SPJ’s Top of the Rockies winners 2020
Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000
Radio: Small market stations, Television: Small market stations
| Category Name | Award | Credits | Organization | Entry Title |
| Feature Page Design | First Place | Elena Trapp | Colorado Springs Independent | Womxn’s Issue |
| Feature Page Design | Second Place | Dustin Glatz | Colorado Springs Independent | Every last dropRegional agencies struggle to find water for a growing population |
| Feature Page Design | Third Place | Dustin Glatz | Colorado Springs Independent | Finding the Funny |
| Single Page Design | First Place | Elena Trapp | Colorado Springs Independent | The Fight for Folium |
| Single Page Design | Second Place | Susan France | Boulder Weekly | Nibbles |
| Single Page Design | Third Place | Elena Trapp | Colorado Springs Independent | Event Horizon |
| Front Page Design | First Place | Dustin Glatz | Colorado Springs Independent | Summer cover |
| Front Page Design | Second Place | Dustin Glatz | Colorado Springs Independent | Every last drop cover |
| Front Page Design | Third Place | Susan France | Boulder Weekly | Best of Boulder 2019 |
| Headline Writing | First Place | Chelsea Naughton, Lee Hale, Rocio Hernandez, Erik Neumann | KUER | When Radio Goes To Print: Headlines From KUER.org |
| Legal: Enterprise Reporting | First Place | Megan Kamerick, Kathy Wimmer, Kevin McDonald | KNME | Proposed Gun Bill: Extreme Risk Protection Order |
| Science and Technology: Enterprise Reporting | First Place | Eric Peterson | Utah Investigative Journalism Project | Asleep at the wheel: How a secret study on Utah’s roads could be putting drivers at risk. |
| Sports Photography | First Place | Jenny Sparks | Loveland Reporter-Herald | Loveland tops Berthoud |
| Spot News Photography | First Place | Hart Van Denburg | Colorado Public Radio | Promised Snow Snarls The Front Range, Closes State Govt And Will Certainly Mess With Your Travel Plans |
| Sports: Enterprise Reporting | First Place | Emma Athena | Boulder Weekly | Out from below |
| Feature Videography | First Place | Ray Boone | KSL-TV | My Name’s Glen |
| Feature Videography | Second Place | Doug Fabrizio, Kelsie Moore | KUER | RadioWest Films: ‘The Gray Area’ |
| Feature: Long form | First Place | Robert Sanchez | 5280 | The Long-Forgotten Vigilante Murders of the San Luis Valley |
| Feature: Long form | Second Place | Faith Miller | Colorado Springs Independent | Tiny homes and tall tales? Smooth-talking Texan leaves nonprofit workers, officials scratching their heads |
| Feature: Long form | Third Place | Stephanie Earls | Colorado Springs Gazette | Horseshoe Donuts |
| Politics: Enterprise Reporting | First Place | Joel Dyer | Boulder Weekly | Windows Walls and Invisible Lines |
| Politics: Enterprise Reporting | Second Place | Bente Birkeland, Megan Verlee, Chuck Murphy | Colorado Public Radio | CPR investigates the personnel problems plaguing a new state ethics commissioner |
| Politics: Enterprise Reporting | Third Place | Giselle Cesin | Boulder Weekly | An Insider’s View of the Venezuelan Crisis |
| Politics: General Reporting | First Place | Natasha Gardner | 5280 | State Representative Leslie Herod Has a Story to Share |
| Politics: General Reporting | Second Place | Julia Rentsch, Max Levy, Pamela Johnson | Loveland Reporter-Herald | Mayor vs. Council |
| Politics: General Reporting | Third Place | Marisa Demarco, Hannah Colton | KUNM Public Radio | Zoning And Structural Racism In ABQ’s Historic Neighborhoods: ABQ City Council Race 2019 |
| Legal: General Reporting | First Place | Matt Cortina | Boulder Weekly | Reckoning with force |
| Legal: General Reporting | Second Place | Laurenz Busch | Yellow Scene Magazine | Sex V Violence: CO’s Newest Sex Ed Laws |
| Legal: General Reporting | Third Place | Will Brendza | Boulder Weekly | High country defelonization |
| General Website Excellence | First Place | Dave Burdick, Jim Hill, Hart Van Denburg, Francie Swidler, Alex Scoville, Alison Borden, Andrew Villegas | Colorado Public Radio | CPR News online |
| General Website Excellence | Second Place | Erin Skarda, Jay Bouchard, Victoria Carodine, Natasha Gardner | 5280 | Award winning 5280 Magazine’s website |
