These are the finalists for the 49th Annual Peter Lisagor Awards

March 27, 2026 Marissa Nelson Latest Updates, Top Story, Awards, Events, Homepage, Lisagor 0

The finalists for the 49th Annual Peter Lisagor Awards represent some of the best journalism produced in Illinois and northwest Indiana from across print, digital and broadcast media.

Our thanks to everyone who submitted nominations for consideration. Entries were judged by an out-of-state SPJ chapter.

Award recipients will be announced at a dinner ceremony Friday, May 8, at the Union League Club of Chicago. Ticket prices go up on April 10 and close on Friday, April 24 at 11:59 p.m. on Eventbrite.

Categories

Finalists are listed in no particular order.

Best All Media

Best Feature or Human Interest Single Story

  • “Brooklyn, Illinois”; Jonathan Bullington; Chicago Tribune
  • “Chicago Stories: Legendary Blizzards”; Eddie Griffin, Alex Dawson, Lauren R. Drell, Michael Buhrow, Eric Seals, Anthony Fleming III, Anna Chadwick Gardner, Shelley Spencer; WTTW
  • “Notes for Peace”; Courtney Kueppers; Chicago Public Media, WBEZ Chicago  

Best Investigative Reporting

  • “Heat List”; James Edwards, Matt Stroud, Erisa Apantaku, Philippa Geering, Krish Dineshkumar, Alex Portfelix, Rachel Byrne, N’Jeri Eaton; Wondery, Vespucci  
  • “Accusation Dismissed: Chicago’s Failure to Investigate and Discipline Police for Sexual Misconduct”; María Inés Zamudio, Dana Brozost-Kelleher, Isabelle Senechal, Maheen Khan, Andrew Fan; Invisible Institute & ProPublica  
  • “Failure to Treat, Failure to Protect”; Stephanie Zimmermann, Frank Main; Chicago Public Media, Chicago Sun-Times  

Best Public Service

  • “Operation Midway Blitz”; Staff of the Chicago Tribune; Chicago Tribune
  • “Feds Used Chemical Agents Dozens of Times in Chicago—Even After Judge Said To Stop”; Maheen Khan, Alma Campos, Jim Daley, Andrew Fan, Francia García Hernández, Sebastián Hidalgo, Efraín Soriano, Jonathan Torres; Block Club Chicago, Cicero Independiente, the Investigative Project on Race and Equity, Invisible Institute, South Side 
  • “Lead City”; Keerti Gopal, Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco, Amy Qin, Clayton Aldern, Peter Aldhous; Chicago Public Media, WBEZ Chicago, Inside Climate News, Grist

Best Data Journalism

  • “Failure to Protect”; Elliott Ramos, Michele Youngerman, Marissa Perlman; CBS Chicago
  • “Who Owns Chicago?”; Amy Qin, Esther Yoon-Ji Kang, Andjela Padejski; Chicago Public Media, WBEZ Chicago  
  • “Illinois is the last state to unlawfully strip wealth from homeowners caught in tax foreclosure”; Emeline Posner, Carlos Ballesteros, Maia McDonald, Tatiana Walk-Morris, Kristen Axtman; Investigative Project on Race and Equity and Injustice Watch  

Best Multimedia Collaboration

  • “Lead City”; Keerti Gopal, Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco, Amy Qin, Clayton Aldern, Peter Aldhous; Chicago Public Media, WBEZ Chicago, Inside Climate News, Grist  
  • “Chicago property tax series”; A.D. Quig, Alex Nitkin; Chicago Tribune, Illinois Answers Project  
  • “McDonald’s Quest to Reclaim World’s Biggest Restaurant Title Starts in Texas”; Daniela Sirtori, Kristina Peterson, Marie Patino; Bloomberg News  

Best Feature or Human Interest Series

  • “Cash crops, hidden costs”; Karina Atkins; Chicago Tribune
  • “Chicago Under Siege: How Operation Midway Blitz Changed Our City”; Block Club Staff; Block Club Chicago 
  • “Robert Prevost becomes Pope Leo XIV”; Angie Leventis Lourgos; Chicago Tribune

Best Community Engagement

  • “Through their Lens”; Anthony Vazquez, Brett Chase; Chicago Public Media, Chicago Sun-Times  
  • “What to know about immigration operations and National Guard deployments to Chicago”; Araceli Gómez-Aldana; Chicago Public Media
  • “The State of Our City: A WTTW News Town Hall”; Jay Smith, Crystin Immel, Brandis Friedman, Shelby Hawkins; WTTW

Design & Visuals

Best Feature Photo

  • “Cooling Off”; Chris Sweda; Chicago Tribune 
  • “Congerville farmer Henry Brockman”; Pat Nabong; Chicago Public Media, Chicago Sun-Times  
  • “Simbang Gabi celebrated at Lake County Catholic parishes: ‘It connects us to home, culture and identity”; Karie Angell Luc; Lake County News-Sun  

Best News Photo

  • “Reverend Black in Broadview”; Ashlee Rezin; Chicago Public Media
  • “Chicago Under Siege: How Operation Midway Blitz Changed Our City”; Block Club Staff; Block Club Chicago
  • “More than a dozen arrested at Broadview ICE protest as court curbs use of force”; Sofía Oyarzún; The Columbia Chronicle  

Best Sports Photo

  • “Heated Rivalry”; Eileen T. Meslar; Chicago Tribune
  • “Head Over Heels”; Armando L. Sanchez; Chicago Tribune
  • “Collision”: Armando L. Sanchez: Chicago Tribune

