The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) announced its 2023 Salute to Excellence Awards winners during its annual gala at the #NABJ23 Convention & Career Fair last Saturday in Birmingham, Alabama. The winners for each category are below.
NOTICE: Winners will be contacted via email in the coming weeks with information on how to verify and receive their awards by mail. Please standby for communication from the NABJ Awards and Programming Team.
COLLEGIATE
DIGITAL MEDIA
Digital Media – Graduate: Best Use of Multimedia – Special Project
Hard Lessons
Staff
NYCity News Service, Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY
New York, NY
Digital Media – Undergraduate: Online News Reporting
Missing Faces: Why Are So Few Black Men Teachers in New York City?
Amaya McDonald
NYCity News Service, New York, NY
Digital Media – Undergraduate: Online Feature Reporting
Delivering a Tall Order
Amanda Braitman
NYCity News Service, Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY
New York, NY
PHOTOGRAPHY
Photography – Graduate Only: Multiple Images
Life of a Bronx Mosque
Youcef Bounab
NYCity News Service, Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY
New York, NY
Photography – Graduate Only: Single Image
‘When We Fight, We Win’
Briana Ellis-Gibbs
NYCity News Service, Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY
New York, NY
TELEVISION
Television – Graduate: Best Newscast
Challenges & Resilience
Staff
219 West TV News Magazine, Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY
New York, NY
NEWSPAPER
Newspaper – Graduate: General News Reporting
Is a New Jeffrey Dahmer Story Really Worth It?
Samantha Latson
Chicago Crusader, Chicago, IL
PROFESSIONAL
DIGITAL MEDIA
Digital Media – Business
Minneapolis Man Seeks Reparations From the Church That Enslaved His Ancestors
Lee Hawkins, Brandt Williams, Cathy Wurzer
American Public Media/Minnesota Public Radio, St. Paul, Minnesota
Digital Media – Commentary/Weblog
Racial Wealth Gap Series
Amber Payne, Deborah Douglas, Kimberly Atkins Stohr, Mandi Woodruff-Santos, Andre Perry
The Emancipator, Boston, MA
Digital Media – Interactive: Feature
The Wealth Vortex
Jamie Smith Hopkins, Camille Petersen, Mitchell Johnson, Isabel Carter
Center for Public Integrity, Washington, D.C.
Transmitter Media, Brooklyn, NY
Digital Media – Interactive: News
Landlord Reduces Crime 96% in Cleveland Avenue Community
Kaitlyn Ross, Makayla Richards
11Alive/WXIA, Atlanta, GA
Digital Media – International Reporting: Single Story Feature
Being Black in Canada: My Journey Here
Tamika Forrester, Nazima Walji, Diane Campbell, Farhan Ahmad
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Toronto, Ontario
Digital Media – International Reporting: Single Story News
How African Students in Ukraine Are Leading Their Own Rescue Efforts
Char Adams
NBC News Digital, New York, NY
Digital Media – Online Project: Feature (Two Winners)
Long Division: The Persistence of Race Science
Staff
Undark Magazine, Cambridge, MA
The Last Responders: A Series on Those Who Help Communities Grieving Over Gun Violence
Cara Anthony
KFF Health News, Washington, D.C./St. Louis, MO
Digital Media: Online Project: News
The Price Kids Pay
Jennifer Smith Richards, Jodi Cohen
ProPublica, New York, NY
Chicago Tribune, Chicago, IL
Digital Media – Single Story: Feature (Two Winners)
Still Loading
Aaron Sankin, Leon Yin
The Markup, New York, NY
Her Name Was Shirley
Reniqua Allen-Lamphere
Economic Hardship Reporting Project and Esquire, New York
Digital Media – Single Story: News
ABC News Digital: Buffalo: Healing From Hate, Garnell Whitfield Jr.
Alysha Webb, Bill Hutchinson, Jade Lawson, Staff of ABC News Digital
Digital Media – Sports
Black College Students: An Endangered Species, Unless They Play Ball
Derrick Z. Jackson
The American Prospect
MAGAZINE
Magazine – Under 1 Million: Commentary/Essay
The Case for Leaving America to Escape Racism: ‘As a Black Woman, I Want Freedom From Oppression. So I’m Finally Plotting My Exit.’
DeNeen L. Brown
The Washington Post Magazine, Washington, D.C.
