Award winners for the 2017 annual contest for work produced during 2016.
BLOGS
Best Entertainment/Culture Blog
FIRST PLACE: Nate Jackson (editor), Heard Mentality, OC Weekly
Best Lifestyle/Family Blog
FIRST PLACE: Brad A. Johnson, Brad A. Johnson: Food & Travel
BROADCAST
Best Broadcast
THIRD PLACE: Matt Kollar, OC Weekly
“The Donald Trump Rally: Orange Man Comes to Orange County”
SECOND PLACE: Matt Brown, Chapman University
“One Strong Teammate: Carter Ankeny”
FIRST PLACE: Anthony Porrazzo, Spotlight Video
“Orange Catholic Foundation’s Conference on Business and Ethics”
PHOTO
Best News Photo
HONORABLE MENTION: Eric Hood, OC Weekly
Ku Klux Klan Rally and Counter-Protest @ Pearson Park in Anaheim
THIRD PLACE: Michael Goulding, Orange County Register
SECOND PLACE: Richard Koehler, Orange County Register
FIRST PLACE: Steven Georges, Behind the Badge
Best Sports Photo
THIRD PLACE: Matt Masin, Orange County Register
SECOND PLACE: Matt Masin, Orange County Register
FIRST PLACE: Michael Goulding, Orange County Register
Best Feature Photo
HONORABLE MENTION: Steven Georges, Behind the Badge
THIRD PLACE: Steven Georges, Behind the Badge
SECOND PLACE: Christopher Trela, Newport Beach Independent
FIRST PLACE: Matt Masin, Orange County Register
Best Portrait
THIRD PLACE: Matt Masin, Orange County Register
SECOND PLACE: Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register
FIRST PLACE: Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register
Best Photo Essay/Slideshow
SECOND PLACE: Eric Hood, OC Weekly
FIRST PLACE: Dustin Ames, OC Weekly
ADVOCACY JOURNALISM OR SPECIALTY PUBLICATION
Best News Story
SECOND PLACE: Bill Rams, Jaimee Lynn Fletcher, Behind the Badge
BTB Special Report: 164 on-duty cops shot so far this year
FIRST PLACE: Jaimee Lynn Fletcher, Behind the Badge
VIDEO: Training, instinct save OCSD deputies from suicidal man who fired dozens of rounds from illegal automatic rifle
Best News Feature Story
SECOND PLACE: James Reed, Related California
Less traffic No sprawl Art and culture for all
FIRST PLACE: Greg Hardesty, Behind the Badge
Shot six times, this officer made sure not to let bad guy end the career he loves dearly
Best Feature Story
THIRD PLACE: Richard Chang, THE Journal
Robotic Telepresence Device Allows Student to Attend School Virtually While Receiving Treatment
SECOND PLACE: Liz Goldner, KCET Artbound
“Healing Through Art: PTSD Survival Stories”
FIRST PLACE: Amy DePaul, Narratively
The Thrill-Seeking Bodysurfers of California’s Most Terrifying Wave
Best Music/Entertainment Story or Review
FIRST PLACE: Jessica Peralta, Halloween Every Night
‘The Witch’ Is a New Kind of Horror Classic
Best Arts/Culture Story or Review
FIRST PLACE: Liz Goldner, KCET Artbound
“Laguna Beach in the Sixties: A Colony for the Arts”
DESIGN/GRAPHICS
Best Cover
THIRD PLACE: Denise Smaldino, OC Family
“What are you thankful for?”
SECOND PLACE: Dustin Ames, OC Weekly
“The Rainbow Man”
FIRST PLACE: Dustin Ames, OC Weekly
“Native Tongue”
Best Page Design
FIRST PLACE: Dustin Ames, OC Weekly
“Uncle Creepy”
Best Political Cartoon
SECOND PLACE: Luke McGarry, OC Weekly
“Pokemon Go Meets Black Lives Matter (subtitled Middle-Class Priorities)”
FIRST PLACE: Leslie Agan, OC Weekly
“Santa Ana River Pastoral”
PRINT
Best News Story
THIRD PLACE: Martin Wiskol, Orange County Register
“Democratic surge shrinks GOP lead”
SECOND PLACE: Anh Do, Los Angeles Times
Unlikely bond forms between O.C. jail escapee and his hostage
FIRST PLACE: R. Scott Moxley, OC Weekly
Did OCDA Ignore Doctored CHP Reports to Convict Motorist of Murder?