Best Use of Feature Video

  • “Touring Chicago’s Lakefront with Geoffrey Baer”; Geoffrey Baer, Michael West, Brendan Brown, Joe Winston, Brendan Walsh, Shelley Spencer; WTTW  
  • “She fell behind on her property taxes. An investor took her home.”; Maggie Sivit, April Alonso, Maia McDonald, Emeline Posner; Injustice Watch and Investigative Project on Race & Equity  
  • “Cake decorating at Wilton Sweet Studio”; Stefano Esposito, Tyler Pasciak-LaRiviere, Zubaer Khan; Chicago Public Media,  

Best Illustration or Graphics

  • “Crain’s Chicago Business graphics”; Jason McGregor; Crain’s Chicago Business 
  • “WTTW News Explains”; Justin Younger, Natalie Younger, Greg Bodfish, Alex Blanchette; WTTW
  • “Illustrations and gifs for Injustice Watch”; Verónica Martinez; Injustice Watch

Best Use of News Video

  • “Pope Leo XIV answers his brother’s call during AP interview”; Obed Lamy, Marissa Duhaney; The Associated Press 
  • “Large Warehouse Fire”; Diane Pathieu, Tyra Whitney, Tracy Butler, Terrell Brown, Val Warner, Colin Evans, Tanja Babich, Christian Piekos, Darah Languido; WLS-TV ABC CHANNEL 7  
  • “The Deadly Cost of Mental Health Failures”; Stephanie Zimmermann, Frank Main, Brian Ernst; Chicago Public Media, Chicago Sun-Times  

Best Use of Data Visualization

  • “Crain’s Forum Data Visualizations”; Jason McGregor , Judith Crown, Steve Hendershot, Cassandra West; Crain’s Chicago Business  
  • “Homes lost to tax foreclosure Cook County 2019-2025”; Maggie Sivit, Hannah Cushman Garland; Injustice Watch, The Investigative Project on Race and Equity, and DataMade  

Best Design in a Print Publication

  • “Our American Pope”; Elio Leturia, Elena Cronick, Steve Krason; Extension Magazine  
  • “The Precarious State of Illinois’ Health”; Erin Sullivan, Dan Leu; Chicago Health Magazine
  • “Development in Chicago still looks lopsided. Could it be evened out?”; Jamey Fry; Crain’s Chicago Business

Best Digital Design

  • “Chick-fil-A’s Lemonade Robots Help It Cut 10,000 Hours of Work”; Daniela Sirtori, Alex Welsh; Bloomberg News  
  • “Jason McGregor digital designs”; Jason McGregor; Crain’s Chicago Business
  • “Fake science, faulty methods, misleading testimony”; Maggie Sivit, Veronica Martinez; Injustice Watch  

Best Social or Short-Form Video

  • “Back in Time: Chicago Streetcars”; Patty Wetli, Nicole Cardos; WTTW
  • “Chicago Stories | Architecture Gems: The Marshall Field and Company Building”; Sean Keenehan, Wayne Kumingo, Tim Boyd, Maureen Waller, Anne Gleason, Anna Gardner, Meredith Francis, Heidi Zersen; WTTW
  • “A Presidential Farewell”; Kane Farabaugh, Leena Halabi; VOA 

Best Multimedia Feature Presentation

  • “What happened to Chinatown’s family associations?”; Amy Qin, Mendy Kong; Chicago Public Media, WBEZ Chicago  
  • “Chicago Under Siege: How Operation Midway Blitz Changed Our City”; Block Club Staff; Block Club Chicago
  • “Violet Claire: Singing Her Song”; Annie Koziel, Weronika Lowczyk; The DePaulia  

Best Headline From a Print/Online Publication

  • “Wicker Park Neighbors Fight ‘Atrocious’ Rat Problem In Dean Park. So Far, The Rats Are Winning”; Jen Sabella, Quinn Myers; Block Club Chicago  
  • “Ragweed vs. Goldenrod: One of Them Makes You Sneeze, the Other is the Bee’s Knees”; Patty Wetli; WTTW
  • “Eric White”; Eric White; Chicago Public Media, Chicago Sun-Times 

Commentary & Presentation

Best Theater or Literary Coverage

  • “Anne Spiselman Theater Criticism”; Anne Spiselman; Hyde Park Herald  
  • “Literary Coverage”; Joseph S. Pete; The Times of Northwest Indiana
  • “Henry, portrait of a patsy”; Kerry Reid; Chicago Reader

Best Food or Restaurant Coverage

  • “The signs of a restaurant industry under stress”; Ally Marotti; Crain’s Chicago Business  
  • “A tale of two wormwoods”; Micco Caporale and Taryn McFadden; Chicago Reader  
  • “More Than a Meal Food stories that go beyond menus—exploring culture, community, history, and hospitality workers’ experiences”; Mike Sula, Taryn McFadden; Chicago Reader  

Best Music Coverage

  • “Selena Fragassi ”; Selena Fragassi; Chicago Public Media, Chicago Sun-Times  
  • “”A Summer Without Pitchfork: Who Killed Best Indie Music Festival on the Planet?” (and additional pieces)”; Dylan Weinert; Newcity  
  • “Music Coverage”; Joseph S. Pete; The Times of Northwest Indiana