| General Website Excellence | Third Place | Doug Fabrizio, Kelsie Moore, Tyler Bingham , Travis Pitcher, David Fuchs, Cristy Meiners | KUER | RadioWest Films: ‘The Gray Area’ |
| Spot News Videography | First Place | Adam Sotelo | KSL-TV | Monday Mishap |
| Sports Videography | First Place | John Wilson | KSL-TV | Jonny Ballgame |
| General Podcasting Excellence | First Place | Andrea Dukakis , Rachel Estabrook, Nathaniel Minor, Kevin Dale, Jon Pinnow | Colorado Public Radio | CPR’s Since Columbine |
| General Podcasting Excellence | Second Place | Marisa Demarco, Hannah Colton, Elaine Baumgartel, Marino Spencer, Taylor Velasquez, Bryce Dix, Celia Raney, Kaveh Mowahed | KUNM Public Radio | Let’s Talk New Mexico |
| General Podcasting Excellence | Third Place | Megan Kamerick | Peace Talks Radio | Catholic Peacemaking Icons; Facing Our Fears: What’s Real & What’s Imagined; A Peace Choir and a Peace Elder/Veteran/Activist |
| News Videography | First Place | Antony Lostetter | KNME | Our Land: New Mexico’s Environmental Past, Present and Future |
| Breaking News Story | First Place | Evan Ochsner, Olivia Prentzel, Leslie James, Jerilee Bennett, Hannah Tran | Colorado Springs Gazette | De’Von Bailey |
| Breaking News Story | Second Place | Dave Burdick, Andrew Villegas, Jim Hill, Hayley Sanchez, Natalia Navarro, Megan Verlee, Dan Boyce, Michelle P. Fulcher, Ryan Warner, Dan Schneider, Kevin J. Beaty, Donna Bryson | Colorado Public Radio | CPR News’ coverage of the bomb cyclone |
| Breaking News Story | Third Place | Caroline Ballard | KUER | Jon Krakauer Reflects On Death Of Convicted Killer Ron Lafferty |
| News Reporting- Single Story | First Place | Pam Zubeck | Colorado Springs Independent | Jail vendors make millions from inmates families on snacks and phone calls |
| News Reporting- Single Story | Second Place | Pam Zubeck | Colorado Springs Independent | Noisy neighborA neighborhood says its barely tolerating the constant buzzing from a Bitcoin mining operation |
| News Reporting- Single Story | Third Place | Alex Hager | Aspen Public Radio | Visually-Impaired Teens Find Joy And Empowerment On The Slopes |
| Marijuana General Reporting | First Place | Nicole Nixon | KUER | Cannabis Confusion: Getting Treatment Without Getting In Trouble |
| Marijuana General Reporting | Second Place | Faith Miller | Colorado Springs Independent | A secret taken to the graveStudy finds postmortem THC tests dont shed light on intoxication levels before death |
| General Reporting- Series or Package | First Place | Kate Schimel, Jenny Brundin, John Daley, Avery Lill, Ashley Dean | Colorado Public Radio | Teens Under Stress |
| General Reporting- Series or Package | Second Place | Marisa Demarco | KUNM Public Radio | Violence Against Women Living On The Streets: 10 Years After The Discovery Of The West Mesa Murders |
| Investigative/Enterprise Reporting | First Place | Eric Peterson | Utah Investigative Journalism Project | Former Utah deaf school aide charged with multiple counts of child rape |
| Business: General Reporting | First Place | Faith Miller | Colorado Springs Independent | THE FIGHT FOR FOLIUMCBD giant battles lawsuits from former employees |
| Business: General Reporting | Second Place | Jon Reed | KUER | Despite Country’s Largest Privately Held Coal Company Filing For Bankruptcy, Utah Coal Holding On |
| Business: General Reporting | Third Place | Craig Young | Loveland Reporter-Herald | Coffee drive-thrus |
| Business: Enterprise Reporting | First Place | Ben Markus, Kevin Dale, Rachel Estabrook, Jim Hill | Colorado Public Radio | CPR investigates businesses’ influence on Denver’s mayor’s office |
| Ag and Environment: General Reporting | First Place | Michael Elizabeth Sakas, Kelley Griffin, Jim Hill | Colorado Public Radio | Its Raining Plastic In Parts Of Colorado |
| Ag and Environment: General Reporting | Second Place | James Tyler | Yellow Scene Magazine | Crisis in Rural America: Farm Exodus |
| Ag and Environment: General Reporting | Third Place | Seth Boster | Colorado Springs Gazette | The hard search for silence in Springs |
| Health: Enterprise Reporting | First Place | John Daley, Kate Schimel | Colorado Public Radio | CPR’s coverage of the vaping epidemic |
| Health: Enterprise Reporting | Second Place | Angela K. Evans | Boulder Weekly | A path to success |
