The Gazette family of newspapers — Denver Gazette, The Gazette of Colorado Springs and Colorado Politics — earned dozens of journalism awards, including 18 first place finishes and the contest’s most prestigious honors, from the Society of Professional Journalists Top of the Rockies 2024 Contest.

The Denver Gazette earned 25 awards, including 12 first place, Colorado Springs Gazette got 13 awards, with three in first place, and Colorado Politics received seven awards, with three in first place. 

The contest, open to media outlets from Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming, is a “regional, multi-platform contest for reporters and news organizations” administered by the SPJ Colorado Pro Chapter and covers work from 2023.

The Denver Gazette won the following:

• First place, A&E and Food: Criticism – John Moore: “One last visit to Denver’s last drive-in”
• First place, beat reporting – Noah Festenstein: “Denver City Council”
• First place, breaking news story – Carol McKinley, Julia Cardi, Marianne Goodland, Hannah Metzger, Nicole Brambila: “Denver Public Schools 1”
• First place, enterprise reporting – Julia Cardi, Christopher Osher: “Colorado youth detention dilemma: Kids languish in lockup despite releasable status
• First place, features: short form – Jessica Gibbs: “As the wake of another school shooting reaches its doorsteps, Bailey mourns”
• First place, legal: news – Julia Cardi: “Elijah McClain’s Death”
• First place, Mental Health: News – Sage Kelley: “988 crisis line looks to empower others through awareness and care”
• First place, News Photography/Videography – Tim Hurst: “Nuggets Parade”
• First place, News Reporting: Single Story – Sage Kelley: “87 victims in 94 days: Denver suffered summer of gun violence”
• First place, Single Page Design – Elizabeth Holderfield: June 13, 2023
• First place, Social Justice Photography/Videography – Tim Hurst: “Jewish Protest Prayer”
• First place, Sports Photography/Videography – Tim Hurst: “Ice Racing”
• Second place, A&E and Food: Criticism – John Moore: “A father, a son, and a moment more powerful than any story”
• Second place, A&E and Food: News or Feature – John Moore: “‘Fiddler’: When theater becomes (real) life or death”
• Second place, Climate Reporting – Scott Weiser: “Xcel”
• Second place, Extended Coverage – Carol McKinley, Kyla Pearce: “Kids in the Crossfire”
• Second place, General Reporting: Series or Package – Noah Festenstein: homelessness
• Third place, Breaking News Story – Luige del Puerto: “Denver Public Schools 2”
• Third place, Business: News – Mark Samuelson: “A reach too far? Builders, realtors mirror worries raised by local governments about land-use bill”
• Third place, Feature Page Design – Elizabeth Holderfield: Oct. 13, 2023
• Third place, Front Page Design – Laurel Foster: Oct. 15, 2023
• Third place, Health: News – Nicole Brambila: “Colorado’s lost lessons from Spanish flu revisited as COVID-19 pandemic turns 3 years old
• Third place, News Reporting: Single Story – Christopher Osher, Julia Cardi: “Colorado child custody cases roiled by CSU professor’s controversial ‘alienation’ theory”
• Third place, Politics: News – Luige del Puerto: “Pragmatism is real winner in Denver’s municipal races, political experts say”
• Third place, Science and Technology: News – Dennis Huspeni: “Colorado rancher uses genetics to create super mountain cows”

Colorado Springs Gazette won the following:

• First place, Best Solutions Journalism – Jenny Deam: “Assisted Living
• First place, Legal: News – Mary Shinn, Stephanie Earls, Zach Dupont: “An unwanted record: Colorado Springs homicide count reaches new high”
• First place, Obit Reporting – Seth Boster: “In Colorado and in thought, renowned photographer John Fielder found beauty through the end”
• Second place, Health: News – Stephanie Earls, Annika Schmidt: “UCHealth’s sexual assault nursing program in Colorado Springs poised to become first of its kind in U.S.”
• Second place, Single Page Design – Dale Dimitri: Oct. 18, 2023
• Second place, Social Justice Photography/Videography – Parker Seibold: “On an Extended Stay”
• Second place, Sports: News – Seth Boster: “Restraining orders, claims of cheating, jealousy, cults: What is going on at the Manitou Incline?”
• Third place, Climate Photography/Videography – Skyler Ballard: “Why a good snow year can’t save the Colorado River”
• Third place, Column Personal/Humor – Jennifer Mulson
• Third place, Feature: Long Form – Stephanie Earls: “‘Childhood Alzheimer’s’ is killing 14-year-old Amaria Granger. Her mom is making the most of the time they have left.”
• Third place, Mental Health: News – Debbie Kelley: “As need for mental health care surges in Colorado Springs area, shortage of providers impacts Diversus Health”
• Third place, Public Service – Jenny Deam: “Assisted Living”
• Third place, Sports: Feature – Nathan Van Dyne: “Incredible journey: 54 fourteeners, 54 years, 2 lost toes, countless memories”

Colorado Politics won the following:

• First place, Column Personal/Humor – Marianne Goodland: “Marianne Goodland: Capitol M”
• First place, Mental Health: News – Hannah Metzger: “As 1 in 10 Coloradans experience eating disorders, lawmakers consider action”
• First place, Religion: News – Hannah Metzger: “Faith and power: Review finds religion overrepresented in Colorado’s legislature”
• Second place, Enterprise Reporting – Michael Karlik: “6 months or more: Federal judges in Colorado have trouble moving cases forward”
• Second place, Features: Short form – Ernest Luning: “Colorado’s Joe Neguse profiles ordinary Americans who blazed trails in ‘The People’s House'”
• Second place, Politics: News – Ernest Luning: “Dave Williams says Colorado GOP won’t apologize for beliefs, wants to close primaries”
• Third place, Science and Technology: News – Ernest Luning: “Is there room for an AI-fueled candidate in Denver’s crowded mayoral race?”

A list of all the winners is posted on the SPJ Colorado Pro website.