The Chicago Headline Club presents the finalists for the 45th annual Peter Lisagor Awards, representing some of the best journalism produced across the Chicago region and throughout Illinois over the past year in 100 categories, including newspapers, magazines, television, radio and digital media. Thank you to everyone who submitted nominations for this year’s contest. Entries were judged by an impartial out-of-state SPJ chapter.
Winners will be announced at a dinner ceremony May 6 at the Union League Club of Chicago, where we will also celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Chicago Headline Club.
Don’t miss out on this very special event. You can buy your tickets on Eventbrite here. Questions? Email lisagors21@gmail.com.
CATEGORIES
- 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
BEST ALL MEDIA
Best Investigative Reporting
* David Jackson, Kira Leadholm; Better Government Association; “Milking Medicaid”
* Cecilia Reyes, Madison Hopkins; Chicago Tribune and Better Government Association; “The Failures Before the Fires”
* Frank Main, Casey Toner, Jared Rutecki; Better Government Association/Chicago Sun-Times; “The costly toll of dead-end drug arrests”
Best Feature Story
* Maya Dukmasova, Sujay Kumar; Chicago Reader; “Reasonable doubt”
* Mick Dumke; ProPublica; “The Murder Chicago Didn’t Want to Solve”
* Monte Reel; Bloomberg News; “The Left-for-Dead Hospital That Got a Second Chance for $1”
Best Feature Series
* Mila Koumpilova; Chalkbeat Chicago; “What happened to Chicago’s boys of color when COVID disrupted education?
* Justin Agrelo, Natalie Frazier, Woojae Julia Song, Malik Jackson; City Bureau; “Inside Chicago’s Silent Housing Crisis”
* Jeremy Gorner, Annie Sweeney, Rosemary Sobol, E. Jason Wambsgans; Chicago Tribune; “One gun, 27 shootings: How a gun shop burglary in a small Wisconsin town shook Chicago’s streets”
Best Photography
* Manuel Martinez; WBEZ Chicago; “Chicago Seniors Find Joy In Normalcy As COVID Restrictions Are Lifted”
* E. Jason Wambsgans; Chicago Tribune; “Chicago civil rights legend Jesse Jackson turns 80”
* Rashod Taylor; special to ProPublica ProPublica; “Conservationists See Rare Nature Sanctuaries. Black Farmers See a Legacy Bought Out From Under Them”
Best Multimedia Collaboration
* Frank Main, Casey Toner, Jared Rutecki; Better Government Association/Chicago Sun-Times; “The costly toll of dead-end drug arrests”
* Cecilia Reyes, Madison Hopkins, Jonathon Berlin, Kaarin Tisue, David Kidwell, Armando Sanchez, Andrew Johnston, Olivia Obineme; Chicago Tribune and Better Government Association; “The Failures Before the Fires”
* Jacqueline Serrato, Irene Romulo, Alma Campos, Charmaine Runes, Abel Rodriguez , Jennifer Chavez; Cicero Independiente & South Side Weekly; “Cook County’s Sizable Vaccination Disparity Remains in Black and Brown Suburbs”
Best Graphics
* Digital Team WBEZ Chicago
* Jesse Howe; Chicago Sun-Times
* Jason McGregor, A.D. Quig, Stephanie Goldberg, Alby Gallun; Crain’s Chicago Business
Best Illustration
* Maria Maynez, Mike Centeno, Michelle Kanaar, Nissa Rhee, Claudia Hernández, Claire Voon; Borderless Magazine; “Reclaiming the Sacrifice Zone”
* Dominic Bodden, special to ProPublica; “They Were the Pandemic’s Perfect Victim”
* Jesse Howe; Chicago Sun-Times; “Through the flames”
Best Data Journalism
* Casey Toner, Jared Rutecki, Frank Main, Forrest Gregg, Hannah Cushman; Better Government Association/Chicago Sun-Times; “The costly toll of dead-end drug arrests”
* Josh McGhee, Jared Rutecki; Injustice Watch/Better Government Association; “Fewer People in Cook County Are Being Charged With Crimes. Why Are Black People Making Up a Larger Share of Defendants?”
* Cecilia Reyes, Madison Hopkins; Chicago Tribune and Better Government Association; “The Failures Before the Fires”
GENERAL INTEREST DAILY NEWSPAPER, NEWS SERVICE OR BUREAU
Best Deadline Reporting
* Katlyn Smith, Lauren Rohr, Scott Morgan, Jake Griffin, Marni Pyke, Russell Lissau, Paul Valade, Mark Welsh; Daily Herald; “Aftermath of a Tornado”
* Chicago Tribune staff; “The fatal shooting of Adam Toledo”
* Christopher Placek; Daily Herald; “Da ‘Burbs”
Best Investigative Reporting, circulation >100,000
* Frank Main, Casey Toner, Jared Rutecki; Better Government Association/Chicago Sun-Times; “The costly toll of dead-end drug arrests”
* Cecilia Reyes, Madison Hopkins; Chicago Tribune and Better Government Association; “The Failures Before the Fires”
* Jason Grotto, Caleb Melby, Mira Rojanasakul, Paul Murray; Bloomberg News; “America’s Inequitable Property Tax”
Best Investigative Reporting, circulation <100,000
* Stephanie Zimmermann, Tom Schuba; Chicago Sun-Times, “What’s in your weed?”
* Robert Herguth; Chicago Sun-Times; “Cardinal, Catholic orders keeping secrets on child sex abuse by clerics”
* Tim Novak, Lauren FitzPatrick, Caroline Hurley; Chicago Sun-Times ; “Cook County property assessment failures”
Best Political and Government Reporting
* Tim Novak; Chicago Sun-Times; “Clout’s piggy bank”
* Jason Grotto, Caleb Melby, Mira Rojanasakul, Paul Murray; Bloomberg News; “America’s Inequitable Property Tax”
* Shia Kapos, Juan Perez Jr., Renuka Rayasam, Ming Li; POLITICO; “Black People Are Leaving Chicago en Masse. It’s Changing the City’s Power Politics.”
Best Education Reporting
* Cassie Walker Burke, Yana Kunichoff, Mila Koumpilova; Chalkbeat Chicago; “Chicago’s public education comeback: The effort to re-engage 100,000 students”
* Stephanie Zimmermann; Chicago Sun-Times
* Madhu Krishnamurthy; Daily Herald; “Representation Matters: How Schools Are Building Diversity Into the Curriculum”
Best Science or Technology Reporting
* Kim Chipman; Bloomberg News; “Salmon Have Shrunk So Much That Whole Foods Redid Its Guidelines”
* Katlyn Smith; Daily Herald; “Miracle Baby”
* Julie Johnsson, Brett Haensel; Bloomberg News; “Boeing’s Turnaround After 737 Max Crisis Threatened by Talent Exodus”
Best Business or Consumer Reporting
* Maudlyne Ihejirika; Chicago Sun-Times; “Promises Made, Promises Kept”
* Josh Noel; Chicago Tribune; “Goose Island unionization bid goes flat after pushback, pandemic layoffs”
* Tim Novak; Chicago Sun-Times, “Clout’s piggy bank”
Best Feature Story or Series, circulation >100,000
* Stefano Esposito; Chicago Sun-Times; “Rock and roll survivor”
* John W Fountain; Chicago Sun-Times; “Justice for Jelani Day”
* Jeremy Gorner, Annie Sweeney, Rosemary Sobol, E. Jason Wambsgans; Chicago Tribune; “One gun, 27 shootings: How a gun shop burglary in a small Wisconsin town shook Chicago’s streets”
Best Feature Story or Series, circulation <100,000
* Maureen O’Donnell; Chicago Sun-Times; ‘Vietnam War vet Jim Zwit’s greatest mission”
* James Fuller; Daily Herald; “It Was All Chaos: 20 Years After Elgin Mass Shooting”
* Stefano Esposito; Chicago Sun-Times; “After 4 decades apart, ‘true love’ finally triumphs”
Best Arts Reporting and Criticism
* Stefano Esposito; Chicago Sun-Times; “Rock and roll survivor”
* Louisa Chu; Chicago Tribune; “The Wieners Circle review and others”
* Lee Bey; Chicago Sun-Times ; “The Second City: How the Great Chicago Fire changed Chicago architecture”
Best Sports Story
* Phil Thompson, Christy Gutowski; Chicago Tribune; “He helped the Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup. But now 2 lawsuits are bringing scrutiny to a former coach’s behavior around young players.”
* Dan Wiederer; Chicago Tribune; “Disorder. Dysfunction. Disappointment. As the Chicago Bears’ systemic failures continue, one proposed remedy has become common: ‘You clean house.’”
