The Gazette family of newspapers won more than two dozen awards in the Colorado Press Association’s annual best in journalism competition.

Colorado Politics took home 13 awards, The Denver Gazette hauled in three, and the Colorado Springs Gazette won 12.

Of the Colorado Politics awards, five entries took the first-place spot. They included stories from Marianne Goodland, Marissa Ventrelli and Thelma Grimes on agriculture, the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, artificial intelligence, and law enforcement and mental health.

Reporters Ernest Luning, Michael Karlik, Evan Wyloge and Luige del Puerto also won awards.

Reporters Scott Weiser, John Moore and Kyla Pearce each won an award for The Denver Gazette for their reporting on the wolf reintroduction program, the arts and the Colorado trail. It was Moore’s third, first-place award for Best Arts & Entertainment column writing. 

Brent Briggeman and Marissa Kraus secured recognition in sports writing.

The full list is below.

Colorado Politics awards

• First Place Best: Agriculture Story, Marianne Goodland

• First Place Best: Data Journalism Reporting, Tapping TABOR: Colorado lawmakers turn to surplus dollars to fund tax credits, Marianne Goodland

• First Place: Best Feature Story, Colorado to launch first-in-the-nation app that could revolutionize responder safety, Marianne Goodland

• First Place Best: Health Enterprise/Health Feature Story, Unintended consequence: 2020 law pushes law enforcement away from intervening in mental health cases, Marissa Ventrelli

• First Place Best: Investigative Story Package, As AI technology vaults forward, groups press for national regulation, Thelma Grimes

• First Place: Best Public Service Project Unintended consequences: New law on accessibility leads to removal of public records from websites, Marissa Ventrelli

• Second Place: Best Agriculture Story, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis criticized for blaming wolf reintroduction program costs on ranchers, Marianne Goodland

• Second Place: Best Data Journalism Reporting, Colorado’s 2024 vote: A slight red shift in a still predominantly blue state | ANALYSIS, Ernest Luning and Evan Wyloge

• Second Place: Best Headline Writing, The Replacements: 28 lawmakers appointed to 29 seats by small groups of party insiders, Luige Del Puerto and Marianne Goodland

• Second Place: Best Investigative Story Package, Colorado to launch first-in-the-nation app that could revolutionize responder safety, Marianne Goodland

• Second Place: Best Opinion Writing, Ernest Luning

• Second Place: Best Public Service Project, Are laws cracking down on car theft responsible for downward trend in Colorado? Thelma Grimes

• Second Place: Best Social Justice or Equity Reporting Is Colorado’s Supreme Court about to kill implicit bias reform? Michael Karlik

The Denver Gazette awards

• Second Place: Best Agriculture Story, Dead cattle and high blood pressure: Wolf depredation takes toll on Colorado ranchers, Scott Weiser

• First Place: Best Arts & Entertainment Column Writing, John Moore

• Second Place: Best Environmental Story, Colorado Trail, Colorado Trail Kyla Pearce

Colorado Springs Gazette awards

• First Place: Best Sports Column Writing, Brent Briggeman

• Second Place: Editorial Best Sports or Sports Event Story, The Classical Academy triplets: Brotherhood in life, football and band, Marissa Kraus

• Second Place: Photo and Design Best Informational Graphic, The Operator, Dale Dimitri

• Second Place: Photo and Design Best News Photograph, Graduation, Jerilee Bennett

• Second Place: Best Page Design, Brewing Black Magic, Elizabeth Holderfield

Colorado Springs Gazette advertising awards

• First Place: Best Advertising Campaign, Pot O’ Gold Kustoms, Klassy Karmen Michelle Thomsen

• First Place: Best Advertising Special Section, Education Guide 2024, Gina Pietramale, Michelle Thomsen, Savannah Eller, Jerry Herman, O’Dell Isaac, Carlotta Olson, Glenn Wallace

• Second Place: Best Advertising Special Section, Local Arts Guide, Gina Pietramale, Jonathan Toman

• First Place: Best News Media/House Ad Promotion, Daily Dose of Digital, Kelly Spieker, Adam Harris, Michael Greene

• Second Place: Best News Media/House Ad Promotion, Gazette Charities Foundation Empty Stocking Fund, Adam Harris, Kelly Spieker

• First Place: Best Print Ad, Louie’s Pizza, Halloween, Michelle Thomsen, Stefani Rackley

• Second Place: Best Print Ad Tick Tock Shop Spadea Wrap, Michelle Thomsen, Stefani Rackley

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