Winners of the Orange County Press Club’s 2025 Excellence in Journalism Awards were announced on June 18, 2025, at the Anaheim Hills Country Club in an event sponsored by Carrie Freitas of KTM Agency; Norberto Santana Jr. of Voice of OC; Scott Rogers of Parenting OC, Fountain Valley Living and Huntington Beach Living; Rossmoor Women’s Club; Chris Trela; Andrew Turner; and Carol Cormaci.

Christopher Trela was awarded the Sky Dunlap Award, the Press Club’s highest honor, recognizing lifetime achievement and community service. Trela is an award-winning journalist, photographer, public relations professional, and educator whose work has helped shape Orange County’s media, arts, and cultural landscape for more than three decades. A former president of the Orange County Press Club, he has earned numerous honors through the club’s annual Excellence in Journalism Awards and has published more than 3,000 articles and columns covering arts, culture, business, food, travel, and community issues. He currently serves as Lifestyle Editor for the Newport Beach Independent and Executive Dining Columnist for the Orange County Business Journal.

Beyond journalism, Trela has made significant contributions to the community through arts advocacy, education, and nonprofit leadership. He teaches public relations at Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts; leads ArtsPR, a consulting firm serving arts organizations; and serves on several local nonprofit boards, including the Newport Beach Film Festival and Culture OC. A former Newport Beach Arts Commissioner and co-founder of New Voices Playwrights Workshop, Trela has dedicated his career to supporting the arts, mentoring future communicators, and strengthening Orange County’s cultural community.

Scholarships were awarded to Sathya Chaib, Maximo Santana, Caleb Otte and Priscilla Preciado. The Larry Welborn scholarship was presented to Betty Kaldas, who will attend the California Scholastic Press Association’s annual workshop.

Categories in the Press Club’s annual Excellence in Journalism contest were judged by Press Club of Cleveland, Florida Press Club, Idaho Press Club, Milwaukee Press Club, Press Club of New Orleans, Press Club of Southeast Exas and Syracuse Press Club.

Congratulations to all our winners!

JOURNALISM DIVISION

To qualify for the journalism categories, entrants must be a recognized journalistic entity, including print formats and produce content meant for public consumption that adheres to the following standards:

• The INN (Institute for Nonprofit News) standards for its member news organizations, emphasizing editorial excellence, independence, and transparency, ensuring members produce original, fact-based journalism.
• The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Code of Ethics, which emphasizes seeking truth, minimizing harm, acting independently and being accountable.
• The Associated Press industry standards for journalistic ethics, emphasizing accuracy, fairness, and avoiding bias or conflicts of interest.

Best News Story

First Place: Ryanne Mena, “Stanton property owners fighting July 4th fireworks fines that total $1 million,” Orange County Register

Second Place: Kaitlyn Schallhorn  and Teri Sforza,  Michael Gates, former Huntington Beach city attorney, was fired from the Justice Department ‘for cause’,” Orange County Register

Third Place: Jill Replogle  and Jordan Rynning, “Why were AI-equipped police cameras installed in this majority Latino Huntington Beach neighborhood?” LAist

Honorable Mention: Noah Biesiada  and Angelina Hicks, “Who Gets a Free Ticket to the Orange County Fair?” Voice of OC

Best News Feature Story

First Place: Erika I. Ritchie, “With a service dog watching their “six” veterans gain ground in battles with PTSD,” Orange County Register

Second Place: Richard Simon, “Newport Beach Fire Department Strike Team Spends Two Weeks Battling Pacific Palisades Fire,” Newport Beach Independent

Third Place: Samantha Dunn, “Wildfires Redefine ‘OK’ and ‘Safe’ for All in Southern California,” Orange County Register

Best Breaking News Story

First Place: Nick Gerda, Destiny Torres and Jill Replogle, “Ex-OC supervisor Andrew Do sentenced to 5 years in prison over corruption scheme,” Last

Second Place: Jeff Collins, “Altadena fire zones grow under new state maps, but officials say won’t impede permitting in rebuild,” Orange County Register

Third Place: Spencer Custodio and Isabel Torres,“ Orange County Hits the Streets, Rails Against ICE Sweeps,” Voice of OC

