The Los Angeles Press Club unveils this year’s nominees for its 18th annual celebration of excellence in arts and entertainment journalism.
The Los Angeles Press Club has revealed the finalists for the 18th National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards, honoring the journalists whose work has defined the cultural conversation over the past year. The annual event, one of the most prestigious recognitions in the American media landscape, will culminate on December 7 in Hollywood, when the winners are officially announced before an audience of peers and industry leaders.
The ceremony brings together journalists from across print, digital, and broadcast platforms to acknowledge the power of storytelling in shaping public understanding of film, television, theater, music, fashion, and the arts. The finalists reflect a broad cross-section of contemporary journalism — from veteran critics and editors to independent writers charting new directions in cultural coverage.
In the highly regarded category of Print Journalist of the Year, the finalists are Daniel D’Addario of Variety, Mia Galuppo of The Hollywood Reporter, Brad A. Johnson of OLTRE, Katie Kilkenny of The Hollywood Reporter, and Chris Willman of Variety. These five journalists have consistently demonstrated the rigorous reporting and cultural literacy that define the best of entertainment journalism today.
Daniel D’Addario has long been known for his incisive, analytical writing that examines the social dynamics of television and streaming media. His work continues Variety’s legacy of sharp cultural insight. Mia Galuppo has distinguished herself through her film industry coverage, navigating the evolving relationships between studios, filmmakers, and audiences. Brad A. Johnson brings a refined sensibility to OLTRE, where his work in food and travel criticism broadens the traditional scope of arts reporting. Katie Kilkenny’s authoritative coverage of labor and policy in the entertainment industry continues to shape the conversation around working conditions and creative equity. Chris Willman’s deep understanding of the music world and his ability to blend cultural context with narrative warmth make him one of the most respected voices in the business.
The finalists for Online Journalist of the Year — Tied to an Organization represent digital journalism’s ongoing innovation. This year’s honorees are Toby Fox of Rolling Stone, Ethan Shanfeld of Variety, Bonnie Stiernberg of InsideHook, Drew Taylor of TheWrap, and Tim Teeman of The Daily Beast. Their work captures the immediacy and diversity of online storytelling, proving that accuracy and artistry can coexist in the fast-moving world of digital news.
Toby Fox’s in-depth music features and artist interviews for Rolling Stone have earned attention for their precision and tone. Ethan Shanfeld’s Variety reporting reflects both journalistic agility and a nuanced understanding of industry change. Bonnie Stiernberg continues to expand the editorial range of InsideHook, blending popular culture with lifestyle commentary. Drew Taylor’s coverage for TheWrap explores filmmaking through the lens of structure and innovation, connecting craft with audience experience. Tim Teeman’s cultural essays for The Daily Beast showcase his signature clarity and command of narrative voice.
In the independent field, Online Journalist of the Year — Independent honors the growing strength of freelance journalism. The finalists — A.D. Amorosi, Mesfin Fekadu, Holly Gleason, Lyndsey Parker, and Leena Tailor — demonstrate the resilience and range of journalists working outside traditional institutional frameworks.
A.D. Amorosi’s work captures the intersections of music, culture, and civic life through a seasoned lens. Mesfin Fekadu’s reporting brings both journalistic discipline and emotional depth, reflecting his long experience covering the global entertainment scene. Holly Gleason’s essays and reviews merge deep historical awareness with the energy of contemporary critique. Lyndsey Parker, whose career has spanned radio, digital platforms, and editorial commentary, continues to offer sharp observations on music and pop culture. Leena Tailor brings an international scope to entertainment writing, bridging Hollywood and the global creative community with balance and sophistication.
For Broadcast Journalist of the Year, the finalist is Giselle Fernandez of Spectrum News. A respected figure in television journalism, Fernandez embodies the integrity and poise that define excellence in broadcast storytelling. Her ability to combine investigative focus with a human-centered approach to reporting has earned her a prominent place among this year’s nominees.
Together, these finalists represent the highest levels of commitment to accuracy, analysis, and artistic sensitivity within journalism. Their collective work spans interviews, profiles, reviews, features, and investigative projects that continue to shape how audiences understand art and entertainment in the twenty-first century.
The National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards not only recognize individual excellence but also celebrate the role of journalism itself as a cultural institution. Each nominee has contributed to a public record that preserves the creative spirit of an era marked by transformation and reinvention.
Beyond the individual categories, the awards ceremony will also highlight achievements in visual design, photography, podcasts, and multimedia storytelling. It will recognize the editorial teams and publications that support these journalists, reinforcing the collaborative nature of the industry.
This year’s event continues a tradition of honoring journalists who bring integrity to arts reporting — an area of coverage that connects the creative and the civic spheres. As the entertainment industry undergoes ongoing changes shaped by technology, labor movements, and evolving audience expectations, these finalists stand at the center of that dialogue, interpreting culture through the lens of lived experience and professional rigor.
The Los Angeles Press Club’s annual gala has become one of the most respected gatherings of its kind. The December 7 event will include a red-carpet arrival, formal dinner, and the presentation of dozens of awards recognizing distinction across categories such as feature writing, investigative journalism, television criticism, documentary coverage, and emerging media. The organization encourages both members and non-members to attend, offering early registration incentives and sponsorship opportunities that support its continued mission of advancing ethical, independent journalism.
For these nominees, the recognition carries a significance beyond professional acknowledgment. It affirms the importance of cultural journalism as a field that documents, interprets, and challenges the evolving shape of creativity. Their work not only informs readers and viewers but also defines the cultural memory of an era.
The National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards remind the industry that excellence persists even in times of transformation. Through the work of Daniel D’Addario, Mia Galuppo, Brad A. Johnson, Katie Kilkenny, Chris Willman, Toby Fox, Ethan Shanfeld, Bonnie Stiernberg, Drew Taylor, Tim Teeman, A.D. Amorosi, Mesfin Fekadu, Holly Gleason, Lyndsey Parker, Leena Tailor, and Giselle Fernandez, the profession continues to demonstrate its enduring purpose — to tell the stories behind the art that shapes modern life.
Complete Roster: Every Finalist at the 18th National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards
A full, definitive roll call of the 18th National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards finalists, recognizing every name and project across print, online, broadcast, photography, books, design, radio, podcasts, student work, and special honors.
The 18th National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards bring together the most extensive gathering of voices and visions working in culture today, and this feature presents the complete roster. It is a celebration of work published and produced across continents and platforms, and a clear record of the people and projects that defined the year in arts reporting, criticism, photography, audio, television, film, and design. What follows is a comprehensive narrative that honors each finalist without omission.
The Journalist of the Year field begins in print with Daniel D’Addario of Variety, Mia Galuppo of The Hollywood Reporter, Brad A. Johnson of OLTRE, Katie Kilkenny of The Hollywood Reporter, and Chris Willman of Variety. Their work reflects the breadth of issues shaping the industry, from business headwinds to creative breakthroughs.
Online Journalist of the Year tied to an organization recognizes Toby Fox of Rolling Stone, Ethan Shanfeld of Variety, Bonnie Stiernberg of InsideHook, Drew Taylor of TheWrap, and Tim Teeman of The Daily Beast. Each voice brings a distinctive cadence to rapid, rigorous coverage.
Independent Online Journalist of the Year acknowledges A.D. Amorosi, Mesfin Fekadu, Holly Gleason, Lyndsey Parker, and Leena Tailor. Their independent reporting and criticism carry a personal signature that remains vital to the cultural conversation.
Broadcast Journalist of the Year honors Giselle Fernandez of Spectrum News 1, Nic Cha Kim of PBS SoCal, Ruby Lovell of NTD TV, Rollo Ross of Reuters TV, and Rae Williams of Spectrum News 1, a group whose on-air storytelling pairs urgency with clarity.
Photojournalist of the Year recognizes Osceola Refetoff of PBS SoCal, Paul Sanchez of KTLA, Andy Schlachtenhaufen of Spectrum News 1, and Sandra Stojanovic of Reuters TV, visual reporters whose frames distill complex narratives into enduring images.
Film criticism over 1,000 words salutes Jon Frosch of The Hollywood Reporter, Amy Nicholson of the Los Angeles Times, Joshua Rothkopf of the Los Angeles Times, Nick Schager of The Daily Beast, and Divya Subbiah of Ampersand at AnnenbergMedia. Their essays probe craft and context with exacting focus.
Film criticism under 1,000 words recognizes Siddhant Adlakha of Variety, Carlos Aguilar of the Los Angeles Times, William Bibbiani of TheWrap, Peter Debruge of Variety, and Katie Walsh of the Los Angeles Times, a cohort that distills insight into tight, persuasive columns.
Television criticism honors Dan Fienberg and Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter, Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone, Bonnie Stiernberg of InsideHook, and Aramide Tinubu of Variety, all voices that translate a crowded TV landscape into sharp perspective.
Theater and performing arts criticism acknowledges Daniel D’Addario of Variety, Thomas Floyd of The Washington Post, Thom Geier of Culture Sauce, David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter, and Tim Teeman of The Daily Beast. Their work tracks the stage with nuance across forms and venues.
Music criticism elevates A.D. Amorosi of FLOOD Magazine, Jem Aswad of Variety, Lina Lecaro of Los Angeles Magazine, Timothy Mangan of Culture OC, and Caryn Rose of Salon. Each writes with authority about artists, scenes, and the changing business of sound.
Art, design, and literature criticism honors Andy Coughlan of The Beaumont Enterprise, Shana Nys Dambrot as Freelance, Ben Davis of Artnet News, Christopher Knight of the Los Angeles Times, and Roberto Oventile of Local News Pasadena, a range that spans local galleries to global movements.
Food and culture criticism includes Bill Addison of Longbeachize, Bill Addison of the Los Angeles Times, Lorraine Ali of the Los Angeles Times, Ana Figueroa of the Beverly Hills Courier, and Ashlie Stevens of Salon, reflecting the evolving dialogue between dining and culture.
Celebrity investigative reporting recognizes ABC News Studios at ABC News for ABC News Studios IMPACT x Nightline: Stealing Graceland; Kory Grow, Jon Blistein, and Tomás Mier at Rolling Stone for “Brilliant, Lost, Damaged”: Inside the Tragedy of Liam Payne; and Alexandra Paul at The Ankler for “Stalked: A ‘Baywatch’ Star’s 13-Year Nightmare.” These projects show how celebrity coverage becomes accountability reporting.
Multimedia packages include Davey Alba, Leon Yin, Julia Love, Ashley Carman, and Priyanjana Bengani at Bloomberg News for The Second Trump Presidency, Brought to You by YouTubers; Aliza Aufrichtig, Stephanie Goodman, Alicia DeSantis, Leah Greenblatt, and Josh Katz at The New York Times for 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century; Jack Eidt and Osceola Refetoff at PBS SoCal for High & Dry: Slab City – Creative Homesteading in a Desert of Extremes; Tiana McGee, Daisy Chung, Dea Bankova, Travis Hartman, and Julia Wolfe at Reuters for Cozy Games; and Mary Pelloni with Chris O’Falt at IndieWire for Career Blueprint: It All Led to Dune.
