L.A. Times Receives 19 Honors from the Society for Features Journalism
The Los Angeles Times has received 19 awards from the Society for Features Journalism Excellence-in-Features Awards competition (Division 3), including first place in the Finest in Features Sweepstakes category which recognizes the publication with the most honors in the contest’s other 22 categories.
In all, The Times was honored with six first place awards, four second place awards, six third place awards and two honorable mentions. Among the first place honors, The Times received the top awards for best section and for best arts and entertainment feature.
In recognizing the best section win, which includes best regularly occurring printed features sections that focus on arts & entertainment, lifestyles and other features coverage, the competition’s judges praised the “stellar work, from the inventive story ideas to the excellent execution. The Oscars preview is always a must-read section, and the Latino Culture Gap section is revealing. Loved the Food section, with its creative illustrations and exemplary writing.”
The Times’ Daniel Hernandez received the first place honor for best arts and entertainment feature for his piece, The lowrider is back: The glorious return of cruising to the streets of L.A. “This feature brings readers into L.A.’s contemporary cruising scene, which enjoyed a resurgence during the pandemic — it was a safe escape,” the judges said. “It also details that scene’s rich history and includes many distinctive voices. The photos accompanying the story are great, too.”
Below is a list of The Times’ honorees by category.
Finest in Features Sweepstakes
First place: Los Angeles Times
Best Section
First place: Los Angeles Times
General Feature
Third place: Thomas Curwen, She was dying of COVID-19. Her last hope would save her or kill her
Arts & Entertainment Feature
First place: Daniel Hernandez, The lowrider is back
Second place: Deborah Vankin, How a Compton artist’s lost prison painting found its way to the Hammer Museum
Short Feature
First place: Daniel Miller, L.A. mystery: The mourning doves stopped singing. What happened to them?”
Food Feature
Third place: Stephanie Breijo, Take a peek inside the Sugar Lab, L.A.’s 3-D-printing candy shop
Food Criticism
First place: Lucas Kwan Peterson, We should pay more to eat in restaurants
Narrative Storytelling
Honorable mention: Tyrone Beason, A Black reporter’s road trip to the inauguration, and a search for America’s ‘soul’
Feature Specialty Writing Portfolio
Third place: Jaweed Kaleem, Starving cows. Fallow farms. The Arizona drought is among the worst in the country
Food Writing Portfolio
First place: Jenn Harris, The next time you order takeout, call the restaurant
General Commentary Portfolio
Third place: Erika D. Smith, A solution for gentrification in South L.A.? ‘Don’t sell your damn house!’
Arts & Entertainment Commentary Portfolio
Second place: Justin Chang, ‘The Disciple’ is already one of the year’s best movies. Does Netflix know — or care?
Sports Feature
Second place: Nathan Fenno, What makes Katie Ledecky the most dominant Olympic swimmer?
Third place: David Wharton, Beneath the bling: Lakers championship rings feature many special surprises
Video Storytelling
First place: Staff, How my mental illness became my superpower
Best Special Section
Second place: Staff, 101 Best Restaurants
Honorable mention: Staff, Unshaken
Best Podcast
Third place: Staff, “The Trials of Frank Carson”: first 3 episodes
The full list of award winners can be found at featuresjournalism.org.
