Something to crow about: Alaska Press Club gives ten awards to Edible Alaska

We're so happy to have the opportunity to crow a little about the recent Alaska Press Club Awards. The Alaska Press Club is a nonprofit organization that provides continuing education, recognition, and support to journalists across the state. The Press Club hosts an annual journalism contest and organizes two major events each year: a journalism conference and an awards celebration.

This year, we were very pleased to nominate some of the finest work published in Edible Alaska during 2020, and we were even more pleased when Edible Alaska contributors and team members received ten awards across nine categories. As editors and publishers, we’re proud of our team of writers, photographers, and designers—all of them, not just the awardees!—and grateful to share vibrant media habitat with fellow journalists across Alaska.

Drumroll please... The awards go to:

Best Reporting on Science, First Place (All Media) 
Title: “Pushing Limits: Pacific Cod Swim North to Keep Cool,” by Theresa Soley, photos by Adem Boeckmann

Best Magazine Design, First Place (Print-Small, Print-Large)
Winning issue: Edible Alaska Issue 18, Winter 2020, “The Drinks Issue”
Awardees: Matthew Freeman, Tina Bossy-Freeman, Amy O'Neill Houck, Jeremy Pataky

Best Long Feature, First Place (Print-Small, Print-Large)
Title: “Snout to Table,” by Jennifer Nu, photos by Sarah Lewis

Best Food Reporting, Second Place (All Media)
Title: “Growing into the Neighborhood,” by Addie Studebaker

Best Social Media Presence, Second Place (All Media)
@EdibleAlaska (Instagram and Facebook) 
Awardees: Amy O'Neill Houck and Jeremy Pataky

Best Culture Reporting, First Place (Print-Small, Print-Large)
Title: “Delicious Representation,” by Vera Starbard (Tlingit/Dena'ina)

Best Culture Reporting, Third Place (Print-Small, Print-Large)
Title: “Camel to Salmon: a journey in food from Somalia to Alaska,” by S. Hollis Mickey

Best Alaska History Reporting, Third Place (All Media)
Title: “Basic & Primal | Remembering the Food, Drink, and Revelry of Eastchester Flats,” by Ian Hartman and Frederick Johnson

Best Illustration or Graphic, First Place (All Media)
Title: “All About Juniper,” by Kristin Link

Best Magazine Cover, Second Place (Print-Small, Print-Large)
Winning issue cover: Edible Alaska No. 15, Spring 2020, "Heat + Dirt" Awardees: Matthew Freeman and Tina Bossy-Freeman, designers; Adem Boeckmann, photographer

Of Theresa Soley's piece about changes to the Pacific cod fishery driven by a warming ocean, Judge Mike Koshmrl praised the "Deft storytelling that shines light on how climate change affects fisheries, commercial fishing and even the cuisine in coastal Alaskan communities. The science is broken down nicely and understandable to anyone. Bravo." 

Of our Drinks Issue from last winter, winner for Best Magazine Design, Judge Michael Taylor wrote "Edible Alaska employs excellent use of color and balance. Bold initial cap carries through the design and helps establish brand personality. Strong photography throughout." And then in his overall comments for the category, the judge went on to write: "All entries were clean and professional in design, but Edible Alaska edged out the others with it great use of color and white space, excellent font choices, and a consistency of design elements that gave the book a unique personality."

In addition to the above, Edible Alaska contributors Katie Bausler, Corinna Cook, and Erin McKinstry, as well as Edible Alaska co-publisher/editor Jeremy Pataky, all won other awards, too, for work in other venues. You can read the whole list of 2020 winners—and all the judges' comments—on the Press Club website. Congrats all around, and thank you to our supporters for making the magazine possible, and to the Alaska Press Club for nurturing and celebrating quality journalism in our home place.