Best Podcast

  • “The Missing Exhibition: Building Aquí”; Jesse Betend, Elena Gonzales, Sheila Solomon, Rivet360 , Chicago History Museum; Rivet360  
  • “Heat List”; James Edwards, Matt Stroud, Erisa Apantaku, Philippa Geering, Krish Dineshkumar, Alex Portfelix, Rachel Byrne, N’Jeri Eaton; Wondery, Vespucci  
  • “Division Street Revisited”; Mary Schmich, Melissa Harris, Bill Healy, Cate Cahan, Mark Jacob, Libby Lussenhop, Chijioke Williams, Chris Walz; Mary & Melissa Productions, podcast distributed by PRX  

Best Email Newsletter

  • “Axios Chicago newsletter”; Monica Eng, Carrie Shepherd, Moyo Adeolu, Justin Kaufmann, Lindsey Erdody; Axios Chicago newsletter  
  • “Injustice Watch weekly newsletter”; Maggie Sivit; Injustice Watch
  • “Morning Edition & Afternoon Edition”; Matt Moore; Chicago Public Media, Chicago Sun-Times  

Best Featured Reporter or Host

  • “Brandis Friedman”; Brandis Friedman; WTTW 
  • “Kane Farabaugh Reports – A Presidential Farewell”; Kane Farabaugh; VOA
  • “Sasha-Ann Simons”; Sasha-Ann Simons; Chicago Public Media, WBEZ Chicago   

Best Sports Commentary

  • “Mark Lazerus columns”; Mark Lazerus; The Athletic  
  • “Column: White Sox embracing their newest superfan, Pope Leo XIV — while trolling the Cubs”; Paul Sullivan; Chicago Tribune 
  • “Jeff Agrest”; Jeff Agrest; Chicago Public Media, Chicago Sun-Times  

Best Column or Editorial From a Large Print/Online Publication

  • “A University, a Rural Town and Their Fight to Survive Trump’s War on Higher Education”; Molly Parker; Capitol News Illinois & ProPublica  
  • “Whose bigotry is accepted in America?; ICE gives joy to those who’ve said, ‘Go back to your own country’; Shah Rukh Khan’s Met Gala diss wasn’t his worst encounter with Americans”; Rummana Hussain; Chicago Sun-Times  
  • “Neil Steinberg”;Neil Steinberg; Chicago Public Media, Chicago Sun-Times

Best Column or Editorial From a Small Print/Online Publication

  • “Crain’s Editorials”; Ann Dwyer; Crain’s Chicago Business  
  • “For New Mothers, Rushing Back to Congress is Part of the Job. Should It Be?”; Brandis Friedman; WTTW
  • “How to elect a school board member”; Simone Larson; Evanston Roundtable  

Best coverage by subject 

Best Campus Coverage by Student Journalists

  • “Protest encampment aftermath”; Lucia Preziosi, LiLi Jarvenpa, Sadie Springer, Nupur Bosmiya; The DePaulia  
  • “Good Day DePaul – Full Episode – November 12, 2025”; Francesca Corona, Marie Kane, Riley Moulton, Josh Patt, Laine Wyatt, Bing Wang, Alex Eberhage, Sarah McFeely; DePaul University
  • “Trump administration’s impact on international student enrollment and DePaul”; LiLi Jarvenpa, Sofia Joseph, Jake Cox, Khadija Mujahid, Sadie Springer, Isabella Russomanno, Rose O’Keeffe; The DePaulia and La DePaulia  

Best Health Reporting (large print/online)

  • “Overdose in America”; Hannah Harris Green, Matt Kiefer; The Guardian US  
  • “Hospitals and guardianship”; Emily Hoerner, Christy Gutowski, Lisa Schencker; Chicago Tribune
  • “Kaitlin Washburn”; Kaitlin Washburn; Chicago Public Media

Best Health Reporting (small print/online)

  • “Some Call It The ‘Death Hospital’: Inside The Northwest Side Medical Center Plagued By Problems”; Manny Ramos; Block Club Chicago  
  • “Policing the Vulnerable”; Josh McGhee, Kari Lydersen, Dana Brozost-Kelleher, Isabelle Senechal, Rachel Heimann Mercader, Claire Murphy, Maggie Dougherty, Skye Garcia; South Side Weekly, MindSite News, Medill Investigative-Lab Chicago, Invisible Institute  
  • “Roseland Hospital Failed to Monitor a Patient During a Mental Health Crisis, Regulators Say. Now He’s Charged With Killing His Wife”; Nick Blumberg; WTTW

Best Health Reporting (audio)

  • “Kristen Schorsch”; Kristen Schorsch; Chicago Public Media

Best Health Reporting (video)

  • “Nicotine Pouches: Convenience, Popularity, and Public Health Concern”; Alyssa Patrick, Erika Ahola; WAND News 
  • “Northwestern University Lab Helps Shape the Future of Medical Monitoring”; Paul Caine; WTTW
  • “Is the US Prepared for the Next Pandemic? Learning Lessons From COVID-19”; Brandis Friedman, Paul Caine, Crystin Immel; WTTW  

Best Deadline Reporting (large print/online)

  • “Chicago’s Robert Prevost becomes Pope Leo XIV”; Staff of the Chicago Tribune; Chicago Tribune
  • “CME Data Center Outage”; Katherine Doherty, Isis Almeida, Sagarika Jaisinghani, Lynn Doan, Scott Carpenter; Bloomberg
  • “Feds march into Downtown Chicago; top border agent says people are arrested based partly on ‘how they look’”; Chip Mitchell, Ashlee Rezin, Kaitlin Washburn, Mary Norkol, Jon Seidel; Chicago Public Media

