hinton, Ashlee Rezin Garcia, Jake Wittich, Brian Ernst, Brian Rich, Chicago Sun-Times, Customers turned away as recreational weed sales wrap up historic first day in Illinois

Best Neighborhood/Community News

  • Jonathan DePaolis, Richard Free Press, Breaking: Mokena officials approve retirement agreement with police chief
  • John Ferak, Joliet Patch.com
  • Larry Gavin, Mary Gavin, Victoria Scott, Robert Seidenberg, Heidi Randhava, Karen Young, Evanston RoundTable, Evanston RoundTable Community News Online

Best Business or Consumer Reporting

  • John Lippert, Natalie Moore, Better Government Association, WBEZ, Amazon’s massive Chicago-area expansion fueled by $741 million from taxpayers
  • Alex Ruppenthal, Better Government Association, State lax in enforcing law meant to track, support minority-owned businesses
  • Staff, Block Club Chicago, Coronavirus closing businesses in Chicago’s neighborhoods

Best Feature Story or Series

  • Staff, ProPublica Illinois, COVID-19 took Black lives first. It didn’t have to.
  • Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica Illinois, Inside the lives of immigrant teens working dangerous night shifts in suburban factories
  • Neil Steinberg, Ashlee Rezin Garcia, Chicago Sun-Times, Our worst day

Best Food Coverage

  • Hannah Alani, Mina Bloom, Block Club Chicago, Abuse in Chicago’s restaurant industry
  • Pascal Sabino, Block Club Chicago, Who owns mild sauce? White Chef bottles Chicago’s great Black invention
  • Mike Sula, Karen Hawkins, Chicago Reader, Mike Sula on Chicago’s restaurant scene & pandemic pivots

Best Music Coverage

  • Caroline Hurley, Chicago Sun-Times, When pandemic hit, a Chicago jazz icon’s world fell apart. Friends helped put it together again.
  • Evan F. Moore, Chicago Sun-Times, Dark cloud follows Chicago’s drill scene
  • Staff, Block Club Chicago, Coronavirus hurting Chicago’s indie music venues

Best Theater Coverage

  • Sheri Flanders, Kerry Reid, Chicago Reader, Black artistic leaders take charge at several Chicago theaters
  • Kerry Reid, Chicago Reader, The founder of Pride Films and Plays is gone. What happened? What’s next?

Best Literary Coverage

  • Lee Rawles, ABA Journal, Modern Law Library podcast

Best Investigative/Public Service Reporting

  • Matt Chapman, Matt Harvey, The TRiiBE, Hundreds of Chicago police made arrests without body cameras during 2020 uprisings
  • Johnathan Hettinger, Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting, ‘Buy it or else’: Inside Monsanto and BASF’s moves to force dicamba on farmers
  • Casey Toner, Jared Rutecki, Emily Hoerner, Bea Malsky, Forest Gregg, Abby Blachman, Better Government Association, Injustice Watch, Chicago Reporter, DataMade, The Circuit

Best Use of News Video

  • Allen Breed, Robert Bumsted, Martha Irvine, Jake Seiner, Stacey Plaisance, Ron Harris, Mike Householder, The Associated Press, Voices of protest: Desperation, Rage, Hope
  • Zbigniew Bzdak, Chicago Tribune, Lockdown empties Chicago parks and streets
  • Brian Ernst, Ashlee Rezin Garcia, Brian Rich, Tom Schuba, Rachel Hinton, Chicago Sun-Times, Experience Illinois’ first day of legal recreational pot in under 3 minutes

Best Use of Features Video

  • Brian Ernst, Ashlee Rezin Garcia, Brian Rich, Chicago Sun-Times, How to buy legal weed like a pro
  • Martha Irvine, Bram Janssen, Gillian Flaccus, Dmitry Vlasov, Paolo Santalucia, The Associated Press Staff, The Associated Press, Virus journals: Anxiety, loneliness, hope
  • Jeremy Ross, Alfredo Roman, YouTube, Africa’s Art

Best Use of Digital Technology

  • Bea Malsky, South Side Weekly, COVID-19 tracker of Chicago deaths by neighborhood
  • Staff, City Bureau, COVID resource finder
  • Staffs, The TRiiBE and South Side Weekly, The people rose up: a Black summer 2020 timeline

Best Start-Up

  • Joe Coughlin, Megan Bernard, Martin Carlino, The Record North Shore

General Excellence in Online Journalism

  • Staff, Better Government Association
  • Staff, Chicago Sun-Times
  • Staff, Crain’s Chicago Business

Best Photo

  • Brian Cassella, Chicago Tribune, Faces on the front lines of the pandemic
  • Darius Griffin, Alexander Gouletas, The TRiiBE, Photos of the 2020 summer uprisings
  • Karie Angell Luc, Northbrook Star Pioneer Press, Northbrook man runs 62 miles over 14 hours in effort to raise money for students in Belize: ‘I was taking it one step at a time’

Best New Podcast

  • Jesse Betend, Rivet and StreetWise, Where I Stay
  • Staff, The Invisible Institute, The Intercept, Topic Studios and iHeartRadio, Somebody
  • Rick Telander, Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Six-Times

Best Podcast

  • Jesse Betend, Rivet and StreetWise, Where I Stay
  • Fran Spielman, Chicago Sun-Times, The Fran Spielman Show
  • Staff, The Invisible Institute, The Intercept, Topic Studios and iHeartRadio, Somebody

Best Podcast Single Episode

  • Jesse Betend, Rivet and StreetWise, Where I Stay, Episode 1
  • Staff, The Invisible Institute, The Intercept, Topic Studios and iHeartRadio, Somebody, Episode 3: The police
  • Odette Yousef, Colin McNulty, WBEZ Chicago, Motive, Season 3, Episode 6: The new Nazis

Report any errors to Kathy Catrambone at lisagors17@gmail.com