SCOTT WALKER
OUR HOST TONIGHT
is longtime WDSU Anchor and current Jefferson Parish Councilman-atLarge Scott Walker. Scott spent 23 years working as a journalist on local television, but he’s also enjoyed great success as a business owner, in public relations and in politics.
Scott grew up in Metairie and is a proud graduate of Brother Martin High School and the University of Southern Mississippi. His TV career began while he was still a student at Southern Miss. He was Mississippi’s youngest sportscaster, working part-time at WDAM-TV in Hattiesburg and becoming Weekend Sports Anchor by age 20. That eventually turned into a full-time position. Scott then moved from Hattiesburg to Jackson at WLBT-TV then to WXXV-TV in Gulfport.
Walker transitioned from sports to news and anchored the morning show at WPMITV in Mobile for seven years. From there, he moved to a news anchor position at WESH-TV in Orlando, then back home to New Orleans as an anchor at WDSU-TV, where he became one of New Orleans’ most recognized and trusted journalists. In his distinguished career in news, Scott won Emmy Awards, Edward R. Murrow Awards and numerous awards from the Press Club of New Orleans.
In July of 2018, he retired from television to become a business owner at Shipley Donuts and start a highly successful public relations firm, Scott Walker Media. In June of 2019, Scott successfully won election to the Jefferson Parish Council. He won his second term on the council in 2023 with a resounding 61% of the vote. Scott continues to serve the people of Jefferson Parish.
Scott and his wife Jennifer have two sons. Jack is a student at the University of Alabama, Beckett is a student at Brother Martin. Scott has had overwhelming success across a variety of career paths, and the Press Club of New Orleans is thrilled to have him as our MC tonight.
FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS , Don Dubuc has been one of Louisiana’s most knowledgeable and most trusted outdoor reporters. Back in 1984, he bought his own radio airtime with a dream of making a living doing what he loves, hunting and fishing. 41 years later, he retired as a force in outdoor media. Along the way, his show became about a lot more than hunting and fishing, but also about conservation and outdoor stewardship.
Don is a proud graduate of Archbishop Rummel High School. He attended both the University of New Orleans and Tulane, and what started as a radio job grew to encompass television, print and social media.
Over the years, the Don Dubuc Radio Network grew to include stations throughout Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. His Saturday morning show on WWL Radio became appointment listening for outdoorsmen across southern Louisiana.
In the ‘90’s, Don began producing television features on WGNO-TV. Those hunting and fishing features continued for 35 years on WWLTV, WBRZ-TV in Baton Rouge and the Paradise Louisiana Network and YouTube Channel. Don was also the Executive Producer and Host of the Bayou Wild TV Network and YouTube Channel.
Don also wrote outdoor columns for the St. Tammany News Banner, the Slidell Daily Sentry and the Bogalusa Daily News for more than 15 years. In social media, he’s the creator and owner of dontheoutdoorsguy.com, bayouwildtv. com and Tigers in the Wild.
Among his many awards, Don has been honored by the Outdoor Writes of America, the Southeast Outdoor Press Association and the Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association, and he was a Ducks Unlimited Conservationist of the Year.
Don was married to his wife Debbie 44 years before her passing. He has three children and one grandchild, and now, in retirement, he’ll move from Mandeville to Robertsdale, Alabama, to live next door to his granddaughter.
AT WWNO, she’s known as “the gentle voice that has guided generations of public radio listeners through the start of their days.” Diane Mack honed her distinctive delivery style over a 48-year career in television and radio. She retired earlier this year.
Diane is a New Orleans native and a proud graduate of Loyola University. Her fire for journalism was lit while in high school. She was invited to participate in a pilot program for New Orleans high school students. The program was an Executive Internship with Gateway Productions, which took her behind the scenes of local and national stories. From that point forward, journalism was her passion.
She got her first on-air job right out of college as a General Assignment Reporter for KATC-TV in Lafayette, where she spent four years. In 1982, she came home to New Orleans, to work as a General Assignment Reporter at WDSU-TV. She spent almost nine years covering news there before making the move that would define her career.
In 1991, she began working part-time at WWNO, New Orleans’ affiliate of National Public Radio. Initially, she hosted a Classical Music Show, but her duties at WWNO grew. In 1993, she went full-time and over the years, she became a regular contributor and producer for Louisiana Considered, earned multiple awards for producing the station’s cultural arts program, Inside the Arts, and became the host of the station’s signature news show, Morning Edition.