Humor writing is celebrated with Mia Galuppo at The Hollywood Reporter for Are You Ready for a Netflix Theme Park? We Are!; James Hibberd at The Hollywood Reporter for That’s It, The F-Word is Officially Boring; Phil Hopkins at Local News Pasadena for Honey, There’s a Russian Propagandist from Las Vegas at the Door; Miles Klee at Rolling Stone for Tom Cruise Wants You to Know That It’s Just Not a Movie Without Popcorn; and Tim Teeman at The Daily Beast for On Election Night, Kornacki Cam Drives Steve Kornacki Fans Wild.
Headlines honored include Debra Birnbaum at Gold Derby for The drama over 38 Down: The New York Times crossword declares The Bear a TV drama; Blake Hennon at the Los Angeles Times for The Man Behind the Man-Child; Sarah Hirsch at Emmy Magazine for Kill Joy; Sandro Monetti at Hollywood International Filmmaker Magazine for The Shawshank Vacation; and Hanh Nguyen at Salon for Carry-On, Taron Egerton: There’ll be peace when you are done.
Non-fiction book finalists are Alessandra Mattanza for The World of Banksy from PRESTEL/Random House and for Digital Art: 20 Pioneers Redefining Its Boundaries from Schiffer Publishing, two volumes tracing iconography and innovation.
News photos include Louise Barnsley at People.com for Dick Van Dyke performs at age 99 wearing a Mary Poppins t-shirt; Jennifer Dorn, Haley Kluge, and Greg Williams at Variety for Emmanuel Macron Splash and for Greg Gutfeld Cover; and Gino Terrell at Scream Sheets 26 for Warren Moon Speaks at Mall of America, a slate that captures public figures at unexpected angles.
Portrait photography in film recognizes Ash Barhamand, Alison Edmond, Peter B. Cury, and Beau Grealy at The Hollywood Reporter for Mikey Madison; Jennifer Dorn, Haley Kluge, and Zoe McConnell at Variety for Benedict Cumberbatch; Jennifer Dorn, Haley Kluge, and Mason Poole at Variety for Paul Mescal; Jennifer Dorn, Haley Kluge, and Greg Swales at Variety for Demi Moore; and Ada Guerin, Malina Saval, and Irvin Rivera at Los Angeles Magazine for Colman Domingo Explains Why A24 Tearjerker Sing Sing Is So Personal.
Television portrait photography honors Robert Ascroft at Emmy Magazine for Elizabeth Debicki at the 76th Emmy Awards; Ash Barhamand, Alison Edmond, and Simon Emmett at The Hollywood Reporter for Adolescence; Jennifer Dorn, Haley Kluge, and Brian Bowen Smith at Variety for Sterling K. Brown; Christina Gandolfo at Emmy Magazine for Me and My Emmy: Gabriel Villarreal (Delta Work); and Bennett Taren at Salon for Portrait of Bridgett Everett.
Portraits in music, theater, and arts include Ash Barhamand, Alison Edmond, Peter B. Cury, and AB+DM at The Hollywood Reporter for 50 Cent; Jennifer Dorn, Haley Kluge, Jennifer Halper, and Emilio Madrid at Variety for Darren Criss and Cole Escola; Brad A. Johnson at OLTRE for Herve with chickens at Rancho Lola; Osceola Refetoff at PBS SoCal for Dot – House of Dots – Slab City, CA; and Javier Vasquez at Center Theatre Group for American Idiot: Lark Portrait.
Feature photos include Ash Barhamand, Alison Edmond, Naomy Pedroza, Peter B. Cury, and Paola Kudacki at The Hollywood Reporter for Harris Dickinson; Michael Blackshire at the Los Angeles Times for a Camp Flog Gnaw Day 2 portfolio; Alyson Camus at US Rocker for Pulp with Dynamic Frontman Jarvis Cocker Make Long-Awaited Return to Delight Fans; Osceola Refetoff at PBS SoCal for No Pasar – Piedras Rojas, Salar del Carmen, Atacama Desert, Chile – 2024; and Gino Terrell at Scream Sheets 26 for First stop on World Tour: Minneapolis for Kendrick Lamar & his GNX.
Action photos honor Donna Balancia at US Rocker for Aloe Blacc Launches Stand Together Tour; Sylvia Borgo at US Rocker for Green Day Fires Up Petco Park; Alyson Camus at US Rocker for St. Vincent Rocks the Greek; Notes From Vivace at US Rocker for Caravan Palace Gets Frenzied Reception at the Novo; and Gino Terrell at Scream Sheets 26 for SZA doesn’t Snooze to miss this moment, she meets it.
Photo essays include Ash Barhamand, Ava Selbach, Naomy Pedroza, Peter B. Cury, and Chelsea Archer at The Hollywood Reporter for Postcard From the Edge: L.A. in the Line of Fire; Jennifer Dorn, Haley Kluge, and Peggy Sirota at Variety for Actors on Actors (Emmys); Chris Knight at Emmy Magazine for Work/Life Talents; Osceola Refetoff at PBS SoCal for High & Dry: Slab City – Creative Homesteading in a Desert of Extremes; and Irvin Rivera at Los Angeles Magazine for Colman Domingo.
Illustration finalists are Nabila Adani at Zócalo Public Square for In Syria, the Caged Bird Raps; Toby Fox at Rolling Stone for The Cure; Haley Kluge, Jennifer Dorn, and Ryan Garcia at Variety for NBCUniversal Pie; Jason Lord at Zócalo Public Square for The B-Movie Maker Who Preserved the Music of L.A.’s Black Churches; and Tiana McGee, Daisy Chung, Dea Bankova, Travis Hartman, and Julia Wolfe at Reuters for Cozy Games.
Graphic design recognition goes to Robert Gottenbos at Hollywood International Filmmaker Magazine for AI Versus Actors; Jimmy Jiang at Hollywood International Filmmaker Magazine for Coppola Steps Into the Unknown; Ben Kellerman, Ally J. Levine, Tiana McGee, and Travis Hartman at Reuters for Met Gala looks; Tiana McGee at Reuters for Disney live action; and Tiana McGee at Reuters for Candidate tracks.
Animation and moving graphics honor Mimi Balancia at Mimi’s Method Design News Website for 94.7 – The Grave; Ash Barhamand, Ava Selbach, Alison Edmond, Peter B. Cury, and Heather Hazzan at The Hollywood Reporter for Ben Stiller Takes Control; Deanna McClure, Cheyne Gallarde, and Javier Vasquez at Center Theatre Group for American Idiot Cast Member Animation; Tiana McGee, Daisy Chung, Dea Bankova, Travis Hartman, and Julia Wolfe at Reuters for Cozy Games; and the THR Art Dept with Ada Guerin and Luke Lucas at The Hollywood Reporter for White Hot Lotus.
Page layout finalists include Toby Fox at Rolling Stone for Chappell Roan: Pain & Pleasure of a Supernova; Haley Kluge, Jennifer Dorn, and Ted Keller at Variety for What Trump 2.0 Would Mean for Hollywood? and for Wicked; the THR Art Dept with Ada Guerin, Nicholas Brawley, and Neil Davies at The Hollywood Reporter for Succession; and the THR Art Dept with Ada Guerin, Nicholas Brawley, Clare Ramirez, and Kirsten Hageleit at The Hollywood Reporter for White Hot Lotus.
Cover art recognizes Ash Barhamand, Peter B. Cury, and Kevin Cooley at The Hollywood Reporter for What We Saw. What We Lost. What We Saved. What’s Next.; Jennifer Dorn, Haley Kluge, Richard Maltz, and Joe Toreno at Variety for Taylor Swift Fandom; Toby Fox at Rolling Stone for Chappell Roan Cover and for Ice Spice Cover; and THR Staff with Maer Roshan, Ada Guerin, and Justin Metz at The Hollywood Reporter for Succession Hollywood Style.
Obituaries and appreciations in film personalities include Christian Blauvelt at IndieWire for David Lynch Dead at 78; Chris Gardner at The Hollywood Reporter for Lynda Obst; Holly Gleason at hollygleason.com for Moment of Forever on Kris Kristofferson; Owen Gleiberman at Variety for Val Kilmer; and Fred Schruers at IndieWire for Robert Towne. Television appreciations honor Kate Aurthur at Variety for Shannen Doherty, Sarah Bahr at The New York Times for George Lowe, Dan Fienberg at The Hollywood Reporter for Bob Newhart, Melanie McFarland at Salon for Lynchian, and Alan Sepinwall at Rolling Stone for Twin Peaks.
Music appreciations recognize A.D. Amorosi at FLOOD Magazine for Brian Wilson, Ramy El-Etreby at Zócalo Public Square for The Egyptian Diva, Holly Gleason at PASTE for JD Souther, Rob Sheffield at Rolling Stone for Marianne Faithfull, and Chris Willman at Variety for Brian Wilson’s 20 greatest songs. Theater and arts appreciations include Katya Kazakina at Artnet News for Leonard Lauder, Charles McNulty at the Los Angeles Times for Athol Fugard, Gwen Muranaka at Zócalo Public Square for the Little Tokyo photographer, Tim Teeman at The Daily Beast for Gavin Creel, and Victoria Thomas at Local News Pasadena for Lourinda Bray.
Print general news honors Gary Baum at The Hollywood Reporter for Matthew Perry’s street dealer; Nicole Fell at The Hollywood Reporter for unreleased Michael Jackson tapes; Jessica Gelt at the Los Angeles Times for the Getty Villa dash; Sean P. Means at The Salt Lake Tribune for Sundance leaving Utah; and Adam B. Vary at Variety for Toxic Fandom. Celebrity features include Seth Abramovitch at The Hollywood Reporter on Ben Shapiro, Lisa Friedman Bloch at Beverly Hills Courier on Candace Parker, Diedre M Johnson at the Los Angeles Times on Billy Bob Thornton, Jason McGahan at The Hollywood Reporter on Matthew Perry, and Keiran Southern at The Sunday Times Magazine on Graceland.
Film business finalists include Kirsten Chuba and Chris Gardner at The Hollywood Reporter on red carpet influencers, Lily Ford at The Hollywood Reporter on London, Sohee Kim and Lucas Shaw at Bloomberg News on China’s blockbuster, Brent Lang at Variety on Netflix’s origin story, and Tatiana Siegel at Variety on Joker: Folie à Deux. Television business includes Katie Kilkenny at The Hollywood Reporter on the strikes, Sandra McDonald at the Los Angeles Times on anime piracy sites, Michael Schneider at Variety on cable TV hospice, Todd Spangler at Variety on YouTube at 20, and Keith Underwood at the Los Angeles Sentinel on Iyanu: Child of Wonder.
