With eight awards and two honorable mentions, The Gazette earned top honors in Division 1 of the 2024 Society for Features Journalism Excellence-in-Features contest.

The Gazette ranked No. 1 for most awards among media companies with circulations up to 90,000. Competitors included the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Indianapolis Star, the Austin American-Statesman, the Des Moines Register, the Oregonian and the Arizona Republic. Among companies with circulations between 90,000 and 200,000, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette grabbed top honors, and among those with circulations above 200,000, The Washington Post ranked highest.

Judges awarded The Gazette with four firsts, one second and three thirds in the contest, which recognized the best features journalism published in 2023 across North America.

Highlights included best special product, awarded to the annual Out There Colorado summer and winter guides; best special section for the Craving Colorado magazine; three awards and one honorable mention for reporter Stephanie Earls; first- and third-place awards for videographer Skyler Ballard; and one award and an honorable mention for features writer Seth Boster.

Judges honored Earls for her features writing portfolio as well as her inclusive coverage on marginalized communities. Her storytelling was described by judges as “gorgeous, purposeful and clearly moved people to action.”

“Earls’ entries showed a great eye for detail, the kind of stuff that only a reporter who gets close to her subjects can offer,” judges commented. “She generally let the details paint the picture.”

Ballard took two of three awards in visual storytelling for her videos “Why a good snow year can’t save the Colorado River” and “Colorado zoo helps in long effort to save imperiled toad.” Judges described both pieces as “informative” with “good use of interviews.”

In addition to earning second for his story on an Indigenous eatery in Denver, Boster was recognized for his work on Craving Colorado, an edition devoted to the state’s culinary scene.

“Boster wrote with specificity and heart, giving each profile a personality that married well with the subject(s) he covered,” a judge remarked on Craving Colorado. “With so many stories reviewing food and restaurants, none of the pieces felt repetitive or formulaic.”

Society for Features Journalism Excellence-In-Features Contest

Division 1 (circulations up to 90,000)

• Special section — First place, “Craving Colorado,” Staff

• Special product — First place, “OutThere Colorado Summer Guide” and “OutThere Colorado Winter Guide,” Staff

• Visual storytelling — First place, “Why a good snow year can’t save the Colorado River” by Skyler Ballard; third place, “Colorado zoo helps in long effort to save imperiled toad” by Skyler Ballard

• Inclusion and representation in features — First place, “Extended Stay: After an eviction, motel limbo is the only option for this Colorado Springs family. If they can afford it” by Stephanie Earls

• Food feature — Second place, “A food revolution continues at Tocabe, Denver’s home of Indigenous eats” by Seth Boster

• Feature writing portfolio — Third place, Stephanie Earls

• General feature (2,500+ words) — Third place, “Extended Stay: After an eviction, motel limbo is the only option for this Colorado Springs family. If they can afford it” by Stephanie Earls

• General feature (1,000-2,499 words) — Honorable mention, “The story of a street: Growth brings new worries, end of an old-school vibe, to Colorado Springs neighbors.” by Stephanie Earls

• Food writing portfolio — Honorable mention, Seth Boster

With eight awards and two honorable mentions, The Gazette earned top honors in Division 1 of the 2024 Society for Features Journalism Excellence-in-Features contest.

The Gazette ranked No. 1 for most awards among media companies with circulations up to 90,000. Competitors included the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Indianapolis Star, the Austin American-Statesman, the Des Moines Register, the Oregonian and the Arizona Republic. Among companies with circulations between 90,000 and 200,000, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette grabbed top honors, and among those with circulations above 200,000, The Washington Post ranked highest.

Judges awarded The Gazette with four firsts, one second and three thirds in the contest, which recognized the best features journalism published in 2023 across North America.

Highlights included best special product, awarded to the annual Out There Colorado summer and winter guides; best special section for the Craving Colorado magazine; three awards and one honorable mention for reporter Stephanie Earls; first- and third-place awards for videographer Skyler Ballard; and one award and an honorable mention for features writer Seth Boster.

Judges honored Earls for her features writing portfolio as well as her inclusive coverage on marginalized communities. Her storytelling was described by judges as “gorgeous, purposeful and clearly moved people to action.”

“Earls’ entries showed a great eye for detail, the kind of stuff that only a reporter who gets close to her subjects can offer,” judges commented. “She generally let the details paint the picture.”

Ballard took two of three awards in visual storytelling for her videos “Why a good snow year can’t save the Colorado River” and “Colorado zoo helps in long effort to save imperiled toad.” Judges described both pieces as “informative” with “good use of interviews.”

In addition to earning second for his story on an Indigenous eatery in Denver, Boster was recognized for his work on Craving Colorado, an edition devoted to the state’s culinary scene.

“Boster wrote with specificity and heart, giving each profile a personality that married well with the subject(s) he covered,” a judge remarked on Craving Colorado. “With so many stories reviewing food and restaurants, none of the pieces felt repetitive or formulaic.”