18 Jun Congratulations to this year’s Northwest Excellence in Journalism Contest Winners
Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Northwest Excellence in Journalism contest, for stories reported in 2015! Award recipients were announced tonight at our annual Region 10 SPJ Gala, hosted by the SPJ Western Washington Pro chapter, and all are listed below.Â
This SPJ Region 10 contest is the largest of its kind in the nation, with 2300 entrants and 150 categories. It honors journalists across the very diverse Society of Professional Journalists Region 10. The contest covers some of the least populated areas of the United States, some of its most densely populated, and everything in between, including Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon. All proceeds from this contest support the efforts of Region 10 and its active chapters to protect First Amendment freedoms, foster excellence among journalists, inspire young journalists, encourage diversity in our industry, and promote the free practice of journalism in our communities.
We were also excited to honor our SPJ Gala Award winners tonight and hear them speak. Learn more about them at our blog post, published earlier in June, when the winners were announced, and check back tomorrow for our full post-gala wrap-up!
Categories are listed below in this order:
Small Daily Print and Online
Medium Daily Print and Online
Large Daily Print and Online
Very Large Daily Print and Online
Visuals
Magazines
Nondaily
Radio
Television
SMALL DAILY PRINT AND ONLINE
General Excellence
1st place: The Seattle Globalist
2nd place: The B-Town (Burien) Blog
3rd place: CHS Capitol Hill Seattle
Arts & Entertainment
1st place:
KTOO.org
Ugly? Too abstract? Sculptor speaks in defense of Nimbus
Matt Miller
2nd place:
Ellensburg Daily Record
Perpetual motion music machine
Matt  Carstens
3rd place:
Crosscut.com
The end of everything: The Harvard Exit takes its final bow
Laura Kaufman
Business Reporting
1st place:
The Seattle Globalist
Which Seattle small businesses are in developers’ crosshairs?
Melissa Crowe, Alex Stonehill
2nd place:
BikePortland
This $50 device could change bike planning forever
Michael Andersen
3rd place:
Crosscut.com
Socialist councilmember Sawant calls for a new tech revolution
Drew Atkins
Column
1st place:
Ellensburg Daily Record
Nation of Mike columns
Michael Gallagher
2nd place:
Crosscut.com
Drew Atkins columns
Drew Atkins
3rd place:
No winner
Comprehensive Coverage
1st place:
Crosscut.com
City Council election profiles
David Kroman
2nd place:
Crosscut.com
Racism and the Public Lands: The case of Coon Lake
Knute Berger
3rd place:
The Seattle Globalist
Nestora Salgado Case
Venice Buhain, Alysa Hullett, Thomas Antkowiak, Alejandra Gonza
Crime and Justice Reporting
1st place:
Crosscut.com
Reforming Ferguson-style debtors’ prison here in Washington State
Eric Scigliano
2nd place:
No winner
3rd place:
No winner
Critique and Review
1st place:
Crosscut.com
The new Seattle, where everything looks like same
Mark Hinshaw
2nd place:
Crosscut.com
New film ‘Spotlight’ argues for journalism that can take on a system
Drew Atkins
3rd place:
GeekWire
As science fiction ascends, its popular award ‘the Hugo ‘ threatens to nosedive
Frank Catalano
Editorial & Commentary
1st place:
The Seattle Globalist
Commentary by Sharon H. Chang
Sharon H. Chang, Alex Stonehill
2nd place:
GeekWire
Frank Catalano commentaries
Frank Catalano
3rd place:
Ellensburg Daily Record
Daily Record editorials
Michael Gallagher
Environment, Nature & Science Reporting
1st place:
Ellensburg Daily Record
Air quality series
Nicole Klauss, Mike Johnston
2nd place:
Crosscut.com
Fecal matter in the public water: The case of Snydar Farm
Drew Atkins
3rd place:
No winner
Food & Drink
1st place:
Great Northwest Wine
Charles Smith turns Seattle into his personal playground
Andy Perdue
2nd place:
Great Northwest Wine
Abacela discovers 140-year-old Mission grape planting
Eric Degerman
3rd place:
Great Northwest Wine
NATO mission pulls Pittock Shouldis from Oregon wine harvest
Eric Degerman
General News Reporting
1st place:
BikePortland
Why would anyone ride on that scary stretch of Lombard?
Jonathan Maus
2nd place:
KTOO.org
Forgiving without forgetting: A Tlingit village up in smoke
Elizabeth Jenkins
3rd place:
Ellensburg Daily Record
Marijuana market takes root
Andy Matarrese
Government and Politics Reporting
1st place:
Crosscut.com
Metro buses: Pedestrians in a blind spot?
Laura Kaufman
2nd place:
Animal News Northwest
Animal rescue nonprofit fights tax ruling on pet adoptions
Karen Ducey
3rd place:
Crosscut.com
King County Metro’s bathroom reform: Constipated or incompetent?
Laura Kaufman
Health Reporting
1st place:
Crosscut.com
A fading community
David Kroman
2nd place:
No winner
3rd place:
No winner
Investigative Reporting
1st place:
Crosscut.com
Metro Buses: Pedestrians in a blind spot?
Laura Kaufman
2nd place:
Crosscut.com
King County Metro’s bathroom reform: Constipated or incompetent?