Best Deadline Reporting (small or medium print/online)

  • “Block Club’s Midway Blitz breaking news coverage”; Block Club Staff; Block Club Chicago
  • “Lake County immigration enforcement”; Steve Sadin; Lake County News-Sun  
  • “Sterling Bay surrendering part of Lincoln Yards to lender”; Danny Ecker; Crain’s Chicago Business  

Best Deadline Reporting (audio)

  • “Longtime Illinois U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin won’t seek reelection”; Dave McKinney; Chicago Public Media, WBEZ Chicago  

Best Community Reporting (large print/online)

  • “’All Our Future Money is Gone’: The Impossible Task of Providing Child Care in Rural Illinois”; Molly Parker, Julia Rendleman; Capitol News Illinois & ProPublica  
  • “Chicago Death Gap”; Kristen Schorsch; Chicago Public Media  
  • “Voice Newspapers faces uncertain future in wake of editor’s death”; Tess Kenny; Chicago Tribune  

Best Community Reporting (small or medium print/online)

  • “An Illegal Junkyard Has Operated In Englewood For A Decade. Why Hasn’t The City Cleaned It Up?”; Atavia Reed; Block Club Chicago
  • “Jobs. Block Clubs. Investment: How Chicagoans are Interrupting Violence at its Roots”; Jim Daley; Illinois Answers Project & South Side Weekly  
  • “Chicago renters with Housing Choice Vouchers face discrimination and delayed assistance”; Tatiana Walk-Morris; Prism

Best Community Reporting (video)

  • Federal Immigration Agents Targeted Northwest Side Neighborhoods. Residents Banded Together to Push Back; Joanna Hernandez; WTTW 
  • “The State of Our City: A WTTW News Town Hall”; Brandis Friedman, Shelby Hawkins, Crystin Immel, Jay Smith; WTTW
  • “Justice for Wadea”; Kane Farabaugh; VOA

Best Community Reporting (audio)

  • “The Rink”; Somer Van Benton; Chicago Public Media, WBEZ Chicago  
  • “Chicago young adults and teens find connection, and love, through Japanese pop culture”; Anna Savchenko; Chicago Public Media, WBEZ 
  • “WBBM Community Reporting”; Carolina Garibay; WBBM Newsradio  

Best Community Reporting (student)

  • “Parents, lawmakers battle over Illinois Homeschool Act. What to know”; Sabrina Castle, Bing Wang, Francesca Corona, Sofia Joseph, Laura Vázquez David, Jake Cox; NBC 5 Chicago News  
  • “DePaul students attend mass at ICE facility to stand with immigrants”; Isabella Siemaszko, Sofia Joseph; La DePaulia and The DePaulia  

Best Reporting on Environment/Climate Change (large print/online)

  • “After the Floods: How Alexander County Farmers Adapt or Endure”; Molly Parker, Julia Rendleman, Lylee Gibbs; Capitol News Illinois & ProPublica  
  • “Cash crops, hidden costs”; Karina Atkins; Chicago Tribune
  • “Heat waves and cooling center gaps”;  Adriana Perez, Lily Carey; Chicago Tribune

Best Reporting on Environment/Climate Change (small print/online)

  • “Swimmers Return To Chicago River For 1st Time In A Century, Marking Dramatic Transformation”; Reema Saleh, Victor Hilitski; Block Club Chicago
  • “Chicago winters reset the thermostat on what is normal”; Steve Hendershot, Cassandra West; Crain’s Chicago Business
  • “Patty Wetli on the Environment”; Patty Wetli; WTTW

Best Reporting on Environment/Climate Change (audio)

  • “The bird flu epidemic is taking the lives of a majestic Northern Indiana bird”; Michael Puente; WBEZ

Best Political and Government Reporting (large print/online)

  • “64 Days in Chicago: The Story of Operation Midway Blitz”; Andrew Carter, Caroline Kubzansky, Gregory Royal Pratt, Laura Rodríguez Presa; Chicago Tribune  
  • “Chicago property tax series”; A.D. Quig, Alex Nitkin; Chicago Tribune, Illinois Answers Project  
  • “Historic Chicago Budget Battle”; Alice Yin, Jake Sheridan, A.D. Quig; Chicago Tribune

Best Political and Government Reporting (small or medium print/online)

  • “Undermined from the start: Champaign’s police review board aims to improve policing, but former members fear it lacks power to make change”; Madison Holcomb, Sam Stecklow; Invisible Institute & IPM News  
  • “Policing the Vulnerable”; Josh McGhee, Kari Lydersen, Dana Brozost-Kelleher, Isabelle Senechal, Rachel Heimann Mercader, Claire Murphy, Maggie Dougherty, Skye Garcia; South Side Weekly, MindSite News, Medill Investigative-Lab Chicago, Invisible Institute  
  • “Timothy Evans Expects to Endure”; Maya Dukmasova; Injustice Watch  

Best Political and Government Reporting (video)

  • “Toxic Military Bases”; Erika Ahola, Doug Wolfe; WAND News
  • “A Presidential Farewell – 39: The Life and Legacy of Jimmy Carter”; Kane Farabaugh; VOA
  • “Chicago Stories: Rod Blagojevich”; Tania Lindsay, Alicia Soller, Scott Holoubek, Brendan Walsh, Anthony Fleming III, Anna Chadwick Gardner, Shelley Spencer; WTTW  