Magazine – Under 1 Million: Business
A Once Radical Idea to Close the Wealth Gap Is Actually Happening
Ben Steverman
Bloomberg Businessweek, New York, NY
Magazine – Under 1 Million: General Reporting
Hampton University: The Harvey Legacy
Yolanda McCutchen
HBCU Times, Orangeburg, SC
Magazine – Under 1 Million: International
A Racist Tweet Wasn’t the Only Problem at Elite London Firm
Olivia Konotey-Ahulu
Bloomberg Businessweek, New York, NY
Magazine – Under 1 Million: Investigative
The Rise and Rupture of Campaign Zero
Ernest Owens
New York Magazine, Philadelphia, PA
Magazine – Under 1 Million: Specialty
The Right Foundation
Derrick Z. Jackson, Dr. Michelle D. Holmes
A.T. Journeys Magazine, Cambridge, MA
Magazine – Under 1 Million: Sports
‘Let’s Take This as an Opportunity’: How Youth Hockey is Curbing Racism
Evan F. Moore
Global Sport Matters, Tempe, AZ
PHOTOJOURNALISM
Photojournalism – Photography: Multiple Images
Murders of Black Women Rose During the Pandemic. The Solving of Their Cases Fell.
Akilah Townsend
The Wall Street Journal, New York, NY
Photojournalism – Photography: Single Image
Grief in the Bronx
J. Conrad Williams, Jr.
Newsday – Photo, Melville, NY
Photojournalism – Photography: Videography
Dunia: From Tragedy to Triumph
Staff
Newsday – Video, Melville, NY
PODCAST
Podcast – Arts & Culture
Into America: Get Your Freaknik On
Trymaine Lee, Aisha Turner, Into America Podcast Team
MSNBC, New York, NY
Podcast – Commentary & Discussion
Post Reports: How the Abortion Ruling Could Impact Black Women
Akilah Johnson, Ariel Plotnick, Sean Carter, Martine Powers, Sabby Robinson, Reena Flores
The Washington Post, Washington, D.C.
Podcast – Lifestyle
Into America Presents: Reconstructed
Hosted by Trymaine Lee
Trymaine Lee, Aisha Turner, Into America Podcast Team
MSNBC, New York, NY
Podcast – Sports
Post Reports: How the NFL Sidelines Black Coaches
Martine Powers, Jerry Brewer, Michael Lee, Arjun Singh, Sean Carter, Maggie Penman
The Washington Post, Washington, D.C.
PR & MARKETING CAMPAIGNS
PR & Marketing Campaigns – Cause Related – Business & Products
Dad’s Precious Cargo
Randy L. Jones, APR
Culture Brands (On Behalf of Hyundai Motor America)
RADIO
Radio – Market 16 & Below: Feature
No Stone Unturned: Preserving Slave Cemeteries in Alabama
Pat Duggins, Joe Moody, Nala Pena
Alabama Public Radio, Tuscaloosa, AL
Radio – Market 16 & Below: News Series
Getting Off the Bus
Steve Harrison
WFAE, Charlotte, NC
Radio – Market 16 & Below: Public Affairs: Segment
Why We Can’t Look Away From Black Horror
Kaia Findlay, Anita Rao, Omisade Burney-Scott, Amanda Magnus, Jenni Lawson
WUNC Public Radio, Durham, NC
Radio – Network: Feature (Two Winners)
Race Is Often Used as Medical Shorthand for How Bodies Work. Some Doctors Want to Change That.
Rae Ellen Bichell, Cara Anthony, John Dankosky, Kathleen Davis, Taunya English, Joe Martinez
KFF Health News/Science Friday, Washington, D.C./New York, NY
A New Georgia Voting Law Reduced Ballot Drop Boxes in Places That Used Them Most
Stephen Fowler, Sam Gringlas, Jingnan Huo, Cheryl W. Thompson
NPR
Radio – Top 15 Markets: Documentary (Two Winners)
LEGACY
Andrew Craig, Melissa Gray, Sarah Oliver, Evie Stone
Weekend Edition, National Public Radio (NPR), Washington, D.C.
