The Atlanta Press Club is pleased to announce our 2025 Awards of Excellence Finalists! 

With over 190 submissions this year APC is excited to announce the 2025 Awards of Excellence finalists. Winners will be announced and celebrated Tuesday, April 29 from 6-8 p.m. at The Gathering Spot! 

2025 FINALISTS

Finalists are listed in no particular order

Arts and Culture Finalists

Name: Alexis Hauk

Outlet: Garden and Gun

Story/Series: North Carolina’s Musical Legends Get the Mural Treatment 

Names: Dina Temple-Raston, Sean Powers, Megan Detrie, Karen Duffin

Outlet: CLICK HERE podcast from Recorded Future News

Story/Series: Ukraine’s Radio ROKS: Heavy metal (and hackers) for brothers in arms

Name: Sarra Sedghi

Outlet: Rough Draft Atlanta

Story/Series: Atlanta’s pop-up scene: The challenges and rewards of operating DIY restaurant

 Digital News Finalists 

Name: AJC Staff

Outlet: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Story/Series: AJC Transformative Digital News Politics Coverage

Name: Sophia Qureshi

Outlet: 285 South

Story/Series: In the dark: an especially cold winter for one family

Names: Renuka Rayasam, Sam Whitehead, Andy Miller

Outlet: KFF Health News

Story/Series: Georgia Pathways

Documentary/Series Finalists

Name: Daniela Cintron

Outlet: Discover Atlanta

Story/Series: Atlanta Con Sabor Latino Season 2

Name: Chuck Reece

Outlet: Salvation South

Story/Series: Deluxe: Jacqueline Allen Trimble and How to Survive the Apocalypse

Name: Jess Mador

Outlet: WABE

Story/Series: Missing Moms: Inside Georgia’s maternal health crisis

Investigative Reporting Finalists

Names: Carrie Teegardin and Danny Robbins

Outlet: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Story/Series: Hidden Homicides: Violence, chaos and secrecy inside the Georgia prison system

Names: Katherine Landergan and Stephanie Lamm

Outlet: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Story/Series: Left on Hold: Metro 911 callers are often left waiting

Names: Justin Gray and Justin Crate

Outlet: WSB-TV

Story/Series: Squatters in Georgia

Narrative Nonfiction Finalists

Name: Matthew Terrell

Outlet: ArtsATL

Story/Series: Roll Hard, Guggenheim Fellow Jessica Blinkhorn takes sex (and art) seriously

Names: Eliott C. McLaughlin and Paul Frysh

Outlet: WebMD

Story/Series: The Safety of Compounding Pharmacies

Name: Jim Auchmutey

Outlet: Atlanta Magazine

Story/Series: Big Green Egg

Photo Essay Finalists

Name: Arvin Temkar

Outlet: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Story/Series: A Homegoing to Remember: The craft of Atlanta's best-known Black funeral director

Name: Grant Blankenship

Outlet: Georgia Public Broadcasting

Story/Series: Unerasing the history of Macon's Oak Ridge African American cemetery

Name: Matthew Pearson

Outlet: WABE

Story/Series: Mercy Community Church looks for resurrection after leaving home of 18 years

Podcast Finalists

Name: Scotty Crowe

Outlet: WABE

Story/Series: Episode 1: The Expulsions - 1912: The Forsyth County Expulsion and Its Aftermath

Name: Tyrik Wynn

Outlet: Navigating Journalist Podcast

Story/Series: Interview with Fox 5 Atlanta meteorologist Jonathan Stacey

Name: Chuck Reece

Outlet: Salvation South

Story/Series: Deluxe: The Rot Under the Magnolias: How 'Southern Noir' Literature Addresses Social Issues

Print News Finalists

Name: Jozsef Papp

Outlet: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Story/Series: ‘I’m at peace.’ Willie James Pye thanked family, prison staff before execution

Name: Pooja Garg

Outlet: Khabar Magazine

Story/Series: What matters to Indian American Voters in the South?

Name: Adam Van Brimmer

Outlet: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Story/Series: Records: Ports Authority intent on blocking private container terminal

Radio Reporting Finalists

Name: WSB News Team

Outlet: WSB Radio

Story/Series: School shooting: Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia

Name: Grant Blankenship  

Outlet: Georgia Public Broadcasting

Story/Series: Hurricane Helene knocked a massive hole in Georgia's timber industry

Name: Sam Gringlas

Outlet: WABE

Story/Series: They watched 2 Georgia election workers face abuse, and it's compelling them to serve in 2024

Reporting on Civil and Human Rights Finalists 

Name: Lautaro Grinspan

Outlet: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Story/Series: Out-of-sight and struggling: Georgia farmworkers still reeling from Helene

Name: Pamela Kirkland

Outlet: Georgia Public Broadcasting

Story/Series: Historical markers memorialize forgotten Black history. Why are they being destroyed?

Name: Matthew Terrell

Outlet: ArtsATL

Story/Series: Roll Hard, Guggenheim Fellow Jessica Blinkhorn takes sex (and art) seriously

Single Image Finalists 

Name: Matthew Pearson

Outlet: WABE

Story/Series: An inside look at the growing campus protests in Georgia

Name: Miguel Martinez

Outlet: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Story/Series: Heartbroken

Name: Arvin Temkar

Outlet: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Story/Series: Black funeral traditions

News Innovation Award Finalists

Name: Alex Ip

Outlet: The Xylom

Story/Series: Bluesky “Starter Packs”

Name: AJC Staff

Outlet: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Story/Series: Destination Diners

Names: Atlanta Civic Circle

Outlet: Atlanta Civic Circle

Story/Series: Georgia Decides

Rising Star Finalists

Name: Taylor Croft

Outlet: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Name: Gabriela Henriquez Stoikow

Outlet: 285 South

Name: Lautaro Grinspan

Outlet: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

TV Reporting Finalists

Name: Reneé Rayles

Outlet: Merit Street Media

Story/Series: Choosing Between Life-Saving Insulin or Your Rent

Name: GPB Sports Staff

Outlet: Georgia Public Broadcasting

Story/Series: As Good as Gold

Name: GPB Sports Staff

Outlet: Georgia Public Broadcasting

Story/Series: Manchester United

Use of Sound Finalists

Name: Sofi Gratas

Outlet: Georgia Public Broadcasting

Story/Series: 'An alien mothership': Brood XIX cicadas are taking over middle Georgia

Name: DorMiya Vance

Outlet: WABE

Story/Series: Krog Street Tunnel hosts its first public event featuring the Spelman Glee Club

Name: Pamela Kirkland

Outlet: Georgia Public Broadcasting

Story/Series: 'It could be a once in a lifetime opportunity.' Rare African corpse flower blooms in Atlanta

Video Finalists

Name: Fraser Jones

Outlet: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Story/Series: Rescuing his mom after deadly Hurricane Helene strands thousands in North Carolina

Names: Dan Wright and Andrea Rainone

Outlet: The Weather Channel

Story/Series: Trolls: Guardians of the Forests

Thank you to our Co-Title Sponsors:

For more information on how to sponsor Awards of Excellence please contact phovater@atlpressclub.org

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