Best Political and Government Reporting (audio)

  • “Operation Midway Blitz”; Geoff Buchholz; WBBM Newsradio 
  • “Behind the scenes at Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s congressional grilling”; Mariah Woelfel; Chicago Public Media, WBEZ Chicago  
  • “The Bob Sirott Show”; Bob Sirott, Joe Romano, Hayley Boyd; WGN Radio  

Best Political and Government Reporting (student)

  • “Illinois quietly increases cost of online betting, and Chicago may be next”; Peter Jurich, Anna Barth, Jeremy Battle, Laine Wyatt, Riley Sommers; NBC 5 Chicago News  

Best Arts and Entertainment Reporting (large print/online)

  • “Route 66”; Jonathan Bullington, E. Jason Wambsgans; Chicago Tribune
  • “Art world responds to ramped up immigration enforcement in Chicago”; Mike Davis, Ambar Colón; Chicago Public Media
  • “Elly Fishman”; Elly Fishman; Chicago Public Media

Best Arts and Entertainment Reporting (small or medium print/online)

  • “Dance Against War”; Wendy Wei and Philip Montoro; Chicago Reader 
  • “Theater features”; Mary Wisniewski; Newcity  
  • “Lowering the curtain”; Daniella Mazzio, Philip Montoro; Chicago Reader

Best Arts and Entertainment Reporting (video)

  • “Church of the Holy Family”; Marc Vitali, Nicole Cardos; WTTW
  • “Chicago Stories: Iconic Foods”; Daniel Andries, Monica Eng, Bianca Lozano, Brian Clark, Tim Boyd, Anthony Fleming III, Anna Chadwick Gardner, Shelley Spencer; WTTW
  • “Long-Shuttered Uptown Theatre Marks Centennial With New Book, Renewed Momentum for Restoration”; Nick Blumberg; WTTW

Best Arts and Entertainment Reporting (audio)

  • “A West Side nonprofit gets at-risk teens off their phones and into making movies”; Anna Savchenko; Chicago Public Media, WBEZ Chicago  
  • “Did the ‘We See You, White American Theater’ movement spark change in Chicago?”; Chicago Public Media, WBEZ Chicago  
  • “WBBM Lisa Fielding Best Arts and Entertainment Coverage”; Lisa Fielding; WBBM 

Best Arts and Entertainment Reporting (student)

  • “Lollapalooza”; Annie Koziel, AK Soares; The DePaulia  
  • “Aguijón Theater: Thirty-five years stinging Chicago’s conscience”; Sofía Oyarzún; Univision  

Best Sports Reporting (large print/online)

  • “Chase Stegall’s family and DePaul soccer have a mission in the wake of 20-year-old’s death”; Colleen Kane; Chicago Tribune
  • “NIL at U. of I.”; Stacy St. Clair, Jodi S. Cohen; Chicago Tribune, ProPublica  
  • “Bears training camp: The true story behind rookie TE Colston Loveland”; Steve Greenberg; Chicago Public Media, Chicago Sun-Times  

Best Sports Reporting (small and medium print/online)

  • “Young cowboy mounts comeback at Broken Arrow rodeo”; Marc Monaghan; Hyde Park Herald
  • “Block Club’s Skyway Lanes coverage”; Mack Liederman; Block Club Chicago
  • “Bears Stadium Search”; Joseph S. Pete; The Times of Northwest Indiana

Best Sports Reporting (video)

  • “Ethan’s Home Team”; Deron Molen, Erika Ahola, Jake Bedell; WAND News  

Best Sports Reporting (audio)

  • “Pacers fans in Bulls country gear up for the NBA Finals — ‘They better win!’”; Michael Puente; WBEZ 

Best Sports Reporting (student)

  • “Illinois quietly increases cost of online betting, and Chicago may be next”; Peter Jurich, Anna Barth, Jeremy Battle, Laine Wyatt, Riley Sommers; NBC 5 Chicago News  

Best Reporting on Race and Diversity (large print/online)

  • “Unblocked Englewood and Theaster Gates”; Darcel Rockett; Chicago Tribune
  • “Racial profiling during Operation Midway Blitz; Laura Rodríguez Presa , Gregory Royal Pratt, Andrew Carter, Caroline Kubzansky; Chicago Tribune
  • “Chicago cops have been making fewer traffic stops, but more are ending in violence / Chicago police traffic stops have left 230 people injured and hospitalized in recent years”; Kade Heather, Sophie Sherry, Wendy Wei, Jonathan Torres, Tom Schuba, Mohammad Samra ; Investigative Project on Race and Equity and Chicago Sun-Times  

Best Reporting on Race and Diversity (small and medium print/online)

  • “When Fatal Shooting Victims Are Black, Chicago Police Arrest Rates Drop”; Rita Oceguera; The Trace  
  • “Illinois is the last state to unlawfully strip wealth from homeowners caught in tax foreclosure”; Emeline Posner, Carlos Ballesteros , Maia McDonald, Tatiana Walk-Morris, Kristen Axtman; Investigative Project on Race and Equity and Injustice Watch  
  • “Crain’s Elevate”; Judith Crown, Marlen Garcia, Cassandra West; Crain’s Chicago Business  

Best Reporting on Race and Diversity (video)

  • “Chicago Tonight George Floyd Anniversary Special”; Brandis Friedman, Shelby Hawkins, Bridgette Adu-Wadier, Abena Bediako, Crystin Immel;; WTTW
  • “Chicago Tonight: SNAP Benefit Cuts”; Brandis Friedman, Nick Blumberg, Bridgette Adu-Wadier, Shelby Hawkins, Crystin Immel; WTTW
  • “Latino Pharmacist Bridging Cultural, Language Gaps on Chicago’s Northwest Side”; Joanna Hernandez; WTTW

Best Reporting on Race and Diversity (audio)

  • “Curious City: What happened to Chinatown’s family associations?”; Amy Qin, Mendy Kong; Chicago Public Media  
  • “‘Friendship set to music’: Curious City goes square dancing on the South Side”; Erin Allen, Justin Bull; Chicago Public Media, WBEZ Chicago  
  • “Heat List”; James Edwards, Matt Stroud, Erisa Apantaku, Philippa Geering, Krish Dineshkumar, Alex Portfelix, Rachel Byrne, N’Jeri Eaton; Wondery, Vespucci  

Best Reporting on Race and Diversity (student)

  • At Illinois public universities, campus cops pull over Black drivers at higher rates”; Maia McDonald, Nicole Jeanine Johnson, Khadija Ahmed, Isabelle Senechal, Amilia Estrada; Investigative Project on Race and Equity, WBEZ, Chicago Sun-Times, CU-CitizenAccess, Saluki Local Reporting Lab and The Daily Egyptian  

Best Science and Technology Reporting (large print/online)

  • “Rise of data centers in Illinois”; John Lippert; Chicago Tribune 
  • “The raw milk trend”; Angie Leventis Lourgos; Chicago Tribune  
  • “Medical science and technology stories by Lisa Schencker”; Lisa Schencker; Chicago Tribune

Best Science and Technology Reporting (small print/online)

  • “Patty Wetli on Science and Nature”; Patty Wetli; WTTW
  • “How a rogue Chicago forensics lab got people convicted for driving high”; Maya Dukmasova; Injustice Watch
  • “Federal cuts gut grants, threatening the work of Illinois researchers”; Judith Crown; Crain’s Chicago Business  

Best Science and Technology Reporting (audio)

  • “Heat List”; James Edwards, Matt Stroud, Erisa Apantaku, Philippa Geering, Krish Dineshkumar, Alex Portfelix, Rachel Byrne, N’Jeri Eaton; Wondery, Vespucci  
  • “Medicaid helps keep this toddler alive and at home. Federal cuts could put it all at risk”; Kristen Schorsch; Chicago Public Media, WBEZ Chicago  

Best Science and Technology Reporting (video)

  • “End of EV Tax Credits”; Kane Farabaugh; VOA
  • “Northwestern University Lab Helps Shape the Future of Medical Monitoring”; Paul Caine; WTTW 
  • “University of Chicago Lab Connects Computers With the Human Body”; Joanna Hernandez; WTTW

Best Investigative Reporting (large print/online)

  • “64 Days in Chicago”; Staff of the Chicago Tribune; Chicago Tribune
  • “Hospitals and guardianship”; Emily Hoerner, Christy Gutowski, Lisa Schencker; Chicago Tribune
  • “I Lost Everything’: Venezuelans Were Rounded Up in a Dramatic Midnight Raid but Never Charged With a Crime”; Melissa Sanchez, Jodi Cohen, T Christian Miller, Sebastian Rotella, Mariam Elba; ProPublica  

Best Investigative Reporting (small and medium print/online)

  • “Tyler Technologies investigation”; David Jackson, A.D. Quig, Kristen Axtman; Injustice Watch and the Chicago Tribune  
  • “Chicago Under Siege: Block Club’s Midway Blitz Coverage”; Block Club Staff; Block Club Chicago  
  • “Illinois is the last state to unlawfully strip wealth from homeowners caught in tax foreclosure”; Emeline Posner, Carlos Ballesteros , Maia McDonald, Tatiana Walk-Morris, Kristen Axtman; Investigative Project on Race and Equity and Injustice Watch  

Best Investigative Reporting (video)

  • “Women – The Forgotten Veterans”; Doug Wolfe, Andy Barker, Erika Ahola; WAND TV  

Best Investigative Reporting (audio)

  • “CPS Staffer suspended after party shooting”; Sylvia Snowden; WGN Radio
  • “‘Unlivable’ conditions festered at Chicago apartment building long before jarring immigration raid”; Mariah Woelfel, Sophie Sherry, Tom Schuba, Nader Issa, Esther Yoon-Ji Kang, Amy Qin, Alden Loury; Chicago Public Media, WBEZ Chicago  
  • “Heat List”; James Edwards, Matt Stroud, Erisa Apantaku, Philippa Geering, Krish Dineshkumar, Alex Portfelix, Rachel Byrne, N’Jeri Eaton; Wondery, Vespucci  

Best Investigative Reporting (student)

  • “‘Heartbreaking’: Rideshare drivers say they were suddenly deactivated, left jobless”; LiLi Jarvenpa, Nupur Bosmiya, Kiersten Riedford, Rose O’Keeffe, Alana Eve Schacher, Matthew Warakomski; NBC 5 Chicago News  

Best Reporting on Crime and Justice (large print/online)