* Patrick Finley; Chicago Sun-Times; “Back from the brink”
Best Sports Commentary
* Patrick Finley; Chicago Sun-Times
* Rick Telander; Chicago Sun-Times
* Rick Morrissey; Chicago Sun-Times
Best News Photo
* John J. Kim; Chicago Tribune; “Gun Violence Struggle”
* Ashlee Rezin; Chicago Sun-Times; “Salutes to a slain cop”
* Ashlee Rezin; Chicago Sun-Times; “’Heated exchange at City Hall”
Best Feature Photo
* Armando L. Sanchez; Chicago Tribune; “Snow Day”
* E. Jason Wambsgans; Chicago Tribune; “Civil Rights Leader Jesse Jackson Turns 80”
* Tyler LaRiviere; Chicago Sun-Times; “Vaccinated brothers”
Best Sports Photo
* Chris Sweda; Chicago Tribune; “Leaps and bounds”
* John Starks; Daily Herald; “Made It”
* Stacey Wescott; Chicago Tribune; “Chicago Sky Wins WNBA Championship”
Best Design, Print
* Eric White; Chicago Sun-Times
* Sean Stangland; Daily Herald
* Amanda Erd; Daily Herald
Best Design, Digital
* Jesse Howe; Chicago Sun-Times; “Through the flames”
* Jesse Howe, Andy Boyle; Chicago Sun-Times; “A detailed examination of the Chicago police shooting of Adam Toledo”
* Paul Saltzman; Chicago Sun-Times
Best Environment or Climate Reporting
* Karl Plume; Reuters; “Climate change and agriculture: impacts and solutions”
* Michael Hawthorne; Chicago Tribune; “Lead in water”
* Joseph S. Pete; The Times of Northwest Indiana; “Mount Baldy almost done swallowing parking lot road, changing shape and shrinking in height”
Best News Column, Editorial Writing or Commentary, staff size 50+
* John W. Fountain; Chicago Sun-Times; “A selection of 3 columns”
* Nick Kindelsperger; Chicago Tribune; In Chicago, even Home Depot hot dogs are worth savoring
* John W. Fountain; Chicago Sun-Times; “Jelani Day and on being Black in America”
Best Health or Science Reporting on Covid-19
* Angie Leventis Lourgos, Joe Mahr, Lisa Schencker, Stacy St. Clair, Madeline Buckley; Chicago Tribune ; “COVID-19 vaccine distribution, disparity, distrust”
* Katlyn Smith; Daily Herald; “Three Times, It Wasn’t Goodbye”
* Lisa Schencker, Alice Yin, Darcel Rockett; Chicago Tribune; “Suburban residents are getting COVID-19 vaccine appointments on Chicago’s South and West Sides. But should they?”
Best Feature Reporting on Covid-19
* Madeline Buckley; Chicago Tribune; “Pandemic prevents daughter from visiting mom — a Holocaust survivor — in nursing home”
* Justin Agrelo, Natalie Frazier, Woojae Julia Song, Malik Jackson; City Bureau; “Inside Chicago’s Silent Housing Crisis”
* Angie Leventis Lourgos; Chicago Tribune; “Meet some of the kids volunteering for COVID-19 vaccine trials”
Best Reporting on Race and Diversity
* Shia Kapos, Juan Perez Jr., Renuka Rayasam, Ming Li; POLITICO; “Black People Are Leaving Chicago en Masse. It’s Changing the City’s Power Politics”
* Jason Grotto; Bloomberg News; “How Unfair Property Taxes Keep Black Families From Gaining Wealth”
* Deborah Douglas; Guardian; “One year on, how George Floyd’s murder has changed the world”
NON-DAILY NEWSPAPER, MAGAZINE OR NEWSPAPER MAGAZINE SECTION
Best In-Depth Reporting in a General-Interest Publication, Magazine or Magazine Section
* Monte Reel, Bloomberg News, “The Left-for-Dead Hospital That Got a Second Chance for $1”
* Ella Lee, Emma Oxnevad, The DePaulia, “Systems in place for survivors of sexual, emotional abuse at DePaul leave victims feeling abandoned”
* Mike Thomas, Chicago magazine, “67 Days to Lockdown”
Best In-Depth Reporting in a Community Newspaper
* Kira Leadholm; South Side Weekly; “The Unsolved Cases of Missing and Murdered Women”
* Mary Gavin; “Evanston RoundTable Media NFP; “Evanston’s `Five-Fifths’ TIF”
* Jim Daley; South Side Weekly; “How Chicago Policed Protest”
Best News Column, Editorial Writing or Commentary
* Bella BAHHS; The TRiiBE; “The Revolutionary Column”
* Ann Dwyer; Crain’s Chicago Business
* Mark Valentino, William Bike; Gazette Chicago; “Clout is key to proposed One Central boondoggle”
Best Business Reporting
* Steve Strahler; Crain’s Chicago Business; “Why legal heavyweight Jenner & Block is losing muscle”
* Leslie Patton, Kim Chipman; Bloomberg News; “Farmers See Sustainable Eggs as the Industry’s Next Big Thing”
* Dave Reidy; South Side Weekly; “The Reinvestment Movement After Redlining: A new book corrects longstanding popular narratives of real estate crises and white flight”
Best Feature Story or Series
* Katie Prout, Sujay Kumar; Chicago Reader; “The last men’s hotel”
* Marie Mendoza, Ester Wells, Yvonne Krumrey, Courtney Kueppers; South Side Weekly; “The Ripple Effects of COVID in Englewood, La Villita, and South Shore”
* Monte Reel; Bloomberg News; “The Left-for-Dead Hospital That Got a Second Chance for $1”
Best Political Reporting in Newspaper or Magazine
* Aaron Gettinger; Hyde Park Herald; “Why Ald. Taylor, hesitant of the vaccine, got her shot: ‘I don’t want to be scared to live’”
* Jacqueline Serrato; South Side Weekly; “Chicago Takes a Step Toward Community Control of the Police”
* Kiran Misra; Chicago Reader; “How Suburban Influence Defeated a Resolution to Condemn the Indian Government”
Best Education Reporting in Newspaper or Magazine
* Elyssa Cherney; Crain’s Chicago Business; “University of Chicago’s next challenge: Crime”
* Christian Belanger; Hyde Park Herald; “Enrollment fraud at Kenwood, 50 years ago — one woman’s story”
* Lily Levine; South Side Weekly; “CPS Layoffs Shock Teachers”
Best Arts Reporting and Criticism.