Laura Kaufman
3rd place:
No winner
Lifestyles Reporting
1st place:
Crosscut.com
Living in a micro-apartment — and loving it
Suzanne Jacobs
2nd place:
KTOO.org
With love and hairspray: The art of making drag queen hair in Juneau
Lisa Phu
3rd place:
No winner
Long General Feature Story
1st place:
Crosscut.com
Hacking the feds
Drew Atkins
2nd place:
Crosscut.com
Olympia For Dummies
John Stang
3rd place:
Crosscut.com
The end of everything: The Harvard Exit takes its final bow
Laura Kaufman
Short General Feature Story
1st place:
Animal News Northwest
Rescue Pony Auctioned for a Pretty Penny
Karen Ducey
2nd place:
Ellensburg Daily Record
Terror on hole 2: Meet Frankie the dog
Matt Carstens
3rd place:
No winner
Personalities Reporting
1st place:
Crosscut.com
Goodspaceguy: The definitive interview with King County’s perennial candidate
Drew Atkins
2nd place:
No winner
3rd place:
No winner
Social Issues Reporting
1st place:
The Seattle Globalist
Back Across the Border
Alysa Hullett, Alex Stonehill
2nd place:
Crosscut.com
Why some UW professors want a union, and others resist one
Mason Bryan
3rd place:
No winner
Sports Feature Story
1st place:
Crosscut.com
Team penning, where the people drive the action but the cows often win
John Stang
2nd place:
Cougfan.com
The inspiration behind Luke Falk’s wrist band
Greg Witter
3rd place:
SportspressNW.com
Chambers Bay ready for gritty glam shot
Art Thiel
Sports Reporting
1st place:
Cougfan.com
Why oddsmakers miss on WSU so badly each week
Matt Moore
2nd place:
Cougfan.com
Cougs, Canes and far different recruiting paths
Barry Bolton
3rd place:
Cougfan.com
How long will Ol’ Crimson continue to fly?
Matthew Zimmer
Spot News Reporting
1st place:
CHS Capitol Hill Seattle
Seattle May Day 2015 turns into a riot on Capitol Hill
Justin Carder, Bryan Cohen, Alex Garland
2nd place: KTOO.org
Passengers survive, pilot dies after Wings plane crash near Juneau
KTOO.org Staff
3rd place: EastIdahoNews.com
Police chase ends at EastIdahoNews.com
Nate Eaton, Nate Sunderland
MEDIUM DAILY PRINT AND ONLINE
General Excellence
1st place: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
2nd place: The Daily Astorian
3rd place: Bozeman Daily Chronicle
Arts & Entertainment
1st place: The Daily Astorian
Translating nature into art
Rebecca Sedlak
2nd place: The Daily Astorian
Goonies fans turn out for bonfire
Erick Bengel
3rd place: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Healing and a harmonica: A message in a melody comes to Tanana
Gary Black
Business Reporting
1st place: Bozeman Daily Chronicle
‘Trust fund not included’: As downtown Bozeman builds up, new housing likely to be a stretch for typical wage earners
Eric Dietrich
2nd place: The Daily Astorian
Cowen Dairy: A family affair
Edward Stratton
3rd place: Bozeman Daily Chronicle
Foreign Aid: Yellowstone a magnet for fast-growing ranks of Chinese tourists
Gail Schontzler
Column
1st place: Medford Mail Tribune
Predator to prey/Swing of things/The Club
Mark Freeman
2nd place: The Daily  Astorian
In One Ear
Elleda Wilson
3rd place: Kitsap Sun
Commentary on salmon restoration and culvert removal
Ed Palm
Comprehensive Coverage
1st place: Tri-City Herald
Pasco police shooting
Tyler Richardson, Franco Ordonez, Geoff Folsom, Kristin Kraemer
2nd place: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Fairbanks Four exoneration coverage
Sam Friedman, Matt Buxton, Casey Grove
3rd place: Skagit Valley Herald
Mental health: A system in crisis
Daniel  DeMay , Kera Wanielista, Evan Marczynski
Crime and Justice Reporting
1st place: Post Register
‘It didn’t have to end in tragedy’: In the days leading up to the shooting of Philip Clay, bounty hunters reportedly employed aggressive and illegal tactics
Aubrey Wieber, Bryan Clark
2nd place: Bozeman Daily Chronicle
Drinking problem: One-third of felony DUI arrests donÃt lead to convictions
Whitney Bermes
3rd place: KTUU.com
A slow death in solitary confinement
Paula Dobbyn
Editorial & Commentary
1st place: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner editorials
Tom Hewitt
2nd place: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
News-Miner editorials
Rod Boyce
3rd place: The Daily Astorian
Daily Astorian editorials
Steve Forrester
Environment, Nature & Science Reporting
1st place: Bozeman Daily Chronicle
Secured blessings
Nick Ehli
2nd place: Kitsap Sun
Call of the Wildfire
Tristan Baurick
3rd place:
Post Register
INL powers Pluto mission: Local researchers watch as New Horizons flies by dwarf planet
Luke Ramseth
General News Reporting
1st place: Kitsap Sun
No arrest, charges for sheriff’s sergeant found drunk in his car
Andrew Binion
2nd place: The Daily News
Miracle survival tales from the Kalama flood
Andre Stepankowsky
3rd place: Kitsap Sun
Call of the wildfire
Tristan Baurick
Government and Politics Reporting
1st place: Bozeman Daily Chronicle
Incompatible uses: Why the neighborhood next to an old landfill may cost Bozeman millions of dollars
Eric Dietrich
2nd place: Kitsap Sun
Laying claim to Navy Yard City
Josh Farley
3rd place: The Daily News