  • “Rioters? Agitators? Immigration agents’ claims against US citizens mostly fall apart in court.”; Madeline Buckley, Christy Gutowski, Joe Mahr; Chicago Tribune
  • “Records reveal husband who shot and killed Berwyn assistant principal had his firearm license revoked by Illinois State Police”; Tess Kenny; Chicago Tribune
  • “Chicago cops have been making fewer traffic stops, but more are ending in violence / Chicago police traffic stops have left 230 people injured and hospitalized in recent years”; Kade Heather, Sophie Sherry, Wendy Wei, Jonathan Torres, Tom Schuba, Mohammad Samra; Investigative Project on Race and Equity and Chicago Sun-Times  

Best Reporting on Crime and Justice (small and medium print/online)

  • “Reporting on Cook County juvenile detention center”; Kelly Garcia; Injustice Watch
  • “Chicago Under Siege: Block Club’s Midway Blitz Coverage”; Block Club Staff; Block Club Chicago
  • “Chicago’s Fatal Shooting Cases”; Rita Oceguera; The Trace

Best Reporting on Crime and Justice (video)

  • “Chicago Stories: Inside the Tylenol Murders”; Peter Marks, Ian Bertorelli, Bill Ward, Tim Boyd, Brendan Walsh, Anthony Fleming III, Anna Chadwick Gardner, Shelley Spencer; WTTW
  • “Left in the Dark: Families Demand Transparency After Chatham Tragedy”; Alyssa Patrick, Erika Ahola; WAND News

Best Reporting on Crime and Justice (audio)

  • “Why is Chicago violence plummeting? Some credit street outreach workers.”; Reporter; Chicago Public Media, WBEZ Chicago  
  • “Heat List”; James Edwards, Matt Stroud, Erisa Apantaku, Philippa Geering, Krish Dineshkumar, Alex Portfelix, Rachel Byrne, N’Jeri Eaton; Wondery, Vespucci  
  • “Why does it take so long to free an innocent person from prison? The case of Robert Johnson”; Erisa Apantaku, Alison Flowers, Dana Brozost-Kelleher, Susie An; WBEZ & Invisible Institute  

Best Reporting on Crime and Justice (student)

  • “At Illinois public universities, campus cops pull over Black drivers at higher rates”; Maia McDonald, Nicole Jeanine Johnson, Khadija Ahmed, Isabelle Senechal, Amilia Estrada; Investigative Project on Race and Equity, WBEZ, Chicago Sun-Times, CU-CitizenAccess, Saluki Local Reporting Lab, and The Daily Egyptian  

Best Education Reporting (large print/online)

  • “A Black girl endured racist bullying in a mostly white Chicago school. Did CPS do enough?”; Nader Issa, Sarah Karp; Chicago Public Media, Chicago Sun-Times
  • “Why Chicago high schoolers are missing so much school”; Mila Koumpilova, Sarah Karp, Kae Petrin; Chalkbeat, WBEZ, and Chicago Sun-Times  
  • “Worried Northwestern lab directors describe ‘bleak’ atmosphere in wake of Trump research funding freeze”; Zareen Syed; Chicago Tribune  

Best Education Reporting (small and medium print/online)

  • “‘Culture of fear’: College records reveal campus ICE panic”; Alexandria Jacobson, Rachel Heimann Mercader; Raw Story  
  • “The overlooked crisis facing refugee and immigrant mothers in U.S. higher education”; Tasmiha Khan; Prism Reports  
  • “Crossing Lines”; Megy Karydes; Chicago Health Magazine  

Best Education Reporting (video)

  • “‘A Tsunami Coming From Washington’: Chicago, Illinois Leaders Respond to Education Department Layoffs”; Matt Masterson, Brandis Friedman, Bridgette Adu-Wadier, Crystin Immel; WTTW
  • “Volunteers Help Immigrant Parents Get Their Kids to School With the ‘Walking School Bus’”; Joanna Hernandez; WTTW
  • “Departing CPS Chief Pedro Martinez Says He Has No Regrets, Decries ‘Bullying’ by Mayor and CTU”; Brandis Friedman, Paul Caine, Crystin Immel; WTTW

Best Education Reporting (audio)

  • “In Austin, Black mentors are making college possible”; Lisa Kurian Philip; Chicago Public Media, WBEZ Chicago  
  • “Illinois professors face threats after landing on Charlie Kirk group watch list”; Mawa Iqbal; Chicago Public Media, WBEZ Chicago  

Best Education Reporting (student)

  • “Parents, lawmakers battle over Illinois Homeschool Act. What to know”; Sabrina Castle, Bing Wang, Francesca Corona, Sofia Joseph, Laura Vázquez David, Jake Cox; NBC 5 Chicago News   

Best Business Reporting (large print/online)

  • “Hospitals have pulled back on gender-affirming care for kids”; Lisa Schencker; Chicago Tribune
  • “Gig workers and street vendors and day laborers hit by feds in Chicago immigration crackdown”; Talia Soglin; Chicago Tribune
  • “How multifamily missteps set stage for big South Side immigration raid”; Emma Whalen; The Real Deal  

Best Business Reporting (small and medium print/online)

  • “The Aux grand opening celebrates the power of social connection”; Heidi Randhava; Evanston RoundTable
  • “‘How Did This Happen?’”; Katie Scarlett Brandt; Chicago Health Magazine
  • “Former Leona’s space is open for low-cost parties — and AI entrepreneurship”; Morley Musick, Marc Monaghan; Hyde Park Herald

Best Business Reporting (video)