It was on Morning Edition where Diane Mack made her biggest impact, guiding generations of New Orleans listeners through Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath and the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Diane is now adjusting to “unstructured retirement life” with her husband of 42-years, Frank James. They have a daughter together, Chelsea. Diana says her goal in retirement is to travel more.
CATEGORIES ARE LISTED IN PRESENTATION ORDER:
PRINT/WRITING Environmental / Science Reporting
PRINT/WRITING Education Reporting
PRINT/WRITING Cover
PRINT/WRITING Business Reporting
TV VIDEOGRAPHY Sports Videography
TV VIDEOGRAPHY Feature Videography
COLLEGE JOURNALISM Written News Story
COLLEGE JOURNALISM Video News Story
TELEVISION Station Promotion
TELEVISION Sports Show
TELEVISION Environmental / Science Reporting
TELEVISION Documentary
PUBLIC RELATIONS Public Affairs
PUBLIC RELATIONS Overall Campaign
TELEVISION Best Sports Special
TELEVISION Planned Event Coverage
TELEVISION Lifestyle Reporting
TELEVISION Talk Show
RADIO Live Remote Broadcast
TV VIDEOGRAPHY General News Videography
TV VIDEOGRAPHY Video Editing
PRINT/WRITING Sports Column
PRINT/WRITING Continuing Coverage
PRINT/WRITING MedicalHealth Reporting
PRINT/WRITING General News Reporting
PRINT/WRITING Feature Reporting – Serious Feature
DIGITAL Best Blog
DIGITAL News Website
STILL PHOTOGRAPHY Portrait
STILL PHOTOGRAPHY News Photo
COLLEGE JOURNALISM Video Feature Story
COLLEGE JOURNALISM Written Feature Story
DIGITAL Instagram
DIGITAL Podcast
PRINT/WRITING Editorial
PRINT/WRITING Layout Design
PRINT/WRITING Feature Reporting – Light Feature
PRINT/WRITING Column
TELEVISION Sports Story
TELEVISION Public Affairs
TELEVISION Best On-Air Talent
TELEVISION Education Reporting
TELEVISION Breaking News Reporting
TV VIDEOGRAPHY Visual Storytelling
TV VIDEOGRAPHY Video Essay
RADIO General Excellence in Radio
TELEVISION General News Reporting
TELEVISION Governmental / Political Reporting
TELEVISION Sportcast
TELEVISION Continuing Coverage
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Commercial Video Production
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Community Relations
DIGITAL Best Use of Facebook
DIGITAL Best Use of X (Twitter)
PRINT/WRITING Sports Feature
PRINT/WRITING Lifestyle Reporting
PRINT/WRITING Critical Review
PRINT/WRITING Best Magazine
PRINT/WRITING Investigative Reporting
PRINT/WRITING Editorial Illustration
PRINT/WRITING Governmental – Political Reporting
PRINT/WRITING Breaking News Reporting
PUBLIC RELATIONS Social Media – Digital Influencers
PUBLIC RELATIONS Special Events
STILL PHOTOGRAPHY MultiPhoto Feature
STILL PHOTOGRAPHY Sports Photo
STILL PHOTOGRAPHY Feature Photo
TELEVISION Investigative Reporting
TELEVISION Feature Reporting
TELEVISION Medical / Health Reporting
TELEVISION Weathercast
TELEVISION Newscast
To order a duplicate copy of your first place trophy, please email Doug Mouton at dmouton@wwltv.com with the details. Duplicates will be available at $48.00 each. No names may be added or changed on awards.
THE JUDGES for this year’s competition are a diverse group. They are peers. They are professionals who gave a lot of their time because they know how important this contest is to the individuals who, likewise, took the time to enter it.
San Diego Press Club
Press Club of Southeast Texas (Beaumont)
Florida Press Club
San Francisco Press Club
Los Angeles Press Club
Idaho Press Club
The Press Club of Western Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh)
Milwaukee Press Club
The Press Club of Cleveland Syracuse Press Club
Orange Country Press Club
PRINT/WRITING ENVIRONMENTAL/ SCIENCE REPORTING
Kelley Hines
The Historic New Orleans Collection // “Grass Roots”
Emily Hingle Where Y’at // “Trash Talking”
Alex Lubben, Sophia Germer
The Times-Picayune // “Louisiana drilled more coastal oil wells than any other state. Thousands have sunk into the Gulf.”
PRINT/WRITING EDUCATION REPORTING
Marta Jewson
The Lens // “The Long Arc of John McDonogh Senior High School”
Michelle Liu, Safura Syed Verite News // “‘They broke us down’: New Orleans teachers, fired after Katrina, reflect on lives upended”
Safura Syed
Verite News // “Parents accuse Bonnabel High employees of hitting, humiliating special education student”
PRINT/WRITING COVER
Sarah Majeste, Edmund D. Fountain
Biz New Orleans Magazine // “Pioneering Puppetry”
Sarah Majeste, David Joshua Jennings
Louisiana Life // “Hiding in Plain Sight”
Staff, The Times-Picayune
The Times-Picayune // “An Act of Terror”
PRINT/WRITING BUSINESS REPORTING
Stephanie Riegel, Sophia Germer
The Times-Picayune // “Tiny Louisiana parish becomes AI boomtown as Meta builds $10B data center: 'It's changing fast'"
Keith Twitchell
Biz New Orleans Magazine // Pioneering Puppetry”
Keith Twitchell
Biz New Orleans Magazine // “Rising Up”
TV VIDEOGRAPHY
SPORTS VIDEOGRAPHY
Edward Denton, Jared Harris, Becca Miller
InspireNOLA Charter Schools // “2025 Inspire the City Invitational – Edna Karr vs. American Heritage (FL)”
Whitney Hill
WVUE-TV // “No Ice, No Problem”
Jon Turnipseed
WVUE-TV // “No Limits on the Mat”
TV VIDEOGRAPHY
FEATURE VIDEOGRAPHY
Whitney Hill
WVUE-TV // “Let the Tears Fall”
Rob Krieger, Jake Rosenberg WVUE-TV // “Still Rising: Shaped by Water”
Steve Wolfram
WVUE-TV // “A Snowfall Unlike any Other”
COLLEGE JOURNALISM
WRITTEN NEWS STORY
Alana Frank
The Maroon // “Loyola’s SGA rejects Turning Point charter for a second time”
Alana Frank, Natalie Thomas The Maroon // “Emergency rally called after last-minute NOPD hearing relocation”
COLLEGE JOURNALISM
VIDEO NEWS STORY
Nathan Messina
LSU Tiger TV // “Keep Muscles Strong”
Danielle Rancifer
LSU Tiger TV // “Growing Hope in Cancer Alley”
Khloe Witt
Loyola University // “Sustainable Carnival”
TELEVISION STATION PROMOTION
WVUE Marketing Team
WVUE-TV // “NOLA Strong”
WVUE Marketing Team
WVUE-TV // “WVUE’s New Home”
TELEVISION
SPORTS SHOW
Ricardo LeCompte, Seth Lewis, Adam Ney
WWL-TV // “4th Down Friday”
Doug Mouton, Ricardo LeCompte, Seth Lewis
WWL-TV // “4th Down on 4”
WDSU Sports Staff
WDSU-TV // “Game On”
TELEVISION
ENVIRONMENTAL/ SCIENCE REPORTING
Chris Joseph
WVUE-TV // “What’s in the River?”
John Snell
WVUE-TV // “Coast in Crisis: Louisiana’s Coastal Crossroads”
TELEVISION DOCUMENTARY
Edward Buckles Jr, Shandrell Briscoe, Jared Harris
InspireNOLA Charter Schools // “What’s the Name of Yo School”
WVUE Staff
WVUE-TV // “Our Journey: 20 Years Later”
Ron Yager, Jim Dotson, Sean O’Malley
WLAE-TV // “Michalopoulos – the Art of Celebration”
PUBLIC RELATIONS
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Greg Buisson, Kortney Cleveland, Morgan Miller
Buisson Creative // “CSWR Communication Plan”
The Ehrhardt Group
The Ehrhardt Group // “Grow Louisiana Coalition: Shaping Public Opinion and Policy Impacting Oil & Gas Industry”
PUBLIC RELATIONS OVERALL CAMPAIGN
Greg Buisson, Kortney Cleveland, Morgan Miller
Buisson Creative // “Jefferson Parish: Where it is In to be Out”
The Ehrhardt Group
The Ehrhardt Group // “Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation Host Committee: Super Bowl LIX”
Justin Vlosich
Gambel Communications // “Celebrate Canal! – Windows on Canal”
TELEVISION
BEST SPORTS SPECIAL
Doug Mouton
WWL-TV // “Saints Buccaneers Pregame Special”
Doug Mouton, Ricardo Lecompte, Seth Lewis
WWL-TV // “Saints on 4: Draft Special”
WVUE Sports Staff
WVUE-TV // “Draft Game Plan”
TELEVISION PLANNED EVENT COVERAGE
Peggy Scott Laborde, Jim Moriarty
WYES-TV // “2025 Rex Ball and the Meeting of the Court of Rex and Comus”
Doug Mouton, Charisse Gibson
WWL-TV // “The Big Game Countdown”
WDSU Staff
WDSU-TV // “New Orleans Super Bowl Parade”
TELEVISION LIFESTYLE REPORTING
Rob Krieger
WVUE-TV // “Still Rising: Shaped by Water”
Dave McNamara
WVUE-TV // “Heart of Louisiana: When the Music Came Home”
Doug Mouton, Paul Corcoran
WWL-TV // “Jewel of the South”
TELEVISION TALK SHOW
Peggy Scott LaBorde
WYES-TV // “Steppin’ Out”
Doug Mouton, Ross Jackson
WWL-TV // “The Ultimate New Orleans Sports Show”
Keith Spera, William Hill, Alex Chacon
WLAE-TV // “Let’s Talk with Keith Spera”
RADIO
LIVE REMOTE BROADCAST
WWOZ Staff and Volunteers
WWOZ-FM // “WWOZ Live Broadcast of 2025 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival”
TV VIDEOGRAPHY
GENERAL NEWS VIDEOGRAPHY
Whitney Hill
WVUE-TV // “Lasting Mark: New Orleans Paints a Welcome”
Whitney Hill
WVUE-TV // “Saving the Tchefuncte River Lighthouse”
Ricknise Riggins, Mike Millon, Mark Chapman
WWL-TV // “Katrina: The Storm that Changed us”
TV VIDEOGRAPHY
VIDEO EDITING
Edward Denton, Jared Harris, Becca Miller
InspireNOLA Charter Schools // “Back Home in The Dome - Edna Karr Football State Championship 2025”
Ricknise Riggins
WWL-TV // “CBS Sunday Morning Preview”
Jon Turnipseed
WVUE-TV // “DWI Double Standard”
PRINT/WRITING SPORTS COLUMN
Richard Cuicchi
Crescent City Sports
Les East
Crescent City Sports
Rod Walker Nola.com
PRINT/WRITING CONTINUING COVERAGE
Mike Smith, David Grunfeld, Dan Swenson
The Times-Picayune // “The River’s Reckoning”
Verite News Staff
Verite News // “Coverage of the Catahoula Crunch Immigration Operation”
Madhri Yehiya
Verite News // “Reproductive Care after Louisiana’s Total Abortion Ban”
PRINT/WRITING MEDICAL-HEALTH REPORTING
Drew Costley
Verite News // “Transgender Louisianians on Medicaid Being Denied Coverage for GenderAffirming Care”
Halle Parker
Verite News // “Louisiana Upholds its HIV Exposure Law as Other States Change or Repeal Theirs”
La’Shance Perry
The Lens // “New Orleans Health Department Launches a Misoprostol Map”
PRINT/WRITING GENERAL NEWS REPORTING
Gabriella Killett, Willie Swett, Josie Abugov
NOLA.com // “Bourbon Street
Attack Suspect Shamsud-Din
Jabbar Called Music ‘Satan’s Voice’ in Recordings
Delaney Nolan
The Lens // “Rust and Corrosion
Threaten Levee Steel Pumps and Supports”
Staff, The Times-Picayune
The Times-Picayune // “15 Seconds of Terror: The Untold Story of the Bourbon Street Attack from Those who Lived through It”
PRINT/WRITING
FEATURE REPORTING –SERIOUS FEATURE
Halle Parker
Verite News // “‘The Baby was Completely Gray’: Immigrants Choose Between Health Care and Risk of Deportation”
Katy Reckdahl
The Lens // “Explaining Jessie Hoffman”
Nick Weldon
The Historic New Orleans Collection // “Into the Heart of the Beast”
DIGITAL BEST BLOG
Errol Laborde
MyNewOrleans.com // “The Writer’s Room”
Kelly Massicot
New Orleans Bride // “Let Them Eat Cake”
Terri Simon, Molly Reid Cleaver, Ryan Kreiser
The Historic New Orleans Collection // “First Draft”
DIGITAL NEWS WEBSITE
Kelly Hite, Kelly Massicot Biz New Orleans Magazine // “BizNewOrleans.com”
Kelly Massicot
New Orleans Magazine // “MyNewOrleans.com”
Verite News Staff
Verite News // “VeriteNews.org”
STILL PHOTOGRAPHY PORTRAIT
Kristen Durr
WWOZ-FM // “BK Jackson with Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue at Jazz Fest”
Sophia Germer
The Times-Picayune // “Lady Gaga… The Dog”
MJ Mastrogiovanni
WWOZ-FM // “Big Chief Darryl Montana in Front of the Statue of his Father, Big Chief Tootie Montana, on Tootie’s Birthday, Epiphany 2025”
STILL PHOTOGRAPHY NEWS PHOTO
Christiana Botic
Verite News // “New Orleans No Kings Protest”
Matthew Hinton
Associated Press New Orleans // “National Guard in the French Quarter”
La’Shance Perry
The Lens // “Despite Spotty Track Record, Venture Global to Become Picture of New Federal ‘Energy Dominance’”
COLLEGE JOURNALISM
VIDEO FEATURE STORY
Patricia Caputo
LSU Tiger TV // “Bengal Bots Brawl”
Kierra Evans
LSU Tiger TV // “Living Legacy: Whitney Plantation”
Jake Hufnagel
Loyola University // Growing Up with Mardi Gras
COLLEGE JOURNALISM
WRITTEN FEATURE STORY
Callie Honeycutt
The Maroon // “Communications professor shares his life experience as a journalist”
Eloise Pickering
The Maroon // “Beyond the Checkout Line: Ms. Ruby’s Compassion Makes Loyola Brighter”
DIGITAL INSTAGRAM
Devin Bartolotta
WWL-TV // “New Orleans Jail Escape”
Blanca Mendez
Verite News // “After a Father’s Immigration Arrest, this Family Decided to go back to Honduras”
WWOZ Staff
WWOZ-FM // “Takin’ It to the Streets”
DIGITAL PODCAST
Jared Harris, Edward Denton, Becca Miller
InspireNOLA Charter Schools // “Inspire the City Podcast”
Carolyne Heldman
The Lens // “Behind the Lens Podcast”
Verite News Staff with WWNO/ WRKF
Verite News with WWNO/WRKF // “What was Lost Podcast”
PRINT/WRITING EDITORIAL
Cheryl Gerber
French Quarter Journal // “Thanksgiving Trifecta”
Arthur Hardy, Don Lee Keith
Arthur Hardy’s Mardi Gras Guide // “They Call it Carnival”
Alan Smason
Crescent City Jewish News // “When the Unthinkable Becomes Reality”
PRINT/WRITING LAYOUT DESIGN
Tiffani Reding Amedeo New Orleans Magazine // “The New Orleans Kitchen”
David Johnson, Arthur Hardy
Arthur Hardy’s Mardi Gras Guide // “Carnival Illustrated”
Sarah Majeste, Edmund D. Fountain
Biz New Orleans Magazine // “Pioneering Puppetry”
PRINT/WRITING
FEATURE REPORTING –LIGHT FEATURE
Emily Hingle
Where Y’at // “Uptown T”
Doug MacCash, Chris Granger
The Times-Picayune // “Nobody cares more about NOLA City Council meetings than this grayhaired dude in flip-flops”
Jasmine Robinson
Verite News // “‘Yes, chef’ — How New Orleans is preparing its youth for success in its hospitality industry”
PRINT/WRITING COLUMN
Cynthea Corfah