Public left out of process for choosing legislators
Tom Paulu
Print Headlines
1st place: The Olympian
Did I just see/It’s all relative/Wham, bam, thank you
The Olympian Staff
2nd place: Kitsap Sun
Herron Miller print headlines
Herron Miller
3rd place: No winner
Health Reporting
1st place: Tri-City Herald
Irradiated: A legacy of pain, suffering
Annette Cary
2nd place: Tri-City Herald
Irradiated: Opening doors to compensation
Annette Cary
3rd place: No winner
Investigative Reporting
1st place: KTUU.com
Alaska North Slope misuse of public money, mayoral recall
Austin Baird, Kyle Hopkins, Paula Dobbyn, Garrett Turner
2nd place: Mail Tribune
At What Cost? Sheriff Falls pulls plug on video security system
Nicholas Morgan
3rd place: Skagit Valley Herald
Skagit 911: Understaffed, overworked and no financial help in sight
Brandon Stone
Lifestyles Reporting
1st place: Bozeman Daily Chronicle
Yellowstone at 36 degree below zero
Ben Pierce
2nd place: The Daily News
Undefeated in the ring, Longview 11-year-old’s passion packs a punch
Sarah Grothjan
3rd place: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Mushing a flickering flame in Interior Alaska villages
Casey Grove
Long General Feature Story
1st place: The Olympian
Behind the Cloister: The Monks of Saint Martin’s
Lisa Pemberton
2nd place: Tri-City Herald
Brush with death leads to lifelong bond
Richardson Tyler
3rd place: No winner
Short General Feature Story
1st place: Missoulian
Getting the story is the hard part
Robert Chaney
2nd place: No winner
3rd place: No winner
Personalities Reporting
1st place: Kitsap Sun
Cherry Boy
Andrew Binion
2nd place: Bozeman Daily Chronicle
A bard and a warrior
Eric Dietrich
3rd place: Tri-City Herald
Two-time cancer warrior
Kristina Lord
Social Issues Reporting
1st place: Kitsap Sun
Battling Bullies
Christina Henry
2nd place: Missoulian Newspaper
Peaks and People
Robert Chaney
3rd place: Post Register
Change: Idaho Falls transgender woman recalls experience transitioning while working as a Sheriff’s Office deputy
Kirsten Johnson
Sports Feature Story
1st place: Missoulian
Love Yourself
AJ Mazzolini
2nd place: Mail Tribune
Unbreakable
Dan Jones
3rd place: The Olympian
A young 12th man cheers for T-Birds amid chemo care
Lauren Smith
Sports Profile Story
1st place: Bozeman Daily Chronicle
Gallatin Gateway kayaker finding niche in long-distance races
Michael Appelgate
2nd place: Bozeman Daily Chronicle
Giving his all: MSU’s Brumwell making an impact in final season
Parker Gabriel
3rd place: No winner
Sports Reporting
1st place: Bozeman Daily Chronicle
MSU ousts Ash as head football coach
Jon Maletz
2nd place: Tri-City Herald
Oh buoy! Oberto pulls it out
Jeff Morrow
3rd place: Skagit Valley Herald
La Conner fielding helmets that track severe impacts
Vince Richardson
Spot News Reporting
1st place: Kitsap Sun
Gas blast at Bremerton motel
Meegan M. Reid, Rachel Anne Seymour, Josh Farley , Larry Steagall
2nd place: The Daily News
Floods wreak havoc throughout the region
The Daily News Staff
3rd place: KTUU.com
Sunken racers say they were going 93 mph when they hit open water
Kyle Hopkins
LARGE DAILY PRINT AND ONLINE
Arts & Entertainment
1st place: Yakima Herald-Republic
A man on a musical mission
Pat Muir
2nd place: Yakima Herald-Republic
New life for local musicians
Pat Muir
3rd place: Statesman Journal
How Salem music teacher Gary Frame has changed lives
Tom Mayhall Rastrelli
Business Reporting
1st place: Idaho Statesman
Inside Our Hospitals
Audrey Dutton
2nd place: Statesman Journal
The best kept banking secret in the marijuana industry
Gordon Friedman
3rd place: Yakima Herald-Republic
Beyond wine
Mai Hoang
Column
1st place: Statesman Journal
Columns by Zach Urness
Zach Urness
2nd place: No winner
3rd place: No winner
Comprehensive Coverage
1st place: Idaho Statesman
Inside Our Hospitals
Audrey Dutton
2nd place: Yakima Herald-Republic
City Council Election Advances
Mike Faulk
3rd place: No winner
Crime and Justice Reporting
1st place: Yakima Herald-Republic
Numbers not evening out
Phil Ferolito
2nd place: Statesman Journal
Keizer men sentenced for mother’s murder
Kaellen Hessel
3rd place: Yakima Herald-Republic
Righting the wrongs of past
Kate Prengaman
Environment, Nature & Science Reporting
1st place: Statesman Journal
Culture of Waste
Tracy Loew
2nd place: Yakima Herald-Republic
An ethical dilemma: killing one species to save another
Scott Sandsberry
3rd place: No winner
Food & Drink
1st place: Statesman Journal
A lifetime of memories treasured in recipes
Victor Panichkul
2nd place: Yakima Herald-Republic
Smoke is on fire
Jane Gargas
3rd place: Idaho Statesman
Clearwater Canyon Cellars wines have an extra dose of ‘heart’ in each bottle
Eric Degerman
General News Reporting
1st place: Yakima Herald-Republic
A tragedy that lives on
Ross Courtney
2nd place: Yakima Herald-Republic
Yakima School District/Lessons learned
Rafael Guerrero
3rd place: Yakima Herald-Republic
Dream Big
Leah Ward
Government and Politics Reporting
1st place: Yakima Herald-Republic
How many meals are too many for city officials?
