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Intermediate, Community
Outstanding Journalist
Steve Ranson, Lahontan Valley News
The category is journalist of the year, not reporter of the year, and the first-place nod goes to a community journalist who filled both roles with excellence this year. The response to the train wreck, especially, showed first-rate reporting as well as first-rate newsroom leadership. Great job.
Outstanding Journalist
Lawrence Mower, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Although there were several fine journalists in this category, Mower stood out for the work he did on the significant, detailed series ‘Deadly Force.’ True investigative work, thorough and well-written.
Urban Daily,Intermediate,Community,Urban Weeklies
Story of the Year
Paul Takahashi, Dave Berns, Leila Navidi, Staff, Las Vegas Sun
The Turnaround: Inside Clark County Schools
This kind of project is what newspapers were meant to do. The Las Vegas Sun has taken their public stewardship a step further, by taking the longform narrative and applying it to a digital format, with video and graphical information, not just giving a quick and easy snapshot, but a longterm overview of complex matters that are at the core of the public interest. If more newspapers emulated the Sun, our republic would be well served.
Urban Daily,Urban Weeklies
Freedom of the Press
Staff, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Powerful piece. Tremendous dedication to the story, great investigative work
Staff, Reno Gazette-Journal
Great investigative piece
Dennis Myers, Reno News & Review
Open and shut
Intermediate, Community
Freedom of the Press
Steve Green, Vegas Inc.
Copyright Conundrum
Great coverage of a very important topic, provides good information in a way that allows readers to easily follow the complexities of the issue. Great job.
Staff, The Record-Courier
Open Meeting Law entry
I really enjoyed reading the newspaper’s ongoing coverage of this issue and the way it broke down the subject.
Elko Daily Free Press
DA forwards undersheriff records to state, etc.
Good job.
Urban Daily,Intermediate,Community,Urban Weeklies
Editorial of the Year
Dennis Noone
Nevada Appeal
Our view: Let voters decide fate of City Center Project
Urban Daily, Intermediate, Community, Urban Weeklies, Magazines
Outstanding Visual Journalist
Ryan Olbrysh, Las Vegas Weekly
Wonderful visuals incorporating photography and design elements. Nice work.
Urban Daily,Intermediate,Community,Urban Weeklies
Photo of the Year
Jessica Ebelhar, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Indycar crash
Remarkable composure during a terrifying moment helped capture the memorable fiery scene. Congratulations!
Urban Daily,Intermediate,Community,Urban Weeklies
Best Editorial Cartoon
Mike Miller, View Neighborhood
New Home Prices Ready to Change
Best in the class. Tells the whole story.
Mike Smith, Las Vegas Sun
Checkmate
Nuf sed. Tells the story right on target.
Mike Smith, Las Vegas Sun
Are you an airline?
Clever.
Urban Daily,Urban Weeklies
Best Headline Writing
Craig Peterson, Las Vegas Sun
Wordless … Muffled… Inaudible … Silent Night. Lord of the zings; Angle fights back at hobbit insult. The commute dispute; Here’s something to discuss…
George Riggle, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Not an organ donor? Consider a change of heart, Sultan of smack Harper simply being 18-year-old, County’s fiscal plan: taxing the pour
Matthew Crowley, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Tick, tick, tick, tick … tax: Filing deadline is close, but thousands of Nevadans will seek extensions, Sole Searchers: Sneakerheads rush remodeled Forum Shops Nike store to pursue exclusive, Bags packed, engines hum, ready turkeys here we come
The winners wrote clever headlines that communicated the idea of the story — and did so in the correct tone. The winners, in particular, stood out because the headline writers seemed to give special care to writing secondary headlines to reinforce the idea in the first headline. The “Lord of the zings” headline really put Peterson’s work over the top for first place. Great work overall.
Intermediate,Community
Best Headline Writing
Karen Woodmansee, Virginia City News
No spit — camels are back. Brothels come together. Going nuts for fries.
John Kelly, Nevada Appeal
Rock on, Fireball!
Urban Daily, Intermediate, Community, Urban Weeklies
Ad of the Year
Mario Aguirre, View Neighborhood
Walk The Sky
Good use of photos and text arrangement.
Urban Daily,Intermediate,Community,Urban Weeklies, Magazines
Silver Star Award
Ann Galli (assistant to the publisher), Joyce Smith (business manager), RANGE magazine
Extraordinary women.
Urban Daily
General Excellence
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Comprehensive, professional compilation of everything a newspaper reader is looking for.
Reno Gazette-Journal
Lot of staff written stories. Great use of infographics
Las Vegas Sun
Excellent read and design.
Journalist of Merit
Trevon Milliard, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Excellent writing and research. A real page turner.
Community Service
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Deadly Force
Watchdog journalism. Took real guts to uncover bad cops knowing you might have to call them to help you at some point. Good work. Compelling.
LVRJ STAFF
Las Vegas Sun
Nurturing An Ongoing and Civil Conversation with the Community
Excellent idea bringing readers into the picture before editorials are written. Also good to get their ideas on what needs to be discussed.
Staff
Las Vegas Sun
The Turnaround: Inside Clark County Schools
“Very good investigative work. Embedded at school is a dandy way to get the real inside story.”
Paul Takahashi, Dave Berns, Leila Navidi, Staff
Best Spot News Story
Staff, Reno Gazette-Journal
Washoe fire
An outstanding team effort that demonstrates digital-print synergy and engages a public in every way and on every platform.
Staff, Reno Gazette-Journal
Caughlin fire
Outstanding page 1 layout. (too bad you can’t lose the ad on breaking news days, but we all know how that goes). Good human interest angles. We don’t know the size of your newsroom, but this was obviously full deployment.
Staff, Reno Gazette-Journal
IHOP shooting
A couple of misspellings, but not surprising in a breaking news story. Quick work on the Sencion backgrounder.
This has clearly been an incredible year for the RGJ news staff, and they have performed admirably. That is why we decided this newsroom deserves a clean sweep in this category.
Best Feature Story
Jason Hidalgo, Reno Gazette-Journal
SPECIAL REPORT: FORECLOSURE FALLOUT
Incredibly thorough and fascinating. You can tell this reporter only picked the best interviews, the best quotes and therefore, wrote great stories. I can’t imagine how many notes the reporter has from this series, but you can tell he was thorough. He provided some incredible perspectives, and I found myself learning a lot about the Nevada housing market. Great design as well.
Erin Ryan, Las Vegas Sun
The home school revolution
What a gem of a story. There are so many stereotypes about home schooling, and the reporter addressed them in such a genuine and intelligent manner. The amount of information included in this story is incredible. What’s even more incredible is how well written and organized it was. Great job.
Siobhan McAndrew, Reno Gazette-Journal
When Doing the Impossible Is Not Enough
There is no shortage of stories about people with rare diseases. Any health reporter will find herself or himself writing one within six months of the beat. However, there is a shortage of stories about rare diseases that so thoughtfully tell the incredible, painful and frustrating journey that people with rare diseases go through. This reporter obviously took the time to get to know this family, and it shows. When you read this story, you feel the frustration the family feels. You see the dedication of these parents. And you ache for them to find answers. This story did a beautiful job of sharing this family’s struggle.
Best Nonstaff Story
Bernie Yuman, Las Vegas Sun
The First Time I Met Muhammad Ali
The way the story was packaged was very well-done. It was also well-written with a lot of descriptive works that allowed me to picture Miller without seeing the pictures. It have a lot of insight into who he was.
Alan Maimon, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Lives of officer, family forever changed by fatal shooting
I really enjoyed reading from the first person perspective for a change. Also, it was the right length that kept you intrigued at the end of the story, but yet you got all of the information. Very interesting.
Alan Maimon, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Case of ex-police officer shows authorities reluctant to take action
I enjoyed the investigative feel of the story. I felt like I was a shadow of the ex-police officer, following his every move. Well written.
Best Business News Story
Jennifer Robison, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Apple’s resident adult satisfied
Compelling local angle on story that captivated the world.
Chris Sieroty, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Wynn-Okada legal battle highlights once-obscure federal law
Thorough explanation of how seldom-enforced law applies to investigation of two major local companies.
Howard Stutz, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Sports complex developer has eye on site sought by DesertXpress
Nice analysis of potential developmental logjam.
Best Business Feature
Tim O’Reiley, Las Vegas Review-Journal
LV Air is looking like latest fly-by-night plan
Exhausting investigation of grandiose businessman’s boastful plans.
Paul Harasim, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Nevada Cancer Institute’s big dreams failed without funding
Honest, comprehensive post-mortem on a failed cancer center
Liz Benston, Las Vegas Sun
Poker Crackdown Chases Some Pros Across the Border
Enlightening real world look at impact of crackdown on online gaming
Strong category. Readers interested in Nevada business are obviously in good hands.
Best Explanatory Journalism
Brian Duggan, Reno Gazette-Journal
Star bonds
The main bar, though excellent, is not what pushed this into the top spot. That provided an in-depth glimpse of the issue, but it was the amazingly easy-to-understand sidebars that really sealed the deal. I felt like reading the main bar again after reading all the background, and the writing was very tight.
Laura Myers, John Locher, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Unbridled Passions, Untamed Costs, The Advocate, The Rancher, The Caretaker, The Rescuer
This almost should have teetered into the in-depth category, but the sheer nature in which all the background was presented, along with the great sidebars on the players involved, made it worthy read.
Martha Bellisle, Reno Gazette-Journal
Harvey Whittemore
I appreciated the sidebars moreso than the main bar in this story. The news itself was interesting, but for somone who does not live in the area and is not familiar with the issue it was nice to actually learn something in the handful of ‘explanatory’ pieces that ran in tandem.
There were at least a dozen excellent pieces of in-depth work in here, but the winners were those pieces that really exemplified the ‘explanation’ part of explanatory journalism. While the others were full of background, facts, and demonstrated multiple sides of the story, these top three really gave a reader — especially one who doesn’t live there, or maybe just moved there — everything he needs to know to understand why the issue is worth paying attention. Whether it’s explaining how municipal government works, or how years of mismanagement led to a showdown between conservationists and environmentalists, or why so many people are paying attention to a dispute between two regional power brokers, the winning stories really helped me understand the stories to the point where I could explain them myself to others.
Best News Feature Story
Francis McCabe, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Testimony reveals slain Arbor View student was near safety
Carol Cling, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Separate Lives
Joe Schoenmann, Las Vegas Sun
Rise and fall of the charity queen: Kathleen Vermillion
Best Investigative or In-depth Story or Series
Martha Bellisle, Reno Gazette-Journal
Duggard-Garrido
Compelling, well written story on a fascinating case. The bold timeline style kept a document-based story moving along more like a narrative. Excellent job getting exclusive documents and using them to craft a story that tells readers something they didn’t already know, even though the case has been making headlines for decades. This is journalism at its best.
Lawrence Mower, Alan Maimon, Brian Haynes, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Deadly Force
Great project. I especially enjoyed the transparency regarding how much money and time the paper spent on the project. The stories used documents without getting too hung up on the numbers, instead focusing on the faces and families behind the shootings. The interactive “Faces of the Dead” was really cool and a nice addition to the series. It did get a little long, and tended to repeat certain elements, which may or may not have been necessary depending on the readership. Overall, important topic and a well done, thorough project.