Best Feature Story

First Place: Maximo Santana, “Orange County’s Biggest Fossil Can Only Be Seen in LA,” Voice of OC

Second Place: Paul Hodgins, “South Coast Repertory Endured a Rough Year But Sees Opportunities Ahead,” Culture OC

Third Place: Kaitlyn Schallhorn, “‘Love on the Spectrum’ star Adán Correa is using his fame to advocate for the autism community at home,” Orange County Register

Best Public Health Story 

First Place: Yusra Farzan, “Why Trump’s latest order could devastate substance abuse treatment in Orange County,” Last

Best Political Story

First Place: Noah Biesiada, “Was Huntington Beach Up Front With Airshow’s Controversial Settlement?” Voice of OC

Second Place: Spencer Custodio and Hosam Elattar, “How Did OC’s Most MAGA City Council End Up on Trump’s Sanctuary City List?” Voice of OC

Third Place: Jill Replogle, “Censorship lost in Huntington Beach’s recent special election. Or did it?” LAist

Honorable Mention: Kaitlyn Schallhorn, “OC elections chief says he followed law with federal request for non-citizen information,” Orange County Register

Best Round-Up or Best Of

First Place: Billy Fried, “How to Save a City from Dying,” Laguna Beach Independent

Second Place: Cynthia Rebolledo, “Wrapped in Tradition: Where to Find Orange County’s Best Tamales This Season,” Culture OC

Third Place: Culture OC Staff, “Culture OC Writers Reveal Their 2025 Arts and Culture Summer Picks,” Culture OC

Best Business Story

First Place: Victoria Le, “Hospital openings in Irvine mean lots of new hiring in region,” Orange County Register

Second Place: Jeff Collins, “L.A. wildfires’ economic toll: Devastating losses followed by burst of building,” Orange County Register

Third Place: Voice of OC Staff, “Will ICE Raids be the Death of Local Swap Meets in Orange County?” Voice of OC

Best Sports Story

First Place: Matt Szabo, “Newport Harbor baseball staying strong in the face of a player’s unexpected loss,” Daily Pilot

Second Place: Haley Sawyer, “This former UCLA coach’s class provides a unique learning environment,” Orange County Register

Third Place: Scott French, “Huntington Beach tunes up for final as Loyola plays through tragedy,” Daily Pilot

Best Coverage of a Live Event

First Place: Samantha Dunn, Jason Henry and Andre Mouchard, Southern California wildfires, Orange County Register

Best Arts/Culture Story

First Place: Matt Szabo, “Huntington Beach man using ‘homeless’ moment to spread awareness,” Daily Pilot

Second Place: Richard Chang, “‘The Chinese Lady’ at Chance Theater Explores Immigration, Division and American Dreams,” Culture OC

Third Place: Kaitlin Wright, “Laguna Dance Celebrates 20 Years of Artistic Excellence and Community Impact,” Culture OC

Honorable Mention: Andrew Turner, “Sawdust Festival brings ‘magic’ during kickoff event for its 59th season,” Daily Pilot

Best Arts/Culture Review

First Place: Zoe Luczaj, “Art Imitates Art: An Enchanting Evening at the Pageant of the Masters,” Newport Beach Independent

Best Music/Entertainment Story

First Place: Joel Beers, “Nate Jackson Takes Orange County Punk History Personally,” Culture OC

Second Place: Sharon Stello, “Calming Chords Help Soothe Local Cats and Canines,” Culture OC

Third Place: Sarah Mosqueda, “The Coach House Concert Hall celebrates 45 years in San Juan Capistrano,” Daily Pilot

Best Music/Entertainment Review

First Place: Ashley Littlefield, “Today’s Song: Tame Impala Paints an “End of Summer” Soundscape Sundrenched in Color, Rhythm, & Nostalgia,” Atwood Magazine

Second Place: Timothy Mangan, “Alexander Shelley and Pacific Symphony Reignite Beethoven’s Fifth,” Culture OC

Third Place: Zoe Luczaj, “A Time Capsule of Rock and Roll: South Coast Repertory’s Electrifying ‘Million Dollar Quartet’,” Newport Beach Independent

Honorable Mention: Timothy Mangan, “Protests and Tchaikovsky with the Israel Philharmonic in O.C.,” Culture OC

Best Health/Wellness Story

First Place: Samantha Dunn, “I Have a Chronic, Incurable Illness. Here’s How I Deal With It,” Orange County Register

Best Environmental News Story

First Place: Erika I. Ritchie, “NOAA reports spike in whale entanglements, latest bad news in a year of threats in and out of the ocean,” Orange County Register

Second Place: Jill Replogle, “Your shucked oysters could help shore up the Orange County coast,” LAist

Third Place: Maximo Santana, “Can Two Orphaned 14 Month Old Mountain Lion Cubs Survive Orange County,” Voice of OC

Honorable Mention: Hosam Elattar, “SoCal’s Gas-Powered Water Heaters Won’t Get Phased Out, For Now,” Voice of OC

Best Education Story

First Place: Hanna Kang, Erika I. Ritchie and Michael Slaten, “Graduation 2025: More seniors are taking the fast track into careers with bright futures,” Orange County Register

Second Place: Hanna Kang, “Immigration raids cast a shadow over Orange County’s back-to-school season,” Orange County Register

Third Place: Hosam Elattar, “Santa Ana School District Settles Lawsuit Over Alleged Antisemitic Classes,” Voice of OC

Best Food/Restaurant Story

First Place: Yusra Farzan, “Move over Disneyland, the new H Mart in Westminster is my happiest place,” LAist

Second Place: Sarah Mosqueda, “New panaderia in Santa Ana is a sweet addition to the neighborhood,” Times OC

Third Place: Ivy Dai, “Stricklands Ice Cream Returns as an O.C. Mainstay,” Culture OC

Honorable Mention: Christopher Trela, “Harvest at The Ranch: Laguna’s Hidden Culinary Gem Rooted in Farm-to-Table Flavors,” Newport Beach Independent

Best Food/Restaurant Review

First Place: Edwin Goei, “How I ate more Japanese A5 Wagyu than I ever had in my life — while being timed,” Daily Pilot

Second Place: Edwin Goei, “Keep Calm and Curry On at Chiang Rai,” Culture OC

Third Place: Brad A Johnson, “The Fresh Prince of Tchoupitoulas Street,” OLTRE

Honorable Mention: Brock Keeling, “Where do Orange County’s top chefs eat? We asked them,” Orange County Register

Best Travel Story

First Place: Billy Fried, “Calamari and All-Night Parties,” Laguna Beach Independent

Second Place: Jenn Tanaka, “This little yellow shack is so iconic’: California’s unkillable cliffside burger stand,” SF Gate

Third Place: Edwin Goei, “This hidden rural oasis makes for a splendid day trip — and it’s just an hour from L.A.,” Los Angeles Times

Honorable Mention: Brad A. Johnson, “How to Eat Fried Worms,” OLTRE 

Best Profile

First Place: Anh Do, “Tony Lam was an original influencer in Little Saigon – and he’s still got it,” Los Angeles Times

Second Place: Ashley Ryan, “From Concept to Costume: Behind the Scenes of the Entertainment Industry’s Silhouettes,” Culture OC

Third Place: Cynthia Rebolledo, “Immigration Fears Forced Mr. Diablito Off His Corner in Santa Ana, But Not Out of the Community,” Culture OC

Best Religion Story

First Place: Yusra Farzan, “Ramadan nightlife options in SoCal are on the rise. Here’s what you can expect,” LAist

Second Place: Destiny Torres, “Santa Ana’s Lady of Guadalupe draws hundreds. Why this year’s altar means something more,” LAist

Marjorie Freeman Award for Best Humorous Story 

First Place: Mark D. Crantz, “Go Outside,” Laguna Beach Independent

Second Place: Todd Harmonson, “How to stop drinking tequila like an amateur,” Orange County Register

Third Place: Spencer Grant and Mara Casey, “Santa Knew Who Was Naughty or Nice on Hospitality Night,” Laguna Beach Independent

Best Investigative Story or Series 

First Place: Jill Replogle  and Nick Gerda, Orange County accountability reporting, LAist

Best Immigration Coverage

First Place: Hanna Kang, Orange County Register

Best Poverty, Homelessness or Housing Insecurity Story or Series

First Place: Hosam Elattar  and Noah Biesiada, Food Insecurity Orange County, Voice of OC

Best Beat Reporting 

First Place: Jeff Collins, Housing and Real Estate, Orange County Register

Second Place: Timothy Mangan, Classical Music, Culture OC

Third Place: Yusra Farzan  and Nick Gerda, Electeds Behaving Badly, LAist

Honorable Mention: Andre Mouchard, Public Health, Orange County Register

Best Long-Form Feature Story or Series

First Place: Joel Beers, O.C. by Metrolink, Culture OC

Second Place: Orange County Register Staff, Orange County’s Little Saigon at 50, Orange County Register

Third Place: Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Sacramento Snapshot, Orange County Register

Honorable Mention: Noah Biesiada  and Julie Leopo, “Controversial Streetcar Forever Changes the Face of Downtown Santa Ana,” Voice of OC

Best Civic Reporting

First Place: Yusra Farzan, Orange County civics accountability, LAist

Second Place: Hosam Elattar, “How Long Does it Take to Figure Out If Angel Stadium is Trashed?” Voice of OC

Third Place: Beau Yarbrough and Hanna Kang, What Southern California’s legislators got done in 118th Congress, Orange County Register

David McQuay Award for Best Columnist 

First Place: David N. Young, Event-News Enterprise 

Second Place: Brad A. Johnson, OLTRE

Third Place: Teri Sforza, Orange County Register

Best Video/Broadcast

First Place: Ivan Franco and Shawn Price, “Haunted Carwash 2025,” Halloween Every Night

Second Place: Maya Epstein and Shawn Price, ““Poe-Etique” 2025,” Halloween Every Night

Third Place: Maya Epstein and Shawn Price, “So.Cal ZombieWalk 2025,” Halloween Every Night

Honorable Mention: Maya Epstein and Shawn Price, “Holey Moley Golf Club and Hijinx Hotel Now Open,” Halloween Every Night

Best Video Series

First Place: Christopher Luu, “Influential With Katty Kay Season 3,” BBC

Best Use of Multimedia

First Place: Jessica Peralta, “20 Years of ‘Dead’ — A Love of Playing Zombie at Maverick Theater,” Halloween Every Night

Second Place: Jessica Peralta, “10 Years of The 17th Door,” Halloween Every Night

Third Place: Jessica Peralta, “New Mazes of Scary Farm 2025,” Halloween Every Night

Best Use of Data

First Place: Daniel Aitken and Kaitlyn Schallhorn, “See how your Orange County neighborhood voted on Proposition 50,” Orange County Register

Best Audience Engagement/Use of Social Media

First Place: Scott Hays, “Todd Marinovich: Addiction in his Own Words,” OC World

Second Place: Edwin Goei, “My French Laundry Experience in 75 Seconds,” Monster Munching

Third Place: Carolyn Burt, “OC History: Lion Country Safari in Irvine was an accident waiting to happen,” Orange County Register

Best Audio Storytelling/Podcast

First Place: Natalie Tso, The Lab Beat, UC Irvine Samueli School of Engineering 

Best Illustration

First Place: SA Hart, Bill Murray, Halloween Every Night

Second Place: Julian Turonis, Richard Edlund, Halloween Every Night

Third Place: Morgan Bryson, Edward Gorey, Halloween Every Night

Honorable Mention: Quinn Moody, Gene Wilder, Halloween Every Night

Best News Photo

First Place: Mitch Ridder, Rancho Fire, Laguna Beach Independent

Second Place: Julie Leopo, Orange County Braces For ICE, Voice of OC

Third Place: Paul Rodriguez, Celebration, Orange County Register

Honorable Mention: Maximo Santana, The Prima Deshecha landfill, Voice of OC

Best Sports Photo

First Place: Keith Birmingham, World Series Walk-Off, Orange County Register

Second Place: Paul Rodriguez, On the Nose, Orange County Register

Third Place: Keith Birmingham, Goal Line Dive, Orange County Register

Best Feature Photo

First Place: John Fredricks, Sonora State Police Operation, The Epoch Times

Second Place: Spencer Grant, Tide Pool Distraction, Laguna Beach Independent

Third Place: Erika Taylor, Santa Ana School Board Considers Laying Off 280 Teachers, Voice of OC