Mike Faulk
2nd place: Yakima Herald-Republic
Shelters in the storm: Helping the homeless
Mai Hoang
3rd place: Yakima Herald-Republic
Activists say east Yakima parks shortchanged
Mike Faulk
Health Reporting
1st place: Seattlepi.com
Why dozens of ‘vent kids’ stuck in Washington hospitals can’t go home
Levi Pulkkinen
2nd place: Statesman Journal
A life well ended
Saerom Yoo, Danielle Peterson
3rd place: Yakima Herald-Republic
MS at a young age in a small town: Multiple avenues of care
Molly Rosbach
Lifestyles Reporting
1st place: Statesman Journal
Journey toward wilderness on Sutton Mountain
Zach Urness
2nd place: Yakima Herald-Republic
Embracing the tiny-house life
Kaitlyn Bernauer
3rd place: Yakima Herald-Republic
Young sprouts into mighty gardeners grow
Jane Gargas
Short General Feature Story
1st place: Yakima Herald-Republic
Taking trips into history
Jane Gargas
2nd place: Statesman Journal
Salem climber saved from North Sister in daring rescue
Zach Urness
3rd place: Statesman Journal
Eat a pie in four minutes? Challenge accepted
Kaellen Hessel
Page Design
1st place: Yakima Herald-Republic
35 Years ago: The Eruption of Mount St. Helens + dropbox links
Bill  Epperheimer
2nd place: No winner
3rd place: No winner
Personalities Reporting
1st place: Yakima Herald-Republic
Portrait Master (Yakima’s Ken Whitmire)
Jane Gargas
2nd place: Yakima Herald-Republic
The gold standard: Don Hutchinson’s 60-plus years in the jewelry business
Tammy Ayer
3rd place: Yakima Herald-Republic
Changes of heart: Dr. Bush Preacher
Molly Rosbach
Social Issues Reporting
1st place: Statesman Journal
Salem ordinances conflict with homeless living
Kaellen Hessel
2nd place: Yakima Herald-Republic
Growing up different in Yakima: ‘If you were gay, you left’
Pat Muir
3rd place: Yakima Herald-Republic
The shelter problem
Phil Ferolito
VERY LARGE DAILY PRINT AND ONLINE
General Excellence
1st place: The Oregonian
2nd place: The Daily Herald
3rd place: The Columbian
Arts & Entertainment
1st place: The Oregonian/OregonLive
Helen Menken’s Portland gift: The pioneering, tragic life of Humphrey Bogart’s first wife
Doug Perry
2nd place: The Oregonian/OregonLive
Don Carpenter, Portland’s great forgotten writer, is found again
Jeff Baker
3rd place: The Seattle Times
With millennial philanthropy money flowing, arts groups miss out
Tricia Romano
Business Reporting
1st place: KGW.com and USAToday.com
$500K for a Green Card: Foreign investors help Portland boom
Sara Roth
2nd place: The Oregonian/OregonLive
Making it work: Raising a family on $11.50 an hour
Molly Young, Andrew Theen
3rd place: The Oregonian/OregonLive
Hard work, long hours not enough as retirement nears for Portland burger stand owner
George Rede
Column
1st place: The Columbian
Press Talk: June 27; Nov. 21; Feb. 21
Lou Brancaccio
2nd place: The Oregonian/OregonLive
Columns by Steve Duin
Steve Duin
3rd place: The Seattle Times
Columns by Blanca Torres
Blanca Torres
Comprehensive Coverage
1st place: The Oregonian/OregonLive
Our Homeless Crisis
Anna Griffin
2nd place: The Oregonian/OregonLive
On the marijuana beat
Noelle Crombie
3rd place: The Seattle Times
Seattle Times coverage of a historic fire season
Evan Bush, Jim Brunner, Lynda Mapes, Seattle Times Staff Â
Crime and Justice Reporting
1st place: The Bulletin
Jail
Claire Withycombe
2nd place: The Oregonian/OregonLive
Oregon man commits no crime, but held in jail for 900 days
Emily Smith
3rd place: The Daily Herald
What Jail Can’t Cure: a) Failing Keaton Farris b) Police Can’t Sweep Streets c) Road to Redemption
Diana Hefley
Editorial & Commentary
1st place: The Oregonian/OregonLive
Editorials by Helen Jung
Helen Jung
2nd place: The Oregonian/OregonLive
Editorials by Erik Lukens
Erik Lukens
3rd place: The Columbian
Put state tax idea to rest; High cost of inaction; Give medical pot law time
Craig Brown
Environment, Nature & Science Reporting
1st place: The Oregonian/OregonLive
Unsettling dust: Hundreds of Portland homes demolished with asbestos inside
Fedor Zarkhin
2nd place: The Spokesman-Review
A New Treaty
Becky  Kramer
3rd place: The Spokesman-Review
Math fans fully encircled by pi’s wonders today
Nicholas Deshais
Food & Drink
1st place: The Seattle Times
The boutique booze boom in Washington
Tan Vinh
2nd place: The News Tribune
Pierce County’s Best Burgers
Sue Kidd
3rd place: The Daily Herald
Nana’s secret soda a hit with pot enthusiasts
Andrea Brown
General News Reporting
1st place: The Oregonian/OregonLive
For better or worse
Maxine Bernstein
2nd place: The Register-Guard
Selling the UO
Diane  Dietz
3rd place: KGW.com
8 things that killed the new I-5 bridge
Sara Roth
Government and Politics Reporting
1st place: The Oregonian/OregonLive
Solar scandal
Jeff Manning, Ted Sickinger
2nd place: The Seattle Times
Following the money: Ethics concerns muddy stateÃs clean-energy grant program
Jim Brunner
3rd place: The Register-Guard
Clean fuels
Saul  Hubbard
Print Headlines
1st place: The Columbian
A winning score makes a “silent” sing – Express delivery: Dash didn’t dawdle – War was more than guns, gore for a Reedie on a foreign shore
Susan Abe
2nd place: The Columbian
Dozer Day: Great excavations/Children get preview of annual turn in the driver’s seat, and they dig it – Legislature calls it a day (+175)/Longest single-year session on record finally … – Family coding project finds its star in Ringo/Robot drums up…
Carl Dubois
3rd place: The Oregonian/OregonLive
Headlines by Pete Lesage
Pete Lesage
Health Reporting
1st place: The Oregonian/OregonLive
A Game of Chicken
Lynne Terry
2nd place: The Spokesman-Review
Rural Aging series
Erica Curless, Tyler Tjomsland
3rd place: The Register-Guard
Healthy profits
Sherri Buri McDonald
Investigative Reporting
1st place: The Bulletin
Tribes
Beau Eastes
2nd place: The Oregonian/OregonLive
A Game of Chicken
Lynne Terry
3rd place: The Daily Herald
Choppers out of range
Scott North, Chuck Taylor
Lifestyles Reporting
1st place: The Daily Herald
Mr. T’s Attire
Andrea Brown
2nd place: The News Tribune
Port Gamble history comes alive (literally)
Rosemary Ponnekanti
3rd place: The Spokesman-Review
Tour Deshais
Nicholas Deshais
Long General Feature Story
1st place: The Oregonian
Team of Dreams
Casey Parks
2nd place: The Seattle Times (Pacific NW Magazine)
Pot of gold: The new legal marijuana business has created once-in-a-lifetime opportunities
Evan Bush
3rd place: The Spokesman-Review
Dispatches from Dachau
Jim Camden
Short General Feature Story
1st place: The Spokesman-Review
Solemn Tribute
Pia Hallenberg
2nd place: The Oregonian/OregonLive
Trying to make a Hood River girl’s last birthday party special
Tom Hallman Jr.