Paul Takahashi, Dave Berns, Leila Navidi, Staff, Las Vegas Sun
The Turnaround: Inside Clark County Schools
This is what investigative journalism is all about! Holding politicians responsible and effecting a change. Fantastic series of articles.
Really great entries this year.
Best Local Column
Paul Harasim, Las Vegas Review-Journal
I followed the rules and still got stoned, An awful disease; an awful thought, Las Vegas paramedic rides shotgun as lives start, fade away, I’m already plotting: I should die like a doctor
Paul Harasim delivers what a columnist should: Entertainment, thought provocation, and, most importantly, a quick but deep emotional attachment. Bravo.
Steve Sebelius, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Carolyn has learning curve, big shoes to fill, No Mack attack, Trapped in the worst kind of legal limbo, Who would Jesus tax?
Steve Sebelius manages to get a reader to re-think strongly held beliefs. Making readers question themselves without invoking anger is an unusual and valuable talent.
J. Patrick Coolican, Las Vegas Sun
Breadth of topics and sophisticated writing make Coolican an entertaining read.
Best Local Non-staff Column
Anne Pershing, Reno Gazette-Journal
This is a column that readers will look for as soon as they get their paper. I know I would have liked to read more.
Steven Kalas, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Marital troubles? Probably started with The Strange Idea, What you don’t expect often means most at Christmas, Father creates new generation of memories at Disneyland
Personal experience comes across very well.
Jon Ralston, Las Vegas Sun
Well-written – draws the reader in.
The competition was very close and the range of column subjects was a little like comparing apples and oranges. I imagine each of the entries has a very devoted readership.
Best Sports Story
Chris Gabel, Reno Gazette-Journal
For Zeth
Great lead. The Facebook posts dividing paragraphs were an excellent addition to this well-written, heart-felt piece.
Chris Murray, Reno Gazette-Journal
Attendance Issues Plague Wolf Pack Programs
Very thorough job breaking down all aspects of attendance issues. Would have liked to heard more direct quotes from students.
Ray Brewer, Las Vegas Sun
High school sports governing body to discuss moving power Gorman, other private schools to separate league
Great job presenting all sides of this case. Enjoyed the unique perspectives of schools who celebrated state titles after semifinal wins, and championship losses.
Great stories here, both from a writing and investigative reporting perspective.
Best Sports Feature
Chris Murray, Reno Gazette-Journal
Lessons Learned
One of the better well-rounded entries. Moved along well with the segment breaks, which I feel is not used as much these days as it should.
Ray Brewer, Las Vegas Sun
9-year-old Las Vegas gymnast prospect for 2020 Olympics
I would have liked to have read more quotes from the little girl and the things she has given up. Does she dream of the Olympics, does she miss going to regular school?
Ed Graney, Tristan Aird, Mark Anderson, Las Vegas Review-Journal
AT WHAT COST: Pursuing athletic scholarships is costly for players’ parents, Players need more than athletic ability to stand out, Every parent thinks their child is the best player
Great piece on a big topic these days. However, it seems it was more from the college angle. Would have added more to talk to high school coaches and what they do to help kids get noticed.
What a tough category to judge. All the stories were good and the topics were captive. Hated the fact that I had to pick only the top three, since many of the stories were just too close to call.
Best Sports Column
Ron Kantowski, Las Vegas Review-Journal
In fight for her life, she’s still all smiles, Wiffle Ball now ‘dangerous’ game, Wheldon’s death numbs racing world
Enjoyed the column on the girl with the brain tumor. Great human interest piece. Chuckled all the way through whiffle ball column.
Ray Brewer, Las Vegas Sun
Ray Brewer: From the Pressbox
Glad to see some high school column in wake of the big-city thinking. All three were good columns.
Dan Hinxman, Reno Gazette-Journal
Best Sports Columnist Entry
Enjoyed the variety of the columns. The Jaw was great. Wished your photographer would have gotten a close up shot.
This was a lot of reading, but let me tell you, they were all good entries. Trying to pick one over the other was not a fun job. I much rather award five first-place finishes and call it a day and let you guys hammer out the winner over a game of five-card draw.
Best Entertainment Writing
Steve Bornfeld, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Themes endure as ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ opens at Spring Mountain Ranch; Famed DJ seeks a home for African-American artifacts; New ‘Aphrodite’ exhibit stimulates Erotic Heritage Museum
In depth reporting and compelling writing leads the reader all the way to the end.
Mike Weatherford, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Show cast members left with bupkis, No joke: Comedians may lack health coverage, Curiosities around the record bins at Zia
Gives readers a behind-the-scenes view of local entertainment industry. Great reporting.
John Katsilometes, Las Vegas Sun
The Kats Reports
Great story telling.
Best Critical Writing
Carol Cling, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Economic reality darkens modern fairy tale ‘Larry Crowne’, ‘Tree of Life’ spends too much time philosophizing . . ., A downer’s a downer, no matter how hyped, especially a film of ‘The Lorax’s’ type
Really enjoyed how you sustained rhyme for review of “The Lorax.” Overall did great job of focusing on analyzing the films without bringing personal opinion into it.
Jason Bracelin, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Feeling Bad is Good Enough for Frank Singer Adele, Fans, Jay-Z, West Combine Talent to Create Illustrious Show, After a long break, Soundgarden proves they still have it
Liked your vocabulary, but maybe shouldn’t use “bombast” in every article.
Heidi Knapp Rinella, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Delicious food, reasonable prices make Komex an appealing spot, Ferraro’s food delicious but host’s rudeness leaves bad taste in the mouth, Cosmo’s Jaleo serving innovative tapas plates
Don’t think you should ever mention feminine hygiene products when talking about food — especially if it’s meant to be a positive review.
Best Editorial Writing
Glenn Cook, Las Vegas Review-Journal
RTC bus contract goes round and round, Pension reform: Numbers behind DA’s decision to ‘retire’, Clark county’s next district attorney must be willing to review police shootings
Interesting writing style and strong positions made. I’m sure your readers better understand the issues. Nice work!
Steve Falcone, Reno Gazette-Journal
It’s time for the Legislature to live by its own principles, Witholding attorney wrong way to repair death penalty, Governor failed Nevadans by taking the easy way out
Well thought out subjects and concise writing. Your issues are well stated and easy to comprehend. I especially like the snapshot box.
Vin Suprynowicz, Las Vegas Review-Journal
New business, First Friday fiasco, Metro settles
Topics in this entry show a real passion for the citizens of the community. That viewpoint is often lost in the big picture. Keep looking out for every one of your readers.
Best Editorial Page
Matt Hufman, Staff, Las Vegas Sun
These entries feature well reasoned, concisely written editorials. They seem to value interaction with readers very highly, which is a refreshing approach. It pays off for them, generating content for more than just quotes from comments and letters to the editor. This is shown by the HOA response and the letters to lawmakers.
John Kerr, Vin Suprynowicz, Glenn Cook, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Steve Falcone, Reno Gazette-Journal
Best Overall Design
Las Vegas Sun
Loved this entry, every page presented a nice surprise for the reader with strong layout/design and writing. FANTASTIC Job!
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Reno Gazette-Journal
Best Page One Design
Staff, Las Vegas Sun
Outstanding and concise layouts. Strong photography supports amazing layout.
Jeff Gifford, Reno Gazette-Journal
Staff, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Best Page Designer(s)
Liz Brown, Las Vegas Sun
Every page in Liz’s entry is bold and grabs the eyes and won’t let the reader go. It’s easy to cite a page with a Chris Morris illustration, but her Muhammed Ali page is very stark, the typography of the page perfectly framing Ali’s face, and the page has a great proportion of image and text to it. And the page about the Great Migration was very well done, love the verticality of the page, love the typography and the photo play, just beautiful!
Mark Antonuccio, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Mark’s pages are really well-done. The spot color and typography in headlines works, the illustrations are designed with purpose, and the pages are designed intelligently and intentionally. That is a mark of great design.
Ched Whitney, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Best Information Graphic
Mike Johnson, Las Vegas Review-Journal
The Smith Center
Excellent work, the 3-D rendering is spot-on, the section levels are keyed very well, and it conveys the look of the hall without getting to 3-D crazy with the rendering. This has all the elements needed for an informative graphic.
Las Vegas Review-Journal, David Stroud
Deadly Force
The illustrations really carry the page and the captions do a good job of explaining each panel. The organization at the top of the page is a bit unorderly compared to the rest of the graphic, I would’ve maybe suggested the headline and chatter go in the top left module, with the top right one stacked on top. Good job, though!
Best Illustration
Chris Morris, Las Vegas Sun
Leverage on Taxes Shift Dramatically
A Chris Morris special, so fun in so many ways. Excellent drawing, with all the right touches to convey tone. It has an editorial cartoon feel, not necessarily needing any narrative accompaniment to convey the story. Excellent!
Chris Morris, Las Vegas Sun
Oscar – Behind the Times
This is fun by Chris. Great way to convey the mayor out of touch with the times. Could it have gone further with its prehistoric touches, from maybe the desk and chair to the mayor’s attire? I think Chris nailed it with his restraint.
Liz Brown, Las Vegas Sun
Muhammad Ali
Beautiful portrait of Muhammad Ali, and the page played it very, very well. This page, and this illustration, had so much impact, truly a case of the illustration being in gestalt with the rest of the story.
Best News Photo Coverage
Jessica Ebelhar, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Dad’s deployment
Absolutely love that you can see the emotion and pain on the faces of the children, but the dad stands strong for them.
Liz Margerum, Reno Gazette-Journal
Hopeless Battle
This photo show the magnitude of the fire engulfing everything in its way. Seeing the lonely resident doing his best to keep it from his home. Great contrast, emphasis and color.
Jessica Ebelhar, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Indycar crash
What a great shot. Perfect timing. It is so crisp and clear. Nice job.
So many great photos to choose from. This was a tough category to judge. Lots of talented photographers.
Best Feature Photo
Jessica Ebelhar, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Superman
Great composition. Wonderful shot.
Jason Bean, Las Vegas Review-Journal
First visit
Great emotion.
Leila Navidi, Las Vegas Sun
Last Dance at Homecoming
This shot does a great job capturing the innocence of the moment.
Best Multiple Photo Essay
Sam Morris, Las Vegas Sun
Vegas Forms from Above
Refreshing to see something new. Nice tight edit. Some of the photos were taken earlier in the day and had a harsher light to them. They could have benefited from lower light in the golden hour. I like the overall idea.
John Locher, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Deadly force
Nice tight edit, but there is still room to cut some of the weaker photos. Great moments in some of the photos. Some photos felt like “almost moments.” A long lens could have tightened up and focused some of the photos a little better as well.”
John Locher, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Rockabilly
I really like the colors and compositions of some of these photos. Again, you could edit them down even more. There are a few weaker ones still there. Once again it also looks like you went all wide angle on this one. Break out your longer lens and get in there. Several of the photos would have been better shot tighter with a longer lens.
Most of the entries looked like single assignments and/or had way too many photos. If you can spend more time on an assignment, do it. As for too many photos, there is no magic number. Eight to twelve photos are about just right (give or take a few), but make sure you edit out your weaker photographs. It’s all about showing your BEST work. Editing your selection down will go a long ways and shows your ability to recognize good photographs.