New Orleans Magazine // “The Beat: A New Orleans music column”
Stephanie Grace
The Times-Picayune // “Columnist Stephanie Grace”
Jeffrey Roedel
Louisiana Life // “Louisiana Made”
TELEVISION
SPORTS STORY
Sharief Ishaq
WDSU-TV // “New Orleans
6-Year-Old Golf Prodigy Catches Eye of Rory McIlroy”
Juan Kincaid
WVUE-TV // “Ruin to Redemption”
Josh Roberson
WVUE-TV // “No Limits on the Mat”
TELEVISION
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Marcia Kavanaugh, Errol Laborde
WYES-TV // “Informed Sources Special: Jefferson Parish Bicentennial”
Nicole Via y Rada Meyer, Travers Mackel
WDSU-TV // “WDSU Orleans Parish Sheriff Debate”
WVUE Staff
WVUE-TV // “Weathering the Storm”
TELEVISION
BEST ON-AIR TALENT
Kenny Lopez
WGNO-TV
Travers Mackel
WDSU-TV
Malik Mingo
WWL-TV
TELEVISION EDUCATION REPORTING
Andres Fuentes
WVUE-TV // “A Mother’s Sacrifice, A Son’s Dream”
Meg Gatto
WVUE-TV // “Disabled Student Abuse Allegations”
Thanh Truong
WVUE-TV // “Classroom Congress”
TELEVISION
BREAKING NEWS REPORTING
Rob Krieger, Josh Roberson, Cole Walker
WVUE-TV // “Exclusive: Governor Tours Bourbon St. Terror Attack Aftermath”
WDSU Staff
WDSU-TV // “Bourbon Street Terror Attack”
WVUE Staff
WVUE-TV // “Bourbon Street Terror Attack”
TV VIDEOGRAPHY
VISUAL STORYTELLING
Ricknise Riggins
WWL-TV // “New Orleans East Groceries”
Jon Turnipseed
WVUE-TV // “Addicted on Duty”
Jon Turnipseed
WVUE-TV // “Unchecked Overtime”
TV VIDEOGRAPHY
VIDEO ESSAY
Whitney Hill
WVUE-TV // “Lighting the Levee”
Ricknise Riggins
WWL-TV // “Krewe of Boo”
WWOZ Staff
WWOZ-FM // “Unified Indian Practice at Little People’s Place”
RADIO GENERAL EXCELLENCE IN RADIO
WWOZ Staff and Volunteers
WWOZ-FM
TELEVISION GENERAL NEWS REPORTING
David Hammer, Ramon Antonio Vargas
WWL-TV // “Priest’s Victim Speaks”
Aubry Killion
WDSU-TV // “Never-before-seen Rescues During Hurricane Katrina”
Rob Krieger, Dannah Sauer, Jon Turnipseed
WVUE-TV // “Addicted on Duty”
TELEVISION GOVERNMENTAL/POLITICAL REPORTING
Meg Gatto, Dannah Sauer, John Turnipseed
WVUE-TV // “Double Injustice”
Chris Joseph
WVUE-TV // “Lead Astray: Inspection Gap Prompts Lawmakers to Act”
Rob Krieger
WVUE-TV // “Supplying a High”
TELEVISION SPORTSCAST
Ricardo Lecompte
WWL-TV
Seth Lewis
WWL-TV
Doug Mouton
WWL-TV
TELEVISION CONTINUING COVERAGE
David Hammer
WWL-TV // “911 Director Cover Up”
Gabby Killett
WVUE-TV // “Orleans Parish Jailbreak”
WVUE Staff
WVUE-TV // “When the Smoke Cleared: Tracking the Environmental Impact”
PUBLIC RELATIONS
COMMERCIAL VIDEO PRODUCTION
Greg Buisson, Kortney Cleveland, Morgan Miller
Buisson Creative // “JCVB: Oyster Trail”
Kevin Mumphrey
MVP Video Productions // “Loumis Air Spot”
Grant Yenni
St. Tammany Parish Public Schools // “Celebrating STPPS Employee of the Year Paul McClain”
PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMUNITY RELATIONS
The Ehrhardt Group
The Ehrhardt Group // “New Orleans City Park: A Community Plan that Comes Together like Gumbo”
Larry Lovell, Tori McRoberts Hoffpauir
Larry Lovell PR // “YouthForce
NOLA Celebrates 10 Years Helping Public High School Students Excel”
Annie Matherne
Gambel Communications // “Entergy New Orleans Rain Barrel Installation Event”
DIGITAL
BEST USE OF FACEBOOK
Andres Fuentes
WVUE-TV // “Operación Catahoula Crunch”
New Orleans Magazine Staff
New Orleans Magazine “Brennan’s”
WWOZ Staff
WWOZ-FM // “Jazz Fest”
DIGITAL
BEST USE OF X (TWITTER)
Garland Gillen
WVUE-TV // “Chasing Kiffin: Reporting at the Speed of X”
Ross Jackson
Tegna New Orleans // “Walk to the Car”
WVUE Staff
WVUE-TV // “Aww, Shoughs: Keeping up with Tyler”
PRINT/WRITING
SPORTS FEATURE
Richard Cuicchi
Crescent City Sports // “New Orleans Resident Steve Lane has Unmatched Mickey Mantle Memorabilia Collection”
Les East
Crescent City Sports // “Ed Daniels was a Hall of Famer in Many Ways”
Edward Holt
64 Parishes // “More than a Game: Coach Wilbert Ellis and the Legacy of Grambling State University Baseball”
PRINT/WRITING
LIFESTYLE REPORTING
Mizani Ball
The Lens // “Taking in Parades Together, but Apart”
Ian McNulty, David Grunfeld
The Times-Picayune // “As Next Generation Steps Up at Leidenheimer, Here’s What it Means for New Orleans Po-Boys”
Kevin Rabalais
Louisiana Life // “Ducking and Weaving”
PRINT/WRITING CRITICAL REVIEW
Lucie Monk Carter
64 Parishes // “Sunk Coast Fallacy: Ned Randolph’s Muddy Thinking probes a legacy of extraction in South Louisiana”
Rien Fertel
The Times-Picayune // “‘Homesick' Exposes Toxic Aftermath of FEMA Trailers”
John S. Sledge
French Quarter Journal // “A Look Inside: Painting the Town”
PRINT/WRITING BEST MAGAZINE
Josh-Wade Ferguson, Alexandra Kennon Shahin
64 Parishes
Arthur Hardy
Arthur Hardy’s Mardi Gras Guide
Sarah Majeste, Reine Dugas
Louisiana Life
PRINT/WRITING INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
Sam Karlin
The Times-Picayune // “Lethal Heat”
Delaney Nolan
The Lens // “‘They tricked me:’ Migrants feel deceived by ICE after being promised $1,000 to voluntarily depart”
Richard A Webster, BobbiJeanne Misick
Verite News // “Criminal Justice Rollback”
PRINT/WRITING EDITORIAL ILLUSTRATION
Ron Domingue
Where Y’at // “NYE Terrorist Attack/Super Bowl LIX”
Arthur Hardy, David Johnson
Arthur Hardy’s Mardi Gras Guide // “Mardi Gras Guide 50th Anniversary”
PRINT/WRITING GOVERNMENTAL –POLITICAL REPORTING
Tyler Bridges
The Times-Picayune // “Louisiana Legislators, Gov. Landry and Two Trial Attorneys Talk Auto Insurance at Texas Lodge”
Katie Jane Fernelius
Verite News // “City Pauses 311 Partnership with Local Tech Mogul over Concerns about Privacy, Lack of Contract”
Nick Weldon
The Historic New Orleans Collection // “Louisiana v. Voting Rights, then and Now”
PRINT/WRITING BREAKING NEWS REPORTING
Gabriella Killett
NOLA.com // “New Orleans Attack Suspect Names, Accused of Killing at least 10, Injuring Dozens”
Alan Smason Crescent City Jewish News // “FBI, ATF and Officials Proclaim Jabbar was Acting Alone; City Reopens Bourbon Street, Hosts Super Bowl”
Staff, The Times-Picayune
The Times-Picayune // “Bourbon Street Attack Leaves 15 Dead, Investigators on the Hunt for Suspects”
PUBLIC RELATIONS
SOCIAL MEDIA – DIGITAL INFLUENCERS
Greg Buisson, Kortney Cleveland, Morgan Miller Buisson Creative // “Festa Italiana”
The Ehrhardt Group
The Ehrhardt Group // “Delacroix Restaurant: Catch of the Week Campaign”
The Ehrhardt Group
The Ehrhardt Group // “Grow Louisiana Coalition: Short-Form Video Strategy Driving Engagement and Growth”
PUBLIC RELATIONS SPECIAL EVENTS
Greg Buisson, Kortney Cleveland, Morgan Miller Buisson Creative // “Jefferson Parish: Bicentennial Ball”
Meghan Hall, Sophia Holleran, Carrie Adams Olsen
Shawn M. Donnelley Center for Nonprofit Communications // “For the Heart of New Orleans and the Leaders of Tomorrow”
Rhett Sharpe, Grant Yenni, Meredith Mendez
St. Tammany Parish Public Schools // “Rising from the Storm: 20 Years after Katrina”
STILL PHOTOGRAPHY MULTI-PHOTO FEATURE
Gus Bennett
The Lens // “Sheltering in Place through the ICE Storm”
Gus Bennett
The Lens // “To Combat Violence, Young Rollers Offer a Happier Alternative: New Orleans Culture”