3rd place: The Register-Guard
Doobie bother
Mark Baker
Page Design
1st place: The News Tribune
Links Northwest style golf/the charm and challenges of Chambers Bay/A fan’s guide to the course
Jessica Randklev
2nd place: The Seattle Times
CEO salaries soar
Rick Lund, David Miller, Gabriel Campanario
3rd place: The Columbian
June 12; Oct. 23; Nov. 2
Jennifer Krieger
Personalities Reporting
1st place: The Seattle Times
Swinomish leader Brian Cladoosby fights for salmon and sovereignty
Brian Cantwell
2nd place: Alaska Dispatch News
East High student dances past her differences
Marc Lester
3rd place: No winner
Social Issues Reporting
1st place: The Columbian
The hidden homeless / Nature of temporary shelter compounding crisis faced by local families looking for secure housing situations
Patty Hastings
2nd place: The News Tribune
Finding peace
Adam Ashton
3rd place: The Oregonian
Transgender Oregon student wages lonely battle to use boys’ locker room
Casey Parks
Sports Feature Story
1st place: The Oregonian/OregonLive
Canzano: Tour of Caleb Porter Museum reveals man on mission
John Canzano
2nd place: The Bulletin
Connecting the threads of football history
Grant Lucas
3rd place: The Oregonian/OregonLive
After his mother’s death
Tyson Alger
Sports Profile Story
1st place: The Register-Guard
Without Limits
Diane Dietz
2nd place: The Oregonian/OregonLive
Rebuilding Pharaoh Brown: Once facing amputation and a career cut short, Oregon’s tight end is now ahead of schedule
Andrew Greif
3rd place: The Daily Herald
Playing to a smaller audience
Rich Myhre
Sports Reporting
1st place: The Seattle Times
Investigating Seahawks top draft pick’s domestic violence history
Lewis Kamb, Geoff Baker
2nd place: The Seattle Times
Judge: Assault with broomstick part of hazing culture at Juanita High; Â 7 Juanita football players told police of hazing, attacks
Geoff Baker
3rd place: The Oregonian/OregonLive
Mark Shoff: The rise and fall of Lake Oswego’s boys basketball coach
Joe Freeman
Spot News Reporting
1st place: The Oregonian/OregonLive
The resignation of Gov. John Kitzhaber
The Oregonian Staff
2nd place: The Seattle Times
Duck rider heard ‘Oh, no’ before crash that killed four
Seattle Times Staff
3rd place: The Daily Herald
Pulling together for a land in flames
Dan Catchpole, Ian Terry
MAGAZINE
General Excellence
1st place: Seattle Met
2nd place: Seattle Magazine
3rd place: 425 Business magazine
Arts & Entertainment
1st place: Seattle Met
Tear Through the World in Wild Disguise
David Laskin
2nd place: Pacific Northwest Magazine
Seattle band Posse finds success on its own terms
Tricia Romano
3rd place: Seattle Business Magazine
Pay For Play
Gianni Truzzi
Business Reporting
1st place: Seattle Met
Dick Cantwell’s Beer Is Immortal
Allecia Vermillion
2nd place: Portland Monthly
Chicken v. Egg: The Truth About Sustainable Chicken is That It Doesn’t Really Exist
Hannah Wallace
3rd place: 425 Business magazine
Tech’s Lack of Diversity Isn’t Just a Pipeline Problem
Jake Bullinger
Cover Design
1st place: Seattle Business Magazine
The Creatives
Matt Cole, Leslie Helm, John Levesque, John Vicory
2nd place: Horizon Edition Magazine
Peak Thrills
Nancy O’Connell
3rd place: Equal Voice Magazine
Magazine Covers (Summer and Winter 2015)
Equal Voice News Staff
Editorial & Commentary
1st place: Seattle Met
He, She, They; Generation Connect; 50 Years, 50 Fears
Kathryn Robinson
2nd place: Seattle Magazine
“Gray Matters”
Knute Berger
3rd place: No winner
Environment, Nature & Science Reporting
1st place: Alaska Airlines Magazine
Preserving Paradise
Eric Lucas
2nd place: Mountain Outlaw magazine
The Coming Infernos
Todd  Wilkinson, Joseph T. O’Connor, Kelsey Dzintars
3rd place: YES! Magazine
Unsurrendered: One Tribe Stands Up to Three Oil Pipelines
YES! Magazine Staff
Food & Drink
1st place: Seattle Met
The Brief, Extraordinary Life of Cody Spafford
Allecia Vermillion
2nd place: Portland Monthly
From Russia, With Love
Karen Brooks
3rd place: Alaska Airlines Magazine
Island Brews
Eric Lucas
General News Reporting
1st place: Seattle Met
17 Shots in Pasco
Brooke Jarvis
2nd place: Seattle Business Magazine
“This Hacker Wears A White Hat”
Drew Atkins
3rd place: Seattle Magazine
Cage Fight
Celina Kareiva
Government and Politics Reporting
1st place: YES! Magazine
Can Cities End the School to Prison Pipeline? Relentless Organizers are Tallying Wins
Marcus Harrison Green
2nd place: Super Lawyers Magazine
Navigating China
Nina Huang, Erik Lundegaard
3rd place: Bozzi Media
Cell Phone Tower Battle
Paul Haeder
Print Headlines
1st place: Seattle Magazine
Headlines: “Mural Majority”; “River Phoenix”; “Grapes of Math”
Brangien Davis, Rachel Hart, Lisa Wogan, Jennifer McCullum
2nd place: Seattle Business Magazine
“Tunnel Vision”; “Pot Stickers”; “Breaking the Code”
John Levesque
3rd place: Alaska Airlines Magazine
Altitude Adjustments, River Dance, Walk this Way
Alaska Airlines Magazine Staff
Health Reporting
1st place: Bend Bulletin
Changing minds: Down syndrome, Alzheimer’s connections could mean new breakthroughs
Markian Hawryluk
2nd place: No winner
3rd place: No winner
Magazine Departments
1st place: Seattle Met
Mudroom
Matthew Halverson, Sara D’Eugenio
2nd place: 425 Business magazine
Disrupt
Marjorie Clark
3rd place: Scotsman Guide Media
Spotlight
Rob Crow, Bill Conroy, Rania Efthemes
Lifestyles Reporting
1st place: South Sound magazine
Giant Octopus Revealed
Lauren Foster
2nd place: Seattle Met
Mountain Adventures
Allison Williams
3rd place: Seattle Magazine
Hit the Town
Patrick Knowles, Sheila Cain, Rachel Hart
Personal Service Reporting
1st place: Seattle Met
I’m New Here: A User’s Guide to the Emerald City
Seattle Met Staff
2nd place: Alaska Airlines Magazine
Exercise Your Options
Ellee Thalheimer
3rd place: Seattle Magazine
A Drink-Free January: Does it Really do a Body Good?
