“Farmers are an adaptable bunch because it’s always something,” the story notes. The highlight is the story about a pick-your-own strawberry farm that reinvented its business and partnered with a shelter to sell $30,000 worth of fruit that would have died on the vine because pickers fell ill with COVID-19. Other sections feature online activities to weather the pandemic and profiles of local musicians in the “Meet a Musician” feature. The “Nutcracker” story shows how local companies worked to take the holiday classic online. Judge’s comments: These sections demonstrated admirable creativity and adaptability during the pandemic.
Third place: (Greensboro, N.C.) News & Record Overall, this was an engaging and inventive collection of features in a challenging year for feature writers. The “Are You Happy” feature was a clever person-on-the-street piece in the vein of the Humans of New York photoblog. The annual Austin Food Guide was another standout, focusing on grocery stores and how we procured food in 2020, with special attention to the city’s signature and lesser-known food products. Though these topics can be tough fare for an arts and entertainment section, Austin360 rose to the occasion with well-reported packages on the experience of being a Black musician in Austin and a deeply reported piece on the struggles restaurateurs and club owners faced after the lockdown. Judge’s comments: This publication excelled in its coverage of the twin challenges of 2020 – the pandemic and the reckoning after George Floyd’s killing. Second place: Austin (Texas) American-Statesman The Life in 2020 thought piece by Amanda Hancock is a lovely meditation on boredom. The profile of photographer John Fielder is a well-written, behind-the-scenes take on a local beloved figure. Likewise, the photo essay on the Colorado Rockies captures a range of destinations in images and pithy captions. Rockey and the food photography are magazine-quality. The layout for Weekend Six Pack, the photo of the artist C.H. The design and photography are outstanding. Judge’s comments: These sections feature a number of fresh, local packages that showcase great writing and compelling imagery. The best regularly occurring printed features sections that focus on A&E, lifestyles or other features coverage.įirst place: The (Colorado Springs, Colo.) Gazette
#My dad is a rock star chili con carnage series
Third place: Austin (Texas) American-StatesmanĮight awards, including four firsts (Best Features Digital Presence, Short Feature, Food Criticism and Arts & Entertainment Commentary Portfolio), three seconds (Best Section, Diversity in Digital Features and Best Special Section) and one honorable mention (Features Series or Project)įourth place: The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journalįour awards, including one first (Food Writing Portfolio), one second (General Commentary Portfolio), one third (General Feature) and one honorable mention (Sports Feature) Nine awards, including three firsts (Best Section, Sports Feature and Best Special Section), three seconds (Best Features Digital Presence, Food Feature and Video Storytelling), two thirds (General Commentary Portfolio and Diversity in Digital Features) and one honorable mention (Video Storytelling) Second place: The (Colorado Springs, Colo.) Gazette Ten awards, including six firsts (Arts & Entertainment Feature, Food Feature, Features Series or Project, Feature Specialty Writing Portfolio, Integrated Storytelling and Diversity in Digital Features), two seconds (Food Criticism and Food Writing Portfolio) and two honorable mentions (General Feature and Feature Specialty Writing Portfolio) These awards recognize the three publications that garner the most honors in the contest’s other 20 categories.įirst place: The (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier