Washington, D.C. – Today the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) announces the recipients of its Excellence in Journalism Awards and salutes their exemplary work.

The NLGJA Excellence in Journalism Awards were established in 1993 to foster, recognize and reward excellence in journalism on issues related to the LGBT community. In addition to special recognition awards, awards will be presented for excellence in news writing, feature writing, opinion writing, blogging, local television, network television, radio, online, HIV/AIDS coverage and student journalism.

The 2014 NLGJA Journalist of the Year is Chris Geidner, senior legal and political reporter for BuzzFeed. “Geidner wrote pieces that soared above policy and law, bringing us Edie and Thea, and how their story wove into a decades-long civil rights struggle,” wrote one judge. “He added context from a dual profile of Evan Wolfson and Andrew Sullivan.”

Geidner was awarded the Sarah Pettit LGBT Journalist of the Year Award in 2012, he was runner up for the 2013 NLGJA Journalist of the Year and his 2011 series on the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell won for Excellence in News Writing.

This year's Sarah Pettit LGBT Journalist of the Year Award goes to Lila Shapiro, reporter for the Huffington Post.  This is the second year in a row Shapiro has won this award. A judge praised: “This is a beautifully executed body of work. In the case of the conversion therapy and the gay bar stories, this contestant shows us how social and governmental power brokers work to undermine our community.”

The following are special recognition awards and awards for excellence in various news media and platforms.

Special recognition awards:
Journalist of the Year Award
Chris Geidner 

Sarah Pettit Memorial Award for the LGBT Journalist of the Year
Lila Shapiro

Print/online awards:
Excellence in Blogging
First: Mark King for “My Fabulous Disease”  

Excellence in HIV/AIDS Coverage Award
First: David France for “How to Survive a Plague”
Second: Steve Blanchard for “Chasing the Bug”

Excellence in News Writing Award
First: Timothy Cwiek for coverage of Nizah Morris case
Second: Beth Hawkins “Same-sex marriage, Minnesota and the Supreme Court: an FAQ for the befuddled”

Excellence in Feature Writing Award
First: Gabriel Arana for “Soldier without a War”
Second: Melissa Griffiths for “LGBTQ in the Capital” (series)
Third: Beth Schwartzapfel for “Little Boxes”

Excellence in Opinion/Editorial Writing Award
First: Tracy Baim for “The content of our character: Trayvon and us”
Second: Gail Shister for “Is Your Husband Gay?”
Third: Steve Friess for “My Turn as a Target of ‘God Hates Fags’ Preacher Fred Phelps”

Excellence in Online Journalism Award
First: Dani McClain for “Being ‘Masculine of Center’ While Black”

Excellence in Multimedia Award
First: Michelle Garcia for “The State of Pride in Sports”

Excellence in Photojournalism Award
First: D. David Robinson and Sunnivie Brydum for  “We Are Here: LGBTI in Uganda”

Excellence in Student Journalism Award
First: Samuel Nemir Olivares Bonilla for “Boston Groups Reach Out to LGBT Youth of Color”

Broadcast awards:
Excellence in Local Television Award
First: Nicole Hickl for “Bar Kicks Out Gay Couple for Dancing”

Excellence in Radio Award
First: Emma Jacobs for “One Gay, Binational Couple's Story — and Hopes — As Supreme Court Decision Nears”

The awards will be presented August 23 during the NLGJA Awards Reception at Breaking Barriers, the 2014 NLGJA National Convention and 10th Annual LGBT Media Summit. For more information on the convention, visit www.nlgja.org/2014/

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About the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association
NLGJA is an organization of journalists, media professionals, educators and students working from within the news industry to foster fair and accurate coverage of LGBT issues. NLGJA opposes all forms of workplace bias and provides professional development to its members. For more information on the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, visit the NLGJA website at https://www.nlgja.org.