L.A. Times Scores Multiple Honors in California Journalism Awards Contest

The Los Angeles Times has earned 40 awards in the California News Publishers Association’s California Journalism Awards competition, including the top honor of general excellence in the large dailies division for the sixth year in a row. The awards, which recognize outstanding work from media outlets across the state, were presented at a gala in Los Angeles on May 17.

In all, The Times received 11 first-place awards in a wide range of categories, including food commentary and criticism; agricultural reporting; best newsletter; feature story; investigative reporting; and public service journalism, among others.

Below is a list of The Times’ honorees by category.

Agricultural Reporting
First place: Ian James, California’s struggle to curb groundwater depletion
Second place: Jessica Garrison, Feds say he masterminded an epic California water heist. Some farmers say he’s their Robin Hood
Fourth place: Cindy Carcamo, Fast-growing asparagus once flourished on California farms. Why is it disappearing

Audience/Community Engagement Award
First place: Kevin Rector, Jaweed Kaleem, Matt Hamilton and Hailey Branson-Potts, Our Queerest Century

Best Newsletter
First place: Ryan Fonseca, Essential California
Fourth place: Jaclyn Cosgrove, The Wild

Columns
Fifth place: Sammy Roth

Coverage of Business and the Economy
Fifth place: Andrea Chang, Laurence Darmiento, 99 Cents Only was an L.A. icon. Inside the fall of the popular chain

Editorial Comment
Third place: Karin Klein, California needs to break down walls between community colleges and CSU
Fifth place: Carla Hall, Editorial: Kill barred owls so spotted owls can live? Wildlife service should put plan on hold

Environment Reporting
Fifth place: Alex Wigglesworth, Stories from the Mojave Desert

Feature Story
First place: Mackenzie Mays, In the heart of Appalachia, a distant cousin of JD Vance leads an opposing ‘authentic hillbilly’ movement
Second place: Clara Harter, How an 836-pound ‘cursed’ emerald traveled the Americas, ruining lives and bankrupting men
Fifth place: John Penner, A total eclipse is more than a spectacle. So I’m on the road to see it — again

Film and TV Writing/Reporting
Second place: Meredith Blake, ‘This is you now. It’s OK’: ‘The Swan’ contestants reflect on makeover competition 20 years later

Fine Arts Writing/Reporting
First place: Jessica Gelt, Behind the fine arts scene in L.A.
Fifth place: Charles McNulty, Theater Commentary and Criticism

Food Writing/Reporting
First place: Jenn Harris

Health Reporting
Third place: Keri Blakinger and Connor Sheets, Magic mushroom chocolates are having a moment. But do they even contain mushrooms?
Fourth place: Mackenzie Mays, How a San Diego doctor led the antiabortion movement to embrace controversial pill ‘reversal’

Housing and Land-Use Reporting
Fifth place: Clara Harter, Latino residents slam ‘trust fund hipsters’ in ugly L.A. gentrification battle

In-Depth Reporting
Third place: Anita Chabria and Jessica Garrison, False Confessions

Investigative Reporting
First place: Paige St. John, Sean Greene, Lorena Iñiguez Elebee and Alex Halperin, Dirty Weed
Second place: Melody Gutierrez, Alene Tchekmedyian, David Wharton and Sean Greene, Pets for Profit
Fifth place: James Queally, Scientology tried to ‘derail’ star’s rape trial by harassing prosecutor, suit says, church calls claim ‘false’

Local Coverage of Election 2024
Fourth place: Taryn Luna, political coverage

Photo Story/Essay
First place: Robert Gauthier, Photos: A visual report from the border following President Biden’s rollout of asylum restrictions

Profile Story
Second place: Mackenzie Mays, How California teen Chloe Cole emerged as a leader of the ‘detransition’ movement — and a right-wing icon
Third place: Jessica Garrison and Hannah Wiley, How San Francisco became a launching pad for the most powerful women in politics

Public Service Journalism
First place: Mackenzie Mays, Parenting classes are routinely ordered in child abuse cases. California isn’t ensuring they work
Fourth place: Paige St. John, Sean Greene, Lorena Iñiguez Elebee and Alex Halperin, Dirty Weed

Religion and Faith Writing
Second place: Deborah Netburn, ‘It’s a lot of UFO stuff and a lot of healing’: Inside L.A.’s wackiest spiritual convention

Social Media Innovation Award
First place: Los Angeles Times Staff, Hollywood Slowdown

Sports Feature Story
Fourth place: David Wharton and Nathan Fenno, The desperate hours: a pro baseball pitcher’s fentanyl overdose

Tourism/Travel Writing/Reporting
First place: John Penner, A total eclipse is more than a spectacle. So I’m on the road to see it — again

Transportation Reporting
Fifth place: Colleen Shalby, In a city known for gridlock, LAX is a standout. Can it be fixed?

Video Journalism - News
Third place: Albert Brave Tiger Lee and Ian James, Restoring the Klamath River

Video Journalism - Other
Second place: Mark E. Potts, The last L.A. Times print run at the Olympic Plant in downtown Los Angeles
Fourth place: Mark E. Potts and Nicholas Ducassi, Zoe Saldaña talks ‘Emilia Perez,’ Puerto Rican food and her new pop album

The complete list of winners can be found at cnpa.com.