* Leor Galil, Philip Montoro; Chicago Reader; “Neo: where misfits fit in”
Best Sports Story
* Marc Monaghan; Hyde Park Herald; “At Kenwood Park, a street soccer culture grows”
* Matthew Sigur, Brianna Wellen; Chicago Reader; “Inside the basketball card boom”
* Tonia Hill; The TRiiBE; “Kamau Murray puts the South Side on the pro-tennis map with inaugural Chicago Tennis Festival”
Best Photography
* Kathleen Hinkel, Philip Montoro, Amber Huff; Chicago Reader; “How live music looks during COVID”
* Michael Jackson, Philip Montoro, Amber Huff; Chicago Reader; “The Hyde Park Jazz Festival takes a step back toward normalcy”
* Davon Clark; City Bureau, Chicago Reader; “A Revolutionary Act”
Best Design, Print
* Andrea Fowler; Chicago Health Magazine
* Karen Freese Zane; Crain’s Chicago Business
* The TRiiBE staff, Robin Carnilius; “The TRiiBE Guide 2021: Turning our history into power”
Best Design, Digital
* Jason McGregor; Crain’s Chicago Business
Best Illustration
* Eva Azenaro Acero; South Side Weekly
* Kiki Lechuga-Dupont; City Bureau, Chicago Reader; “Breaking the Cycle”
* Haley Tweedell; South Side Weekly
Best Feature Reporting on Covid-19
* Marie Mendoza, Ester Wells, Yvonne Krumrey, Courtney Kueppers; South Side Weekly; “The Ripple Effects of COVID in Englewood, La Villita, and South Shore”
* Aaron Gettinger; Hyde Park Herald; “Hyde Park child care struggles with space, staffing and burnout, as federal help possible”
* Kiran Misra; South Side Weekly; “What Went Wrong at Cook County Jail”
Best Reporting on Race and Diversity
* Deborah Shelton; Crain’s Chicago Business; “Violations of trust”
* Kiran Misra; Chicago Reader; “How Suburban Influence Defeated a Resolution to Condemn the Indian Government”
* Cassandra West, Judith Crown and Steve Hendershot; Crain’s Chicago Business; “Crain’s Equity”
BROADCAST: TELEVISION
Best Investigative or In-Depth TV Reporting
* Martha Irvine, Cathy Bussewitz, Christopher Hulme; The Associated Press; “Texas families fight neighborhood fracking”
* Doug Wolfe, Jacklynn Boatman, Eric Ahola; WAND TV; “Dirty Deeds”
Best On-Camera Reporter
* Roz Varon; WLS
* Kane Farabaugh; Voice of America
* Brandis Friedman; WTTW News
Best Feature or Human Interest TV Reporting
* Dan Protess, Stacy Robinson, Yasmin Rammohan, Katerina Simic, Tim Boyd, Sam Rong, Anthony Fleming; WTTW; “Ida B. Wells: a Chicago Stories Special”
* Mike Burke, Kane Farabaugh; Voice of America TV; “Story of Flight 93 Still Resonates 20 Years Later”
* Natalie Bomke, D Gresham, Michael Wojcik; WFLD-TV Fox 32 Chicago; “City of Big Voices”
Best Business or Consumer TV Reporting
* Roz Varon, Joseph Imbrogno, Irit Nayden; WLS; “One Tank Trips”
* Amanda Vinicky; WTTW-TV; “Bye, Bye Byron? Exelon Prepares to Shutter Illinois Nuclear Plants”
* Kane Farabaugh; Voice of America TV; “Producing Through a Pandemic and Trade War”
Best Arts and Entertainment TV Reporting
* Roz Varon, Irit Nayden, David Fell, Joseph Imbrogno, Jeffrey Freeman, Obie Varado, Richard Quinone; WLS ; “Weekender”
* Dan Protess, Jude Leak, Ian Bertorelli, Sam Rong, Tim Boyd, Anthony Fleming, Allie n Steve Mullen; WTTW; “Inventing Improv: a Chicago Stories Special”
