NEWARK, N.J. – The New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists proudly announces the winners of its 2025 Excellence in Journalism Awards competition. Nearly 200 entries were submitted from various outlets across the Garden State, New York City and Philadelphia.
“This is easily the biggest contest we’ve relaunched it four years ago,” said P. Kenneth Burns, president of NJ-SPJ. “Our judges, who are out of the region, continue to be impressed by the quality of the journalism that comes from our state and, by proxy, the two metro areas we are part of. Reporters in New Jersey and who cover New Jersey should be proud of the work they do on a daily basis.”
Burns also offered his sincerest apologies on behalf of the organization for not having the annual awards ceremony in 2025.
“If the news cycle for 2025 is any indication — between what has been happening in D.C. and a very active gubernatorial contest at home — we all have been busy, which is a great thing,” he said. “But with a shrinking number of reporters covering New Jersey, there is a clear need and case for expansion in the Garden State.”
NJ-SPJ congratulates all of the winners for this year’s contest. Information on a future celebration and how to receive awards will be forthcoming.
2025 New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism Award Winners
GARDEN STATE DIVISION
Best Investigative Story
1st Place:
Susan Livio
NJ Advance Media
“Alone, autistic and afraid”
2nd Place:
Walt Kane, Karin Attonito, Anthony Cocco, Jessica Lee, Audrey Gruber
News 12
“Victims of the System”
Best Coverage of State Government*
1st Place:
Brent Johnson
NJ Advance Media
2nd Place:
Susan Livio
NJ Advance Media
“Severe autism, frantic families”
Best Coverage of County Government
1st Place:
Stephanie Faughnan
Jerseyshoreonline.com
“Commissioners Allocate Funds for Unhoused”
Best Coverage of Municipal Government
1st Place:
Karin Price Mueller
NJ Advance Media
“The man who would be mayor”
2nd Place:
Sherry Fernandes
Montclair Local
“Lapolla Said ‘I Am Here Until July’ But Remains Interim Town Manager”
Best News Series
1st Place:
Mike Davis, Ken Serrano, Jean Mikle, Joe Strupp
Asbury Park Press
“Atmosphere of Hate”
2nd Place:
Bobby Brier
NJ Spotlight News
“Combating homelessness in NJ, one street at a time”
Best Sports Feature
1st Place:
Frank Scandale, Thomas Franklin
Northjersey.com
“Ike & Randy’s Boxing Gym saves Paterson kids one punch at a time
With finances strained, Ike and Randy’s could be on the ropes”
2nd Place
Brent Johnson
NJ Advance Media
“The inside story of how N.J. landed the World Cup final, the globe’s biggest sporting event”
Best Business/Consumer Story
1st Place:
Steven Rodas
NJ Advance Media
”Jersey Shore is seeing a rapid rise in ocean temps. Scientists say we should all be alarmed.”
2nd Place:
Gabriella Dragone
TAPinto Paterson
“A Better Market: Transforming Paterson’s Access to Healthy Food”
Best Breaking News Coverage
1st Place:
Brent Johnson, Ted Sherman, Susan K. Livio, Larry Higgs, Kevin Shea
NJ Advance Media
“Tammy Murphy drops out of U.S. Senate race”
2nd Place:
Rebecca Greene, Simon Toffell, Kyle Mazza
TAPinto Fair Lawn/Glen Rock
“Shooting in Glen Rock”
Best In-Depth Reporting
1st Place:
Karin Price Mueller
NJ Advance Media
“Food fight: The inside story of how $13 fries at the beach tore a tiny Jersey Shore town apart”
Best Continuing Coverage
1st Place:
James Kraft, Michael Sol Warren, Brenda Flanagan, Melissa Rose Cooper, Brendan Smyth, Courtney Baynes, Joe Lee, Briana Vannozzi
NJ Spotlight News
“Shrinking Shoreline”
2nd Place
Ry Rivard
POLITICO
“POLITICO congestion pricing continuing coverage”
Best Arts and Entertainment Coverage
1st Place
Lisa Marie Falbo, Lexi DeNure, Elena Plumser, Michael Dippolito, Ray Dippolito
On New Jersey
“Hall of Fame Reimagined: A New Era for New Jersey’s Icons”
2nd Place