You Don’t Have to Ride Jim Crow! 75th Anniversary Radio Special
Robin Washington
Wisconsin Public Radio, Madison, WI
Radio – Top 15 Markets: Commentary
Callie Crossley Commentaries
Callie Crossley
GBH News, Boston, MA
Radio – Top 15 Markets: Feature
Mr. Calvin C. Johnson Jr. Votes
Lisa Rayam, Lily Oppenheimer
WABE/PBA, Atlanta, GA
Radio – Top 15 Markets: Investigative
20 Shots in a Second: They’re Not Just Handguns Anymore
Chip Mitchell, Frank Main, Tom Schuba, Matt Kiefer
WBEZ Chicago and the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Public Media
Radio – Top 15 Markets: News: Series
‘My Kids Are in Pain Now and Need Relief Now’: How Local Families Cope With Sickle Cell Disease
Tamika Smith, Tyrone Turner
WAMU 88.5/DCist, Washington, D.C.
Radio – Top 15 Markets: Public Affairs: Segment
Buffalo’s Black Community is Reeling After Being Targeted by a Mass Shooting
Haili Blassingame, Jenn White
WAMU 88.5 American University Radio, Washington, D.C.
TELEVISION
Television – Market 16 And Below: Documentary
ABC News Studios l Onyx l Hulu: Aftershock
Tonya Lewis Lee, Paula Eiselt
ABC News Studios, Onyx Collective, Hulu, New York, NY
Television – Market 16 And Below: Feature: Long Form
Delivering Better Results
Courtney Gousman, Janelle Bass Hawthorne
WEWS, Cleveland, OH
Television – Market 16 And Below: Feature: Short Form
HBCU Bands
Rod Carter, Terrance Evans
WNCN CBS 17, Raleigh, NC
Television – Market 16 And Below: General Assignment News: Long Form
Letters from M.O.M.S: Mothers of Murdered Sons
Sherri Jackson, Mikki Harris, Lee Hedgepeth, Jen Cardone, Mark Hendren
CBS 42 WIAT-TV, Birmingham, AL
Television – Market 16 And Below: General Assignment News: Short Form
The Historic Magnolia House
Karla Redditte
Spectrum News 1, Charlotte, NC
Television – Market 16 And Below: Investigative
Dine at Home Discrepancy
Brandi Cummings, Tamara Richter, Marcelino Navarro
KCRA 3, Sacramento, CA
Television – Market 16 And Below: Public Affairs: Program
Honoring Black History – Mind, Body, Soul
Warren Trent, Byron Brown, Justin Burks, Leah Williams, Kayla Thompson, Anthony Howard
WJTV 12 News, Jackson, MS
Television – Market 16 And Below: Public Affairs: Segment
Black Nouveau: Enslaved, Indentured, Free
Alexandria Mack, Brian Ewig, Chris Michalski
Milwaukee PBS, Milwaukee, WI
Television – Market 16 And Below: Specialty
Doctors Facing Discrimination
Brandi Cummings, Tamara Richter, Victor Nieto, Miguel Solorio
KCRA 3, Sacramento, CA
Television – Market 16 And Below: Sports
Serena Williams’ Career Through the Lens of Newsday’s J. Conrad Williams, Jr.
Newsday Staff
Newsday, Melville, NY
Television – Market 16 And Below: Spot News
‘White Supremacist’ Kills Black People in a Grocery Store
Claudine Ewing, Scott Levin
WGRZ-TV, Buffalo, NY
Television – Network: Documentary
60 Minutes: Sharswood
Lesley Stahl, Shari Finkelstein, Braden Cleveland Bergan, Daniel Glucksman, Colette Richards
CBS News
Television – Network: Feature: Long Form
Grave Injustice
Scott Pelley, Nicole Young, Kristin Steve, Jorge Garcia
CBS News 60 Minutes
Television – Network: Feature: Short Form
String Queens
Michelle Miller, Ricky Irving, Shawna Thomas, Patrick Jacques, Lincoln Frost
CBS Mornings, CBS News
Television – Network: General Assignment News: Long Form
Unprotected: Inside the Child Welfare Crisis
Antonia Hylton, Kate Snow, Stephanie Gosk, Ramon Taylor, Kristen Powers, Hannah Rappleye
Staff of NBC News Investigative, New York, NY
Staff of NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, New York, NY