Music and performing arts business finalists include Sarah Bahr at The New York Times on Broadway influencers, Ashley Carman at Bloomberg News on greatest hits albums, Holly Gleason at POLLSTAR on Latin music, Julia Jacobs at The New York Times on the Sean Combs hotline, and Anna Nicolaou at the Financial Times on the hit factory. Tech, design, and arts business recognizes Lina Lecaro at Los Angeles Magazine on Diane von Furstenberg, Jason Schreier and Cecilia D’Anastasio at Bloomberg News on Switch 2, Keith Underwood at the Los Angeles Sentinel on stunt performers, and Alex Weprin at The Hollywood Reporter on creator studios.
Investigative reporting honors Andy Greene at Rolling Stone for Eric Carmen, Jennifer Maas at Variety for video game companies and SAG-AFTRA, Hannah Miller at Bloomberg Businessweek for Dr. Phil’s streaming makeover, and Stacy Perman at the Los Angeles Times for Kanye West’s Donda Academy. Diversity in TV and film recognizes Mesfin Fekadu at The Hollywood Reporter for Fellow Travelers, Lisa Friedman Bloch at Beverly Hills Courier for Candace Parker, Malina Saval at Los Angeles Magazine for the Marvels of Media Festival, Adam B. Vary at Variety for Joe Locke, and Abbey White at The Hollywood Reporter for therapy on screen.
Diversity in music and performing arts honors Andy Coughlan at The Beaumont Enterprise for cowboy masculinity, Jessica Doherty at Center Theatre Group for Larissa FastHorse and Michael John Garcés, Nicole Fell at The Hollywood Reporter for K-pop’s Ellen moment, Holly Gleason at HITS for Shaboozey, and Chris Willman at Variety for Chely Wright. Personality profiles over 2,500 words in film feature Gary Baum at The Hollywood Reporter for a powerful woman in Hollywood, Daniel D’Addario at Variety for Sebastian Stan, Susan Karlin at Pennsylvania Gazette for a producer, Brent Lang at Variety for Todd Phillips, and Seija Rankin at The Hollywood Reporter for Naomi Ackie.
Television profiles over 2,500 words honor Frank DeCaro at Emmy Magazine for Hit List, Trish Deitch at Variety for Keri Russell, Mikey O’Connell at The Hollywood Reporter for Tina Fey, Stephen Rodrick at Rolling Stone for Jimmy Kimmel, and Adam B. Vary at Variety for Noah Wyle. Music profiles over 2,500 words include Jem Aswad at Variety for Nick Cave, Hannah Dailey at Billboard for Gracie, Andre Gee at Rolling Stone for Clipse, Brian Hiatt at Rolling Stone for Alex Van Halen, and Angie Martoccio at Rolling Stone for Stevie Nicks.
Theater and culture profiles over 2,500 words recognize Gary Baum at The Hollywood Reporter for a rift, Ashley Carman at Bloomberg News for MrBallen, Shana Nys Dambrot at Palm Springs Life for Cristopher Cichocki, Kevin Dolak at The Hollywood Reporter for Milo Yiannopoulos, and Jenelle Riley at Variety for Taylor Tomlinson. Film profiles under 2,500 words include Carlos Aguilar at the Los Angeles Times on Saw, Sarah Bahr at The New York Times on Steve, Rachel Brodsky at Rolling Stone on Mikey Madison, Todd Gilchrist at Variety on Jane Fonda, and Seija Rankin at The Hollywood Reporter on Elizabeth Olsen.
Television profiles under 2,500 words honor Trish Deitch at Variety on Bradley Whitford, Mesfin Fekadu at The New York Times on Jesse Collins, Candace Hansen at the Los Angeles Times on Delta Work, Seija Rankin at The Hollywood Reporter on Jenny Slate, and Tim Teeman at Town & Country on Michael Strahan and Isabella. Music profiles under 2,500 words include Pamela Chelin at the Los Angeles Times on Jeff Bridges, Holly Gleason at The New York Times on Megan Moroney, Candace Hansen at the Los Angeles Times on Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Anna Nicolaou at the Financial Times on Jack Antonoff, and Jenelle Riley at Variety on June Squibb.
Theater and other arts profiles under 2,500 words feature Thomas Floyd at The Washington Post on Jake Gyllenhaal, Whitney Friedlander at the Los Angeles Times on Kelsey Grammer, Joanie Harmon at the Los Angeles Sentinel on Odie Hawkins, Kaitlyn Huamani at the Los Angeles Times on Alden Ehrenreich, and Elsa Keslassy at Variety on Emmanuel Macron. Film industry features over 1,000 words honor Sarah Bahr at The New York Times on American Beauty, Patrick Brzeski at The Hollywood Reporter on global power shifts, Mia Galuppo at The Hollywood Reporter on the big squeeze, Rebecca Rubin at Variety on casting directors, and Joshua Ruthkopf at the Los Angeles Times on M3GAN’s parents Adrien Morot and Kathy Tse.
Television industry features over 1,000 words acknowledge Pamela Chelin at the Los Angeles Times on The Price Is Right, Rene Chun at Emmy Magazine on the oner, Meg James at the Los Angeles Times on a small New York town, Alan Sepinwall at Rolling Stone on the greatest game show, and Adam B. Vary at Variety on Harry Potter. Music and performing arts industry features over 1,000 words honor August Brown at the Los Angeles Times on music utopias, David Browne at Rolling Stone on a Russian prison, Mankaprr Conteh at Rolling Stone on the Lijadu Sisters, Brian Hiatt at Rolling Stone on Timbaland’s AI reinvention, and Anna Nicolaou at the Financial Times on the hit factory.
Visual arts and architecture features over 1,000 words include Andy Coughlan at The Beaumont Enterprise on Gauguin, Michael Forsythe, Graham Bowley, and Elisabetta Povoledo at The New York Times on a van Gogh search, Michael Goldstein at Forbes.com on The Nova Festival Exhibit, James Tarmy at Bloomberg Pursuits on Roman treasures, and Anne K. Wallentine at the Financial Times on the pop-art maverick nun. Short features under 1,000 words span film, TV, music, and visual arts with Ryan Gajewski at The Hollywood Reporter on Clint Eastwood, Lina Lecaro at Los Angeles Magazine on Robert Eggers, Naman Ramachandran at Variety on Hard Boiled restoration, David Rooney at The Hollywood Reporter on Jaws, and Rebecca Rubin with Naman Ramachandran at Variety on Ne Zha 2.
Columnist honors recognize Gary Baum at The Hollywood Reporter, Mesfin Fekadu at The Hollywood Reporter, Thom Geier at Musicals Magazine, Brad A. Johnson at OLTRE, and Esther Zuckerman at Bloomberg Businessweek. Film commentary features Daniel D’Addario at Variety on moviegoing with a four-year-old, Clayton Davis at Variety on the Oscars, Brent Lang at Variety on Jaws, Michael Schneider at Variety on The Sixth, and Ethan Shanfeld at Variety on Her.
Television commentary includes Matt Brennan at the Los Angeles Times on the culture war, Dan Fienberg at The Hollywood Reporter on The Handmaid’s Tale, Mary McNamara at the Los Angeles Times for commentary, Aramide Tinubu at Variety on Homicide: Life on the Street, and Jason Zinoman at The New York Times on Johnny Carson. Music commentary includes Jeff Benjamin at Billboard on RIIZE, Holly Gleason at HITS for Country At A Crossroads and Grammy Chew, Malina Saval at Pasadena Magazine on music and memories, and Chris Willman at Variety on artist voices.
Other arts commentary includes Lorraine Ali at the Los Angeles Times on X and misinformation, Kirsten Chuba at The Hollywood Reporter on TikTok and restaurants, Thom Geier at Musicals Magazine on curtain up, James Tarmy at Bloomberg Pursuits on provenance, and Sheryl Turner at Local News Pasadena on the Rose Queen and Court. Entertainment publication finalists include Gold Derby Staff for Severance Reverence, Center Theatre Group and Deaf West Theatre’s Performances Magazine team, Emmy Magazine’s issue team led by Juan Morales, Los Angeles Magazine’s Movie Issue team, and The Hollywood Reporter Staff.
Broadcast categories span business, hard and soft news, and diversity with ABC News Studios, KTLA’s Cher Calvin and Micah Ohlman with Nick Greitzer and Scott Mantz, Spectrum News 1 teams with Giselle Fernandez and Rae Williams, PBS SoCal teams including Nic Cha Kim, Angela Boisvert, Tamara Gould, and Maria Hall-Brown, Reuters’ Rollo Ross and Allysyn Landrum, LAist’s Robert Garrova, and ABC7’s George Pennacchio with Cheryl L. Diano, among many collaborators noted across entries, including Sarah Welch, Tiffany Taylor, Kyle Desiderio, Lesley Corral, Jason Rovou, and others named in each submission.
Further broadcast honors include anchors and hosts Cher Calvin, Micah Ohlman, Ruby Lovell, Nathan Masters, Lisa McRee, and George Pennacchio; hard news entries from ABC News, ABC News IMPACT x Nightline, NTD TV’s Ruby Lovell, The Hollywood Reporter’s Tiffany Taylor, and KTLA’s team; and diversity series spanning film, TV, music, and arts with projects fronted by ABC News Studios, KNBC’s Michael Brownlee, PBS SoCal’s Artbound teams, Spectrum News 1 features, and Reuters TV’s Omar Younis with Sandra Stojanovic.
Documentary and special programming finalists include PBS SoCal’s Lost LA: Animation from Angela Boisvert, Matt Bass, Nathan Masters, and Tamara Gould; KTLA’s Honoring Hispanic Heritage with Bobby Gonzalez, Carly Armendariz, Megan Telles, Carlos Saucedo, and Paul Sanchez; KTTV FOX 11’s The Issue Is: MLB on FOX Turns 30 with Elex Michaelson’s team; the Los Angeles Times’ Mark Potts for How We Printed the Paper; and Spectrum News 1’s showcase from Tara Lynn Wagner, Kristopher Gee, Seth Katz, and Diana Romo with Luca Desandograssi. Feature-length nominees include ABC News Studios for Will Reeve: Finding My Father; PBS SoCal’s Artbound: The Cheech; Artbound: Blended Worlds; Artbound: Nobuko Miyamoto; and The Hollywood Reporter’s stand-up comedy roundtable from Lacey Rose, Jason Rovou, Stephanie Fischette, and Lesley Corral.
Radio and podcasts highlight hosts Scott Feinberg for Awards Chatter, Caroline Feraday at KCLU Radio, Jeff Goldsmith for The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith, Lisa Niver for Make Your Own Map Podcast, and Variety’s Michael Schneider with Clayton Davis, Jazz Tangcay, Emily Longeretta, and Jenelle Riley. News features include ABC Audio at ABC News on Bad Rap, Megan Jamerson at KCRW on animation labor, and Cynthia Littleton at Variety on COVID’s impact on TV production.