Best Portrait
Sam Morris, Las Vegas Sun
Joey Gallo
Great black and white photo. Looks antique like a photo from the golden years of baseball
Jeff Scheid, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Occupy cat
The focus on the cat was amazing. In all the chaos, the cat is the focus.
John Locher, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Madeline Pickens
Great setting for the photo. A walk in the desert with my dog.
Best Illustrated Photo
K.M. Cannon, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Cart Crossing
Great illustration by using three photos to tell the story
Sam Morris, Las Vegas Sun
Fright Dome
Very good illustration with a scary photo, sends chills through my bones. Weird glow on photo was a plus
Leila Navidi, Las Vegas Sun, Diablo’s Cantina
Great photo that is mouth watering
Best Sports Photo
John Locher, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Slam dunk
Beautiful shot. Great capture of the college atmosphere.
K.M. Cannon. Las Vegas Review-Journal
Gun rumble
Perfect timing.
Sam Morris. Las Vegas Sun
Dunk
The facial expressions in this shot are fantastic.
Best Special Section (Editorial)
Las Vegas Sun
SAHARA 1952 – 2011: FINAL CURTAIN
Absolutely charming! You have done what newspapers do best, recorded history. Bet this one is saved by readers for many, many years. Great job!
Las Vegas Sun
Muhammad Ali & The Ruvo Center Join In THE GREATEST FIGHT OF ALL
Great package and a very special souvenir of a special event.
Las Vegas Review-Journal
The Smith Center, March 14, 2012
This is another one that will be tucked away in drawers and scrapbooks for years. Good job.
Best Large-Space Ad
Theresa Nedens, Las Vegas Review-Journal
LaZBoy
I like the Labor Day heading. The scissors are a nice touch. The colors chosen complement each other well. I like how you used pretty much used one font for the entire ad, varying from ultra-light to extra-bold. You still emphasized and de-emphasized what you needed to and it ended up making the ad look very clean. Overall this is a great looking ad.
Theresa Nedens, Las Vegas Review-Journal
LaZBoy
The colors chosen complement each other well. Colored words don’t always work in advertisements. Thanks to your simple color scheme, they worked well in this ad.
The only things I would change is somehow make “”The Red White & Blue Sale”” headline stand out more. Or at least make it so it doesn’t look so similar to the sale prices right next to it. Also, I’m not a fan of a red border on a dark gray box. But that’s just nitpicking. It’s really a great ad.”
Danielle Robbins-Cawkill, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Jim Marsh
I like the header. It’s big and gets right to the point. The colors in this ad were well chosen. From the header, to the boxes on the bottom, and the background to tie it all together, it looks very nice.
I’m not a fan of embossing objects, and I certainly don’t like it on text. It comes off as very amateurish to me. Besides that it’s a nice, simple looking ad. That is especially commendable since it’s an ad for a car dealership. It’s hard to make 20 cars, all the same size, look nice. You did it pretty well here.”
I really hate giving the top two spots to two ads that look so similar. They are the best two ads of the lot though. Oh well.
Best Black & White Ad
SW Ad Team, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Lasik $999
I love the giant eye and giant price. They let you know quickly what the ad is and what it’s all about. I like the arrow coming out of they eye and how it makes it look like the eye is looking at the information above it.
I like the use of white text on black. It frames the ad nicely.
The only thing I would change is I would make the tag line “See Siems, See The Best” a different font or not quite as bold. Just something to make it look different from the text above it.
Marketing Ad Team, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Polo America
I like horse artwork and how you have it fading into the bottom of the ad. I also like how you used a white screen to highlight the important information about the contest. The background and it’s use of a gradient is very nice as well.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t immediately obvious to me that this ad was about a contest. I would have made the “Win Tickets to” banner much bigger. I’m also not quite sure what that line/shadow across the top left corner is suppose to be. A framing tool? Regardless, good ad.”
Theresa Nedens, Las Vegas Review-Journal
LaZBoy 2Hr Sale
“I love the clock. How you used it show the time of the event is very clever. The star-burst around the “Save up to 50%”, “Plus…” text and clock is a nice touch as well.
Unfortunately most of the text looks exactly the same. I understand the “50%” and “21% off” being the same, but I would have used something a little different, or bolder, for the “2 Hours Only” headline. Also the text on the bottom looks really boring and kind of runs together. At least make it so the locations and hours don’t look exactly the same.
I was pleasantly surprised by this group of ads. There was quite a few that were pretty good.
I had an especially hard time picking third place. It was a 4-way tie score wise between LaZBoy, Dim Sum, Meet Me At The Tuscany, and Dean’s Place. There were things I really liked and disliked in each of ad. All in all I’m happy with the one I chose.
Best Multi-Color Ad
NE Ad Team, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Eldorado
Clean layout and great use of color.
NW Ad Team, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Siems
Great use of color in the eye.
SW Ad Team, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Hepatitis-Impact
Clean layout.
Best Special Section or Campaign (Advertising)
Bob Brown, Chris Trares, Chelle Bize, Las Vegas Review-Journal
2011 Job Transitions
Valuable tool and good advertising support.
Bob Brown, Chris Trares, Las Vegas Review-Journal
The Smith Center – March 14, 2012
Nice piece and a great way to capitalize on venue opening.
Bob Brown, Chris Trares, Las Vegas Review-Journal
31ST Annual Best of Las Vegas – March 25, 2012
Great Best Of publication. Well supported.
Best-In House Promotion
Julian DeCoite, Las Vegas Review-Journal
LVHappyHour.com
Great use of QR code to promote app.
Justin Lau, Las Vegas Review-Journal
We Do That
Good package.
Angie Gutting, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Virtual Job Fair
Great program and good advertising to support it.
Advertising General Excellence
Bob Brown, Chris Trares, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Best Web Site
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Great organization and navigability.
Las Vegas Sun
LasVegasSun.com
Good organization and navigability.
James Ku, Pete Krajewski, Julian Peach, Steve Timko, Guy Clifton, Mark Robison, Reno Gazette-Journal
RGJ.com
Decent organization and navigability.
Best Multimedia Story
Staff, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Deadly Force
Great package! I love this. The front page is set up to vault a reader through the material in almost any direction. The flow of content is good and the navigation is not cumbersome. Well done!
J. Patrick Coolican, Leila Navidi, Staff, Las Vegas Sun
Highway 50 Revisited: America’s Loneliest Road
Nicely done. This reminds me of old-school journalism but made to be delivered on new-school tech. Good images and lots of good content.
Julian Peach, Reno Gazette-Journal
Caucus 2012
Beyond the usual story linked to a video or a story linked to a slideshow. Both flash interactives compel the reader to make decisions about how the move through the content. Thoughtful.
Intermediate
General Excellence
Nevada Appeal
Not a fan of tabs, but this is an excellent paper, with excellent writers and photographers and an editor who understands organization and timeliness. Great local coverage and local art. Wonderful organization. This is a well planned product that serves readers and it clearly shows. Great job.
Nevada Appeal
Elko Daily Free Press
This is a total package product: there is something for everyone and it is well written. It also doesn’t shy away from in depth coverage of important local stories. Photography could be a little crisper, but overall it is an excellent product. It is easy to navigate and chock full of local elements. Really nice job.
Pahrump Valley Times
Great art. Great writing. Series on electric power and political power was well-written and compelling. Headlines are snappy. Layout seems haphazard at best and not planned for full reader impact. However, overall quality is good and local elements and solid local writing with variety of topics makes this a very nice newspaper.
Pahrump Valley Times
Journalist of Merit
Kelsey Givens, Pahrump Valley Times
I can tell Kelsey Givens is a very talented writer but beneath the words, there seems to be an understanding of the story. Any good reporter’s articles will show this. It usually takes some time for a journalist to develop these chops, but Kelsey is ahead of the curve.
Community Service
Steve Ranson, Lahontan Valley News
Destination Southwest Asia
“A great portrayal of Nevada military personnel and their impact abroad. Strong use of photos and clear staff commitment to telling the subjects’ stories. A wide variety of people and subjects were covered.
Suggestions: shorten slightly and tighten writing, as overly long stories tend to lose readers’ interest.
Great idea utilizing social media/blogs to engage readers locally, nationally and internationally. Shows a deep connection with the subject. Clear positive impact on the publication, city and nation.”
Staff, The Record-Courier
Celebration of Douglas County’s 150th anniversary
“Great job at creating a series on localized content for the subject.
Emphasis on history is engaging to both lifelong residents and the casual visitor.
Good staff effort on the editorial.
Excellent idea to create a separate, collectible edition showcasing the subject. Weekly papers may come and go, but the collectible will be much more permanent.”
Jared DuBach, Elko Daily Free Press
Domestic Violence-Beyond Abuse
Good call to action in the staff editorial. Good presentation of impact on the community and smart use of multiple perspectives to highlight the issue of choice.
Suggestions: more multi-source stories, more follow-ups on each respective case covered, separate feature or sidebar on female aggressors, which were not addressed in the series.
Strong entries. Difficult to decide which was the best. The edge goes to “”Destination Southwest Asia”” because of the broad impact of the stories, use of social media to engage readers and positive impact on the newspaper and community.
Best Spot News Story
Steve Ranson, Maddie Reynolds, Fran Norton, Zip Upham, Lahontan Valley News
Answers sought in Amtrak crash
Excellent coverage of a major news event. The speed and thoroughness of the response
Steve Ranson, Lahontan Valley News
High speed chase results in 2 deaths
The depth of reporting makes what could have been a run-of-the-mill police blotter story come alive. Readers end up feeling like eyewitnesses.
Steve Puterski, Lahontan Valley News
Beating Victim
The paper does an excellent job of putting readers at the scene, and this piece is no exception. Good work.
Best Feature Story
Amy Edgett, Sierra Sun
Max’s Playground
“This article is so well written, so informative, so tactfully and beautifully written. It is head and shoulders above the competition.
I would consider entering this story in a national contest. This is an example of great story-telling and it does not feel long while reading.”
Danielle Switalski, Elko Daily Free Press
Hoping for a miracle
Great job of depicting the family’s optimism, while neatly organizing and describing each of the kids’ illnesses and the family’s struggle without bogging the reader down.
Kelsey Givens, Pahrump Valley Times
PAHRUMPIPEDIA: Pahrump on Wikipedia, how the world sees us
Outstanding article, filled with all kinds of information of interest to the whole community. Nicely done.
Best Nonstaff Story
Vince Juaristi, Elko Daily Free Press
Back from Afghanistan
Laurie Olson, Nevada Appeal
We didn’t realize that a miracle was unfolding around us’
Vern Hee, Pahrump Valley Times
BRAVO! Darling of the desert ends 45-year Opera House run
Best Business News Story
Maddie Reynolds, Lahontan Valley News
Unions may grieve city layoffs
Good — lots of information and detail.
Mark Waite, Pahrump Valley Times
Solar company abides by strict union regulations
Joshua Silavent, Daily Sparks Tribune
A Taxing Idea
Best Business Feature
Steve Ranson, Lahontan Valley News
Soldiers find uncertainty in job market
Well-reported, important topic.
Jason Shueh, Sylas Wright, Sierra Sun
Joining Forces
Excellent package.
Andrea Glover, Elko Daily Free Press
Elko’s transient lodging
Takes a look at a little-noticed segment of the market.