James Kraft, Brenda Flanagan, Mattie Rosen, Julie Daurio, Joe Lee
NJ Spotlight News
“Miracle Cat”
Best Podcast
1st Place
Doug Doyle
WBGO-FM Radio
“SportsJam with Doug Doyle: Ottis Anderson”
2nd Place
Mark Bonamo, Brian Donohue
The Jersey Angle
“NJ’s bananas politics with Charlie Stile”
Best Digital News Video
1st Place
Joey Contino
Wildwood Video Archive
“Searching for the Lost Coaster – Morey’s Piers Jumbo Jet”
2nd Place
Neidy Gutierrez
Slice of Culture
“A Place For Tunes, Music And Community: Legal Grounds Coffee, Jersey City’s ‘Neighborhood Business’”
Best News Photography
1st Place
Brian Branch Price
Public Square Amplified
“Black childbirth takes centerstage in Orange, New Jersey”
2nd Place
Stephanie Faughnan
Jerseyshoreonline.com
“Ocean County Church Tells Christmas Story With Live Nativity”
Best Short Documentary
1st Place
Walt Kane, Karin Attonito, Anthony Cocco, Jessica Lee, Audrey Gruber
News 12
Ungodly Acts
Best Long Documentary
1st Place
James Kraft, Briana Vannozzi, Elvin Badger, Mallory Massara, Joe Lee
NJ Spotlight News
NJ Spotlight News special edition – Michael Aron’s legacy
Best Public Affairs Show (TV and Radio)
1st Place
Eric Scott, Annette Petriccione, Sergio Bichao, Dan Alexander
Townsquare Media Trenton
“’Targeted: Protecting New Jersey Children from Online Predators’”
2nd Place
Doug Doyle, Kenneth Burns, Jon Kalish
WBGO-FM Radio
“WBGO Journal 6-8-2024”
METRO DIVISION
(National, New York City and Philadelphia Outlets)
Best Investigative Story
1st Place:
Tracey Tully
New York Times
“For 8 Months, Traffic Enforcement on New Jersey’s Highways Plummeted”
2nd Place:
James de los Santos
HudPost
“Fulop Ally Violated Sexual Harassment Policies, Taxpayers Face Lawsuit Over ‘Inaction’”
Best Coverage of State Government*
1st Place:
John Petrolino
for Bearing Arms and AmmoLand News
Potential Abuses in Permit to Carry Application Process
Best Coverage of Municipal Government
1st Place:
John Petrolino
for Bearing Arms
“Permit to Carry Denial Over a Driving Record”
Best News Series
1st Place:
Nikki DeMentri, Bill Seiders, Ed Specht
KYW-TV
“New Jersey’s Record-Setting Wildfire Year”
2nd Place:
John Petrolino|
for Bearing Arms
“Gun Ownership Is Alive and Well in the Garden State”
Best Sports Feature
1st Place:
Nikki DeMentri, Bill Seiders
KYW-TV
“For the Love of the Game”
2nd Place
Mike Sielski
Philadelphia Inquirer
“The Price of Olympic Dreams”
Best Business/Consumer Story
1st Place:
Linda Moss
CoStar Group
“Here’s How Some of the Nation’s Tightest Liquor License Laws Were Eased To Spur Development”
2nd Place:
Jared Kofsky, Kaitlyn Morris, Rebecca Jarvis
ABC News
“ABC News Investigates and Good Morning America: FBI warns scammers are impersonating landowners to sell properties to unsuspecting buyers”
Best Continuing Coverage
1st Place:
Tracey Tully
New York Times
“Trial of former Senator Robert Menendez”
2nd Place
Nikki DeMentri, Bill Seiders
KYW-TV
“Battleship New Jersey’s ‘Historic Homecoming’”
Best Arts and Entertainment Coverage
1st Place
Ellen Dunkel
Philadelphia Inquirer
“The Quiner Sisters: Six ballerina siblings from Jersey find social media fame”
2nd Place
John Soltes
Hollywood Soapbox
“Theater and Cabaret Coverage in New Jersey”
Best Podcast
Jeff McLane
Philadelphia Inquirer
“unCovering the Birds: Week 6 vs. Browns: ‘Embarrassing’”
Best Short Documentary
1st Place
David Gambacorta, Gabe Coffey
Philadelphia Inquirer
“Dick Vermeil and former Eagles speak out on the devastating impact of concussions and their fight for fair compensation”
2nd Place
John Petrolino
“John Kabourakis Talks About an Attempted Home Invasion
and Self-Defending with a Firearm”
Best New York Television Coverage of New Jersey
1st Place
Mark Bonamo, Joe Silvestri
New Jersey Now
Michael Aron Reporter of the Year
Susan K. Livio
NJ Advance Media
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