Interviews across film, TV, music, and arts include Scott Feinberg with Sean Penn, Jeff Goldsmith with Jason Isaacs, Jim Hemphill with the Speed team, Angelique Jackson with Marsai Martin, Marc Malkin with Barbra Streisand, Deborah Zara Kobylt with Marla Tellez, Marc Malkin with Ryan Phillippe, Michael Schneider with Ronny Chieng, Sarah Shachat with Mary Pelloni and Trevor Wallace, Matt Wilstein at The Daily Beast, Jon Burlingame at Dolby Creator Talks, Brian Hiatt with Mike Campbell, Lance Orozco at KCLU AM/FM on America, John Rabe at Classical California, Justin Chapman’s Well Read, Austin Cross at LAist, and Deborah Zara Kobylt and Lisa Niver across their series. Soft-feature audio honors include Caroline Feraday, Emily Guerin, Josie Huang, Kelsey Ngante, and Lance Orozco, with regular podcasts from the Los Angeles Times’ The Envelope, The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith, the MUBI Podcast S7 team led by Rico Gagliano and Tim Robey, Lyndsey Parker’s Totally ’80s, and Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast.
Online journalism spans hard and soft news, business, investigations, diversity, personality profiles, features in film, TV, theater, music, visual arts, literature, celebrity coverage, columns, and websites, with finalists including Matt Donnelly, Brent Lang, Gene Maddaus, Drew Taylor, Carly Thomas, Kayla Cobb, Tony Maglio, Lucia Moses, Geoff Weiss, Michael Schneider, Lucas Shaw, Jeff Benjamin, Emilie Hagen, Paul Hodgins, Richard Chang, Anneta Konstantinides, Alexei Barrionuevo, Phoebe Eaton, Miles Klee, Rebecca Rubin, Jazz Tangcay, Abrar Al-Heeti, Lucas Manfredi, Ruben V. Nepales, Ethan Shanfeld, Beatrice Verhoeven, Ashley Cullins, Kristen Lopez, J. Kim Murphy, Sharon Waxman, Kayla Cobb and Adam Chitwood, Tess Patton, Natalie Jarvey, Coleman Spilde, Brian Steinberg, Joel Beers, Philip Boroff, Matt Donnelly, Holly Gleason, Leena Tailor, Susan Carpenter, Richardson Handjaja, Katya Kazakina, Jonathan Landrum Jr., Lucia Moses, Dan Whateley, Jem Aswad, Olivia Carville, Cecilia D’Anastasio, Phoebe Eaton, Umberto Gonzalez, Sharon Knolle, Anneta Konstantinides, Tare Ebimami, Ryan Gajewski, Kristen Lopez, Gene Maddaus, Adam B. Vary, Wilson Chapman, Raquel Harris, Kelly McClure, Naman Ramachandran, Abbey White, Joshua Crutchmer, Gail Mitchell, Lola Olvera, Leena Tailor, Madeline Berg, Laura Italiano, Natalie Musumeci, Mesfin Fekadu, Marc Malkin, Ruben V. Nepales, Tim Teeman, Scott Feinberg, Chris Gardner, Jason Guerrasio, Naman Ramachandran, Christian Zilko, Ky Henderson, Jonathan Landrum Jr., Ryan Lattanzio, Alex Ritman, Bonnie Stiernberg, Jayson Greene, Dan Knapp, Anna Nicolaou, Richard Stellar, Chris Willman, Jim Farmer, Lina Lecaro, Christine Terrisse, Victoria Thomas, Kathryn VanArendonk, Seth Abramovitch, Ethan Alter, Lauren Huff, Ruben V. Nepales, Hanh Nguyen, Matthew Frank, Jeff Goldsmith with James White, Jason Guerrasio, Jazz Tangcay, Drew Taylor, Leo Barraclough, Leila Jordan Berger, Todd Gilchrist, Andy Greene, Beth Harpaz, Lily Ford, Katie Grant, Naman Ramachandran, Jazz Tangcay, Michaela Zee, Kate Aurthur with Michael Schneider, Lauren Huff, Katie Kilkenny, Ruben Nepales, Ethan Shanfeld, Daniel D’Addario with Kate Aurthur, William Earl, and Selome Hailu, Lily Ford, Elaine Low, Melanie McFarland, Leena Tailor, David Buchanan, John Lavitt, Chris Rovzar, Rebecca Rubin, and Chris Willman.
Theater and literature features include David Buchanan at Gold Derby on Purpose, John Lavitt at The Hollywood Times on Doña Perón, Chris Rovzar at Bloomberg Pursuits on Greg Nobile, Rebecca Rubin at Variety on Oh, Mary!, and Chris Willman at Variety on Randy Newman’s Faust. Visual arts features include Evan Jacoby at LAist on Altadena tiles, Leslie Katz at Forbes on AI heritage, Katya Kazakina at Artnet News on an art-school empire, Matthew Ponsford at Bloomberg CityLab on a wetland park, and James Tarmy at Bloomberg Pursuits on John Singer Sargent. Culture features include Pamela Chelin at the Los Angeles Times on vintage Japanese car culture, Whitney Friedlander at Salon on a real-life Snow White, Simi Horwitz at BistroAwards.com on crowdfunding, Jennifer Mercieca at Zócalo Public Square on hopescrolling, and Natalia Molina at Zócalo Public Square on grief and guisados.
Celebrity features honor William Earl at Variety on Sophie Thatcher, Lily Ford at The Hollywood Reporter on George R.R. Martin, Ruben V. Nepales at Rappler on Colin Farrell, Kevin EG Perry at The Independent on the Vanity Fair Oscars party, and Ethan Shanfeld at Variety on Bill Burr. Columnists include Alison Herman at Variety, James Hibberd at The Hollywood Reporter, Katya Kazakina at Artnet News, Kelly McClure at Salon, and Chris Willman at Variety. Commentary across film, TV, music, and other arts includes Leila Jordan Berger at The AV Club, Clayton Davis at Variety, Chris Rosen at Gold Derby, Elena Smolina at Zócalo Public Square, Coleman Spilde at Salon, James C. Cobb at Zócalo Public Square, Brian Lowry at TheWrap, Jackie Mansky at Zócalo Public Square, Michael Schneider at Variety, Adam B. Vary at Variety, Jem Aswad at Variety, Alex Galbraith at Salon, Barry Levine at US Rocker, Rashida Z. Shaw McMahon at Zócalo Public Square, Bonnie Stiernberg at InsideHook, Steve Ammidown at Zócalo Public Square, Clayton Davis at Variety, Ainsley Ferrell at AnnenbergMedia, James Hibberd at The Hollywood Reporter, and Andi Zeisler at Salon. Entertainment websites include Gold Derby, The Daily Beast’s Obsessed, IndieWire, ABC7’s On The Red Carpet, and TheWrap. Blogs recognize Alex Ben Block at BlockandTackle.biz, Alyson Camus at US Rocker, Rick Ellis at AllYourScreens.com, Holly Gleason at HollyGleason615, Lyndsey Parker at Lyndsanity.com, and organization-tied blogs from The Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision and Live Feed, GMA-7’s Janet R. Nepales, Rappler’s Ruben V. Nepales, and TheWrap’s WaxWord.
Social media storytelling by individuals includes Michael Blackshire on Twitter for A$AP Rocky trial coverage, Phoebe Eaton on Substack for GOP Woodstock, Emilie Hagen across platforms for Paid Protestors, and Scott Hays at OC World for both Danny Kwock’s surfing inspiration and Early IMAX Camera. Organization-tied social storytelling includes Business Insider’s Rachel Cohn and Jack Newsham, The Hollywood Reporter staff led by Ryan Fish, Anaja Smith, Lucie Soares, and Jason Rovou on The White Lotus, Brad A. Johnson at OLTRE for Tamarindo, PBS SoCal’s Nic Cha Kim team for Superchief Gallery, and ABC7’s On the Red Carpet for Maia Kealoha as Lilo.
Student journalism recognizes Kimberly Aguirre at AnnenbergMedia, Tare Ebimami at AnnenbergMedia, Kaia Mann at The Valley Star, Warren Riley at Daily Bruin, and Maddie Sims at Lamar University for best news. Features honor Lauren Benson at Long Beach Current, Athena Cheris at The Los Angeles Loyolan, Sidra Ganni at University Press, Makayla Idelburg at Dímelo at AnnenbergMedia, and Cal State LA’s University Times Community News social team. Entertainment features include Nicholas Corral at AnnenbergMedia, Kaitlyn Han at el Don, Katherine Contreras Hernandez, Valeria Macias, and Sara Alvarez at Dímelo, Juan Mendoza at Los Angeles Collegian, and David Sosa with Yvonne Abedi at Dímelo. Profiles honor Arianna Chavarria at el Don, Dante Estrada at Long Beach Current, Kami Greene at University Press, Emma Russell with Grace McNeill at The Los Angeles Loyolan, and Liam Wady at AnnenbergMedia. Student photos include Marissa Ding at AnnenbergMedia, Selin Filiz at Daily Bruin, Kat Hampton at Los Angeles Collegian, Katie McClave at The Los Angeles Loyolan, and Jeremy Ruiz at The Crown. Student commentary honors Delfino Camacho at Long Beach Current, Arianna Chavarria at el Don, Jackie Mutkoski at AnnenbergMedia, Martin Sevcik at Daily Bruin, and Maddie Sims at University Press.
The David Robb Investigative Prize finalists are Olivia Carville and Cecilia D’Anastasio at Bloomberg Businessweek for Roblox’s Pedophile Problem, Phoebe Eaton at The Hollywood Reporter for the life of a key Weinstein accuser, Umberto Gonzalez and Sharon Knolle at TheWrap for steroids and Hollywood, Kory Grow with Jon Blistein and Tomás Mier at Rolling Stone for the Liam Payne investigation, and Stacy Perman at the Los Angeles Times for Donda Academy.
The Native Americans in the Arts and Entertainment Award finalists include Sarah Clothier at the American Film Institute for The Daughter of Dawn, PBS SoCal’s Nic Cha Kim team for Future Imaginaries: Indigenous Art, Fashion, Technology, Martha Ross at Bay Area News Group for Dugan Aguilar, Rebecca Sun at The Hollywood Reporter for Inside the Sundance Native Lab, and Zachary Woolfe at The New York Times for the Lakota Music Project.
This edition stands as a precise acknowledgement of every finalist, from marquee publications to local outlets, from global broadcasters to student newsrooms. The work represented here captures a year of scrutiny, admiration, and documentation that keeps the arts accountable and alive.
National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards 2025 Announce Finalists
The Los Angeles Press Club unveils this year’s nominees for its 18th annual celebration of excellence in arts and entertainment journalism.