Best Explanatory Journalism
Steve Ranson, Lahontan Valley News
Destiny Southwest Asia
Great view of what local people are doing on the other side of the world.
Danielle Switalski, Elko Daily Free Press
Finding families
“Provides understanding of foster family process.”
Sandi Hoover, Nevada Appeal
Committee to discuss revised $49.6 million City Center Project
Best News Feature Story
Jason Shueh, Sierra Sun
Prospering after prosperity
Rudy Herndon, Humboldt Sun
French updates commission on Rye Patch studies
Steve Ranson, Lahontan Valley News
Neptunus Lex
These are all excellent works, with no bad pieces among them. Nevada is lucky to have these wonderful talents.”
Best Investigative or In-depth Story or Series
Matt Ward, Pahrump Valley Times
Defense sets stage for January trial
Outstanding story. The reporter’s initiative shows how a great journalist can turn a drab court report into a real examination of public corruption and intrigue.
Steve Ranson, Lahontan Valley News
Destiny Southwest Asia
F.T. Norton, Nevada Appeal
IHOP SHOOTING: Gunman’s motive remains a puzzle
Best Local Column
Steve Ranson, Lahontan Valley News
Rush causes Berkley to duck the issues; Military unemployment; The end of a grand old lady; Special election is for Amodei to lose
Good writing, topical, excellent imagery in the description of the airplane.
Danielle Switalski, Elko Daily Free Press
Weekends with Danielle
Good writing, topical.
Kurt Hildebrand, The Record-Courier
Editor’s Notepad
Not really “columns” but more of a potpourri of miscellaneous information. Nothing wrong with that, but would like to see more of a single-topic column format.
Best Local Non-staff Column
Guy Farmer, Nevada Appeal
Farmer Column: A nuclear waste dump by any other name
Congratulations on giving readers an interesting look at life from your perspective.
Larry Hyslop, Elko Daily Free Press
Nature Notes
Gini Cunningham, Humboldt Sun
Love, Dignity and Alzheimer’s
Best Sports Story
Dan Eckles, Daily Sparks Tribune
Cloudy with a Chance of Controversy
Great writing and good insightful information. Writer does a good job conveying sense of controversy, which the issue clearly has.
Dan Eckles, Daily Sparks Tribune
NIAA to set up committee on Gorman
Great followup piece to the first story on the Gorman issue. Was excited to see what happened in the meeting, and writer does good job describing details.
Matt Unrau, Elko Daily Free Press
Staying young
Just loved reading this piece. It’s clearly a unique event, and writer does a good job capturing some emotion behind the participants.
The articles here were very competitive. Nothing was poorly written, some just stood out more than others.
Best Sports Feature
Matt Unrau, Elko Daily Free Press
No ordinary race
Absolutely loved the creativity here. Wonderful idea and perfect placement of each quote.
Matt Unrau, Elko Daily Free Press
O-line to Pyramid
Well-crafted piece not only on male cheerleaders, but on someone just being comfortable in their own skin. Great insight from multiple sources.
Martin Harris. Elko Daily Free Press
Elko High Girls Soccer History
I love history pieces and this is a topper. Had me waiting on pins and needles for that playoff appearance.
Very competitive category here. Had to choose very hard between the winners and the chronicle of Spring Creek Girls Basketball, Mauga’s Rise, Shining in the Limelight, and Pipe Dreams. Well done.
Best Sports Column
Thomas Ranson, Lahontan Valley News
Behind the Plate
Steve Puterski, Lahontan Valley News
Riding the Pine
Don McDermott, Pahrump Valley Times
MEL NORTH: His world on the point
The most difficult division to judge. I could have picked any of five entries in the top three and the others were right there as well. Good to see that Nevada has a excellent group of sports columnists.
Best Entertainment Writing
Tim Parsons, Tahoe Daily Tribune
Mickey Hart enjoying the ride
Enjoyed the pieces very much. It’s interesting to interview musicians, their thought process is so much different and you captured it very well.
Danielle Switalski, Elko Daily Free Press
Historical haunting, The power of poetry, Sneak peek
Nice pieces of writing, enjoyed the Historical Haunting story very much.
Best Editorial Writing
Matt Ward, Pahrump Valley Times
EDITORIAL BOARD: A good firing will take care of that odor problem
Good choices of topics and there’s no messing around about the positions taken. Excellent job.
Steve Ranson, Lahontan Valley News
Report shows disturbing smoking gun; The buck stops at WNC’s top; State prefers mediocrity
Clear, well-written pieces that make good arguments for the positions taken.
Jeffry Mullins, Elko Daily Free Press
Good field of entries. Overall, outstanding choices in topics. All were local and of obvious importance. Readers of these newspapers may not like the editorial positions, but they are well-served by the approaches.
Best Editorial Page
The Record-Courier
A clear winner. The editorials were good and well-written, but the letters to the editor and the reader engagement set this editorial page apart from the others. Excellent. The readers and Community are well-served.
Nevada Appeal
Good job on this editorial pages. Local pieces are well-written and on what appear to be important local topics.
Elko Daily Free Press
Overall, a good editorial page, but I would like to see stronger and clearer positions taken.
Best Overall Design
Nevada Appeal
Good, clean, visually-appealing design with consistent elements that I appreciate as well as fresh ideas, which I also like. Good use of color throughout.
Great photos and good use of them. There is never any doubt of the main story and where you want the reader to look first. This combined with nice, interesting side items balance the design very well.
The Record-Courier
Good, solid design. I appreciate the consistency, but you might shake things up in subtle ways. Like the flag, for instance. On the front page, with the photos and other color elements, it looks out of place. I would update the flag and incorporate some color into the actual graphic, or consider using some subtle teaser art that does not overwhelm the flag.
I would also use a different font for headlines and subheads used in the same story. If you go with a serif headline, use a sans serif subhead and vice versa. ”
Elko Daily Free Press
Visually-interesting design throughout. Good photos, lots of color, visual elements used with majority of stories, which I appreciate. However, be careful that this doesn’t overwhelm the balance of the page.
I would like to see an index on the front page.
Your teaser art over the flag is incredibly distracting. For one thing, it almost completely covers text in some instances, which is never a good thing. And in some cases, the art is so big, my eyes go straight there instead of the main story/graphic on the page, which is where my attention should go.
Whereas the front page teasers are overwhelmingly busy, the banners on other sections (Sports, Just For Fun) lack weight on the page. I would try for a happy medium between the two.
Just be sure the design elements on the page don’t have to compete with each other. ”
Best Page One Design
Nevada Appeal
Great photos, visually appealing, consistent look. Good page balance. I’m never really crazy about using clipart, unless it can be used without cheapening the sharp, professional look of a newspaper. Good use of cut-outs on March 7 issue. I love a little white space when used well. It really makes this package pop! Would like to see a different font introduced to break up the headlines and subheads. Great job! ”
Pahrump Valley Times
The design and layout is clean, well-balanced and easy to read. Good photos! I like how the subheads are separated with one word followed by the subhead. But, I would use a different font to separate the subhead from the headline. I would use a thinner horizontal rule between stories. Would you consider using left justification?
Elko Daily Free Press
Good layout, interesting elements, eye-catching designs. Love left justification of type!
Teaser art overwhelms the flag, whether behind or over the text.
In some instances the spacing between subhead and bylines is too tight.
Although I think every story should have a visual element, whether it be a photo, graph, pull quote, etc., be careful that your page doesn’t get too busy. You want your main story or package to stand out, so make sure your other stories don’t compete with it.
The Oct. 26 front page is great! Good balance and teaser art works!
Best Page Designer(s)
Michael Higdon, Steve Ranson, Lahontan Valley News
Good, clean, crisp designs.
March 16 — Simple layout, but photo is gripping. I would have stuck with the yellow as the only color on the page. And maybe add a pull quote to add a visual element in all that text.
Jan. 13 — Great photos, interesting 2 pg. spread. Not sure how it looks folded.
Dec. 2 — Good balance, visually appealing, interesting visual elements (map, mug shot, pull quote).
Dec. 23 — Good page. Nice balance. Love the white space. Would have gone for even more by cutting out the fighter jet. Don’t be afraid to go bigger with your headline size.
Jan. 6 — Nice page. Like the pull quote on the side.”
John Kelly, Patricia Bouweraerts, Nevada Appeal
What’s in the cards for… 2012
Overall, good designs.
Jan 1. — This page is a little too busy for me with the package competing with block ads on the top and bottom right of page. I also think the clipart on this page takes away from the professional look of the paper.
Jan. 12 — Clean, well-balanced page. Like the pull quote on top. Interesting use of text. It works well with the nice visuals (chart, info box).
Dec. 18 — I like the top story. Interesting picture that creates a little blank space on the page. The addition of the pull quote at top right works well. The second story kind of gets lost between the top package and the bottom teaser/ad.
Jan. 15 — Good balance between photos, text, info box.
March 17 — Good use of color in main story. Watch spacing between headline and body text in the top story.
Heather Ruth, Pahrump Valley Times
Badwater Race, Battling Bullying, Give a Hoot, Lady Trojans, Love Worms
Nice, visually-appealing packages and page designs.
July 20 — I really liked this page. Interesting elements in package with story, info boxes, photos, map…it all works and has a nice, subtle color balance as well.
Oct. 14 — The seriousness of the subject matter, to me, makes the cartoon photo inappropriate for use here. It just doesn’t work. I do, however, like the teaser strip at the bottom.
Feb. 24 — Good color, good balance, good photos. Maybe a pull quote would be a nice addition to the story as a visual element.
Nov. 16 — Good sports package. Good photos, but I would have used the big photo for a great action shot.
April 29 — Interesting, eye-catching headline and photos. Great color. Nice white space. Lots of text…maybe add a pull quote.”
Best Information Graphic
Kurt Hildebrand, The Record-Courier
New look for old school
Clean and informative. It really helps readers understand the scope of the project.
Emily Stott, Tahoe Daily Tribune
The Road Less Traveled
Great idea putting a positive spin on a problem that’s an inconvenience for your readers. Very informative.
Kurt Hildebrand, The Record-Courier
Personnel costs vs. employee numbers
A neat design.
Best Illustration
Michael Higdon, Tahoe Daily Tribune
A wait in the clouds
Fascinating subject. Really nice and easy to follow illustration.
Heather Ruth, Pahrump Valley Times
Confessions of a Body Broker
Great illustration. Perfect visual for the story.
Heather Ruth, Pahrump Valley Times
Utilities Inc. Commissioner says it’s holding Pahrump hostage
Good graphic.
Best News Photo Coverage
Cathleen Allison, Nevada Photo Source
IHop shooting
Tight photos that tell a good story. Excellent all around coverage
Cathleen Allison, Nevada Photo Source
Fatal Washoe Valley Fire
The emotion of this photo is what carries it.
Shannon Litz, Jim Grant, Nevada Appeal
A tremendous tragedy
Strong photos.
Best Feature Photo
Matt Unrau, Elko Daily Free Press
Sydnee Gowing
Ross Andreson, Elko Daily Free Press
Stampede
John Byrne, Daily Sparks Tribune
Food Fight!
Best Multiple Photo Essay
Shannon Litz, Jim Grant, Nevada Appeal
Tradition keeps Nevada Day alive
A nice variety of good images gives readers a feel for the event. I dig the scruffy beard mugs too!