* Angel Idowu; WTTW News; “Angel Idowu: On the Arts”
Best TV Reporting on Crime and Justice
* WTTW News Team; “Chicago Tonight Adam Toledo Special”
* Hilda Gutierrez, Diana Maldonado, Raul Quinones, Sebastian Torres, Marimar Gutierrez; Telemundo Chicago; “Huellas-Tragedia en Gage Park “
Best TV Reporting on Education
* Martha Irvine, Christopher Hulme; The Associated Press; “A small town’s fight for student mental health”
* Roz Varon, Dwight Payne, Casey Klaus; WLS; “Day of Racial Justice Learning”
* WTTW News Team; “CTU/CPS Standoff”
Best TV Reporting on Environment or Climate
* Martha Irvine, Cathy Bussewitz, Christopher Hulme; The Associated Press; “Texas families fight neighborhood fracking”
* Nick Blumberg, Paris Schutz; WTTW News; “Chicago Area Deals with Tornadoes, Heat Warnings During Week of Extreme Weather”
* Martha Irvine, Cathy Bussewitz, Christopher Hulme; The Associated Press; “Forgotten oil and gas wells linger, leaking toxic chemicals”
Best TV Reporting on Politics and Government
* Kane Farabaugh; Voice of America TV; “U.S. Veterans Reflect on War and Withdrawal in Afghanistan”
* WTTW News Team; “Chicago Tonight: January 6th Special”
Best TV Health or Science Reporting on Covid-19
* Lauren Stauffer, Lisa Balde, Tracy Davis, Chris Hush, Greg Sanchez, Yvonne Ramirez, Sebastian Torres, Nathan Halder; WMAQ NBC Chicago; “Vaccinated State”
* Doug Wolfe; WAND TV; “Salk, Polio & COVID”
Best TV Feature Reporting on Covid-19
* Martha Irvine, Christopher Hulme; The Associated Press; “Conquering loneliness in a lonely world”
* Kane Farabaugh; Voice of America TV; “As COVID Surges in India, South Asians in US Mobilize Aid”
Best TV Interview
* Brandis Friedman, Nick Blumberg; WTTW News; “’It Could Happen to Anyone’: Chicago Mother Shares Story of Stepson’s Murder”
Best Reporting on Race and Diversity
* Hilda Gutierrez, Raul Quinones; Telemundo Chicago, WSNS; “Hablando Claro”
* Curtis Sweat, Regina Waldroup, Sebastian Torres, Lauren Stauffer; WMAQ-TV / NBC5 News Chicago; “Chicago Southside Violence Interrupters”
* Doug Wolfe, Jacklynn Boatman, Eric Ahola; WAND TV; “Dirty Deeds”
BROADCAST: RADIO
Best Investigative or In-Depth Radio Reporting
* Patrick Smith; WBEZ Chicago; “Those Who Did Not Die”
Best On-Air Reporter
* Esther Yoon-Ji Kang; WBEZ Chicago
* Dave Dahl; WTAX Radio
* Michael Puente; WBEZ Chicago
Best Feature or Human Interest Radio Reporting
* Michael Puente; WBEZ Chicago; “The Return Of Chicago Baseball (And Fans) Brings New Hope To Businesses Near The Ballparks”
* Adriana Cardona-Maguigad, Manuel Martinez; WBEZ Chicago; “The High School Class of 2021 Celebrates With a Prom to Remember”
* Michael Puente, Katie O’Connell; WBEZ Chicago; “Freestyle music still all the rage with some Chicago area Latinos”
Best Business or Consumer Radio Reporting
* Michael Puente; WBEZ Chicago; “Business Startups Are Surging As Entrepreneurs Chase Their Dreams Despite The Pandemic”
* Greta Johnsen, Anna Bauman, Brendan Banaszak; WBEZ Chicago; “How Supply Chain Woes Might Impact Chicago Booksellers”
* Michael Puente; WBEZ Chicago; “Gary Bets Big On New Hard Rock Casino, But Will It Pay Off?”