The Los Angeles Press Club has revealed the finalists for the 18th National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards, honoring the journalists whose work has defined the cultural conversation over the past year. The annual event, one of the most prestigious recognitions in the American media landscape, will culminate on December 7 in Hollywood, when the winners are officially announced before an audience of peers and industry leaders.
The ceremony brings together journalists from across print, digital, and broadcast platforms to acknowledge the power of storytelling in shaping public understanding of film, television, theater, music, fashion, and the arts. The finalists reflect a broad cross-section of contemporary journalism — from veteran critics and editors to independent writers charting new directions in cultural coverage.
In the highly regarded category of Print Journalist of the Year, the finalists are Daniel D’Addario of Variety, Mia Galuppo of The Hollywood Reporter, Brad A. Johnson of OLTRE, Katie Kilkenny of The Hollywood Reporter, and Chris Willman of Variety. These five journalists have consistently demonstrated the rigorous reporting and cultural literacy that define the best of entertainment journalism today.
Daniel D’Addario has long been known for his incisive, analytical writing that examines the social dynamics of television and streaming media. His work continues Variety’s legacy of sharp cultural insight. Mia Galuppo has distinguished herself through her film industry coverage, navigating the evolving relationships between studios, filmmakers, and audiences. Brad A. Johnson brings a refined sensibility to OLTRE, where his work in food and travel criticism broadens the traditional scope of arts reporting. Katie Kilkenny’s authoritative coverage of labor and policy in the entertainment industry continues to shape the conversation around working conditions and creative equity. Chris Willman’s deep understanding of the music world and his ability to blend cultural context with narrative warmth make him one of the most respected voices in the business.
The finalists for Online Journalist of the Year — Tied to an Organization represent digital journalism’s ongoing innovation. This year’s honorees are Toby Fox of Rolling Stone, Ethan Shanfeld of Variety, Bonnie Stiernberg of InsideHook, Drew Taylor of TheWrap, and Tim Teeman of The Daily Beast. Their work captures the immediacy and diversity of online storytelling, proving that accuracy and artistry can coexist in the fast-moving world of digital news.
Toby Fox’s in-depth music features and artist interviews for Rolling Stone have earned attention for their precision and tone. Ethan Shanfeld’s Variety reporting reflects both journalistic agility and a nuanced understanding of industry change. Bonnie Stiernberg continues to expand the editorial range of InsideHook, blending popular culture with lifestyle commentary. Drew Taylor’s coverage for TheWrap explores filmmaking through the lens of structure and innovation, connecting craft with audience experience. Tim Teeman’s cultural essays for The Daily Beast showcase his signature clarity and command of narrative voice.
In the independent field, Online Journalist of the Year — Independent honors the growing strength of freelance journalism. The finalists — A.D. Amorosi, Mesfin Fekadu, Holly Gleason, Lyndsey Parker, and Leena Tailor — demonstrate the resilience and range of journalists working outside traditional institutional frameworks.
A.D. Amorosi’s work captures the intersections of music, culture, and civic life through a seasoned lens. Mesfin Fekadu’s reporting brings both journalistic discipline and emotional depth, reflecting his long experience covering the global entertainment scene. Holly Gleason’s essays and reviews merge deep historical awareness with the energy of contemporary critique. Lyndsey Parker, whose career has spanned radio, digital platforms, and editorial commentary, continues to offer sharp observations on music and pop culture. Leena Tailor brings an international scope to entertainment writing, bridging Hollywood and the global creative community with balance and sophistication.
For Broadcast Journalist of the Year, the finalist is Giselle Fernandez of Spectrum News. A respected figure in television journalism, Fernandez embodies the integrity and poise that define excellence in broadcast storytelling. Her ability to combine investigative focus with a human-centered approach to reporting has earned her a prominent place among this year’s nominees.
Together, these finalists represent the highest levels of commitment to accuracy, analysis, and artistic sensitivity within journalism. Their collective work spans interviews, profiles, reviews, features, and investigative projects that continue to shape how audiences understand art and entertainment in the twenty-first century.
The National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards not only recognize individual excellence but also celebrate the role of journalism itself as a cultural institution. Each nominee has contributed to a public record that preserves the creative spirit of an era marked by transformation and reinvention.
Beyond the individual categories, the awards ceremony will also highlight achievements in visual design, photography, podcasts, and multimedia storytelling. It will recognize the editorial teams and publications that support these journalists, reinforcing the collaborative nature of the industry.
This year’s event continues a tradition of honoring journalists who bring integrity to arts reporting — an area of coverage that connects the creative and the civic spheres. As the entertainment industry undergoes ongoing changes shaped by technology, labor movements, and evolving audience expectations, these finalists stand at the center of that dialogue, interpreting culture through the lens of lived experience and professional rigor.
The Los Angeles Press Club’s annual gala has become one of the most respected gatherings of its kind. The December 7 event will include a red-carpet arrival, formal dinner, and the presentation of dozens of awards recognizing distinction across categories such as feature writing, investigative journalism, television criticism, documentary coverage, and emerging media. The organization encourages both members and non-members to attend, offering early registration incentives and sponsorship opportunities that support its continued mission of advancing ethical, independent journalism.
For these nominees, the recognition carries a significance beyond professional acknowledgment. It affirms the importance of cultural journalism as a field that documents, interprets, and challenges the evolving shape of creativity. Their work not only informs readers and viewers but also defines the cultural memory of an era.
The National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards remind the industry that excellence persists even in times of transformation. Through the work of Daniel D’Addario, Mia Galuppo, Brad A. Johnson, Katie Kilkenny, Chris Willman, Toby Fox, Ethan Shanfeld, Bonnie Stiernberg, Drew Taylor, Tim Teeman, A.D. Amorosi, Mesfin Fekadu, Holly Gleason, Lyndsey Parker, Leena Tailor, and Giselle Fernandez, the profession continues to demonstrate its enduring purpose — to tell the stories behind the art that shapes modern life.
Complete Roster: Every Finalist at the 18th National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards
A full, definitive roll call of the 18th National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards finalists, recognizing every name and project across print, online, broadcast, photography, books, design, radio, podcasts, student work, and special honors.
The 18th National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards bring together the most extensive gathering of voices and visions working in culture today, and this feature presents the complete roster. It is a celebration of work published and produced across continents and platforms, and a clear record of the people and projects that defined the year in arts reporting, criticism, photography, audio, television, film, and design. What follows is a comprehensive narrative that honors each finalist without omission.
The Journalist of the Year field begins in print with Daniel D’Addario of Variety, Mia Galuppo of The Hollywood Reporter, Brad A. Johnson of OLTRE, Katie Kilkenny of The Hollywood Reporter, and Chris Willman of Variety. Their work reflects the breadth of issues shaping the industry, from business headwinds to creative breakthroughs.
Online Journalist of the Year tied to an organization recognizes Toby Fox of Rolling Stone, Ethan Shanfeld of Variety, Bonnie Stiernberg of InsideHook, Drew Taylor of TheWrap, and Tim Teeman of The Daily Beast. Each voice brings a distinctive cadence to rapid, rigorous coverage.
Independent Online Journalist of the Year acknowledges A.D. Amorosi, Mesfin Fekadu, Holly Gleason, Lyndsey Parker, and Leena Tailor. Their independent reporting and criticism carry a personal signature that remains vital to the cultural conversation.
Broadcast Journalist of the Year honors Giselle Fernandez of Spectrum News 1, Nic Cha Kim of PBS SoCal, Ruby Lovell of NTD TV, Rollo Ross of Reuters TV, and Rae Williams of Spectrum News 1, a group whose on-air storytelling pairs urgency with clarity.
Photojournalist of the Year recognizes Osceola Refetoff of PBS SoCal, Paul Sanchez of KTLA, Andy Schlachtenhaufen of Spectrum News 1, and Sandra Stojanovic of Reuters TV, visual reporters whose frames distill complex narratives into enduring images.
Film criticism over 1,000 words salutes Jon Frosch of The Hollywood Reporter, Amy Nicholson of the Los Angeles Times, Joshua Rothkopf of the Los Angeles Times, Nick Schager of The Daily Beast, and Divya Subbiah of Ampersand at AnnenbergMedia. Their essays probe craft and context with exacting focus.
Film criticism under 1,000 words recognizes Siddhant Adlakha of Variety, Carlos Aguilar of the Los Angeles Times, William Bibbiani of TheWrap, Peter Debruge of Variety, and Katie Walsh of the Los Angeles Times, a cohort that distills insight into tight, persuasive columns.
Television criticism honors Dan Fienberg and Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter, Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone, Bonnie Stiernberg of InsideHook, and Aramide Tinubu of Variety, all voices that translate a crowded TV landscape into sharp perspective.
Theater and performing arts criticism acknowledges Daniel D’Addario of Variety, Thomas Floyd of The Washington Post, Thom Geier of Culture Sauce, David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter, and Tim Teeman of The Daily Beast. Their work tracks the stage with nuance across forms and venues.
Music criticism elevates A.D. Amorosi of FLOOD Magazine, Jem Aswad of Variety, Lina Lecaro of Los Angeles Magazine, Timothy Mangan of Culture OC, and Caryn Rose of Salon. Each writes with authority about artists, scenes, and the changing business of sound.
Art, design, and literature criticism honors Andy Coughlan of The Beaumont Enterprise, Shana Nys Dambrot as Freelance, Ben Davis of Artnet News, Christopher Knight of the Los Angeles Times, and Roberto Oventile of Local News Pasadena, a range that spans local galleries to global movements.
Food and culture criticism includes Bill Addison of Longbeachize, Bill Addison of the Los Angeles Times, Lorraine Ali of the Los Angeles Times, Ana Figueroa of the Beverly Hills Courier, and Ashlie Stevens of Salon, reflecting the evolving dialogue between dining and culture.
Celebrity investigative reporting recognizes ABC News Studios at ABC News for ABC News Studios IMPACT x Nightline: Stealing Graceland; Kory Grow, Jon Blistein, and Tomás Mier at Rolling Stone for “Brilliant, Lost, Damaged”: Inside the Tragedy of Liam Payne; and Alexandra Paul at The Ankler for “Stalked: A ‘Baywatch’ Star’s 13-Year Nightmare.” These projects show how celebrity coverage becomes accountability reporting.
Multimedia packages include Davey Alba, Leon Yin, Julia Love, Ashley Carman, and Priyanjana Bengani at Bloomberg News for The Second Trump Presidency, Brought to You by YouTubers; Aliza Aufrichtig, Stephanie Goodman, Alicia DeSantis, Leah Greenblatt, and Josh Katz at The New York Times for 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century; Jack Eidt and Osceola Refetoff at PBS SoCal for High & Dry: Slab City – Creative Homesteading in a Desert of Extremes; Tiana McGee, Daisy Chung, Dea Bankova, Travis Hartman, and Julia Wolfe at Reuters for Cozy Games; and Mary Pelloni with Chris O’Falt at IndieWire for Career Blueprint: It All Led to Dune.