| Health: Enterprise Reporting | Third Place | Conor McCormick-Cavanagh | Westword | End Game |
| Religion General Reporting | First Place | Eric Peterson | Utah Investigative Journalism Project | Knights of the Crystal Blade: Cultists used social media to spread doomsday revelations |
| Religion General Reporting | Second Place | Angela K. Evans | Boulder Weekly | Bringing the border to the Front Range |
| Religion General Reporting | Third Place | Will Brendza | Boulder Weekly | Spreading the good word of sustainability |
| Marijuana Enterprise Reporting | First Place | Ann Marie Awad, Brad Turner, Curtis Fox, Rachel Estabrook, Kevin Dale | Colorado Public Radio | Weed’s Legal Hangover |
| Marijuana Enterprise Reporting | Second Place | Thomas Mitchell | Westword | In Random Mold Tests at 25 Denver Dispensaries, 80 Percent Fail |
| Marijuana Enterprise Reporting | Third Place | Heather Simonsen | KSL-TV | To CBD or Not to CBD? Cannabidiol oil arrives in Utah |
| Best Solutions Journalism | First Place | Emma Athena | Boulder Weekly | Welcome Home: Are residential co-ops a solution to Boulders affordability and energy goals? |
| Best Solutions Journalism | Second Place | Ryan Warner, Carl Bilek, Matt Herz, Michael Hughes, Grace Hood, Paul Karolyi | Colorado Public Radio | Climate Change Variety Hour |
| Best Solutions Journalism | Third Place | Carina Julig | Loveland Reporter-Herald | Domestic violence |
| Feature Photography | First Place | Joel Dyer | Boulder Weekly | Windows Walls and Invisible Lines |
| Feature Photography | Second Place | Hart Van Denburg | Colorado Public Radio | Colorado Vintage Base Ball League Keeps The Old Timey Game Alive |
| Feature Photography | Third Place | Paul Wedlake, Johnathen De La Vaca | Yellow Scene Magazine | Form and FUNction – Fashion |
| News Photography | First Place | Kevin J. Beaty | Colorado Public Radio | Frustrated With Adults, STEM School Shooting Survivors Take Over Vigil in Highlands Ranch |
| News Photography | Second Place | Kevin J. Beaty | Colorado Public Radio | In Early-Morning Roundups, Denver Grabs Geese In City Parks To Kill Them And Send Meat To Hungry Families |
| News Photography | Third Place | Hart Van Denburg | Colorado Public Radio | Presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke visits Aurora to talk about gun control |
| News Column | First Place | David Ramsey | Colorado Springs Gazette | David Ramsey |
| News Column | Second Place | Joel Dyer | Boulder Weekly | DyerTimes |
| Special Section | First Place | Angela K. Evans, Caitlin Rockett, Joel Dyer, Matt Cortina, Michael J. Casey | Boulder Weekly | Vote Guide 2019 |
| Special Section | Second Place | Emma Athena, Michael J. Casey | Boulder Weekly | Climate change in Boulder |
| A&E and Food: Single Story | First Place | Stephanie Wolf, Kelley Griffin | Colorado Public Radio | Colorado Ballet Hopes This Years Nutcracker Is The Last Held Together By Duct Tape And Glue |
| A&E and Food: Single Story | Second Place | Rocio Hernandez | KUER | ‘Mariachi Is For Everyone’: Peruvian Dad Passing On His Passion For Mexican Mariachi Music In Utah |
| A&E and Food: Single Story | Third Place | Denise Mickelsen, Callie Sumlin, Chloe Barrett | 5280 | The Definitive Guide to Brunching in Denver |
| Info Graphic | First Place | Elena Trapp | Colorado Springs Independent | Pink Tax |
| Info Graphic | Second Place | Dustin Glatz | Colorado Springs Independent | Big Food |
| Science and Technology: General Reporting | First Place | Angela K. Evans | Boulder Weekly | Lost in the wake |
| Science and Technology: General Reporting | Second Place | Matt Cortina | Boulder Weekly | 37 crows, a pile of West Nile virus research, and one PETA protest |
| Science and Technology: General Reporting | Third Place | Elaine Clark | KUER | Gunky, Snotty Extremophiles Could Point To Life On Moon Of Jupiter |
| Education: Enterprise Reporting | First Place | Jenny Brundin, Kate Schimel | Colorado Public Radio | Teens Under Stress |
| Education: Enterprise Reporting | Second Place | Rocio Hernandez | KUER | ‘Traumatizing’ Investigations: Death At UVU Leaves Faculty Seeking New Disciplinary Policy |
| Education: Enterprise Reporting | Third Place | Christin Kay | Aspen Public Radio | Reading, Writing, Cyber Civics: Schools Grapple With Creating Good Digital Citizens |