Television – Network: General Assignment News: Short Form
Texas School District Accused of Inaction Over Racist Bullying of Black Students
Antonia Hylton, Eric Salzman, Mary Godie
NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, New York, NY
Television – Network: International
Why Shea Butter Makers In Ghana Are Fighting for Their Livelihoods
Nikita Grant, Reem Makhoul, Barbara Corbellini Duarte, Teresa Zhang, Erica Berenstein
Insider, New York, NY
Television – Network: Investigative
ABC News Nightline: Housing Divide
Jessica Hopper, Tonya Simpson, Mark Nichols, Meagan Redman, Cindy Galli, Eman Varoqua, David Scott
Television – Network: Public Affairs: Interview/Discussion
Into America: The Power of the Black Vote – HBCU Tour With Trymaine Lee
Trymaine Lee, Stefanie Cargill, ‘Into America’ Podcast Team, REJ Unit, Betsy Korona, Geoff Hoffmann
NBC News Group, New York, NY
Television – Network: Public Affairs: Program
ABC News 20/20: Gone Before the Storm
Staff of ABC News 20/20
Television – Network: Public Affairs: Segment
60 Minutes: Hope Chicago
Scott Pelley, Nicole Young, Kristin Steve, Matthew Richman
CBS News
Television – Network: Specialty
Raw Sewage & Racial Inequality Investigation
Yamiche Alcindor, Olympia Sonnier, Kailani Koenig, Jay Blackman, Kirk Reid, Erik Carlson
MSNBC
Television – Network: Sports
Monday Night Countdown: Black QB Roundtable
ESPN
Television – Network: Spot News
ABC News World News Tonight with David Muir and Nightline: Tragedy in Buffalo
Staffs of World News Tonight with David Muir and Nightline
Television – Top 15 Markets: Documentary
Police on Trial
Mike Shum, Marcia Robiou, Libor Jany, FRONTLINE (PBS) Staff, Star Tribune Staff
FRONTLINE, Boston, MA
Television – Top 15 Markets: Feature: Long Form
A New Law Could Clean Up One of America’s Most Polluted Neighborhoods
Elizabeth McCauley, Abby Narishkin, Mark Miller, Will Storey, Daniel Allen, Erica Berenstein
Insider, New York, NY
Television – Top 15 Markets: Feature: Short Form
Relative of Oscarville Resident Shares History Behind the City Underneath Lake Lanier
La’Tasha Givens, Daris Schneider-Bray, Makayla Richards, Tyson Paul
11Alive/WXIA, Atlanta, GA
Television – Top 15 Markets: General Assignment News: Long Form
D.C. Public Housing Mayhem
Delia Goncalves, James Hash, Stephanie Wilson, Dion Wiggins
WUSA9, Washington, D.C.
Television – Top 15 Markets: Investigative
A Different Cry
Madison Carter, Donesha Aldridge, Erin Peterson, Matt Livingston, Ciara Frisbie, Neima Abdulahi
WXIA 11Alive, Atlanta, GA
Television – Top 15 Markets: Public Affairs: Interview/Discussion
Basic Black: Natural Hair Glory/The CROWN Act
Delores Edwards, Kristen Pope, Kenrick Mercado, Bill Francis, Jack Doyle
Basic Black, GBH News, Boston, MA
Television – Top 15 Markets: Specialty
Dying for Life
Tara Rosenblum, Audrey Gruber, Alan Flamenhaft, Jean Salzarulo
News 12 Network, Rye Brook, NY
Television – Top 15 Markets: Sports
Field of Dreams
Nadia Galindo, Karina Sorto-Kai
News 12 Westchester/Hudson Valley, Bethpage, NY
NEWSPAPER
Newspaper – National: Feature: Single Story
‘We’ve Slipped into Forgetfulness’: Charleston Church Shooting Survivors Demand Gun Control
Deborah Berry, Josh Morgan
USA Today, Washington, D.C.
Newspaper – National: News: Series
Slaveholders in Congress
Julie Weil, Leo Dominguez, Adrian Blanco
The Washington Post, Washington, D.C.
Newspaper – National: News: Single Story
Murders of Black Women Rose During the Pandemic. The Solving of Their Cases Fell.