Best Radio Commentary
* Yolanda Joe; WVON-AM; “YOJOE Knows Commentary”
Best Radio Reporting on Environment or Climate
* Michael Puente, Mark LeBien; WBEZ Chicago; “Chicago-Area Communities Vow To Slash Carbon Emissions With Ambitious New ‘Climate Action Plan’”
Best Radio Health or Science Reporting on Covid-19
* Susie An, Kate Grossman; WBEZ Chicago; “The Pandemic’s Teen Mental Health Crisis”
* Stephanie Kim, Bianca Martin, Sasha-Ann Simons, Daniel Tucker; WBEZ Chicago; “Reset: Closing The Gap On Vaccine Access”
* Michael Puente; WBEZ Chicago; “A Northwest Indiana Town Wants Answers About The Future Of A ‘Safety-Net’ Hospital”
Best Radio Interview
* Dave Dahl; WTAX Radio; “Ex-Gov Looks Back”
Best Radio Reporting on Race and Diversity
* Natalie Moore, Esther Yoon-Ji Kang, Odette Yousef; WBEZ Chicago; “The Chicago Monuments Project Grapples With The Hard History Of Some City Statues”
SPECIALTY/TRADE
Best Investigative or In-depth Reporting
* Lakeidra Chavis Daniel Nass; The Trace; “Aftershocks”
* David Jackson, Kira Leadholm; Better Government Association; “Milking Medicaid”
* Chelsea Verstegen, Adriana Rezal; Borderless Magazine; “As COVID-19 Spread Through Midwest Detention Centers, ICE Struggled To Provide Accurate Data”
Best Business or Consumer Reporting
* Leslie Patton, Kim Chipman, Michael Hirtzer, Amelia Pollard; Bloomberg News; “ESG-friendly Chicken and Eggs”
* Tom Polansek, PJ Huffstutter; Reuters; “As U.S. pork plant speeds up slaughtering, workers report more injuries”
* Leslie Patton, Michael Hirtzer, Emily Cadman, Deena Shanker, Charlie Wells, Olivia Rockeman, Michael Sasso, Amelia Pollard; Bloomberg News; “Food Inflation Soars”
Best Feature
* Kevin Davis; ABA Journal; “More police departments are training officers in de-escalation techniques, but does it work?”
* Christopher Walljasper, Brendan O’Brien; Reuters; “Hunger and the pandemic”
* Amanda Robert; ABA Journal; “Troubling Treatment: Efforts are underway to reform teen behavioral programs”
Best Health or Science Reporting on Covid-19
* Julie Steenhuysen; Reuters; “The Omicron variant”
* Howard Wolinsky; Chicago Medicine; “Genomic Sequencing As the pandemic raged, did genomic sequencing and surveillance lag in Illinois and across the U.S.?”
Best Feature Reporting on Covid-19
* Brendan Murray, Enda Curran, Kim Chipman; Bloomberg News; “The World Economy Is Suddenly Running Low on Everything”
Best Reporting on Race and Diversity
* Josh McGhee, Jared Rutecki; Injustice Watch/Better Government Association; “Fewer People in Cook County Are Being Charged With Crimes. Why Are Black People Making Up a Larger Share of Defendants?”
* Claudia Hernández; Borderless Magazine; “The Family That Transgender Asylum Seekers Built”
* Adam Mahoney; Grist; “Environmental Racism in Illinois”
ONLINE
Best Multimedia Feature Presentation
* Block Club Chicago staff; “Year of Loss”
* Samantha Shotzbarger, Alyssa Goodman, Martha Irvine, Cathy Bussewitz, Eric Gay, Peter Hamlin, Larry Fenn; The Associated Press; “Forgotten oil and gas wells linger, leaking toxic chemicals”
* Jason McGregor, Cassandra West, Chad Linvengood, Stephen J. Serio, Alby Gallun, Danny Ecker, John R. Boehm; Crain’s Chicago Business; “Crain’s Forum”
Best News Website
* Daily Herald; The Daily Herald Online
* Chicago Sun-Times; chicago.suntimes.com
* Better Government Association; bettergov.org
Best Individual Blog Post, independent
* Michele Weldon; NBC Think, MS Magazine, Covey Club; “My family has used nicknames to express love, Women Whistleblowers Aren’t Always Believed, How Did I Get Here? When Your Third Act Has an Unexpected Twist”
* Derrick Clifton; them.us (Conde Nast); “Anti-Trans Sports Bills Aren’t Just Transphobic — They’re Racist, Too” and “Celebrities Have Been Silent on 2021’s Horrific Anti-Trans Bills. It’s Time to Speak Up.”
