Journal photographer, reporters bring home top prizes in Top of the Rockies
May 6—Albuquerque Journal earned dozens of journalism awards, including nine first-place finishes, in one of the top journalism contests in the Mountain West. The Society of Professional Journalists Top of the Rockies 2024 contest covers work published in 2023.
Journal photographer/videographer Chancey Bush earned two first-place awards, a second place and a third place. Bush portrays emotion through her use of images, video and music in her journalistic work, according to the judges. She also was recently recognized as one of Editor&Publisher's top up-and-coming journalists in its annual "25 Under 35" section earlier this year.
Longtime Journal and Albuquerque Tribune writer Ollie Reed Jr. won a first place, a second and a third for his prose describing the state of New Mexico and its people. The judges noted his literary craftsmanship developed over more than four decades as a New Mexico journalist.
Editorial page editor Jeff Tucker was recognized with a first place for an opinion column and one for an unsigned editorial. The judge said his opinion pieces were well-reasoned commentary backed by facts and figures.
First place
Winners follow, with category and judges' comments.
Chancey Bush for Social Justice Photography/Videography: Tears for Gaza hospital, civilians. This is an incredibly moving portrait. Photographer skillfully isolated her subject and went further, capturing the raw emotion and pain of the speaker.
Bush for Feature Photography/Videography: Biographies carried on our skin. Wonderful videography capturing intimate moments of tattoo artists inking their subjects at the 11th annual New Mexico Tattoo Fiesta. Splendid work!
Esteban Candelaria for Education News: Albuquerque has seen more guns at schools this year than any other in recent memory. How far is APS going to trace the weapons' origins? Wonderfully stylized writing that drew me in and carried me along on a story that wouldn't let go, a highly personal story that was expanded beyond the numbers and usual statistics about gun violence to the very real people that violence impacts and the community effort needed to help heal our schools and families.
Leah Derrington for Single Page Design: FETCH: My owner went to work. EVERYONE PANIC! Love this story; the photo is hilarious!
Ollie Reed Jr. for Ag and Environment: More than horseplay: Challenges of profession cause decline in numbers of large-animal veterinarians. Literary craftsman does the medical rounds with valiant veterinarians. A poignant tribute to an underappreciated profession. Kudos also to visuals editor Jon Austria.
Beth Trujillo for Headline Writing: ... AND STARRING NEW MEXICO (AS ITSELF); Dill-ing with it; A TINGLEY SENSATION. Witty, compelling headlines with a touch of whimsy.
Richard S. Dargan for A&E and Food Criticism: Monte Carlo Steakhouse serves up unpretentious menu, decent prices on old Route 66; Mesa Provisions has vaulted into the ranks of best restaurants in the city; 3128 Social House part of new era in Nob Hill dining. It's comforting for a city's readership to have a beat restaurant reviewer as good as this one, who can speak to every angle prospective diners want to know about, from a spot's history to value-for-price to whether the meat gets cooked as requested.
Jeff Tucker for Columns/Op Ed pieces: It's going to take good candidates to get us out of the gutter politics; Best thing NM Dems can do for Trump is to disqualify him from ballots; The GOP's best hope is its brightest political star. Well-reasoned commentary backed by facts and figures.
Tucker for Editorials: Welcome back to NM, Mr. President; Out-of-control air board's insubordination is evidence of its extremism; APS teachers union fighting parents at school district's peril. Well written editorials by the Albuquerque Journal editorial board.
Second place
Education News: Esteban Candelaria
General Reporting — Series or Package: Alaina Mencinger
News Photography/ Videography: Bush
Religion: Feature Ollie Reed Jr.
Sports Photography/Videography: Bush
Sports Columns: Rick Wright
Spot News Photography/Videography: Eddie Moore
Third place
Beat Reporting: Geoff Grammer, UNM men's basketball
Features/Short form: Gino Gutierrez
Front page design: Erica Weingartner
Obit reporting: Ollie Reed Jr.
Podcast: Grammer
Science and Technology Feature: Cathy Cook
Social Justice Photography/Videography: Bush
Sports Columns: Grammer
Top of the Rockies is a regional, multi-platform contest for reporters and news organizations in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.