Sophia Germer
The Times-Picayune // “2 Dogs Rescued the Morning after 2–Alarm Fire”
STILL PHOTOGRAPHY
SPORTS PHOTO
Sophia Germer
The Times-Picayune // “On Court Altercation”
Matthew Hinton Imagn / USA Today Network // “Group Fumble Broncos vs. Saints”
Tina Howell
Newsbreak // “Happiness through a Child’s Eyes at Banana Ball”
STILL PHOTOGRAPHY
FEATURE PHOTO
Gus Bennett
The Lens // “Last Call at the First and Last Stop”
Kevin Rabalais
64 Parishes // “The Wild Horse Race”
Jeremy Tauriac
InspireNOLA Charter Schools // “Voices that Inspire the City”
TELEVISION INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
David Hammer
WWL-TV // “City Deficit Exposed”
Aubry Killion
WDSU-TV // “Chaos in Crumbling Agency”
Aubry Killion
WDSU-TV // “Nightmare”
TELEVISION FEATURE REPORTING
Meg Farris
WWL-TV // “Miracle Katrina Baby Birthday Reunion”
Travers Mackel
WDSU-TV // “The Hero No One Knows”
Dave McNamara
WVUE-TV // “Heart of Louisiana: Watercolor Artist”
TELEVISION MEDICAL / HEALTH REPORTING
Meg Gatto
WVUE-TV // “FOX8 Defenders: Spring View Medical Clinic”
Maddie Kerth
WVUE-TV // “Turning Trauma into Care: A Nurse’s Survival Story”
Aubry Killion
WDSU-TV // “This Was War”
TELEVISION WEATHERCAST
Zach Fradella WVUE-TV
Payton Malone WWL-TV
Nicondra Norwood WVUE-TV
TELEVISION NEWSCAST
Torre Josey
WWL-TV // “WWL Louisiana News at 10”
Erin Peytral
WVUE-TV // “Fox8 News at 5pm”
WDSU Staff
WDSU-TV // “WDSU 10pm Newscast”
BEST IN SHOW
Billy Rainey Memorial Award
Honoring the first-place winner in print breaking news reporting
Ashton Phelps, Sr. Memorial Award
Honoring the first-place winner in editorial writing
Hal Ledet Print Photography Award
Honoring the best of first-place winners in still photography
President’s Videography Award
Honoring the best of first-place winners in television videography
Alex Waller Memorial Award
Honoring the best of first-place winners in print reporting
Jim Metcalf Memorial Award
Honoring the best of first-place winners in broadcast reporting
SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
The Renaissance Foundation Scholarship
The Press Club of New Orleans Scholarship
PAST LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS The Press Club inaugurated its Lifetime Achievement Award in 1992. Presentation of this award is aimed at honoring individuals who not only have demonstrated the utmost in professionalism throughout their careers but have also made significant contributions to the community in the process.
2025 Peggy Scott Laborde & John Snell
2024 Eric Paulsen & Ro Brown
2022 Nancy Parker & Walt Handelsman
2019 Joe Duke & Frank Donze
2018 Clancy DuBos & Renette Dejoie-Hall
2017 Bruce Nolan & Margaret Orr
2016 Bill Capo & Errol Laborde
2015 John Pope & Sally-Ann Roberts
2014 Ed Daniels & Ted Jackson
2013 Bob Breck & Bill Curl
2012 Lynne Jensen & Norman Robinson
2011 Jim Henderson & Mark Schleifstein
2010 Byron Hughey & Angus Lind
2009 Dan Milham & Walt Philbin
2008 Press Club’s 50th Anniversary
2007 Ashton Phelps Jr.
2006 Special award honoring Alec Gifford’s 50 years in broadcasting
2005 Ed Anderson & Richard Angelico
2004 William M. Metcalf Jr. & Willie P. Wilson Jr.
2003 Bob and Jan Carr & Buddy Diliberto
2002 Ronnie Virgets & Jack Wardlaw
2001 Angela Hill & Larry Lorenz
2000 Peter Finney & Terry Flettrich Rohe
1999 Bill Elder & Betty Guillaud
1998 Maury Magill & Dave Snyder
1997 Charles “Pie” Dufour & Phil Johnson
1996 Walter Greaves Cowan & Alec Gifford
1995 Nash Roberts & Bob Roesler
1994 J. Michael Early
1993 Iris Kelso & Wayne Mack