* John W. Fountain; “Hear Africa Calling”
Best Individual Blog Post, affiliated
* Esther Yoon-Ji Kang; WBEZ Chicago; “Watching `Minari,’ I Saw My Immigrant Experience On The Screen For The First Time”
* Natalie Frazier; City Bureau, The TRiiBE; “The neighborhood I grew up in is full of affordable housing, but that’s not enough”
* Alden Loury; WBEZ Chicago ; “Chauvin Verdict Doesn’t Change The Systemic Racism That Costs So Many Black Lives”
Best Continuing Blog, independent
* Derrick Clifton; them.us (Conde Nast); “Derrick Clifton on Race, LGBTQ+ Rights and Politics”
* Craig Walker; Chicago Journal; “Craig Walker for the Chicago Journal”
* Michele Weldon; Next Avenue; “Not About The Soup: A Sister’s Recipe For Her Brother’s Last Days”; “Why I Refuse To Be Retired From Usefulness”
Best Continuing Blog, affiliated
* Mary Gavin; Evanston RoundTable Media NFP; “New PAC Accused of Injecting Discord Into Aldermanic Campaigns”
* Mark Konkol; Patch
* Larry Gavin; Evanston RoundTable Media NFP; “How Much of School District 65’s Business Is Being Conducted by School Board Members in Private Meetings with Administrators?”
Best Online Deadline Reporting
* Michael Hirtzer, Isis Almeida, Kim Chipman; Bloomberg News; “It’s So Cold on the Plains That Calves’ Ears Are Falling Off”
* Block Club Chicago staff; “Coverage of Adam Toledo’s Slaying”
* Mina Bloom; Block Club Chicago; Chicago Cop Who Fatally Shot Anthony Alvarez Being Investigated For Pulling Gun In Logan Square Road Rage Clash”
Best Online Non-Deadline Story
* Tom Scuba, David Struett, Madeline Kenney, Mitch Dudek, Sophie Sherry; Chicago Sun-Times’; “Our kids are becoming extinct”
* Josh McGhee, Jared Rutecki; Injustice Watch/Better Government Association; “Fewer People in Cook County Are Being Charged With Crimes. Why Are Black People Making Up a Larger Share of Defendants?”
* Kiran Misra; South Side Weekly; “What Went Wrong at Cook County Jail”
Best Online Series, Non-deadline Reporting
* David Jackson, Kira Leadholm; Better Government Association; “Milking Medicaid”
* Robert Herguth; Chicago Sun-Times; “Cardinal, Catholic orders keeping secrets on child sex abuse by clerics”
* Jeremy Gorner, Annie Sweeney, Rosemary Sobol, E. Jason Wambsgans; Chicago Tribune; “One gun, 27 shootings: How a gun shop burglary in a small Wisconsin town shook Chicago’s streets”
Best Neighborhood/Community News Website
* Mina Bloom; Block Club Chicago; “Mina Bloom’s Coverage of Logan Square, Humboldt Park and Avondale”
* Irene Romulo, April Alonso, Ankur Singh, Jesus J. Montero, Luis Velasquez, Abel Rodriguez; Cicero Independiente; “Cicero Independiente, bilingual independent news for Cicero & Berwyn”
* The TRiiBE staff; “The TRiiBE: reshaping the narrative of Black Chicago”
Best Online Business or Consumer Reporting
* Tim Novak, Lauren FitzPatrick, Caroline Hurley; Chicago Sun-Times ; “Cook County property assessment failures”
* Mick Dumke, Haru Coryne, Mariam Elba; ProPublica; “Chicago’s Last Black-Owned Bank”
* Stephanie Zimmermann, Tom Schuba; Chicago Sun-Times; “What’s in your weed?”
Best Online Feature Story or Series
* Block Club Chicago staff; “Year of Loss”
* Monte Reel; Bloomberg News; “The Left-for-Dead Hospital That Got a Second Chance for $1”
* Patrick Finley; Chicago Sun-Times; “Back from the brink”
Best Online Food or Restaurant Coverage
* Ashok Selvam, Naomi Waxman, Barry Brecheisen, Jeffy Mai, Garrett Sweet; Eater; “Chicago Sues Grubhub and DoorDash for Allegedly Scamming Basically Everyone: Restaurants, Drivers, and Customers”
* Pascal Sabino; Block Club Chicago; “Food Inequality On the West Side”
* Ashok Selvam, Naomi Waxman, Barry Brecheisen, Jeffy Mai, Garrett Sweet; Eater; “Acadia Chef Accused of Spearheading Retaliatory Harassment Campaign Against Former Server”
Best Online Music Coverage
* Evan F. Moore; Chicago Sun-Times; “How churches, community organizations created safe spaces for South Side teenagers via hip-hop”
* Colin Boyle, Francesca Mathewes; Block Club Chicago; “Summer Smash Or ‘Fyre Festival’? Workers Walk Off Job, Citing Chaos At Douglass Park Music Fest”
* Daniel de Visé; Chicago Sun-Times; “B.B. King, a cold November night in Chicago and a blues classic”
Best Theater or Literary Online Coverage
*Hedy Weiss; WTTW News; Hedy Weiss on Theater
Best Investigative/Public Service Online Reporting
* Tony Briscoe; ProPublica; “Conservationists See Rare Nature Sanctuaries. Black Farmers See a Legacy Bought Out From Under Them.”