| A&E and Food: Enterprise Reporting | First Place | Giselle Cesin | Boulder Weekly | In the name of ratings |
| A&E and Food: Enterprise Reporting | Second Place | Mark Antonation | Westword | Ethniche |
| Features: Short form | First Place | Molly Dove | Aspen Public Radio | The Legend Of The Frying Pan Road Pumpkin Fairy |
| Features: Short form | Second Place | Heather Simonsen | KSL-TV | One in a Thousand |
| Features: Short form | Third Place | Caitlin Rockett | Boulder Weekly | Collateral damage |
| Editorials | First Place | Regan Foster, Bryan Grossman, Mary Jo Meade, Amy Gillentine Sweet, John Weiss | Colorado Springs Independent | Frogs in the cauldron/Avoid the tariffs by shopping local/All officer-involved shootings should be independently investigated |
| Editorials | Second Place | Jackie Hutchins | Loveland Reporter-Herald | Editorials |
| Column Personal/Humor | First Place | Alissa Smith, Brandon Flanery, Heidi Beedle | Colorado Springs Independent | Queer & There: Author Amber Cantorna; Generational Gap; Trans Community Endures |
| Column Personal/Humor | Second Place | French Davis | Yellow Scene Magazine | Duly Noted |
| Multimedia Story | First Place | Ben Markus, Jim Hill, Kevin Dale, Rachel Estabrook | Colorado Public Radio | CPR investigates businesses’ influence on Denver’s mayor’s office |
| Multimedia Story | Second Place | Nicole Nixon, Rocio Hernandez, Daysha Eaton, Judy Fahys, Chelsea Naughton | KUER | The Lesser-Told Stories Of The Golden Spike: 150 Years Later |
| Multimedia Story | Third Place | Sam Brasch, Kevin J. Beaty, Jim Hill, Megan Verlee | Colorado Public Radio | Beloved Saber-Toothed Cat At The Denver Museum Of Nature & Science Gets Dental Work, New Roars |
| A&E and Food: Criticism | First Place | Caitlin Rockett | Boulder Weekly | Music criticism by Caitlin Rockett |
| A&E and Food: Criticism | Second Place | Angela K. Evans | Boulder Weekly | Music criticism by Angela K. Evans |
| A&E and Food: Criticism | Third Place | Michael Paglia | Westword | How Denver Trashed Legendary Architect I.M. Pei’s Legacy |
| Sports: General Reporting | First Place | Vic Vela, Andrew Villegas, Hart Van Denburg | Colorado Public Radio | Colorado Vintage Baseball League Keeps The Old Timey Game Alive |
| Sports: General Reporting | Second Place | Zoe Rom | Boulder Weekly | Attempting a vertical ski record, amid eating disorders and depression |
| Sports: General Reporting | Third Place | Lindsey B. King | 5280 | The Best Places to Cross-Country Ski in Colorado |
| Health: General Reporting | First Place | John Daley, Kate Schimel | Colorado Public Radio | Colorado Is A Hotbed Of Teen Vaping, But Lacks The Tools To Help Kids Quit |
| Health: General Reporting | Second Place | Sam Brasch, Megan Verlee, Dave Burdick | Colorado Public Radio | How medical translators could slow America’s maternal mortality crisis |
| Health: General Reporting | Third Place | Angela K. Evans | Boulder Weekly | Care delayed, care denied? |
| Education: General Reporting | First Place | Rocio Hernandez | KUER | Utah Teachers Are Seeing Their Wages Increase, But Not The Aides Who Work Alongside Them |
| Education: General Reporting | Second Place | Jenny Brundin, Kate Schimel | Colorado Public Radio | Amelia’s audio diary |
| Education: General Reporting | Third Place | Hannah Colton | KUNM Public Radio | Albuquerque Public Schools Board Election 2019 Coverage |
| Public Service | First Place | 5280 staff | 5280 | COLUMBINE: 20 YEARS LATER |
| Public Service | Second Place | Lissa Knudsen, Rashad Mahmood, Marisa Demarco | KUNM Public Radio | In The Dark: The Fight For Streetlights and Public Resources In Southeast ABQ |
| Public Service | Third Place | Gwyneth Doland, Matt Grubs, Kevin McDonald, Kathy Wimmer, Aaron Sena, Benjamin Cody Yazza | KNME | 2020 Census and Redistricting Coverage |
| Ag and Environment: Enterprise | First Place | Grace Hood, Kate Schimel, Allison Herrera, Chuck Murphy | Colorado Public Radio | CPR investigates methane reporting in Colorado |
| Ag and Environment: Enterprise | Second Place | Will Brendza | Boulder Weekly | Drilling in an Arctic Eden |
| Ag and Environment: Enterprise | Third Place | Elizabeth Stewart-Severy | Aspen Public Radio | Beavers Work Hard For River Ecosystems |
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