Best News Feature Story
HONORABLE MENTION: Deepa Bharath, Orange County Register
‘Open and affirming’: Irvine church is a haven for LGBT
THIRD PLACE: Nuran Alteir, Los Angeles Times
At local community colleges, transgender students’ names are now whatever they prefer
SECOND PLACE: Erika Ritchie, Orange County Register
Veteran who died at Doheny gets “dignified end” after friends, strangers put together details of his life
FIRST PLACE: Deepa Bharath, Orange County Register
Silence about gun violence is no longer an option for New Hope pastor in Orange
Best Investigative Story
HONORABLE MENTION: R. Scott Moxley, OC Weekly
Who Masterminded The Wood Chipper Plot Against A Judge, Prosecutors and FBI agents?
THIRD PLACE: Tracy Wood, Voice of OC
‘Behested Payments’ Add Another Layer of Money in Politics
SECOND PLACE: Tomoya Shimura, Orange County Register
“PAC money overtaking city elections, with $2.4 million spent in Irvine, Anaheim alone”
FIRST PLACE: Tony Saavedra, Orange County Register
Police might not know where their guns are, and the law says that’s OK
Watchdog Award
FIRST PLACE: R. Scott Moxley, OC Weekly
Best Public Affairs Story
HONORABLE MENTION: Anh Do, Los Angeles Times
“For Asians in the U.S. illegally, ‘there’s more shame and more quiet’”
THIRD PLACE: Jordan Graham and Theresa Walker, Orange County Register
“As Santa Ana Civic Center homeless population grows, so do crime, fear and disease”
SECOND PLACE: Nick Gerda, Voice of OC
“OC’s Rise in Suicides Largest Among Major U.S. Counties”
FIRST PLACE: Mary Carreon, OC Weekly
“How Irvine Became SoCal’s First Non-Toxic City”
Best Feature Story
HONORABLE MENTION: Hannah Fry, Daily Pilot
“Balboa Island sculpture is planned to memorialize couple as a symbol of the community”
THIRD PLACE: Caitlin Yoshiko Kandil, LA Times
“Jails serve inmates and immigrants”
SECOND PLACE: Margot Roosevelt, Orange County Register
“Nonprofit law firm goes to battle for hundreds of O.C. Veterans”
FIRST PLACE: Keith Sharon, Orange County Register
“On 9/11, he was in the Pentagon and his childhood friend’s plane crashed into it”
Best Round-Up or Best Of
THIRD PLACE: Christopher Trela and Catherine Del Casale, Newport Beach Independent
Off the Menu: Memorable Dining Experiences of 2016
SECOND PLACE: Gustavo Arellano, editor, OC Weekly
Fans Remember Their Encounters in Orange County With Kobe Bryant, OC’s Most Regular Famous Guy
FIRST PLACE: Nancy Luna, Orange County Register
OC Fair: Here are the must-try foods for 2016
Best Business Story
HONORABLE MENTION: Jeff Collins, Orange County Register
How to fix the housing crisis: Embrace high-density development or face rising prices and rent, experts say
THIRD PLACE: Margot Roosevelt, Orange County Register
How hard is exporting? Here’s how one small Irvine business went global
SECOND PLACE: Jeff Collins, Orange County Register
No voucher, no vacancy, no help: The cruel realities of Section 8 housing in Orange County
FIRST PLACE: Matt Coker, OC Weekly
Why OC Must Lose the ‘War’ On Sober-Living Homes
Best Sports Story
HONORABLE MENTION: Mirin Fader, Orange County Register
#DiegoStrong: La Habra football player is in the fight of his life – and he won’t give up
THIRD PLACE: Ryan Kartje, Orange County Register
Retiring Vin Scully, the voice of generations, says farewell to Dodger Stadium on Sunday
SECOND PLACE: Mirin Fader, Orange County Register
Queens of the court: They may be petite, but their love of basketball is huge
FIRST PLACE: Joey Kaufman, Orange County Register
Most Influential 2016: Sam Darnold helped save USC’s season
Best Arts/Culture Story
HONORABLE MENTION: David Jerome, Orange County Register
Mr. Bucketlist: Rubbing elbows with celebrities I actually remember
THIRD PLACE: Todd Harmonson, Orange County Register
Spend a fortune on ‘Hamilton’? Worth it!