Humor writing is celebrated with Mia Galuppo at The Hollywood Reporter for Are You Ready for a Netflix Theme Park? We Are!; James Hibberd at The Hollywood Reporter for That’s It, The F-Word is Officially Boring; Phil Hopkins at Local News Pasadena for Honey, There’s a Russian Propagandist from Las Vegas at the Door; Miles Klee at Rolling Stone for Tom Cruise Wants You to Know That It’s Just Not a Movie Without Popcorn; and Tim Teeman at The Daily Beast for On Election Night, Kornacki Cam Drives Steve Kornacki Fans Wild.
Headlines honored include Debra Birnbaum at Gold Derby for The drama over 38 Down: The New York Times crossword declares The Bear a TV drama; Blake Hennon at the Los Angeles Times for The Man Behind the Man-Child; Sarah Hirsch at Emmy Magazine for Kill Joy; Sandro Monetti at Hollywood International Filmmaker Magazine for The Shawshank Vacation; and Hanh Nguyen at Salon for Carry-On, Taron Egerton: There’ll be peace when you are done.
Non-fiction book finalists are Alessandra Mattanza for The World of Banksy from PRESTEL/Random House and for Digital Art: 20 Pioneers Redefining Its Boundaries from Schiffer Publishing, two volumes tracing iconography and innovation.
News photos include Louise Barnsley at People.com for Dick Van Dyke performs at age 99 wearing a Mary Poppins t-shirt; Jennifer Dorn, Haley Kluge, and Greg Williams at Variety for Emmanuel Macron Splash and for Greg Gutfeld Cover; and Gino Terrell at Scream Sheets 26 for Warren Moon Speaks at Mall of America, a slate that captures public figures at unexpected angles.
Portrait photography in film recognizes Ash Barhamand, Alison Edmond, Peter B. Cury, and Beau Grealy at The Hollywood Reporter for Mikey Madison; Jennifer Dorn, Haley Kluge, and Zoe McConnell at Variety for Benedict Cumberbatch; Jennifer Dorn, Haley Kluge, and Mason Poole at Variety for Paul Mescal; Jennifer Dorn, Haley Kluge, and Greg Swales at Variety for Demi Moore; and Ada Guerin, Malina Saval, and Irvin Rivera at Los Angeles Magazine for Colman Domingo Explains Why A24 Tearjerker Sing Sing Is So Personal.
Television portrait photography honors Robert Ascroft at Emmy Magazine for Elizabeth Debicki at the 76th Emmy Awards; Ash Barhamand, Alison Edmond, and Simon Emmett at The Hollywood Reporter for Adolescence; Jennifer Dorn, Haley Kluge, and Brian Bowen Smith at Variety for Sterling K. Brown; Christina Gandolfo at Emmy Magazine for Me and My Emmy: Gabriel Villarreal (Delta Work); and Bennett Taren at Salon for Portrait of Bridgett Everett.
Portraits in music, theater, and arts include Ash Barhamand, Alison Edmond, Peter B. Cury, and AB+DM at The Hollywood Reporter for 50 Cent; Jennifer Dorn, Haley Kluge, Jennifer Halper, and Emilio Madrid at Variety for Darren Criss and Cole Escola; Brad A. Johnson at OLTRE for Herve with chickens at Rancho Lola; Osceola Refetoff at PBS SoCal for Dot – House of Dots – Slab City, CA; and Javier Vasquez at Center Theatre Group for American Idiot: Lark Portrait.
Feature photos include Ash Barhamand, Alison Edmond, Naomy Pedroza, Peter B. Cury, and Paola Kudacki at The Hollywood Reporter for Harris Dickinson; Michael Blackshire at the Los Angeles Times for a Camp Flog Gnaw Day 2 portfolio; Alyson Camus at US Rocker for Pulp with Dynamic Frontman Jarvis Cocker Make Long-Awaited Return to Delight Fans; Osceola Refetoff at PBS SoCal for No Pasar – Piedras Rojas, Salar del Carmen, Atacama Desert, Chile – 2024; and Gino Terrell at Scream Sheets 26 for First stop on World Tour: Minneapolis for Kendrick Lamar & his GNX.
Action photos honor Donna Balancia at US Rocker for Aloe Blacc Launches Stand Together Tour; Sylvia Borgo at US Rocker for Green Day Fires Up Petco Park; Alyson Camus at US Rocker for St. Vincent Rocks the Greek; Notes From Vivace at US Rocker for Caravan Palace Gets Frenzied Reception at the Novo; and Gino Terrell at Scream Sheets 26 for SZA doesn’t Snooze to miss this moment, she meets it.
Photo essays include Ash Barhamand, Ava Selbach, Naomy Pedroza, Peter B. Cury, and Chelsea Archer at The Hollywood Reporter for Postcard From the Edge: L.A. in the Line of Fire; Jennifer Dorn, Haley Kluge, and Peggy Sirota at Variety for Actors on Actors (Emmys); Chris Knight at Emmy Magazine for Work/Life Talents; Osceola Refetoff at PBS SoCal for High & Dry: Slab City – Creative Homesteading in a Desert of Extremes; and Irvin Rivera at Los Angeles Magazine for Colman Domingo.
Illustration finalists are Nabila Adani at Zócalo Public Square for In Syria, the Caged Bird Raps; Toby Fox at Rolling Stone for The Cure; Haley Kluge, Jennifer Dorn, and Ryan Garcia at Variety for NBCUniversal Pie; Jason Lord at Zócalo Public Square for The B-Movie Maker Who Preserved the Music of L.A.’s Black Churches; and Tiana McGee, Daisy Chung, Dea Bankova, Travis Hartman, and Julia Wolfe at Reuters for Cozy Games.
Graphic design recognition goes to Robert Gottenbos at Hollywood International Filmmaker Magazine for AI Versus Actors; Jimmy Jiang at Hollywood International Filmmaker Magazine for Coppola Steps Into the Unknown; Ben Kellerman, Ally J. Levine, Tiana McGee, and Travis Hartman at Reuters for Met Gala looks; Tiana McGee at Reuters for Disney live action; and Tiana McGee at Reuters for Candidate tracks.
Animation and moving graphics honor Mimi Balancia at Mimi’s Method Design News Website for 94.7 – The Grave; Ash Barhamand, Ava Selbach, Alison Edmond, Peter B. Cury, and Heather Hazzan at The Hollywood Reporter for Ben Stiller Takes Control; Deanna McClure, Cheyne Gallarde, and Javier Vasquez at Center Theatre Group for American Idiot Cast Member Animation; Tiana McGee, Daisy Chung, Dea Bankova, Travis Hartman, and Julia Wolfe at Reuters for Cozy Games; and the THR Art Dept with Ada Guerin and Luke Lucas at The Hollywood Reporter for White Hot Lotus.
Page layout finalists include Toby Fox at Rolling Stone for Chappell Roan: Pain & Pleasure of a Supernova; Haley Kluge, Jennifer Dorn, and Ted Keller at Variety for What Trump 2.0 Would Mean for Hollywood? and for Wicked; the THR Art Dept with Ada Guerin, Nicholas Brawley, and Neil Davies at The Hollywood Reporter for Succession; and the THR Art Dept with Ada Guerin, Nicholas Brawley, Clare Ramirez, and Kirsten Hageleit at The Hollywood Reporter for White Hot Lotus.
Cover art recognizes Ash Barhamand, Peter B. Cury, and Kevin Cooley at The Hollywood Reporter for What We Saw. What We Lost. What We Saved. What’s Next.; Jennifer Dorn, Haley Kluge, Richard Maltz, and Joe Toreno at Variety for Taylor Swift Fandom; Toby Fox at Rolling Stone for Chappell Roan Cover and for Ice Spice Cover; and THR Staff with Maer Roshan, Ada Guerin, and Justin Metz at The Hollywood Reporter for Succession Hollywood Style.
Obituaries and appreciations in film personalities include Christian Blauvelt at IndieWire for David Lynch Dead at 78; Chris Gardner at The Hollywood Reporter for Lynda Obst; Holly Gleason at hollygleason.com for Moment of Forever on Kris Kristofferson; Owen Gleiberman at Variety for Val Kilmer; and Fred Schruers at IndieWire for Robert Towne. Television appreciations honor Kate Aurthur at Variety for Shannen Doherty, Sarah Bahr at The New York Times for George Lowe, Dan Fienberg at The Hollywood Reporter for Bob Newhart, Melanie McFarland at Salon for Lynchian, and Alan Sepinwall at Rolling Stone for Twin Peaks.
Music appreciations recognize A.D. Amorosi at FLOOD Magazine for Brian Wilson, Ramy El-Etreby at Zócalo Public Square for The Egyptian Diva, Holly Gleason at PASTE for JD Souther, Rob Sheffield at Rolling Stone for Marianne Faithfull, and Chris Willman at Variety for Brian Wilson’s 20 greatest songs. Theater and arts appreciations include Katya Kazakina at Artnet News for Leonard Lauder, Charles McNulty at the Los Angeles Times for Athol Fugard, Gwen Muranaka at Zócalo Public Square for the Little Tokyo photographer, Tim Teeman at The Daily Beast for Gavin Creel, and Victoria Thomas at Local News Pasadena for Lourinda Bray.
Print general news honors Gary Baum at The Hollywood Reporter for Matthew Perry’s street dealer; Nicole Fell at The Hollywood Reporter for unreleased Michael Jackson tapes; Jessica Gelt at the Los Angeles Times for the Getty Villa dash; Sean P. Means at The Salt Lake Tribune for Sundance leaving Utah; and Adam B. Vary at Variety for Toxic Fandom. Celebrity features include Seth Abramovitch at The Hollywood Reporter on Ben Shapiro, Lisa Friedman Bloch at Beverly Hills Courier on Candace Parker, Diedre M Johnson at the Los Angeles Times on Billy Bob Thornton, Jason McGahan at The Hollywood Reporter on Matthew Perry, and Keiran Southern at The Sunday Times Magazine on Graceland.
Film business finalists include Kirsten Chuba and Chris Gardner at The Hollywood Reporter on red carpet influencers, Lily Ford at The Hollywood Reporter on London, Sohee Kim and Lucas Shaw at Bloomberg News on China’s blockbuster, Brent Lang at Variety on Netflix’s origin story, and Tatiana Siegel at Variety on Joker: Folie à Deux. Television business includes Katie Kilkenny at The Hollywood Reporter on the strikes, Sandra McDonald at the Los Angeles Times on anime piracy sites, Michael Schneider at Variety on cable TV hospice, Todd Spangler at Variety on YouTube at 20, and Keith Underwood at the Los Angeles Sentinel on Iyanu: Child of Wonder.