Zusha Elinson, Dan Frosch
The Wall Street Journal, New York, NY
Newspaper – National: Sports
For Dreadlocked NFL Players, Hair Is a Point of Pride
Emmanuel Morgan
New York Times, New York, NY
Newspaper – Newsroom Staff of 50 & Below: Commentary/Essay
50 Cent a Word
John W. Fountain
Chicago Crusader, Chicago, IL
Newspaper – Newsroom Staff of 50 & Below: Feature: Single Story
Trayvon Martin’s Legacy: Push for Social, Criminal Justice Reform Lives on 10 Years After 17-Year-Old’s Death
Wayne Washington
The Palm Beach Post, West Palm Beach, FL
Newspaper – Newsroom Staff of 50 & Below: News: Single Story
‘Fifth Little Girl’ in Birmingham Church Bombing and Her Nurse at Hospital Reunite – After 6 Decades
Barnett Wright
The Birmingham Times, Birmingham, AL
Newspaper – Newsroom Staff of 50 & Below: Specialty
A Story of Hope: Primrose Ruwocha’s Story of Perseverance in the Face of Domestic Abuse
Ava Kian
MinnPost, Minneapolis, MN
Newspaper – Newsroom Staff of 51 – 100: Feature: Series
Life Correction: The Marlin Dixon Story
James Causey
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee, WI
Newspaper – Newsroom Staff of 51 – 100: Commentary/Essay
John Fountain Columns
John Fountain
Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago, IL
Newspaper – Newsroom Staff of 51 – 100: Feature: Single Story
‘Tragedy’ to Triumph: How a Shooting at a Back-to-School Giveaway Became a Cause for Song and Hope
Sophie Sherry
Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago, IL
Newspaper – Newsroom Staff of 51 – 100: Investigative
Handguns Easily Turned into High-capacity Machine Guns Fuel Growing Violence
Frank Main, Stephanie Zimmermann, Tom Schuba, Chip Mitchell
Chicago Sun-Times, WBEZ, Chicago, IL
Newspaper – Newsroom Staff of 51 – 100: News Series
Fighting for Air
Talis Shelbourne
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee, WI
Newspaper – Newsroom Staff of 51 – 100: Specialty
Vaccinated at the Ball
Chicago Sun-Times/The Journalist’s Resource
Chicago, IL
Newspaper – Newsroom Staff of 51 – 100: Sports
‘Does Anybody Want to Talk About It?’ Youth Football Coach a Shepherd Through Buffalo Mass Shooting
Jason Wolf
The Buffalo News, Buffalo, NY
Newspaper – Newsroom Staff of 101 – 200: Commentary/Essay
Columns by Ande Richards
Ande Richards
The Star-Ledger/NJ.com, Iselin, NJ
Newspaper – Newsroom Staff of 101 – 200: Investigative
Dangerous Dwellings
Alan Judd, Willoughby Mariano, Johnny Edwards
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta, GA
Newspaper – Newsroom Staff of 101 – 200: News: Series
The NAACP National Convention in Atlantic City
Brent Johnson, Matt Arco, Vashti Harris, Ted Sherman, Ande Richards
The Star-Ledger/NJ.com, Iselin, NJ
Newspaper – Newsroom Staff of 101 – 200: News: Single Story
Black Members on N.J. Cannabis Commission Dissatisfied With Big Weed Social Justice Promises
Jelani Gibson
The Star-Ledger/NJ.com, Iselin, NJ
Newspaper – Newsroom Staff of 101 – 200: Business
Gov. Murphy’s ‘Buy Legal’ Campaign Entangled With Big Weed, Contradicting Pledge to Boost Small Businesses
Jelani Gibson
The Star-Ledger/NJ.com, Iselin, NJ
Newspaper – Newsroom Staff of 201 & Above: Commentary/Essay
Columns by Erika D. Smith
Erika D. Smith
Los Angeles Times, El Segundo, CA
Newspaper – Newsroom Staff of 201 & Above: Feature: Single Story
Behold: Black L.A. in the Spotlight
Jason Armond, Kenan Draughorne
Los Angeles Times, El Segundo, CA
Newspaper – Newsroom Staff of 201 & Above: News: Series
A More Perfect Union: A Special Project From The Inquirer Examining the Roots of Systemic Racism in America Through Institutions Founded in Philadelphia
Layla Jones, Zoe Greenberg, Samantha Melamed
The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, PA
Newspaper – Newsroom Staff of 201 & Above: News: Single Story
Congress Urged to Address Hate Crimes, But ‘Hate is a Hell of a Motivator.’ Will Passing Laws Help?
Deborah Berry, Ledyard King, Bart Jansen
USA TODAY
Newspaper – Newsroom Staff of 201 & Above: Specialty
When the Water Breaks: America’s Maternal Mortality Crisis Traces Back to Philadelphia, Home to the Nation’s First Delivery Wards
Layla Jones
The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, PA
Newspaper – Newsroom Staff of 201 & Above: Sports
Ime Udoka Was Selfish and Unprofessional, but Blame the Celtics for This Mess, Too
Gary Washburn
Boston Globe, Boston, MA
Corrections? awards@nabj.org