Ross Andreson, Elko Daily Free Press
EHS Indians dance concert
A good variety of dance photos. Nice color and composition. Especially the main image.
Shannon Litz, The Record-Courier
Home for Carson Valley Days
Well rounded coverage of a community event. Would like to have seen tighter compositions on some of the photos.
Best Portrait
Ross Andreson, Elko Daily Free Press
Toni Mendive
This a picture that leaps out at you. I want to read this story.
Jim Grant, The Record-Courier
Ghost Walk
I love the whimsy and how this picture helps in telling a story. This was very well conceived.
Jim Grant, Nevada Appeal
Portrait 1 Married Couple
Photographer should be commended for creativity and use of perspective. Great job.
Best Illustrated Photo
Matt Unrau, Elko Daily Free Press
Elko forward Natalie Wright
Best Sports Photo
Sylas Wright, Sierra Sun
Knocking Heads
Memo to editors: When the art is great, run it BIG and full. Lousy crop in paper, but this photograph is wonderful!!! Great expressions and action. Great job.
Matt Unrau, Elko Daily Free Press
Spring Creek freshman Heather Craig
Ha … you feel like celebrating, too. Tells it all without need of a cutline. This is a great photo with all the great qualities you need in the image. Wonderful job.
Shannon Litz, Nevada Appeal
Safe
Ugh. Pretzel logic here. Excellent stop of the action and great split second timing to capture this image that is a joy to view.
Best Special Section (Editorial)
Sierra Sun
Tahoe Magazine
The section included a very good variety of stories, pull-out boxes, photos, schedules and everything you could want. I especially enjoyed, and I think a lot of people do too, the fast facts for each location. People are all about fast information now-a-days and that’s a great way to do it.
The Record-Courier
Carson Valley Almanac
I loved the idea of a guide to your town. What a perfect thing to have lying around and a great way to include people from all over the community in the “”Day in the Life”” portion. However, I would have enjoyed a few more written stories.
The Record-Courier
Progress
I loved the idea of discussing the most influential people in your Community’s history, and also appreciate the amount of work that goes into that kind of endeavor. It was interesting to read about people that are no longer with us and know that they still exist in your history. Great topic.
Best Large-Space Ad, Jessica Beaudoin
Pahrump Valley Times
Ace 48th Anniversary
Great ad! Loved the use of color. Very organized and clean.
Shannon Burns, Rob Fair, Lahontan Valley News
Spooktacular
Loved the use of text wrap around the ad! It popped off the page! Good job!
Jessica Beaudoin, Pahrump Valley Times
Pahrump Fair and Festival
Loved the use of different colors. Liked that the information was split up. Good job!
Best Black & White Ad
Heather Ruth, Pahrump Valley Times
Chamber Liberty
Really liked this ad. It was easy on the eyes and had quite a bit of information but didn’t look cluttered at all. Very organized!
Heather Ruth, Pahrump Valley Times
Icing on Top
Cute ad with cute graphics! Enjoyed that it was simple but still stood out.
Heather Ruth, Pahrump Valley Times
Rotary Giving Day
Good ad! Great job of organizing and keeping information clean. Enjoyed the graphic and different fonts.
Best Multi-Color Ad
Teresa Mitchell, Nevada Appeal
Sierra Tahoe Golf
Great creativity and example of thinking outside the box.
Heather Ruth, Pahrump Valley Times
Pahrump Dermotology
Great balance of graphics and copy.
Keigh Cox, Nevada Appeal
Literacy for Life
Nice graphics and balance
Best Special Section or Campaign (Advertising)
Rob Fair, Nevada Appeal
Northern Nevada Health Directory 2012
Very unique and creative! Loved all the information! Very affective advertising and content! Good job!
Ken Green, Carol Mott, Sara Riches, Andrew Pawlik, Elko Daily Free Press
2012 Visitors Guide Elko, Nevada
Loved the front cover. Great special section! Had a good amount of advertising and content.
Shannon Burns, Teresa Mitchell, Lahontan Valley News
Best of Fallon
Good job! Really liked the content and ads. Good job on putting it together!
Best-In House Promotion
Shannon Burns, Joanna Vernarecci, Lahontan Valley News
Follow the Greenwave
Sports is always a great way to get readers
Heather Ruth, Pahrump Valley Times
Graduation House
Smart idea.
Brandy Minnick, Pahrump Valley Times
Christmas Greetings
Great promotion idea.
Advertising General Excellence
Daily Sparks Tribune
Best Web Site
Elko Daily Free Press
Photos make this website. Content is very good but site is difficult to navigate.
The Record-Courier
Website, like most, is difficult to navigate, but it’s all there! Nice job with editorial and opinions.
Nevada Appeal
Nevadaappeal.com
Kudos for displaying all the letters to the editor. Site needs for zing in the photo area.
Best Multimedia Story
Kurt Hildebrand, The Record-Courier
Safe driving means maintaining a clear line of sight
Matt Unrau, Elko Daily Free Press
From the O-line to the pyramid
Matt Unrau, Elko Daily Free Press
New coach, same Spring Creek
Good storytelling matters in video as much as it does in print. A story needs a central conflict and some skepticism, which the best entries in this category include.
Best Online Writing
Staff, The Record-Courier
The Record-Courier Running Commentary (R2C2)
Community
General Excellence
Boulder City Review
Arnold Knightly, Jack Johnson, Jenny Scheid, Joan Patterson, Rose Ann Miele, Pedro Fonteboa
Vegas Inc.
Comstock Chronicle
Angela Mann
Journalist of Merit
Conor Shine, Vegas Inc.
I was very impressed with Conor’s writing skills, especially for a young journalist. The subject matter was very interesting and made me want to keep reading.
Best Spot News Story
Angela Mann, Comstock Chronicle
Fire destroys
Angela Mann, Comstock Chronicle
Comstock Mining Special Use Permit
Angela Mann, Comstock Chronicle
Three suspects arrested
Best Feature Story
Arnold Knightly, Boulder City Review
Pearl Harbor survivor: ‘You never forget’
Mr. Montague sounds like a fascinating liked how you allowed his voice to shine through in the story. I also like how the story was structured, but thought it might have been a little too long.
Lukas Eggen, Ely Times
Mayor Fighting Back
This is a great story and made me feel like I was sitting in on the interview. I also liked the numbers and statistics you included. I just wish there was another source in this story.
Angela Mann, Comstock Chronicle
Precious Comstock Gravestone
This is a very inspirational story and an enjoyable read. The only thing I would add is comments from other council members, citizens or family members. The councilman’s quote is not very exciting.
Best Nonstaff Story
Nolan Lister, Boulder City Review
Retired geologist cleans up his desert ‘backyard’
well thought out. well written. well done.
Diane Hofsess, Shirley Morgan, Virginia City News
TWAINIACS: Mark Twain Scholars Mine Their Own Business in Virginia City
nice piece on an obviously nice guy. very good work by an intern. but please use shorter sentences.
Best Business News Story
Richard N. Velotta, Vegas Inc.
Oscar Goodman: Would you rather be with showgirls or Snooki?
A fun read not only because of the subject but because of the writer. Bravo!
Richard N. Velotta, Vegas Inc.
Nevada approves nation’s first regulations for Internet poker play
Well-written piece using just the right amount of quotes, a subject of interest to people around the world
Liz Benston, Vegas Inc.
Legal skirmish over flawed Harmon may never reveal defect blame
“they ended construction in 2008 … would be nice to know when it began
otherwise excellent work”
Best Business Feature
Steve Green, Vegas Inc.
Righthaven: The controversy over copyrights
Great story. It was nice to see a local angle on this story. I liked the shorter questions part and the quotes as well.
Richard N. Velotta, Vegas Inc.
How Macau became a powerhouse (with a little help from Las Vegas)
Very fascinating. I had no idea how huge Macau had become.
Tom Gorman, Vegas Inc.
In marketing Las Vegas, have we sold our community short?
It’s hard to distance Las Vegas from the glitz and gambling but this did a great job doing it.
Best Explanatory Journalism
Michael Squires, Vegas Inc.
Is there reason for Las Vegas to be envious of Phoenix?
Outstanding comparison between two of the Southwest’s growing cities. The story details the differences, similarities, and histories of the cities and does so in explaining why people may compare Las Vegas and Phoenix to each other.
Karoun Demirjian, Vegas Inc.
Relationship between Las Vegas, China runs deep
Interesting history and comparison story between Las Vegas and China. The historical mentions of Nevada’s early beginnings and goals of each entity’s economy also bring detail to building the story.
Susan Santarcangelo, Mesquite Local News
Do we have enough water?
Detailed description of an ongoing concern in the desert. Environmental stories are not always easy to explain to readers but this one did in a localized story.
Best News Feature Story
Delen Goldberg, Vegas Inc.
Some Las Vegas stores refusing to handle Schweddy Balls
Outstanding and humorous approach at localizing a story considering the product is sold nationwide and its name definitely had the potential to become a chatter item for controversy.
Jack Johnson, Boulder City Review
Death of 14-year-old family pet an unfortunate tale
Vivid yet solemn look at a municipal government act that resulted in a beloved family pet death. Newsy in detail, it also documents the human side of how people are impacted by decisions government officials (at every level) make everyday on our behalf.
Mike Donahue, Moapa Valley Progress
Local Youth Persevere Through Pioneer Experience
Interesting story that sheds light on the state’s history and heritage in earlier years with a recreational event used to highlight it.
Mike Donahue
Best Investigative or In-depth Story or Series
Karen Woodmansee, Virginia City News
The Mustang rides again; Brothels come together; Brother Business battles back
Best Local Column
Kent Harper, Mesquite Local News
Arby’s is gone; the pounds remain
I enjoyed reading these columns which provided a good mix of personal touch and facts that provide context.
Bruce Spotleson, Vegas Inc.
The B.S.
Bruce Spotleson is a very gifted writer. I enjoyed his subtle humor and unique topics such as the one about summer wear.
Vegas Inc., Richard N. Velotta
The R.V.
I really enjoyed reading these local columns and had a tough time picking just three.
Best Local Non-staff Column
Thomas Mitchell, Ely Times
Nevada still doesn’t have equal footing; Crawfish …;What is the more benefcial
Good writing here and an interesting range of topics. The piece on crawdads — er, crawfish — was particularly well done. A clear winner.
Mike Donahue, Moapa Valley Progress
Rural Rants
Interesting columns written in an approachable style that probably suits his readership well.
Rose Ann Miele, Boulder City Review
What retirement can bring; What do you have to lose with the power of making a decision?; Envision 2020: Some talk but who is listening
Good work and didn’t miss second place by much.
Best Sports Story
David E. Harrison, Lovelock Review-Miner
Lady Mustangs lasso second hoops title
Dave Belcher, Moapa Valley Progress
First Ever NV Win At Sollenberger Classic
Pedro Fonteboa, Boulder City Review
Long-time running coach Ringen retires
Best Sports Feature
Pedro Fonteboa, Boulder City Review
Basketball player Hafen follows family tradition
John Katsilometes, Vegas Inc.
