Alta Journal made a splash at the 68th Southern California Journalism Awards, held this past Sunday evening at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel Crystal Ballroom in downtown Los Angeles. The annual event, held to celebrate journalism by Southern California writers and publications and/or focused on Southern California subjects, was attended by journalists from throughout California and beyond—including a very enthusiastic group of Alta staff and contributors.
“A hearty congratulations and thank you to Alta’s writers, photographers, illustrators, and designers who were honored by the Los Angeles Press Club,” said Alta editorial director Blaise Zerega. “We’re grateful to have our work recognized alongside that from so many outstanding journalists.”
Check out Alta’s list of winners:
First place:
John Freeman: Criticism of Literature
Judges’ comment: The Headshot review offers wonderful insight into the mind of athletes and the prose of the author under review. A great example of a review so engrossing, entertaining, and compelling, it leads the reader to the book out of a hunger for more of what the review celebrated and embodied.
John Goecke and Brent Hatcher, “25 Books That Define California”: Best Issue
Judges’ comment: Outstanding, engaging design from cover to cover. The “25 Books That Define California” package was especially clean and easy to read, with a variety of approaches to showing the covers. Very nicely done!
John Goecke and Brent Hatcher, “Special Section: 25 Books That Define California”: Page Design
Judges’ comment: Clean, easy to read, the right amount of white space, and creative. Just as every layout should be.
Andrew Dubbins, “Will Rogers Is on Fire”: Magazines: Commentary
Judges’ comment: A riveting and suspenseful read that delivers a view of one of the nation’s most ghastly crises from both 30,000 feet and ground zero. Total page turner.
Jeff Gordiner, “Holbox’s Michelin Chef Was Awaiting Citizenship Until 2025”: Online: Personality Profile, Business/Government/Society Personalities
Judges’ comment: Wonderfully executed story that balances human interest, food, and current events.
Matt Mahurin, “Sketchbook: Disasters Bring Out Our Best”: Illustration
Judges’ comment: Matt Mahurin’s series of illustrations for Alta Journal’s Sketchbook finds beauty and hope in the tragedy of the Palisades and Eaton fires—including his first-person experience of the former. Heroic portrayal of rescuers mixes the real and surreal in a landscape that glows with not only wildfires but also the heroic auras around firefighters and miraculous flying machines as they descend into the hellscape. Each figure is lovingly modeled in Mahurin’s painterly style, including figures rebuilding and replanting.
Second place:
Nicole Garcia and David Wolman, “The ‘Undesirables’”: Gender and Society Reporting
Gustavo Arellano and Stacey Grenrock Woods, “Ask a Californian”: Humor/Satire Writing
California Book Club, Alta Journal, “California Book Club: Lisa See”: Regular Podcast
Third place:
Anita Felicelli: Criticism of Literature
Nicole Garcia and David Wolman, “The ‘Undesirables’”: Activism Journalism
Alta Journal Staff, Alta Journal, California Book Club: Talk/Public Affairs
Check out the complete list of winners here.•
Beth Spotswood is Alta's digital editor, events manager, and a contributing writer. In addition to her work for Alta, Spotswood has contributed to 7x7 Magazine, San Francisco Magazine, Discovery Channel, Slow News Day, KGO Radio, SFist and the San Francisco Chronicle, where she had her own weekly column in the Thursday edition of the newspaper. Spotswood's work in Alta has been recognized by the San Francisco Press Club, Los Angeles Press Club, and the FOLIO Awards.