Best Portrait

First Place: Ralph Palumbo, Just a Girl and Her Doll (Portrait #2), Halloween Every Night 

Second Place: Dustin Snipes, Humanity First, Northern California Super Lawyers Magazine

Third Place: Ralph Palumbo, Prestyn Smith (sitting on jetty), RockWest Magazine

Best Photo Essay

First Place: John Fredricks, “In Photos: Portland ICE Protests,” The Epoch Times

Second Place: Spencer Grant, “Circus Bella,” Laguna Beach Independent

Third Place: Julie Leopo  and Spencer Custodio, “Orange County Grapples With Federal Occupation,” Voice of OC

Honorable Mention: Erika Taylor and Angelina Hicks, “Training Service Dogs to Ride the Bus,” Voice of OC

The Real O.C. Award 

For the story, review, feature, column, photo or broadcast/video that best captures something special, surprising, telling or essential about Orange County

First Place: Scott Hays, “Todd Marinovich on Football, Addiction, and the Art of Therapy,” OC World

Second Place: Anh Do, “Tony Lam was an original inflluencer in Little Saigon – and he’s still got it,” Los Angeles Times

Third Place: Mark D. Crantz, “Rare Earth Medal,” Laguna Beach Independent

Honorable Mention: Lola Olvera, “Orange County’s First-Ever Black Literary Salon Positions Poetry as Empowerment,” Culture OC

Journalist of the Year 

Jill Replogle, LAist

SPONSORED CONTENT DIVISION

These categories are open to agencies who are paid to produce content directly for clients specifically for placement in various media or for agencies who produce content for internal communications and consumption.

Best News Story, Sponsored Content

First Place: Mimi Ko Cruz, “Six Lives Transformed,” UC Irvine School of Social Ecology

Second Place: Mimi Ko Cruz, “Mental Health Lifeline,” UC Irvine School of Social Ecology

Best News Feature Story, Sponsored Content

First Place: Jessica Peralta, “Orange County Fire Authority’s K9 search team a ‘phenomenal resource,’” Behind the Badge

Second Place: Patrice Marsters, “Estancia Engineering Design Students Power Through EV Challenge,” Newport-Mesa Unified School District

Third Place: Mimi Ko Cruz, “Aging brings happiness,” UC Irvine School of Social Ecology

Honorable Mention: Richard Chang, “New CSULB-LB Unified teacher residency program helps make dream of becoming a teacher a reality,” Cal State Long Beach

Best Feature Story, Sponsored Content

First Place: Patrice Marsters, “Eastbluff’s STARS Program Pairs Students for Reading Success and Leadership Growth,” Newport-Mesa Unified School District

Second Place: Patrice Marsters, “Newport Harbor Seniors Inspire Next Generation Coders at Kaiser Elementary,” Newport-Mesa Unified School District

Third Place: Matt Coker, “A Love Story,” UC Irvine School of Social Ecology

Honorable Mention: Richard Chang, “CSULB students immerse in nature and research at Sequoia foothills ranch,” Cal State Long Beach

Best Music/Entertainment Story, Sponsored Content

First Place: Laila Freeman, “Slack key master Makana to go back, and forward in time at Slack Key Festival in Redondo Beach,” Easy Reader News

Best Arts/Culture Story, Sponsored Content

First Place: Richard Chang, “CSULB alumnae find full-circle moment exhibiting at Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum,” Cal State Long Beach

Best Food Story, Sponsored Content

First Place: Mimi Ko Cruz, “Why Día de los Muertos is so meaningful,”  UC Irvine School of Social Ecology

Best Video, Sponsored Content

First Place: Scott Hays, “It’s Giving Days in the OC,” OC World