Just build it already: Why Las Vegas can’t land a pro sports team
Kent Harper. Mesquite Local News
City names new athletic, leisure director
Best Sports Column
David E. Harrison, Lovelock Review-Miner
Know Your Mustangs
Nice Q and A format. It’s more candid depending on the questions posed to your subject and is a bit of a fresh air compared to those of us newspaper junkies used to seeing sports columns that can be snoozers if the topic is something we cannot relate to told in first person by the author.
Best Entertainment Writing
Jack Johnson, Boulder City Review
Music swings at release party; Long journey leads to BC for theater veteran; Zen combines with the art of jazz
Best Editorial Writing
Vernon Robison, Moapa Valley Progress
Editorial
Excellent knowledge of topic, engaging and well-organized writing style. Even though a bit long, the conversational tone kept me reading to the end.
Kent Harper, Mesquite Local News
Government’s duty is to secure our rights
Good topical, local content. Writing could be a bit more tight and better organized to keep the reader engaged.
Best Editorial Page
Moapa Valley Progress
Best Overall Design
Vegas Inc.
Best Page One Design
Spencer Holladay, Vegas Inc.
Beautiful imagery on these fronts.
Angela Mann, Comstock Chronicle
Nice imagery on the fronts.
Carmen Kofoed, Inside Northern Nevada
I like the mast head on the margin, a cool look.
Best Page Designer(s)
Spencer Holladay, Vegas Inc.
Nice designs. In some ways, simpler is better while in others, the more complex catches the eye. It depends on the subject matter.
Carmen Kofoed, Inside Northern Nevada
Best Information Graphic
Chris Morris, Vegas Inc.
Vegas home sales decline in first quarter
Congratulations on graphics that make the news easier to understand.
Spencer Holladay, Vegas Inc.
The numbers
Best Illustration
Chris Morris, Vegas Inc.
Sarah Palin
Flamboyant illustration. Good use of colors and designs.
Chris Morris, Vegas Inc.
HOLLYVEGAS
Very Creative. Great artwork here.
Best News Photo Coverage
Angela Mann, Comstock Chronicle
Fire destroys
Good shots. Great coverage. Entry would have been better if more people were included in the photos. Good work.
Leila Navidi, Vegas Inc.
The Shot: Say Cheese – Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney
Great expression in this photo. Creative. Nice work.
Mike Donahue, Moapa Valley Progress
Mutton Bustin’ Continues Gaining In Popularity At Fair
Best Feature Photo
Sam Morris, Vegas Inc.
Fireworks light up the sky over the Las Vegas Strip
Beautiful, amazing shot! A tough one to get. This category had many good entries. Congratulations!
Leila Navidi, Vegas Inc.
The Shot: WEEEEEE!
This category was tough, with three great shots competing for the #1 spot. The thrill seekers finished just behind the #1 selection. Great shot! Congratulations!
Leila Navidi, Vegas Inc.
The Shot: Havana Grill
Wonderful shot. Great use of colors. This category was extremely tight. Judges had a tough time determining the placement of these three photos. Congratulations!
Best Multiple Photo Essay
Angela Mann, Comstock Chronicle
Parade of Pets
Great job with the photos of the pooches! The cover photo sealed the deal for the #1 spot! Good work. Congratulations!
Angela Mann, Comstock Chronicle
4-H Cooking Club
Very nice work here. Comprehensive photos in the entry. Looked like the students enjoyed their work. Great shots. Congratulations!
Mike Donahue, Moapa Valley Progress
Crowds Interact With Animals At Local Zoo
We wish the photos would have been larger. Great shots, why not enlarge them? Good work. Congratulations.
Best Portrait
Steve Marcus, Vegas Inc.
Miguel Jimenez
Congratulations on capturing the story in a face.
Christopher DeVargas, Vegas Inc.
Ed Gurthie
Christopher DeVargas, Vegas Inc.
Neal Smatresk
Best Illustrated Photo
Spencer Holladay, Vegas Inc.
Righthaven: The controversy over copyrights
Outstanding photo illustration. The reader knows exactly what the story is about before they read. Great job.
Leila Navidi, Vegas Inc.
The Return of the Tourist
Chris Morris, Vegas Inc.
The Read on Gaming
Best Sports Photo
Steve Marcus, Vegas Inc.
The Shot: Big Impact
Dave Maxwell, Lincoln County Record
Winning Tradition: Community Turns Out for Students
Sam Morris, Vegas Inc.
The Shot: Kid ‘N Play
Best Special Section (Editorial)
Vegas Inc.
40 Under 40
Rob Langrell, Staff
Best Large-Space Ad
Joe Plummer, Battle Mountain Bugle
Ram built for everything
Great ingenuity with the four pics. This ad stood out among the other entries.Clever. Good use of color. I’m sure the advertiser was thrilled with this design.
Joe Plummer, Inside Northern Nevada
Its A Pretty Big Deal – Delong Fiesta
Very nice ad, eye catching with the lines flowing out of the text draw the eye to the car. Close run to the first place winner. Congratulations.
Terrie Chism, Lovelock Review-Miner
PGH
Nice work. Good use of color. The bright pink makes this ad stand out. Good work here.
Best Black & White Ad
Sierra Frazier, Battle Mountain Bugle
bm karma
Nice ad. Good illustration. The ad would have been better in color, but did fine in black and white. Congratulations.
Sierra Frazier, Battle Mountain Bugle
bmhs bingo
Nice headline in the ad and the marching band is a nice illustration. Good work here.
Joe Plummer, Lovelock Review-Miner
LL Eagles Crab Feed
Nice looking ad. Great illustration. Plenty of white space sets this apart which advertisers always appreciate. Keep up the good work.
Best Multi-Color Ad
Joe Plummer, Inside Northern Nevada
Its A Pretty Big Deal – Delong Fiesta
Bright green car makes this ad stand out. The use of blue letters and the scroll effect sets this ad apart from all others. Congratulations!
Joe Plummer, Inside Northern Nevada
Built to get you there and back – Delong Explorer
Nice looking ad. Pleasing to the eye. The dealership must be pleased with this ad. Keep up the good work!
Joe Plummer, Inside Northern Nevada
2012 Ram
Love the inset photos in the grill of the truck. Very creative. Nice work. Keep up the good work!
Best Special Section or Campaign (Advertising)
Staff, Vegas Inc.
Top Doctors 2011
Rob Langrell, Staff, Vegas Inc.
Giving Guide 2011-2012
Shari Gilson, Teresa Brazell, Ely Times
Boys of Fall
Best-In House Promotion
Sierra Frazier, Battle Mountain Bugle
BM house ad
Advertising General Excellence
Terrie Chism, Joe Plummer, Sierra Holm, Carmen Kofoed, Inside Northern Nevada
Best Web Site
Vegas Inc.
VegasInc.com
A very clean and easy to navigate sight. Good job.
Urban Weeklies
General Excellence
View Neighborhood
Like the extensive coverage of topics. Lots of good writing and a wide variety of articles for everyone.
Vegas Seven
Great layout, really interesting articles with outstanding writing, an easy, fun publication.
Phil Hagen
Las Vegas Weekly
Good articles, lots of helpful tips for what to see and do, a publication you would want to pick up and read.
Journalist of Merit
Ashley Hennefer, Reno News & Review
Writing is interesting and either you work with great designers or you yourself are a great designer.
Community Service
Staff, View Neighborhood
Disaster Preparation Series
“Really enjoyed all the important “”need to know”” information provided in the section. The staff did a remarkable job making sure ALL bases were covered. ”
Dennis Myers, Reno News & Review
The new anti-Semitism
What a hot topic in the world today. Kudos. Thanks for putting in perspective the world around us! Well writen and very heartfelt.
Staff, View Neighborhood
Naming Las Vegas
LOVE LOVE LOVE pieces like this about hometown history! It’s nice to see newspapers remember where they come from and how important local histories are. Job WELL DONE
Best Spot News Story
Amy Kingsley, Las Vegas CityLife
To pretend and serve
Amy Kingsley, Las Vegas CityLife
“If there’s something I can do, I’ll do it”
Jeff Mosier, View Neighborhood
Educators facing tough times ahead
Best Feature Story
D. Brian Burghart, Reno News & Review
Cocaine, crime and Christ
Very interesting story (which I’m sure made it very easy to tell.) I liked the fact that you didn’t hold back while describing his past. It really added a lot to the story to put some focus on his not-so-perfect past. The story was also well-written. Good sequence of events and very well worded.
D. Brian Burghart, Reno News & Review
7,000,000,000
Very interesting idea. I had never even heard of this scare until reading your story, but it made me feel as if I was a part of all the gossip of the 7 billion scare and you offered me some relief. The way you approached the story was very interesting. Not very often can you make a story fact/number based the way you did and keep it interesting. But you did. Well done.
Staff, Vegas Seven
Back in the Day …
The idea of the story is fantastic. Vegas in the old days was, I’m sure, a sight to see. It let me relive that era even though I had never experienced it. Made me miss a time that I never even knew!
Best Nonstaff Story
Linda J. Simpson, View Neighborhood
Detention center chaplain answers the call to help those in need
Joshua Longobardy, Las Vegas CityLife
Searching for Ronald Kirk
Heidi Kyser, Las Vegas CityLife
Nonprofits and casinos have tried …
Best Business News Story
Ashley Hennefer, Reno News & Review
Planting the seed: High Desert Farming Initiative
Valerie Miller, Las Vegas Business Press
Progress of Nevada’s renewable energy sector left uncertain after session
Valerie Miller, Las Vegas Business Press
Skip mortgage payments? Ad says, ‘Why not?’
Best Business Feature
Howard Stutz, Las Vegas Business Press
Rough road for taverns
Caitlin McGarry, Las Vegas Business Press
Trucks of the trade
Jason Whited, Las Vegas CityLife
A lawyer by any other name
Best Explanatory Journalism
Scott Dickensheets, Las Vegas CityLife
Last call for Oscar Goodman
Entertaining and informative. Nontraditional approach to story worked well.
F. Andrew Taylor, View Neighborhood
CC&Rs ban wild animals, airplanes and drilling
A story that makes CC&Rs interesting deserves an award.
Jeff Mosier, View Neighborhood
Driving into the Sunset
Interesting and useful idea for a story.
Best News Feature Story
Stacy J. Willis, Vegas Seven
The Vegas Wheel
I love juxtaposition in the story of the residents and and mega-rich developers.
Bob Whitby, Vegas Seven
Treasure in the Dust
Great intro to the story. Great reporting.
April Corbin, Las Vegas Weekly
With Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’s repeal, gay soldiers come out of the shadows
Great way of humanizing the issue.
Best Investigative or In-depth Story or Series
Dennis Myers, Reno News & Review
The new anti-Semitism
Great look into a way of thinking that is incredibly poisonous to our future.
F. Andrew Taylor, View Neighborhood
Sloan Channel Controversy Series
Well reported, well researched. All around a great story.
Jeff Mosier, View Neighborhood
There’s no place like …, ‘A chance at a real life’
Touching and heartbreaking.
Best Local Column
D. Brian Burghart, Reno News & Review
Here come da judge, A life well lived, Attack power, We’re so lucky
Best Local Non-staff Column
Hugh Jackson, Las Vegas CityLife
Know your place?, Happy fact-free Fourth of July, Ask not what the Democrats can do for you
Columns are engaging and confrontational, as good columns should be.