  • “In Chicago, Some Businesses Report Pandemic-Era Drop in Sales Amid Immigration Raids”; Joanna Hernandez; WTTW
  • “Chicago Stories: Marshall Field’s”; Heidi Zersen, Marcy Marzuki, David Fortney, Brendan Walsh, Anthony Fleming III, Anna Chadwick Gardner, Shelley Spencer; WTTW
  • “Farmers Frozen From Federal Funding”; Kane Farabaugh; VOA

Best Business Reporting (audio)

  • “Forty Acres Fresh Market’s owner says ‘I’ve never met a cheerful, happy grocer’”; Esther Yoon-Ji Kang; Chicago Public Media, WBEZ Chicago 
  • “A small vacation resort area in Michigan is one of the top markets for marijuana sales”; Michael Puente; NPR
  • “Business of Food”; Steve Alexander; WGN Radio

Best Feature Reporting Single Story/Episode (large print/online)

  • “‘An American Soldier:’ The improbable homecoming of WWII Army Pvt. James Loyd”; Andrew Carter; Chicago Tribune
  • “Chicago doesn’t remember one of its worst disasters”; Christopher Borrelli; Chicago Tribune
  • “How Starbucks’ CEO Plans to Tame the Rush-Hour Free-for-All”; Daniela Sirtori; Bloomberg Businessweek  

Best Feature Reporting Single Story/Episode (small and medium print/online)

  • “A Tragic Homecoming”; Alma Campos; South Side Weekly
  • “Take Note! Chicago Stationery Shops Enjoying Revived Interest in Analog Communication, Fueled by Social Media and Celebrities”; Patty Wetli, Nicole Cardos; WTTW 
  • “‘Hidden gem’: Growing number of visitors discovering southern Illinois as travel destination”; Sonya Dymova, Maggie Dougherty; Capitol News Illinois  

Best Feature Reporting Single Story/Episode (video)

  • “Secret Service Agent Clint Hill ”; Kane Farabaugh; VOA 
  • “Touring Chicago’s Lakefront with Geoffrey Baer”; Geoffrey Baer, Michael West, Brendan Brown, Joe Winston, Brendan Walsh, Shelley Spencer; WTTW
  • “Climbing Higher”; Deron Molen, Erika Ahola; WAND News  

Best Feature Reporting Single Story/Episode (audio)

  • “The Mac”; Dave Schwan; WGN
  • “How tattoo removal could give some incarcerated Illinoisans a blank slate”; Lauren Frost; Chicago Public Media, WBEZ Chicago  
  • “Why does it take so long to free an innocent person from prison? The case of Robert Johnson”; Erisa Apantaku, Alison Flowers, Dana Brozost-Kelleher, Susie An; WBEZ & Invisible Institute  

Best Feature Reporting Single Story/Episode (student)

  • “Chicago’s Iraqi Novelist: The life and legacy of Mahmoud Saeed”; Reporter; Outlet 
  • “Story name”; Grace Logan; The DePaulia “‘Heartbreaking’: Rideshare drivers say they were suddenly deactivated, left jobless”; LiLi Jarvenpa, Nupur Bosmiya, Kiersten Riedford, Rose O’Keeffe, Alana Eve Schacher, Matthew Warakomski; NBC 5 Chicago News  
  • “DePaul professor cleans up dog poop”; Sabrina Castle, Jeremy Battle; The DePaulia  

Best Feature Reporting Series (large print/online)

  • “64 Days in Chicago”; Staff of the Chicago Tribune; Chicago Tribune
  • “Diversity in Chicago arts”; Erica Thompson, Mike Davis; Chicago Public Media
  • “Immigration Raids Series”; Miranda Davis, Alicia Caldwell, Daniela Sirtori, Erin Ailworth, Isis Almeida, Shruti Singh; Bloomberg News

Best Feature Reporting Series (small and medium print/online)

  • “War in Ukraine: The View from Chicago”; Wendy Wei, Liubov Sholudko, Tetiana Burianova; Chicago Reader, Borderless Magazine, South Side Weekly  
  • “Healing Illinois 2025 Native American Advocacy Series: ‘Our identity has been frozen in time’”; Bridgette Fox, Jerry Nowicki; Capitol News Illinois  
  • “Crain’s Forum”; Judith Crown, Cassandra West, Jason McGregor; Crain’s Chicago Business

Best Feature Reporting Series (video)

  • “Joanna Hernandez: Latino Voices Reporting”; Joanna Hernandez; WTTW
  • “WTTW News Explains”; Jay Smith, Abena Bediako, Patty Wetli, Justin Younger, Natalie Younger, Greg Bodfish, Alex Blanchette; WTTW 
  • “Crain’s Forum”; Judith Crown, Cassandra West, Jason McGregor; Crain’s Chicago Business

Best Feature Reporting Series (audio)

  • “Disrupted: Children amid the deportation campaign”; Sarah Karp; Chicago Public Media, WBEZ Chicago  
  • “Division Street Revisited”; Mary Schmich, Melissa Harris, Bill Healy, Cate Cahan, Mark Jacob, Libby Lussenhop, Chijioke Williams, Chris Walz; Mary & Melissa Productions, podcast distributed by PRX  
  • “Heat List”; James Edwards, Matt Stroud, Erisa Apantaku, Philippa Geering, Krish Dineshkumar, Alex Portfelix, Rachel Byrne, N’Jeri Eaton; Wondery, Vespucci  

Questions? Email us at peterlisagorawards@gmail.com