* Cecilia Reyes, Madison Hopkins; Chicago Tribune and Better Government Association; “The Failures Before the Fires”
* Duaa Eldeib; ProPublica; “The Pandemic’s Hidden Toll”
Best Use of News Video Online
* Stephanie Zimmermann, Brian Ernst; Chicago Sun-Times; “What’s in your weed?”
* Olivia Obineme, Armando L. Sanchez, Alex Garcia, Madison Hopkins, Cecilia Reyes; Better Government Association/Chicago Tribune; “The Failures Before the Fires”
* Anthony Vazquez; Chicago Sun-Times; “Tragedy to triumph”
Best Use of Video for Online Feature
* Martha Irvine, Samantha Shotzbarger, Peter Hamlin; The Associated Press; “Forgotten oil and gas wells linger, leaking toxic chemicals”
* Dan Protess, Pat Odom, Anne Gleason, Jude Leak, Jessica Martinaitis, Alejandro Marin; WTTW; “FIRSTHAND: Living in Poverty”
* Brian Rich, Stefano Esposito; Chicago Sun-Times; “Rylan Wilder: rock and roll survivor”
Best Use of Digital Technology or Data Visualization
* Jesse Howe; Chicago Sun-Times; “Through the flames”
* Jason McGregor, Cassandra West, Dennis Rodkin, Alby Gallun, Paul Goyette, Stephen J. Serio, Chad Linvengood, Danny Ecker; Crain’s Chicago Business; “Crain’s Forum”
Best Online Photography
* Pat Nabong, Ashlee Rezin, Joe Klein; Better Government Association/Chicago Sun-Times; “The costly toll of dead-end drug arrests”
* E. Jason Wambsgans; Chicago Tribune; “Chicago civil rights legend Jesse Jackson turns 80”
* Rashod Taylor, special to ProPublica; “Conservationists See Rare Nature Sanctuaries. Black Farmers See a Legacy Bought Out From Under Them.”
Best Podcast
* Jon Hansen; Block Club Chicago; “It’s All Good”
* Greta Johnsen, Anna Bauman, Brendan Banaszak; WBEZ Chicago; “Nerdette”
* Justin Kaufmann; Better Government Association; “The Madigan Rule”
Best Podcast Single Episode
* Joe DeCeault, Monica Eng, Maggie Sivit, Alexandra Salomon, Leslie Hurtado; WBEZ Chicago; “Curious City: The Pilsen Episode”
* Justin Kaufmann; Better Government Association; “The Madigan Rule: Power over Policy”
* Jon Hansen; Block Club Chicago; Block Club’s “It’s All Good” podcast
Best Online Illustration
* Veronica Martinez; Cicero Independiente, Injustice Watch, Type Investigations; “Gang Contracts’ in Cicero and Berwyn Schools Raise Concerns About Criminalization of Youth”
* Raziel Puma; City Bureau; “Inside Chicago’s Silent Housing Crisis”
* Jesse Howe; Chicago Sun-Times; “Through the flames”
Best Email Newsletter, affiliated
* Justin Kaufmann, Monica Eng, Everett Cook; Axios Chicago; “Axios Chicago Daily Newsletter”
* Hunter Clauss; WBEZ Chicago; “The Rundown”
* Nader Issa; Chicago Sun-Times; “Education This Week”
Best Online Health or Science Reporting on Covid-19
* Duaa Eldeib; ProPublica; “The Pandemic’s Hidden Toll”
* John Gregory, Melissa Goldin, Kendrick McDonald, Chandler Kidd, Chine Labbe, Bron Maher, Virginia Padovese, Marie Richter; NewsGuard; “How a well-meaning U.S. government database fuels dangerous vaccine misinformation”
* WBEZ Chicago staff; “Eye on Equity: Tracking Vaccine Distribution in Chicago and Illinois”
Best Online Feature Reporting on Covid-19
* Kelly Bauer, David Jackson; Block Club Chicago and Better Government Association; “Improper Vaccinations, Financial Questions at Loretto Hospital”
* Amanda Robert, Matt Reynolds, Lyle Moran, Stephanie Francis Ward; ABA Journal; “How the legal profession is dealing with the practice of law as the pandemic drags on”
* Kiran Misra; South Side Weekly; “What Went Wrong at Cook County Jail”
Best Online Reporting on Race and Diversity
* Derrick Clifton; NBC BLK (NBC News); “How the Trump administration’s ‘1776 Report’ warps the history of racism and slavery”
* Natalie Moore, Jesse Dukes; WBEZ Chicago ; “Chicago’s Restrictive Covenants”
* Irene Romulo; Cicero Independiente, Injustice Watch, Type Investigations; “Gang Contracts’ in Cicero and Berwyn Schools Raise Concerns About Criminalization of Youth”