Michael Green, Vegas Seven
Putting the Squeeze on Community Colleges; Survival, Nevada Style; Republicans: Defending Your Right to Privacy since 2012
Good perspective, informative.
David G. Schwartz, Vegas Seven
Underwater? No Problem; Earning a Place at the Table; Freak and Felons
Another set of well-written and informative columns.
Best Sports Story
Tim Hauserman, Reno News & Review
Need for speed
Best Sports Feature
Sean DeFrank, Vegas Seven
Ali in Vegas
Told through the voices of people who were there, this is a great sports history story.
Matt Jacob, Sean DeFrank, Vegas Seven
Basketball Town, U.S.A.
Well-written, descriptive and a joy to read.
Sarah Feldberg, Las Vegas Weekly
188 miles. 12 people. 30 hours. This is Ragnar Relay
This entry stood out for its first-person narrative, and it was genuinely exciting to read.
Great storytelling in this category.
Best Entertainment Writing
Kristen Peterson, Las Vegas Weekly
Kristen Peterson’s Entertainment Writing about the Arts
Only writer that left me wanting more.
Michael Lyle, View Neighborhood
The other ‘Pawn Star’, Exceeding Expectations, Artist finds success despite doubters, disability
Max Plenke, Las Vegas CityLife
We aren’t a girl band, hitting the paywall, unmuttled
Best Critical Writing
Josh Bell, Las Vegas Weekly
Consistent writing; informative without pretension.
Scott Dickensheets. Las Vegas CityLife
Something in the night, On the move, Blown away
Solid writing — enough to catch my interest without giving away all of the plot.
Danielle Kelly, Las Vegas Weekly
Best Editorial Writing
Dennis Myers, Reno News & Review
Use restraint / Stop the dole / Is Obama in control?
Dan Behringer, Las Vegas Business Press
Safe’ doesn’t mean smart, Web ruling opens door, Penn should change stance
D. Brian Burghart, Reno News & Review
Flaccid Caucus, Good Vibes, Enough Hypocrisy
Best Overall Design
Ryan Olbrysh, Wesley Gatbonton, Las Vegas Weekly
Very nice usage of color and typography. Really liked the illustrations, staff box. Felt the overall issues had a clean and modern feel. Loved it! Great job!
Christopher A. Jones, Vegas Seven
Really liked the contents page layout. The individual sections were handled nicely and loved the tags. Crisp, clean Nightlife photo pages too. -Very Modern feel throughout. Good job.
Jennifer Land, Las Vegas Business Press
Really nice layouts on the features. Really liked the Frosty and Fine feature layout. The list was easy to read.
This division was a fun one to judge. Lots of great layouts.
Best Page One Design
Christopher A. Jones, Vegas Seven
Bold and creative covers. Great use of typography and color. The photography is excellent. Very nice job.
Ryan Olbrysh, Las Vegas Weekly
The covers are very creative and thought outside the box. Really liked the Tales from the Journey and Missing covers.
Design Staff, Reno News & Review
Good headline placement, cropping and layout of photos. Also liked the fonts on the sidebars and teasers.
Best Page Designer(s)
Ryan Olbrysh, Las Vegas Weekly
Jennifer Land, Las Vegas Business Press
Ginger Meurer, View Neighborhood
Best Information Graphic
Hayley Doshay, D. Brian Burghart, Reno News & Review
Happy fun fascism puzzle
Best Illustration
Danny Hellerman, Las Vegas Weekly
Bored of Housing
This illustration made me laugh. I got it right away, and that’s the point of any design or illustration. It’s really fun, and well done.
Travis Jackson, Vegas Seven
Best Way to Finally Build a New Stadium
Love the style of this illustration, I thought the text in each panel plus the captions made for a bumpier ride through each panel than it could have been. I would suggest maybe ditching some of the narrative and setting up the captions to the side, let the reader capture the illustrative story, then access the explanation as needed. Nice work!
Best News Photo Coverage
Anicia Beckwith, Reno News & Review
This is Armageddon
Best Feature Photo
Cathleen Allison, Nevada Photo Source
Lake Tahoe Polar Plunge
Great moment and great composition. The small slice of leg on the left side of the frame could be cropped out. I love the layering and moment.
Leila Navidi, Las Vegas Weekly
Thunderstruck!
Great reaction on the girl to the right’s face.
Jeff Mosier, View Neighborhood
No. 1 Charger
Nice moment. Either the press, wrong exposure or editing greatly reduced the quality of the image.
First place is a great example of what a feature photograph is.
Best Multiple Photo Essay
Anthony Mair, Vegas Seven
20 Under 20
Jeff Mosier, View Neighborhood
Successful experiment
Anicia Beckwith. Reno News & Review
This is Armageddon
Best Portrait, Anthony Mair
Vegas Seven
The Graffiti Artist
Great lighting, interesting subject, fascinating setting all make for an awesome portrait.
Amy Beck, Reno News & Review
Cocaine, Crime and Christ
You can definitely see a hard life in his face.
Anthony Mair, Vegas Seven
Miles Dickson
Great use of lighting. I like the spread aspect as well.
Best Illustrated Photo
Bill Hughes, Las Vegas Weekly
Light My Fire
Anthony Mair, Vegas Seven
Chris Powell
Leila Navidi, Las Vegas Weekly
Pin-Up Model
Best Sports Photo
Leila Navidi, Las Vegas Weekly
Reaper Madness
A great way to shoot an event other than just bikes racing. All the elements are there.
Cathleen Allison, Nevada Photo Source
Bucknell-Nevada basketball
This was a toss up with the category winner. The action is there, facial expressions. Hate the arms, but its an evil we all face and not much you can do about it.
Leila Navidi, Las Vegas Weekly
Sin City Skulls
Another great action shot with stop action and facial expressions.
To be honest, I was expecting more action photos from the category since by definition “Sports” does entail action. The top four photos in the group were heads and shoulders better.
Best Special Section (Editorial)
Kat Kerlin, Nicole Seaton, Clint Demeritt, Sharon Black, Megan Berner, Laura Davis, Reno News & Review
Farm to City 2011: Local foods guide
Unique content and interesting stories of real people combined with a creative design.
Xania Woodman, Vegas Seven
Nightlife Awards
Interesting categories and descriptions. The Expert picks bring another perspective. The design and use of art help keep reader interest.
Phil Hagen, Vegas Seven
Best of the City
Good job with Best of type copy and creative design using photos graphic and color to keep reader engaged.
Best Large-Space Ad
Mario Aguirre, View Neighborhood
Walk The Sky
Great use of pictures. Too bad there isn’t any information on the website listed.
Skyler Smith, Beverly Savage, Reno News & Review
Sandcastle Soiree
Great use of graphics and type.
Priscilla Garcia, Gina Odegard, Reno News & Review
Hungry Children Can’t Learn
Easy to read. Straight to the point.
There were a lot of great ads in this category. Such good use of graphics, pictures, type and colors. It was a really hard group to judge. I would like to have given several awards instead of just three.
Best Black & White Ad
Staff, View Neighborhood
Spot On
Good use of graphics to draw attention to the ad.
Staff, View Neighborhood
Summer Golf
Great ad. The use of the shadowed type enhances the readability and maybe should have been carried on to some of the smaller type.
Skyler Smith, John Murphy, Reno News & Review
Share a story of your “less adoptable, but still lovable” pet
Good picture to grab the readers attention.
Best Multi-Color Ad
Skyler Smith, Beverly Savage, Reno News & Review
Celebrate Greek Festival 2011
Skyler Smith, Beverly Savage, Reno News & Review
Sandcastle Soiree
Sean Rademacher, Las Vegas Weekly
Blue Martini Happy Hour
There were many good ads in this category. It is really hard for a 1/4 page ad to compete with a full page ad. Even with the good color, when too much information is given in the ad it distracts.
Best Special Section or Campaign (Advertising)
Kids & Staff, Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows, Priscilla Garcia, John Murphy, RN&R Staff, Reno News & Review
Kids News & Review
Absolutely delightful! An outstanding idea and very well executed. The very best kind of project – good for the newspaper, good for the community and good for the agency. Kudos!
Priscilla Garcia, John Murphy, RN&R Staff, Reno News & Review
Earth Day
Very well done. Love the idea of a special section that serves the dual purpose of a program for an event. It’s celebration as well as the source of great information.
Marianne Mancina, Ricardo Olvera, RN&R Staff, Reno News & Review
2011 Winners Guide
Not a new idea, but well done. A very attractive package.
Best-In House Promotion
Ria Reodica, Las Vegas CityLife
Luxury Bridal
Wow! This is a whole new take on a bridal section! Love the creative way you used social media in this promotion. Great job!
Pierre Flores, Las Vegas CityLife
No More Excuses
This is a great concept, and good use of mixed media. Very creative.
Justin Lau, Las Vegas CityLife
Deadly Force
Stunning promotional piece for what I’m sure was a great series. Good job.
Best Web Site
Tonya Carpenter, Shane Gammon, Greg Haas, Janet Murphy, View Staff, View Neighborhood
Nice segmentation of geography. These microsites are a good thing.
Billy Steffens, Ryan Greene, Vegas Seven
RunRebs
Nice design and choice of specific content.
Las Vegas Weekly
LasVegasWeekly.com
Best Multimedia Story
Michael Quine, View Neighborhood
Las Vegas Love Stories
Just delightful. I couldn’t stop watching the couples tell their stories.
Xania Woodman, Billy Steffens, Jason Scavone, Vegas Seven
Nightlife Awards
Tons of fun stuff.
Michael Quine, View Neighborhood
‘Super Joe’ Kello still speed skating at age 82
Tells a good story, which is what I was looking for.
Best Online Writing
John Katsilometes, Las Vegas Weekly
The Kats Report
Very timely information, good presentation, good organization of website. Writing style and content was very modern and interesting
Ryan Greene, Vegas Seven
RunRebs
Content was good but read more like a newspaper website than a user friendly site
Magazines
General Excellence
Nevada Magazine
This was a fun magazine to read. Good writing, beautiful photography and interesting mix of copy. It’s unusual to find a state tourism publication that is this well done. Fits its niche perfectly.
RANGE magazine
Of all the entries, this publication probably does the best job of nailing relevance to its readers. Good mix of content, from history pieces to issues to warm fuzzies. The cover shots of the wolf and the sheep farmer were outstanding.
C.J. Hadley (publisher/editor), John Bardwell (designer), Joyce Smith (business manager), Ann Galli (assistant to the publisher), Joani Hawes (customer service)
Desert Companion
Excellent entry. Good writing and good mix of themed issues.
Andrew Kiraly, Chris Smith
Overall, some excellent entries. Good, original writing in all publications and excellent ads.
Best Feature Story
Jarret Keene, Desert Companion
Chair punk!
Sharply written, descriptive and entertaining to read.
Susan Lynn (writer), Abby Johnson (photos), John Bardwell (designer), C.J. Hadley (publisher/editor), RANGE magazine
United to Survive
It does a fine job of weaving the family, the ranch and the issues.
Melanie Peck, Angela Bakker, Roseann Keegan, Donnie Curtis, Warren Lerude, Terry Henner, Nevada Silver & Blue
Wow! You have that here!
Nice idea for a feature, well executed.