Lauren Mang
Personalities Reporting
1st place: Seattle Met
The Brief, Extraordinary Life of Cody Spafford
Allecia Vermillion
2nd place: Portland Monthly
Ursula K. Le Guin Is Breathing Fire to Save American Literature
Taylor Clark
3rd place: Alaska Airlines Magazine
Giving Spirit
Kristianne Huntsberger
Social Issues Reporting
1st place: YES! Magazine
“Unsurrendered: One Tribe Stands Up to Three Oil Pipelines”
YES! Magazine Staff
2nd place: 425 Business magazine
Inside Gaming’s Addictive World
Jake Bullinger
3rd place: Seattle Met
Tony Wheat Has Been Sorry for so Long
James Ross Gardner
Sports Reporting
1st place: Cascade Golfer magazine
Bobby’s Opus
Brian Beaky
2nd place: Cascade Golfer magazine
Big Momma’s House
Craig Smith
3rd place: Alaska Airlines Magazine
Altitude Adjustment
Nicholas O’Connell
Travel Reporting
1st place: Seattle Magazine
“Make Camp in the Northwest”
Charlotte Austin, Jenny Cunningham, Kristen Russell, Roddy Scheer
2nd place: Seattle Met
The Columbia River
Allison Williams
3rd place: Seattle Met
Thicker Than Water
Matthew Halverson
NON-DAILYÂ
General Excellence
1st place: Portland Business Journal
2nd place: Real Change
3rd place: Cannon Beach Gazette
Arts and Lifestyles
1st place: Eugene Weekly
Teeth & Bones
Alex V. Cipolle
2nd place: Seattle Weekly
How Odesza Became the Biggest Seattle Band You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
Kelton Sears
3rd place: No winner
Business Reporting
1st place: InvestigateWest
How Cash Sent the Portland Home Market Spinning
Lee van der Voo, James Gordon
2nd place: Willamette Week
You Call This A Farm?
Nigel Jaquiss
3rd place: InvestigateWest
Profiting from Thrift
Francesca Lyman
Column
1st place: InvestigateWest
Redacted: The State of Transparency in Oregon
Lee van der Voo
2nd place: Street Roots
Israel Bayer
Israel  Bayer
3rd place: Real Change
Adventures in Irony
Wes Browning
Crime and Justice Reporting
1st place: Portland Business Journal
Shell Games
Matthew Kish
2nd place: Street Roots
The kids from the hall
Emily Green
3rd place:
Willamette Week
Rat Tale
Aaron Mesh
Critique and Review
1st place: Seattle Weekly
Ernest Loves Agnes Brings Simple but Superlative Italian Food to Capitol Hill
Nicole Sprinkle
2nd place: No winner
3rd place: Â No winner
Editorial & Commentary
1st place: Puget Sound Business Journal
Immigrants; Bezos bungles; Maritime
Rob Smith
2nd place: Kirkland Reporter
Editorials
Matt Phelps
3rd place: No winner
Environment, Nature & Science Reporting
1st place: South Whidbey Record
Three-part series: A Paddle Around Whidbey
Sue Ellen White
2nd place: Street Roots
Logging or Restoration?