Music and performing arts business finalists include Sarah Bahr at The New York Times on Broadway influencers, Ashley Carman at Bloomberg News on greatest hits albums, Holly Gleason at POLLSTAR on Latin music, Julia Jacobs at The New York Times on the Sean Combs hotline, and Anna Nicolaou at the Financial Times on the hit factory. Tech, design, and arts business recognizes Lina Lecaro at Los Angeles Magazine on Diane von Furstenberg, Jason Schreier and Cecilia D’Anastasio at Bloomberg News on Switch 2, Keith Underwood at the Los Angeles Sentinel on stunt performers, and Alex Weprin at The Hollywood Reporter on creator studios.
Investigative reporting honors Andy Greene at Rolling Stone for Eric Carmen, Jennifer Maas at Variety for video game companies and SAG-AFTRA, Hannah Miller at Bloomberg Businessweek for Dr. Phil’s streaming makeover, and Stacy Perman at the Los Angeles Times for Kanye West’s Donda Academy. Diversity in TV and film recognizes Mesfin Fekadu at The Hollywood Reporter for Fellow Travelers, Lisa Friedman Bloch at Beverly Hills Courier for Candace Parker, Malina Saval at Los Angeles Magazine for the Marvels of Media Festival, Adam B. Vary at Variety for Joe Locke, and Abbey White at The Hollywood Reporter for therapy on screen.
Diversity in music and performing arts honors Andy Coughlan at The Beaumont Enterprise for cowboy masculinity, Jessica Doherty at Center Theatre Group for Larissa FastHorse and Michael John Garcés, Nicole Fell at The Hollywood Reporter for K-pop’s Ellen moment, Holly Gleason at HITS for Shaboozey, and Chris Willman at Variety for Chely Wright. Personality profiles over 2,500 words in film feature Gary Baum at The Hollywood Reporter for a powerful woman in Hollywood, Daniel D’Addario at Variety for Sebastian Stan, Susan Karlin at Pennsylvania Gazette for a producer, Brent Lang at Variety for Todd Phillips, and Seija Rankin at The Hollywood Reporter for Naomi Ackie.
Television profiles over 2,500 words honor Frank DeCaro at Emmy Magazine for Hit List, Trish Deitch at Variety for Keri Russell, Mikey O’Connell at The Hollywood Reporter for Tina Fey, Stephen Rodrick at Rolling Stone for Jimmy Kimmel, and Adam B. Vary at Variety for Noah Wyle. Music profiles over 2,500 words include Jem Aswad at Variety for Nick Cave, Hannah Dailey at Billboard for Gracie, Andre Gee at Rolling Stone for Clipse, Brian Hiatt at Rolling Stone for Alex Van Halen, and Angie Martoccio at Rolling Stone for Stevie Nicks.
Theater and culture profiles over 2,500 words recognize Gary Baum at The Hollywood Reporter for a rift, Ashley Carman at Bloomberg News for MrBallen, Shana Nys Dambrot at Palm Springs Life for Cristopher Cichocki, Kevin Dolak at The Hollywood Reporter for Milo Yiannopoulos, and Jenelle Riley at Variety for Taylor Tomlinson. Film profiles under 2,500 words include Carlos Aguilar at the Los Angeles Times on Saw, Sarah Bahr at The New York Times on Steve, Rachel Brodsky at Rolling Stone on Mikey Madison, Todd Gilchrist at Variety on Jane Fonda, and Seija Rankin at The Hollywood Reporter on Elizabeth Olsen.
Television profiles under 2,500 words honor Trish Deitch at Variety on Bradley Whitford, Mesfin Fekadu at The New York Times on Jesse Collins, Candace Hansen at the Los Angeles Times on Delta Work, Seija Rankin at The Hollywood Reporter on Jenny Slate, and Tim Teeman at Town & Country on Michael Strahan and Isabella. Music profiles under 2,500 words include Pamela Chelin at the Los Angeles Times on Jeff Bridges, Holly Gleason at The New York Times on Megan Moroney, Candace Hansen at the Los Angeles Times on Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Anna Nicolaou at the Financial Times on Jack Antonoff, and Jenelle Riley at Variety on June Squibb.
Theater and other arts profiles under 2,500 words feature Thomas Floyd at The Washington Post on Jake Gyllenhaal, Whitney Friedlander at the Los Angeles Times on Kelsey Grammer, Joanie Harmon at the Los Angeles Sentinel on Odie Hawkins, Kaitlyn Huamani at the Los Angeles Times on Alden Ehrenreich, and Elsa Keslassy at Variety on Emmanuel Macron. Film industry features over 1,000 words honor Sarah Bahr at The New York Times on American Beauty, Patrick Brzeski at The Hollywood Reporter on global power shifts, Mia Galuppo at The Hollywood Reporter on the big squeeze, Rebecca Rubin at Variety on casting directors, and Joshua Ruthkopf at the Los Angeles Times on M3GAN’s parents Adrien Morot and Kathy Tse.
Television industry features over 1,000 words acknowledge Pamela Chelin at the Los Angeles Times on The Price Is Right, Rene Chun at Emmy Magazine on the oner, Meg James at the Los Angeles Times on a small New York town, Alan Sepinwall at Rolling Stone on the greatest game show, and Adam B. Vary at Variety on Harry Potter. Music and performing arts industry features over 1,000 words honor August Brown at the Los Angeles Times on music utopias, David Browne at Rolling Stone on a Russian prison, Mankaprr Conteh at Rolling Stone on the Lijadu Sisters, Brian Hiatt at Rolling Stone on Timbaland’s AI reinvention, and Anna Nicolaou at the Financial Times on the hit factory.
Visual arts and architecture features over 1,000 words include Andy Coughlan at The Beaumont Enterprise on Gauguin, Michael Forsythe, Graham Bowley, and Elisabetta Povoledo at The New York Times on a van Gogh search, Michael Goldstein at Forbes.com on The Nova Festival Exhibit, James Tarmy at Bloomberg Pursuits on Roman treasures, and Anne K. Wallentine at the Financial Times on the pop-art maverick nun. Short features under 1,000 words span film, TV, music, and visual arts with Ryan Gajewski at The Hollywood Reporter on Clint Eastwood, Lina Lecaro at Los Angeles Magazine on Robert Eggers, Naman Ramachandran at Variety on Hard Boiled restoration, David Rooney at The Hollywood Reporter on Jaws, and Rebecca Rubin with Naman Ramachandran at Variety on Ne Zha 2.
Columnist honors recognize Gary Baum at The Hollywood Reporter, Mesfin Fekadu at The Hollywood Reporter, Thom Geier at Musicals Magazine, Brad A. Johnson at OLTRE, and Esther Zuckerman at Bloomberg Businessweek. Film commentary features Daniel D’Addario at Variety on moviegoing with a four-year-old, Clayton Davis at Variety on the Oscars, Brent Lang at Variety on Jaws, Michael Schneider at Variety on The Sixth, and Ethan Shanfeld at Variety on Her.
Television commentary includes Matt Brennan at the Los Angeles Times on the culture war, Dan Fienberg at The Hollywood Reporter on The Handmaid’s Tale, Mary McNamara at the Los Angeles Times for commentary, Aramide Tinubu at Variety on Homicide: Life on the Street, and Jason Zinoman at The New York Times on Johnny Carson. Music commentary includes Jeff Benjamin at Billboard on RIIZE, Holly Gleason at HITS for Country At A Crossroads and Grammy Chew, Malina Saval at Pasadena Magazine on music and memories, and Chris Willman at Variety on artist voices.
Other arts commentary includes Lorraine Ali at the Los Angeles Times on X and misinformation, Kirsten Chuba at The Hollywood Reporter on TikTok and restaurants, Thom Geier at Musicals Magazine on curtain up, James Tarmy at Bloomberg Pursuits on provenance, and Sheryl Turner at Local News Pasadena on the Rose Queen and Court. Entertainment publication finalists include Gold Derby Staff for Severance Reverence, Center Theatre Group and Deaf West Theatre’s Performances Magazine team, Emmy Magazine’s issue team led by Juan Morales, Los Angeles Magazine’s Movie Issue team, and The Hollywood Reporter Staff.
Broadcast categories span business, hard and soft news, and diversity with ABC News Studios, KTLA’s Cher Calvin and Micah Ohlman with Nick Greitzer and Scott Mantz, Spectrum News 1 teams with Giselle Fernandez and Rae Williams, PBS SoCal teams including Nic Cha Kim, Angela Boisvert, Tamara Gould, and Maria Hall-Brown, Reuters’ Rollo Ross and Allysyn Landrum, LAist’s Robert Garrova, and ABC7’s George Pennacchio with Cheryl L. Diano, among many collaborators noted across entries, including Sarah Welch, Tiffany Taylor, Kyle Desiderio, Lesley Corral, Jason Rovou, and others named in each submission.
Further broadcast honors include anchors and hosts Cher Calvin, Micah Ohlman, Ruby Lovell, Nathan Masters, Lisa McRee, and George Pennacchio; hard news entries from ABC News, ABC News IMPACT x Nightline, NTD TV’s Ruby Lovell, The Hollywood Reporter’s Tiffany Taylor, and KTLA’s team; and diversity series spanning film, TV, music, and arts with projects fronted by ABC News Studios, KNBC’s Michael Brownlee, PBS SoCal’s Artbound teams, Spectrum News 1 features, and Reuters TV’s Omar Younis with Sandra Stojanovic.
Documentary and special programming finalists include PBS SoCal’s Lost LA: Animation from Angela Boisvert, Matt Bass, Nathan Masters, and Tamara Gould; KTLA’s Honoring Hispanic Heritage with Bobby Gonzalez, Carly Armendariz, Megan Telles, Carlos Saucedo, and Paul Sanchez; KTTV FOX 11’s The Issue Is: MLB on FOX Turns 30 with Elex Michaelson’s team; the Los Angeles Times’ Mark Potts for How We Printed the Paper; and Spectrum News 1’s showcase from Tara Lynn Wagner, Kristopher Gee, Seth Katz, and Diana Romo with Luca Desandograssi. Feature-length nominees include ABC News Studios for Will Reeve: Finding My Father; PBS SoCal’s Artbound: The Cheech; Artbound: Blended Worlds; Artbound: Nobuko Miyamoto; and The Hollywood Reporter’s stand-up comedy roundtable from Lacey Rose, Jason Rovou, Stephanie Fischette, and Lesley Corral.
Radio and podcasts highlight hosts Scott Feinberg for Awards Chatter, Caroline Feraday at KCLU Radio, Jeff Goldsmith for The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith, Lisa Niver for Make Your Own Map Podcast, and Variety’s Michael Schneider with Clayton Davis, Jazz Tangcay, Emily Longeretta, and Jenelle Riley. News features include ABC Audio at ABC News on Bad Rap, Megan Jamerson at KCRW on animation labor, and Cynthia Littleton at Variety on COVID’s impact on TV production.