Best Nonstaff Story
Brian Sodoma, David
Teenage Wasteland
Thought you covered topic well, from many angles. And it is a topic that had not only local relevance, but worldwide relevance.
Ruth Broyde Sharone, David
A Passover Odyssey
Thought it was odd that writer used third-person to reference herself in the article. However, otherwise thought it was good writing. And like expressed in article – made Passover accessible to everybody, not just Jews.
Danny Axelrod, Luxury Las Vegas
The E-Team: In Search of Elvis’ Soldiers of Fortune
Appreciated how different this was.
Best Explanatory Journalism
Heidi Kyser, Desert Companion
A home for the arts — our arts
The most in-depth article in the category. You did a great job of letting the public know just what was in store for other performances in addition to the ballet and orchestra. A great read … especially for someone not even close to the area!
Melanie Peck, Angela Bakker, Roseann Keegan, Donnie Curtis, Warren Lerude, Terry Henner, Nevada Silver & Blue
Wow! You have that here!
Captured the excitement of those involved and made readers want to visit exhibits. Pictures added a lot to story and made you want to continue reading to see what else was in store
Melanie Peck, Nevada Silver & Blue
Beyond classroom borders — Experiential learning at Nevada
You did such a good job with your topic. Very interesting article on an unusual approach to teaching…and learning. Like that a use of different type of studies were extensively explained.
Best Investigative or In-depth Story or Series
Amy Kingsley, Desert Companion
Fight this feeling
“Good research and progression through the article. The only negative was the bit overwrought full paragraph beginning with “”What really happened that night?”” The repeated phase of what could have caused the death was needed for emphasis. Also the last sentence sounded like the author’s opinion put in question form”
Heidi Kyser, Desert Companion
Pet project
Highlights what Best Friends does best, how they do it and their history. Also how they are reinventing themselves to better respond to the needs in Las Vegas.
Michael S. Coffman, Ph.D. (writer), John Bardwell (designer), C.J. Hadley (publisher/editor), RANGE magazine
Our Federal Landlord: Part 1—Early Westward Expansion, 1784 to 1891/Part II—The Federal Landlord: The Road to Tyranny/Part III—The Hage Saga: Attempted federal destruction of one Nevada ranch family/Sidebar—Federal Laws
The story of the Hages was engrossing and would have begged the question from the reader, “why is this happening to the Hages?” That question could have been answered by weaving the history that makes up about half of the beginning of the article. This would inform the reader of the historical facts while keeping the reader’s interest. Although a fascinating story if the reader is able to make it more than halfway through the entire article, the part that makes a reader “care” doesn’t even begin until more than halfway through.
Best Local Column
Corey Levitan, David
Fired and Loafing, An Inconeivable Story, Cupid is as Cupid Does, Unreal Estate.
Hilarious. Also intensely personal. A great recipe for a great column.
Matthew B. Brown, Nevada Magazine
Matthew B. Brown
Beth Schwartz, Luxury Las Vegas
From the Editor
Best Overall Design
Chris Smith, Desert Companion
This magazine could win national design awards. Very inviting covers with clever ideas for art, color choices are spot-on, complementing and not overpowering the covers. The drop caps are fun, as are the directionals used, the headline typography is smart, slab serifs give each story an air of authority, and the use of body typography is just right. This magazine, at a passing glance, feels weighty, like it has a lot to say, it’s not too airy and light to feel fluffy. THAT is design!
Matt Lauc, Reno Magazine
I love the harmony of the covers, with the name of the magazine and the simplicity of each one in the entry. You know when packages need to be active, and when simplicity and good photo play should carry the day. That’s smart!
Steven Wilson, David
Smart magazine title, love the typography with no crossbar on the A. A lot to like, love the forgiveness headline treatment. Photos are smartly played, I think sometimes the layouts are inconsistent with the voice of the magazine, and sometimes the drop shadows on headlines are overdone. On magazine stock, drop shadows are almost unnecessary, and should be used only to enhance readability, not distanced so far from a headline as to become part of the photo. But overall fantastic work!
Best Cover Design
Kelly Travis, James Magno, Beth Schwartz, Tanja Brennan, Ria Reodica, Jim K. Decker, Luxury Las Vegas
Beautiful photography is accented perfectly with contrasting and minimal typography.
Matt Lauc, Reno Magazine
Chris Smith, Desert Companion
Best Page Designer(s)
Tony deRonnebeck, Nevada Magazine
Chris Smith, Desert Companion
Sean Nebeker, Nevada Magazine
Best Illustration
Aaron McKinney, Desert Companion
Cell phone
This illustration is the standout, by far. Great work.
Rowena Sioson, Luxury Las Vegas
Peace, Love and Zappos
Fun, energetic, colorful. The ideal illustration for the piece.
Aaron McKinney, Desert Companion
REM
Probably not the best idea to show a strict vegetarian serving a burger. Otherwise, it’s great.
Best News Photo Coverage
David Gonzales, Nevada Silver & Blue
Success Propels Nevada Athletics to the Next Level
Best Feature Photo
Erika Haight, RANGE magazine
Broncs in a Bog
The detail in this photo of the cowboy covered in mud is great. It shows so much on what it takes to be a cowboy. On a side note, I would of liked to see the original photo used instead of the edited version.
Chris Smith, Desert Companion
Chair punk!
Richard Stokes, Reno Magazine
CeCe Gable
There was a nice array of photos in this category. The three winners I chose had the most detail, emotion and interest in their photo.
Best Multiple Photo Essay
Tony deRonnebeck, Matthew B. Brown, Nevada Magazine
Great Nevada Picture Hunt
These photos are just spectacular, and the combination of typography, spacing and photo play choices (big for large landscapes, smaller for detail shots) was spot-on. It was fun to read about each photo, also. The information for each photo was accessible without being intrusive. Wonderful job!
Bill Hughes, Desert Companion
The superhero next door
Cool layouts! You maximized both the photos and the vignettes with smart layout choices, mortising photos in areas that didn’t take away from the story. Compelling photos, compelling people, smart layout. A winning combination!
Jim K. Decker, Luxury Las Vegas
Painted, Plated & Sated: The Artistry of Season Menu Changes at Joel Robuchon
Food photos are hard to do, because to make them compelling you have to design the shots to make them interesting. The cover photo caught my eye immediately, even with a choice of a purple screen that detracted instead of complemented the photo. Get out of the way! Nice combination of preparation photos and detail photos of the finished products, great focus, excellent work!
Best Portrait
Paul Mobley, RANGE magazine
Bill and Bruce Wright
Nice concept on this photo. Nicely photographed.
Chris Smith, Desert Companion
How tough is Dwight Jones?
Straight ahead portrait that works well. Cropped in tight an overall strong image
Richard Stokes, Reno Magazine
Jale Trepp
Best Illustrated Photo
Cristina Stefan, Luxury Las Vegas
Power of Love
Very nice variety that showcases the clothing well!
Jim K. Decker, Luxury Las Vegas
The Joie De Vivre of Ladylike Dressing
Richard Stokes, Reno Magazine
Wines for a cause
First and Second were a toss up to judge. Both were well photographed and illustrated their subjects well. In the end the variety of the “Power of Love” piece won out.
Best Large-Space Ad
Richard Stokes, Matt Lauc, Reno Magazine
A life transformed
“I like the simplicity of the ad. The light touches of pink really help bring the ad together. It has a very nice visual impact as a spread.
The pictures are a little cheesy looking. Especially the one with her lifting free weights. They look well shot, it’s just the expression on her face. But that’s really a minor quibble. I really like everything else about the ad.”
Richard Stokes, Matt Lauc, Reno Magazine
Sweet Temptation
I love the pictures and how you have them laid out on the second page. In fact, I really love everything about the second page. It looks really good.
I’m not overly fond of what you did in the 1/3rd page space on the first page. The picture, background, and flourishes all look nice, but it looks like there wasn’t much thought put into the text of the ad, especially on the bottom half. At the very least the website could have been emphasized. Maybe even the first few lines of the first paragraph. And why use a sans-serif font? A serif font would have better complemented the design and logo.
On a side note, I’m curious why there wasn’t an address and phone number in the ad. Some people still make reservations over the phone. I find it odd neither one was included.
Sean Nebeker, Carrie Roussel, Nevada Magazine
Virginia City
“I love the train picture, and using it faded out in the background is a nice touch. It really adds a nice texture to the ad. The color scheme is also very nice and complements the pictures well.
I’m not sure what effect you put on the “”Virginia City”” headline, but it looks really bad. A more consistent light gray to white gradient would have looked much better. I also don’t understand why you used dotted boxes as lines/spacers. I looks bizarre.”
It was really hard to chose positions in this competition. I went back and forth a few times. If Virginia City wouldn’t have had those ridiculous looking effects on its headline there’s a decent chance it would have won.
Best Multi-Color Ad
Sean Nebeker, Carrie Roussel, Nevada Magazine
JB Mapes Company
I love how clean this ad looks. I love the gray and pink color scheme. The text and images go very well together because of it. I like what you tried to do with the storefront. Kind of like your looking at it through glass cut at an angle around the edges. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty cool.
The only thing I would change is emphasize the whole “Mention this ad for a free dessert with purchase” thing a bit. It’s really easy to miss. It’s a beautiful ad though. I love it.
Sean Nebeker, Carrie Roussel, Nevada Magazine
Celebrate the Past & Present
The picture you used in the background is gorgeous. It really grabs your attention quickly. I also like how you have the box with the subscription prices fading into the background. It’s a nice touch.
You did well to not lose the white serif text on the photo background. The shadow behind the text really makes all the difference. Still, if the press was just a little off when the ad was printed, it could definitely make it hard to read. I’d be careful using serif text like that.
All that said, I really dislike using inner bevels in anything, much less text. A simple white to 15% gray gradient would look much better and a lot cleaner.
Nevada Magazine, Sean Nebeker, Carrie Roussel
Goldfield Days
I like the cowboy silhouette background. The sunset color scheme is nice.
The contact information on the bottom is kind of hard to read. It could really use a shadow or dark outer glow. Just something so it doesn’t get lost in the background.
Best-In House Promotion
Sean Nebeker, Carrie Roussel, Nevada Magazine
Capture Your Moment
Clever idea! Great way to add a low-impact revenue stream.
Sean Nebeker, Carrie Roussel, Nevada Magazine
Celebrate the Past & Present
Very attractive package and sure to be a keepsake.
Sean Nebeker, Carrie Roussel, Nevada Magazine
We’re Traveling Nevada. You Should Too.
Very appealing idea.
Advertising General Excellence
Nevada Magazine
Best Regular Department
Matthew B. Brown, Tony deRonnebeck, Charlie Johnston, Nevada Magazine
Wide Open
Mary Branscomb (writer), Suzanne Finney (writer), Julie Zimmerman (writer), John Bardwell (designer), C.J. Hadley (publisher/editor), RANGE magazine
Confessions of Red Meat Survivors
Johnathan Wright, Laura Longero, Richard Stokes, Matt Lauc, Reno Magazine
Taste
Best Profile/Interview
Siobhan McAndrew, Reno Magazine
Kathleen Sandoval
T.R. Witcher, Desert Companion
How to fix a broken girl
James Hardesty, Melanie Peck, Nevada Silver & Blue
What I’ve Learned: The Honorable James Hardesty