Emily Green
3rd place: The Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle
Bearytale unfolds at Esther Briques
Roger Harnack, Brock Hires
General News Reporting
1st place: Portland Tribune
Why we know so little about abortion in Oregon
Shasta Kearns Moore
2nd place: Real Change
More people come to light in the dark
Aaron Burkhalter
3rd place: Puget Sound Business Journal
The Year That Went to Pot
Sarah Aitchison
Government and Politics Reporting
1st place: Seattle Weekly
Anatomy of a NIMBY
Casey Jaywork
2nd place: Willamette Week
Man Vs. Machine
Beth Slovic
3rd place: Real Change
Swept away
Aaron Burkhalter
Print Headlines
1st place: Portland Business Journal
Portland Business Journal – Brandon Sawyer
Brandon Sawyer
2nd place: Puget Sound Business Journal
Brewed awakening; Shanghai on the Sound; She thinks outside the box score
Rob Smith
3rd place: Northwest Asian Weekly
Editorial Headlines
Peggy Chapman
Health Reporting
1st place: Seattle Weekly
In Georgetown, the Housing Is Affordable and the Air Unbreathable Â
Sara Bernard
2nd place: Eugene Weekly
The Art of Recovery
Rick Levin
3rd place: Portland Tribune
While toys come rolling in, families struggle with basic needs
Shasta Kearns Moore
Investigative Reporting
1st place: InvestigateWest
Profiting from Thrift
Francesca Lyman
2nd place: Portland Business Journal
Shell Game
Matthew Kish
3rd place: Willamette Week
Home Sweet Hustle
Nigel Jaquiss
Page Design
1st place: Puget Sound Business Journal
Bertha; IPO Drought; StarTech
Ryan Lambert
2nd place: The Times, serving Tigard, Tualatin and Sherwood
24-Jun-15
Kate Schell
3rd place: Willamette Week
Feed The Beast
Julie Showers, Dominic De Venuta
Personalities Reporting
1st place: Willamette Week
The Newest Portlanders
Leah Sottile
2nd place: Willamette Week
Bad Boy
Beth Slovic
3rd place: Puget Sound Business Journal
Brad Tilden
Steve Wilhelm
Social Issues Reporting
1st place: Real Change
Nowhere to go
Rianna Hidalgo
2nd place: Puget Sound Business Journal
Dreams Delayed; Talent in Exile
Emily Parkhurst
3rd place: Real Change
A woman’s right. Period
Rianna Hidalgo
Sports Reporting
1st place: Portland Tribune
Raising Kaman: Blazers’ backup big man sounds off
Kerry Eggers
2nd place: Clackamas Review
A truly amazing season
John Denny
3rd place: No winner
Spot News Reporting
1st place: Willamette Week
Climate, Changed
Nigel Jaquiss
2nd place: Portland Business Journal
Port of No Return
Erik Siemers
3rd place: Puget Sound Business Journal
Amazon
Marc Stiles
RADIO
Feature News Reporting
1st place: Jefferson Public Radio
To Shoot Or Not To To Shoot
Liam Moriarty
2nd place: OPB
Crater Lake’s Crayfish Invasion
Jes Burns, David Steves
3rd place: KPLU Public Radio
Snowdrift, The Lost Cat That Didn’t Want To Be Found
Jennifer Wing
General News Reporting
1st place: Northwest News Network
Mentally Ill Inmates Languish In Jail, Awaiting Trial
Austin Jenkins
2nd place: KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio
911 Wants to Know if You’re a Veteran
Patricia Murphy
3rd place: KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio
Using White Privilege To Fight Racism: A Young Activist’s Dream
Paul Kiefer, Lila Kitaeff, Carol Smith
Investigative Reporting
1st place: OPB
Oregon Workers Alerted Safety Officials To Problems Before Mill Roof Collapse
Amanda Peacher, Eve Epstein
2nd place: KIRO Radio
A little used police training video could help save pets’ lives
Sara Lerner
3rd place: Northwest News Network
Locked Up For Skipping School
Austin Jenkins
News Series
1st place: OPB
Wildlife Detectives
OPB and EarthFix Staff
2nd place: KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio
Seattle’s Homeless: No End in Sight
John Ryan, Jeannie Yandel
3rd place: Jefferson Public Radio
The Wildfire Conundrum
Liam Moriarty
Special Report
1st place: KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio
Why This Teen Stopped Hiding Her Dad’s Abuse
Noel Gasca, Lila  Kitaeff, Jenny Asarnow
2nd place: KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio
Why Is There So Much Prostitution On Aurora Avenue In Seattle?
Posey Gruener
3rd place: Northwest News Network
Daughters of Hanford
Anna King
Sports Reporting
1st place: KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio
The Surprising Place Where Some Seahawks Fans Gather
Joshua McNichols
2nd place: KPLU Public Radio
Why Does For-Profit Hockey In Washington Not Have To Pay Players Minimum Wage?
Ashley Gross
3rd place: Alaska Public Radio Network
Out With The Old, In With The New: Up-And-Comers Outpace Longtime Career Mushers
Emily Schwing
Spot News Reporting
1st place: Northwest News Network
Washington Wildfires
Anna King
2nd place: KPLU Public Radio
Seattle ‘Kayaktivists’ Building Ranks For Direct Action Against Shell’s Arctic Drilling Fleet
Bellamy Pailthorp
3rd place:
KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio
International District Mourns Shooting Victim Donald Chin
Liz Jones
TELEVISION
Â
Feature News Reporting
1st place: OPB
Hole in the Lake
Vince Patton, Michael Bendixen
2nd place: KRTV
Face the State: National Police Week
Shannon Newth
3rd place: KNDU-TV
Seahawks Dream Come True For Autistic Walla Walla Drummer
Don Granese
General News Reporting
1st place: OPB
Feds kill thousands of cormorants to save salmon
Cassandra Profita, Nick Fisher, Michael Bendixen, Todd Sonflieth
2nd place: KNDU-TV
I-TEAM: New Details In Previous Pasco Officer Shooting Case
Don Granese
3rd place: KTUU
Bean’s Cafe Memorial
Caslon Hatch, Kuba Wuls
Live Breaking News Coverage
1st place: KIMA News, CBS Yakima
Suspect survives confrontation with SWAT team
Crystal Bui
2nd place: KEPR-TV
Roosevelt fire has residents on edge
Kathleen Jacob
3rd place: KIMA-TV
Four in custody after Yakima standoff; main suspect’s bail set at $2M
Bridget Chapman
Special Report/Documentary
1st place: OPB
Unprepared
Ed Jahn, Bruce Barrow, Todd Sonflieth, Steve Amen
2nd place: EarthFix / KCTS
Wildlife Detectives: The Hunt for Northwest Poachers
Cassandra Profita, Jes Burns, Ken  Christensen, Courtney Flatt
3rd place: Oregon Public Broadcasting
Murder on the Southern Pacific
Kami Horton, Lisa Kallem
Sports Reporting
1st place: KTUU
2015 Iron Dog
Beth O’Donnell, Kuba Wuls
2nd place: KREM-TV
Hotel Swimmer
Brett Allbery, Jane McCarthy
3rd place: KEPR-TV
Graff Strong, Getting Stronger
Vince Sapienza
Video Photography
1st place: KTUU-TV
Kuba Wuls Show Reel
Kuba Wuls
2nd place: EarthFix / KCTS
Could A Mushroom Save The Honeybee?
