by Joe Siegel

NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists announced on July 23 the recipients of its 2024 Excellence in Journalism Awards recognizing exemplary work produced in 2023.

The highest individual awards, Journalist of the Year and the Sarah Pettit Memorial Award for LGBTQ+ Journalist of the Year, have been awarded to Steven Romo and H.L. Comeriato, respectively.

“It is always a pleasure to recognize the recipients of our annual Excellence in Journalism Awards,” said NLGJA Adam Pawlus. “This year’s winning pieces show that LGBTQ+ people are living full and unfiltered lives all over the world: from queer roller derby stars in the Bay Area, to drag performers in rural Appalachia, to thrifting collectives in Nigeria, our communities are everywhere.” 

Honorees from LGBTQ media include the Excellence in Feature Writing, Non-Daily Award to Daniel Villarreal for “‘Bury them in fruit jars.’ A gay mass murder and the cover-up that followed in LGBTQ Nation, the Excellence in Student Journalism Award to Joel Lev-Tov for “Trevor Project in crisis amid financial woes, staff dissension, ‘union busting’: sources” in the Washington Blade, and the Excellence in Travel Writing Award to Jason A. Heidemann for “The Great Gay American Road Trip” in Passport Magazine.

Other award winners include the Excellence in Book Writing Award to Curtis Chin for “Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant: A Memoir,” the Excellence in Feature Writing Award to Tom Donaghy for “Who Killed the Fudge King?” in Atavist Magazine, the Excellence in Long Form Journalism Award to Jenna “J” Wortham for “Want to Love Your Body? Try Swimming Naked.” in The New York Times, the Excellence in Newswriting Award to Kevin Rector, Howard Blume and Mackenzie Mays for “How conservatives are waging a coordinated, anti-LGBTQ+ culture war in California schools” in the Los Angeles Times, the Excellence in Newswriting, Non-Daily Award to Jo Yurcaba for “Raising a trans kid in Missouri has become a ‘dystopian nightmare’ for families” for NBC News, the Excellence in Photojournalism Award to Stephen Tayo for “Where We Are: The Thrift Market” in the New York Times, the Excellence in Profile Writing Award to Jo Yurcaba for “How Zooey Zephyr, Montana’s first trans legislator, became a national celebrity” for NBC News, and the Excellence in Sports Writing Award to Marisa Ingemi for “Bay Area Derby, where queer skaters are ‘fiercely welcome,’ fights to survive” in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Digital award winners include the Excellence in Blogging Award to Charlotte Clymer for “To the Man on the Northeast Regional” in Charlotte’s Web Thoughts, the Excellence in Digital Video Award to Salgu Wissmath for “Chosen Family” in the San Francisco Chronicle, the Excellence in Multimedia Award to KXAN Investigates for “OutLaw: A Half-Century Criminalizing LGBTQ+ Texans” on KXAN in Austin, Tex., and the Excellence in Online Journalism Award to Frankie de la Cretaz, Rachel Miller and Sally Tamarkin for “Let Them Play” in Self Magaine.

Editorial awards include the Excellence in Column Writing Award to Steven Overly for “I had decades to make peace with my sexuality. My disability is a different story.“ in the New York Times and the  Excellence in Opinion/Editorial Writing Award to Lydia Polgreen for “Born This Way? Born Which Way?” Also in the New York Times.

According to NLGJA, its Excellence in Journalism Awards were established in 1993 to foster, recognize and reward excellence in journalism on issues related to the LGBTQ+ community.

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Volume 26
Issue 6