Hollywood Reporter Tops SoCal Journalism Awards With 48 Nominations

The Hollywood Reporter has been honored with 48 nominations — more than any other news organization — for its original reporting by the Los Angeles Press Club’s 57th Southern California Journalism Awards.

Senior writer Gary Baum is nominated for print journalist of the year (over 50,000 circulation), television editor Lacey Rose is nominated for entertainment journalist of the year, and TV news editor Lesley Goldberg is in contention for best online journalist.

Entertainment Group president and chief creative officer Janice Min received a nomination in the commentary, magazine category for “Chris Rock Pens Blistering Essay on Hollywood’s Race Problem: ‘It’s a White Industry,’ ” a nom also scored by Michael Wolff for “HBO, CBS Streaming: TV Is Disrupting the Internet; Elisabeth Murdoch: Rupert’s Daughter at a Crossroads; Vice Media: Why Hollywood Is Drinking the Kool-Aid; Jeff Bewkes: What’s Next for Time Warner’s Anti-Mogul.”

Editor-at-large Kim Masters earned two THR nominations: a hard news nom for “Sony Terrorized: The Panic, Fear and Fury”; and an entertainment news or feature, magazine nom for “How Marvel Became the Envy (and Scourge) of Hollywood.”

Film editor Gregg Kilday and contributing editor Tina Daunt also scored a hard news nomination for “Beverly Hills Hotel Boycott: The Economic Fallout.”

Baum was nominated in two categories — public service news or feature and investigative, magazine — for “Hollywood’s Vaccine Wars: L.A.’s ‘Entitled’ Westsiders Behind City’s Epidemic.” He also scored a nom in the best travel feature on California category for “How to Do Summer Malibu Style.”

Contributing editor Scott Johnson received a nom in both the investigative, magazine and crime reporting categories for “A ‘Survivor’ Producer, a Dead Wife, Four Years in a Mexican Prison: New Evidence Amid a Nightmare.” Johnson was also nominated in the category for feature, magazine (over 1,000 words) for “Oscar to Suicide in One Year: Tracing the ‘Searching for Sugar Man’ Director’s Tragic Final Day” and entertainment news or feature, magazine for “A Train, a Narrow Trestle and 60 Seconds to Escape.”

Seth Abramovitch, senior writer, earned a feature, magazine nomination (over 1,000 words) for “How Dr. Heimlich Maneuvered Hollywood Into Backing His Dangerous AIDS ‘Cure’” and personality profile, magazine nom for “X-Men’s Ellen Page on Life After Coming Out, the Bryan Singer Case and Her Battle With Depression.” Alex Ben Block scored a nom for feature, magazine (under 1,000 words) for “A Filmmaker’s Prison Nightmare Over Tax” as well as awards blogger/analyst Scott Feinberg for “At Home with Jerry Lewis as He Opens Up About Son’s Death, Skirmishes with Fans.”

Both Mike Barnes, senior editor, and Kimberly Nordyke, THR.com deputy editor, are nominated for obituaries: Barnes for both “Casey Kasem, American Top 40 Icon Dies at  82” and “Glen A. Larson, Creator of TV’s ‘Quincy M.E.,’ ‘Magnum P.I.’ and ‘Battlestar Galactica,’ Dies at 77“; and Nordyke for “Robin Williams Dies of Suspected Suicide.” 

Tim Goodman, THR’s chief TV critic, was nominated in the category of magazine reviews/criticism/column for his body of work while film & theater critic David Rooney earned a magazine reviews/criticism/column nod for his “Theater Reviews.”

In the online category, THR.com was nominated for best website, news organization; “The Live Feed,” contributed to largely by Goldberg, Rose, senior writer, television Michael O’Connell, television editor Marisa Guthrie and editorial assistant Bryn Elise Sandberg, earned a nom for best blog, group; and digital style director Erin Weinger also scored a nomination for best blog, group for “Pret-A-Reporter.”

Senior editor Eriq Gardner scored four nominations, including an online hard news nod for “Producers Sue Actress for Refusing to Film Nude Sex Scene (Exclusive)“; online investigative ping for “’Blurred Lines’ Lawsuit Coverage”; online non-political column/commentary nom for “Can Sony Get Around the First Amendment to Sue Media Over Hack?“; and is in contention for best blog, individual for “THR, Esq.“

Both chief film critic Todd McCarthy and Rooney each earned a nom for entertainment commentary/reviews: McCarthy for “How Bacall, Bogie and Hawks Turned Sexual Chemistry Into A Classic” and Rooney for “Elaine Stritch: An Appreciation.”

Creative director Shanti Marlar was nominated for best design, magazine for “The Oscar Issue.” 

In the photo category, photo and video director Jennifer Laski, deputy photo director Carrie Smith, photographer David Needleman and Marlar were nominated in the feature photo category for “Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, Cover.” Marlar, Laski, Smith and photographer Miller Mobley continue the nominations with a nod in the portrait category for “Philip Seymour Hoffman.”

In the entertainment photo category, Laski, Marlar, photo editor-at-large Jenny Sargent and photographer Ruven Afanador scored a nom for “Glenn Close.” Laski, Marlar, Smith, Sargent and photographer Andrew Hetherington earned a nomination for “John Oliver.” 

Continuing in the photo category, photographer Austin Hargrave earned a nom for his photo essay (single topic) of “Downton Abbey.”

In the television/film category, Baum, along with video producer Laela Zadeh, contributing video editor Minh Hieu Bui, head of production, video Stephanie Fischette and Laski earned an investigative nom for “Hollywood Vaccination Fail.” Style editor Carol McColgin, junior video editor Jose Cortez, contributing videographer Chris O’Konski, Laski and Fischette were nominated in the feature lifestyle category for “Emily Blunt & makeup artist Jenn Streicher.”

The video team continued with a nom in the entertainment news or feature category for “Channing Tatum.” Stacey Wilson Hunt, awards and special projects editor, along with Rose, Laski and Fischette earned another nom in the feature documentary (over 25 min) for “Comedy Actor Roundtable (Emmys).”

Laski, Fischette, junior video editor Alfred Aquino and Rose together earned a personality profile/interview nomination for “Chris Rock.” In the sports category, Abramovitch, Laski, Fischette and videographer Vincent Venturella together earned a nom for “David Kopay,” while Moira Haney, Mario Troncoso, Laski and Fischette together earned a sports nom for “RGIII.”

Continuing in the television/film category, THR received two documentary (short, under 25 minutes) contention noms. Lead video editor Victor Klaus, videographer Brian Rovanpera, Laski and Fischette together earned a nom for “The Making of the Oscar Statue,” and executive editor, features Stephen Galloway, contributing video editor Tess Gomet, Min, Laski and Fischette collaboratively scored a nom for “WIE Mentorship Program.”

The 57th SoCal Journalism Awards will be handed out at a gala ceremony on Sunday, June 28 at The Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.