Ken Christensen
3rd place: KBTC-TV
Saving the Salmon
Tom Layson, Russ Ricketts
VISUALS
Best Photo Portfolio
1st place: The Daily Astorian
Joshua Bessex Portfolio
Joshua Bessex
2nd place: The Daily Herald and SeattlePI.com
2015 Portfolio
Genna Martin
3rd place: Kitsap Sun
Photo portfolio, Meegan M. Reid
Meegan M. Reid
Arts & Entertainment
1st place: The Seattle Times
Dancing On The Wall
Alan Berner
2nd place: Northwest Asian Weekly
Celebrating Holi
Jerald Peter
3rd place: Beaverton Valley Times
Whitford’s Haunted House has the thrills and chills
Jaime Valdez
Daily Life
1st place: Kitsap Sun
Bubbleman
Larry Steagall
2nd place: Bozeman Daily Chronicle
Rain and flowers
Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez
3rd place: The Bulletin
Rodeo
Ryan Brennecke
Feature Photography
1st place: Real Change
Gone but not forgotten
Alex Garland
2nd place: Equal Voice News
Joy at Seattle Bingo Game
Equal Voice News Staff
3rd place: Willamette Week
Photographer: Ryan LaBriere
Ryan LaBriere
General News Reporting
1st place: Tri-City Herald
A mother’s grief
Andrew Jansen
2nd place: The Issaquah Press
Grandson killed in crosswalk
Greg Farrar
3rd place: The Columbian
Battle Ground tornado
Amanda Cowan
Government and Politics Reporting
1st place: BadCounty.com
Local News Stories Not Reported in Other Media
Dale Matthews
2nd place: The Seattle Globalist
Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders walked away from the microphone as activists Mara Jacqueline Willaford and Marissa Johnson disrupted a rally in Seattle.
Alex Garland
3rd place: No winner
Graphics & Illustrations
1st place: The Seattle Times
SketcherCast: An illustrated report from the U.S. Open by The Timesà Seattle Sketcher, Gabriel Campanario
Gabriel Campanario
2nd place: The Seattle Times
Ravensdale: Tragedy strikes a mining town
Audrey Carlsen, Gabriel Campanario
3rd place: Real Change
Real Change Graphics and Illustrations
Jon Williams
Lifestyles Reporting
1st place: Beaverton Valley Times
Roger Tilbury’s widow says namesake park is ‘perfect’
Jonathan House
2nd place: Seattle Magazine
“Gray Area”
Ryan McVay, Jennifer McCullum, Sarah Butler, Stephanie Mennella
3rd place: No winner
Online Feature Video (non-TV)
1st place: The Columbian
A Strong Man – Akhil’s journey with ALS
Ariane Kunze
2nd place: The Seattle Times
The Family Brand
Erika Schultz, Lauren Frohne
3rd place: EarthFix
How black market poachers exploit the world’s biggest burrowing clam
Katie Campbell, MacGregor Campbell
Online News Video (non-TV)
1st place: EastIdahoNews.com
Sgt. Marge is in Charge
Nate Eaton
2nd place: YES! Magazine
Why Student Debtors Can’t File for Bankruptcy- Or Can They?
YES! Magazine Staff
3rd place: EastIdahoNews.com
Kayden’s Courage
Nate Eaton
Photo Essay
1st place: The Daily Herald
Washington Wildfires
Genna Martin
2nd place: Horizon Edition Magazine
Showcase 2015
Nancy O’Connell
3rd place: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
2015 Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race
Erin Corneliussen
Pictorial Photography
1st place: Horizon Edition Magazine
Reno Tahoe Getaway
Ron Niebrugge
2nd place: Â The Seattle Times
Snoqualmie Sun
Lindsey Wasson
3rd place: Yakima Herald-Republic
Hop expansion
Mason Trinca
Portrait Photography
1st place: Animal News Northwest
You Are My Home: Katie and Molly
Karen Ducey
2nd place: 425 magazine
Penny LeGate
Rachel Coward
3rd place: Statesman Journal
A life well ended
Danielle Peterson
Social Issues (single)
1st place: Animal News Northwest
Down on Luck
Karen Ducey
2nd place: Equal Voice News
Jimmy Mills and Granddaughter in Arizona
Equal Voice News Staff
3rd place: The Seattle Times
Unsettled Â
Erika Schultz
Social Issues (story)
1st place: The Seattle Times
Unsettled
Erika Schultz
2nd place: Seattle Met
17 Shots in Pasco
Mike Kane
3rd place: Equal Voice News
Grandfamilies in Arizona
Equal Voice News Staff
Sports Action
1st place: The Seattle Times
Eye contact
Lindsey Wasson
2nd place: Daily Record
Rodeo Launch
Brian  Myrick
3rd place: Statesman Journal
Gunslinger
Danielle Peterson
Sports Feature
1st place: The Bulletin
State Champ
Joe Kline
2nd place: Yakima Herald-Republic
Prosser Gamer
Mason Trinca
3rd place: The Columbian
Timbers Celebrate Championship
Amanda Cowan
Spot News Reporting
1st place: Northwest News Network
Amid Fires, Downed Fences Make Good Neighbors
Ian Bates, Anna King
2nd place: capitolhillseattle.com
Seattle May Day 2015 turns into a riot on Capitol Hill
Alex Garland
3rd place: No winner
*In the spirit of competition and excellence, the SPJ NW Excellence in Journalism contest has a policy to disqualify categories that don’t receive at least three entries. The following categories were disqualified this year. All entrants have been refunded. If you have any questions, please contact spjnwcontest@gmail.com.
Small Daily Print and Online: Online Headlines, Print Headline, Sports Profile Story, Page Design
Medium Daily Print and Online: Critique & Review, Food & Drink, Online Headlines, Page Design
Large Daily Print and Online: General Excellence, Critique & Review, Editorial & Commentary, Online Headline, Print Headlines, Investigative Reporting, Long General Feature Story, Sports Feature Story, Sports Profile Story, Sports Reporting, Spot News Reporting
Very Large Daily Print and Online: Critique & Review, Online Headlines
Magazine: Online Headlines
Non-Daily: Online Headlines
TV: Investigative Reporting
Visuals: Editorial Cartoons, Environment, Nature & Science Reporting, Food & Drink
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