Interviews across film, TV, music, and arts include Scott Feinberg with Sean Penn, Jeff Goldsmith with Jason Isaacs, Jim Hemphill with the Speed team, Angelique Jackson with Marsai Martin, Marc Malkin with Barbra Streisand, Deborah Zara Kobylt with Marla Tellez, Marc Malkin with Ryan Phillippe, Michael Schneider with Ronny Chieng, Sarah Shachat with Mary Pelloni and Trevor Wallace, Matt Wilstein at The Daily Beast, Jon Burlingame at Dolby Creator Talks, Brian Hiatt with Mike Campbell, Lance Orozco at KCLU AM/FM on America, John Rabe at Classical California, Justin Chapman’s Well Read, Austin Cross at LAist, and Deborah Zara Kobylt and Lisa Niver across their series. Soft-feature audio honors include Caroline Feraday, Emily Guerin, Josie Huang, Kelsey Ngante, and Lance Orozco, with regular podcasts from the Los Angeles Times’ The Envelope, The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith, the MUBI Podcast S7 team led by Rico Gagliano and Tim Robey, Lyndsey Parker’s Totally ’80s, and Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast.
Online journalism spans hard and soft news, business, investigations, diversity, personality profiles, features in film, TV, theater, music, visual arts, literature, celebrity coverage, columns, and websites, with finalists including Matt Donnelly, Brent Lang, Gene Maddaus, Drew Taylor, Carly Thomas, Kayla Cobb, Tony Maglio, Lucia Moses, Geoff Weiss, Michael Schneider, Lucas Shaw, Jeff Benjamin, Emilie Hagen, Paul Hodgins, Richard Chang, Anneta Konstantinides, Alexei Barrionuevo, Phoebe Eaton, Miles Klee, Rebecca Rubin, Jazz Tangcay, Abrar Al-Heeti, Lucas Manfredi, Ruben V. Nepales, Ethan Shanfeld, Beatrice Verhoeven, Ashley Cullins, Kristen Lopez, J. Kim Murphy, Sharon Waxman, Kayla Cobb and Adam Chitwood, Tess Patton, Natalie Jarvey, Coleman Spilde, Brian Steinberg, Joel Beers, Philip Boroff, Matt Donnelly, Holly Gleason, Leena Tailor, Susan Carpenter, Richardson Handjaja, Katya Kazakina, Jonathan Landrum Jr., Lucia Moses, Dan Whateley, Jem Aswad, Olivia Carville, Cecilia D’Anastasio, Phoebe Eaton, Umberto Gonzalez, Sharon Knolle, Anneta Konstantinides, Tare Ebimami, Ryan Gajewski, Kristen Lopez, Gene Maddaus, Adam B. Vary, Wilson Chapman, Raquel Harris, Kelly McClure, Naman Ramachandran, Abbey White, Joshua Crutchmer, Gail Mitchell, Lola Olvera, Leena Tailor, Madeline Berg, Laura Italiano, Natalie Musumeci, Mesfin Fekadu, Marc Malkin, Ruben V. Nepales, Tim Teeman, Scott Feinberg, Chris Gardner, Jason Guerrasio, Naman Ramachandran, Christian Zilko, Ky Henderson, Jonathan Landrum Jr., Ryan Lattanzio, Alex Ritman, Bonnie Stiernberg, Jayson Greene, Dan Knapp, Anna Nicolaou, Richard Stellar, Chris Willman, Jim Farmer, Lina Lecaro, Christine Terrisse, Victoria Thomas, Kathryn VanArendonk, Seth Abramovitch, Ethan Alter, Lauren Huff, Ruben V. Nepales, Hanh Nguyen, Matthew Frank, Jeff Goldsmith with James White, Jason Guerrasio, Jazz Tangcay, Drew Taylor, Leo Barraclough, Leila Jordan Berger, Todd Gilchrist, Andy Greene, Beth Harpaz, Lily Ford, Katie Grant, Naman Ramachandran, Jazz Tangcay, Michaela Zee, Kate Aurthur with Michael Schneider, Lauren Huff, Katie Kilkenny, Ruben Nepales, Ethan Shanfeld, Daniel D’Addario with Kate Aurthur, William Earl, and Selome Hailu, Lily Ford, Elaine Low, Melanie McFarland, Leena Tailor, David Buchanan, John Lavitt, Chris Rovzar, Rebecca Rubin, and Chris Willman.
Theater and literature features include David Buchanan at Gold Derby on Purpose, John Lavitt at The Hollywood Times on Doña Perón, Chris Rovzar at Bloomberg Pursuits on Greg Nobile, Rebecca Rubin at Variety on Oh, Mary!, and Chris Willman at Variety on Randy Newman’s Faust. Visual arts features include Evan Jacoby at LAist on Altadena tiles, Leslie Katz at Forbes on AI heritage, Katya Kazakina at Artnet News on an art-school empire, Matthew Ponsford at Bloomberg CityLab on a wetland park, and James Tarmy at Bloomberg Pursuits on John Singer Sargent. Culture features include Pamela Chelin at the Los Angeles Times on vintage Japanese car culture, Whitney Friedlander at Salon on a real-life Snow White, Simi Horwitz at BistroAwards.com on crowdfunding, Jennifer Mercieca at Zócalo Public Square on hopescrolling, and Natalia Molina at Zócalo Public Square on grief and guisados.
Celebrity features honor William Earl at Variety on Sophie Thatcher, Lily Ford at The Hollywood Reporter on George R.R. Martin, Ruben V. Nepales at Rappler on Colin Farrell, Kevin EG Perry at The Independent on the Vanity Fair Oscars party, and Ethan Shanfeld at Variety on Bill Burr. Columnists include Alison Herman at Variety, James Hibberd at The Hollywood Reporter, Katya Kazakina at Artnet News, Kelly McClure at Salon, and Chris Willman at Variety. Commentary across film, TV, music, and other arts includes Leila Jordan Berger at The AV Club, Clayton Davis at Variety, Chris Rosen at Gold Derby, Elena Smolina at Zócalo Public Square, Coleman Spilde at Salon, James C. Cobb at Zócalo Public Square, Brian Lowry at TheWrap, Jackie Mansky at Zócalo Public Square, Michael Schneider at Variety, Adam B. Vary at Variety, Jem Aswad at Variety, Alex Galbraith at Salon, Barry Levine at US Rocker, Rashida Z. Shaw McMahon at Zócalo Public Square, Bonnie Stiernberg at InsideHook, Steve Ammidown at Zócalo Public Square, Clayton Davis at Variety, Ainsley Ferrell at AnnenbergMedia, James Hibberd at The Hollywood Reporter, and Andi Zeisler at Salon. Entertainment websites include Gold Derby, The Daily Beast’s Obsessed, IndieWire, ABC7’s On The Red Carpet, and TheWrap. Blogs recognize Alex Ben Block at BlockandTackle.biz, Alyson Camus at US Rocker, Rick Ellis at AllYourScreens.com, Holly Gleason at HollyGleason615, Lyndsey Parker at Lyndsanity.com, and organization-tied blogs from The Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision and Live Feed, GMA-7’s Janet R. Nepales, Rappler’s Ruben V. Nepales, and TheWrap’s WaxWord.
Social media storytelling by individuals includes Michael Blackshire on Twitter for A$AP Rocky trial coverage, Phoebe Eaton on Substack for GOP Woodstock, Emilie Hagen across platforms for Paid Protestors, and Scott Hays at OC World for both Danny Kwock’s surfing inspiration and Early IMAX Camera. Organization-tied social storytelling includes Business Insider’s Rachel Cohn and Jack Newsham, The Hollywood Reporter staff led by Ryan Fish, Anaja Smith, Lucie Soares, and Jason Rovou on The White Lotus, Brad A. Johnson at OLTRE for Tamarindo, PBS SoCal’s Nic Cha Kim team for Superchief Gallery, and ABC7’s On the Red Carpet for Maia Kealoha as Lilo.
Student journalism recognizes Kimberly Aguirre at AnnenbergMedia, Tare Ebimami at AnnenbergMedia, Kaia Mann at The Valley Star, Warren Riley at Daily Bruin, and Maddie Sims at Lamar University for best news. Features honor Lauren Benson at Long Beach Current, Athena Cheris at The Los Angeles Loyolan, Sidra Ganni at University Press, Makayla Idelburg at Dímelo at AnnenbergMedia, and Cal State LA’s University Times Community News social team. Entertainment features include Nicholas Corral at AnnenbergMedia, Kaitlyn Han at el Don, Katherine Contreras Hernandez, Valeria Macias, and Sara Alvarez at Dímelo, Juan Mendoza at Los Angeles Collegian, and David Sosa with Yvonne Abedi at Dímelo. Profiles honor Arianna Chavarria at el Don, Dante Estrada at Long Beach Current, Kami Greene at University Press, Emma Russell with Grace McNeill at The Los Angeles Loyolan, and Liam Wady at AnnenbergMedia. Student photos include Marissa Ding at AnnenbergMedia, Selin Filiz at Daily Bruin, Kat Hampton at Los Angeles Collegian, Katie McClave at The Los Angeles Loyolan, and Jeremy Ruiz at The Crown. Student commentary honors Delfino Camacho at Long Beach Current, Arianna Chavarria at el Don, Jackie Mutkoski at AnnenbergMedia, Martin Sevcik at Daily Bruin, and Maddie Sims at University Press.
The David Robb Investigative Prize finalists are Olivia Carville and Cecilia D’Anastasio at Bloomberg Businessweek for Roblox’s Pedophile Problem, Phoebe Eaton at The Hollywood Reporter for the life of a key Weinstein accuser, Umberto Gonzalez and Sharon Knolle at TheWrap for steroids and Hollywood, Kory Grow with Jon Blistein and Tomás Mier at Rolling Stone for the Liam Payne investigation, and Stacy Perman at the Los Angeles Times for Donda Academy.
The Native Americans in the Arts and Entertainment Award finalists include Sarah Clothier at the American Film Institute for The Daughter of Dawn, PBS SoCal’s Nic Cha Kim team for Future Imaginaries: Indigenous Art, Fashion, Technology, Martha Ross at Bay Area News Group for Dugan Aguilar, Rebecca Sun at The Hollywood Reporter for Inside the Sundance Native Lab, and Zachary Woolfe at The New York Times for the Lakota Music Project.
This edition stands as a precise acknowledgement of every finalist, from marquee publications to local outlets, from global broadcasters to student newsrooms. The work represented here captures a year of scrutiny, admiration, and documentation that keeps the arts accountable and alive.
Published in BREAKING NEWS, Entertainment News and Los Angeles
Dr. Antonia Prinzessin zu Schaumburg-Lippe is investigative Journalistin, Chefreporterin im Aktuellen Nachrichten Dienst und Juristin. Dr. Princess Antonia Schaumburg-Lippe is an international investigative journalist and news-reporter and member of the OEJC Austrian Journalist Federation. She is known for her breaking news stories and graduated law school.