SECOND PLACE: Richard Chang, Laguna Beach Magazine
Lasting Landmarks: Laguna architect Mark Singer, who died in September, lives on in his work around town
FIRST PLACE: Nick Schou, OC Weekly
Curtis Rainbow Helped to Organize the Biggest Hippie Happening in OC History. Now, He’s Homeless
Best Arts/Culture Review
THIRD PLACE: Dave Barton, OC Weekly
‘Marilyn Minter: Pretty/Dirty’ at OCMA Nails the Artist’s Pathology of Beauty
SECOND PLACE: Liz Goldner, ArtScene
“Helen Lundeberg”
FIRST PLACE: Liz Goldner, Art Ltd.
Report: Orange County
Best Music/Entertainment Story or Review
HONORABLE MENTION: Daniel Kohn, OC Weekly
Irvine Meadows Says Its Final Goodbyes Before Getting Demolished for Apartments
THIRD PLACE: Josh Chesler, OC Weekly
The Story of Sublime’s Iconic Sun Logo and How It’s Rising Into the Mainstream
SECOND PLACE: Nate Jackson, OC Weekly
Gabby Gaborno Tells His Fans Goodbye With a Birthday Show of a Lifetime
FIRST PLACE: Gabriel San Roman, OC Weekly
The Life and Times of Malvina Reynolds, Long Beach’s Most Legendary (and Hated) Folk Singer
Best Food/Restaurant Story
HONORABLE MENTION: Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register
Brad A. Johnson’s guide to Chinese food in Orange County
THIRD PLACE: Bradley Zint, Daily Pilot
Bon Voyage, Nino – 88-year-old who started Laguna’s Ristorante Rumari at 60 is ready to retire
SECOND PLACE: Christopher Toland, OC Weekly
A History of Loquats in Orange County, and How So Many Ended Up in Santa Ana
FIRST PLACE: Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register
Best of the best: Brad A. Johnson’s annual chef and restaurant awards
Best Food/Restaurant Review
THIRD PLACE: Edwin Goei, OC Weekly
Taverna in Laguna Beach Has Mastered the Art of Risotto
SECOND PLACE: Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register
Review: Hana re
FIRST PLACE: Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register
Review: The Ritz
Best Travel Story
THIRD PLACE: Joseph Pimentel, Orange County Register
Hong Kong Disneyland vs. Anaheim: How does theme park differ abroad?
SECOND PLACE: Jessica Kwong, Orange County Register
Cuba: How to get there ahead of the American tourist invasion
FIRST PLACE: Susan Christian Goulding, Orange County Register
Here’s how we found bliss on a trip to Belize
Best Profile
THIRD PLACE: Meghann Cuniff, The Daily Journal
“JAMS co-founder and former justice Jack Trotter retires”
SECOND PLACE: Keith Sharon, Orange County Register
“This ‘Unsung Hero’ was a convicted murderer until Gov. Brown set him free immediately”
FIRST PLACE: Nancy Luna, Orange County Register
“How Amar Santana went from an impoverished childhood to ‘Top Chef’ contender”
David McQuay Award for Best Columnist
THIRD PLACE: David Jerome, Orange County Register
Mr. Bucketlist
SECOND PLACE: Barbara Venezia, Daily Pilot
FIRST PLACE: Norberto Santana Jr., Voice of OC
Behind the Orange Curtain
Marjorie Freeman Award for Best Humorous Story
HONORABLE MENTION: Roderick Reed, Laguna Beach Independent
To be truly tired one must experience a vacation
THIRD PLACE: Mark D. Crantz, Laguna Beach Independent
“Party Hardy”
SECOND PLACE: Kedric Francis, OC Family
Silly move puts Dad in a sticky situation
FIRST PLACE: Pamela Knudsen, Los Angeles Times
I had to ditch all the dating apps so I could find love
SPECIAL
The Real O.C. Award
THIRD PLACE: Nuran Alteir, KPCC
This Ramadan, breaking the fast while getting to know a new country
SECOND PLACE: Hannah Fry, Daily Pilot
O.C.’s iconic piers, with their colorful pasts, help define their cities
FIRST PLACE: Gustavo Arellano, OC Weekly
Ah, Pachucos! Orange County’s Great Zoot Suit Panic of 1943
SKY DUNLAP AWARD
For lifetime achievement and community service
Thomas Johnson