The Colorado Sun hasn’t been around for very long — we began publishing on Sept. 10, 2018 — but already we’ve won several big regional journalism awards for our stories on everything from health and political reporting to the outdoors and trash.
Here’s a look at the work we did that has been honored:
Make more journalism like this possible with a Colorado Sun membership, starting at just $5 a month.
2019 Best of the West journalism awards
Contest includes entries from Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming
Growth and environment reporting
Third place for series on waste
Reporters: Jennifer Brown, Tamara Chuang and Kevin Simpson
- Recycling in Colorado is tedious, cost-prohibitive, voluntary — and evolving
- Coloradans generate 9.6 pounds of trash per person, per day. Where does it all go?
- “Where does our poop end up? Probably spread on farmland in eastern Colorado.”
“This brilliant series creatively highlights one of the most fundamental environmental challenges of all—waste,” the category’s judge wrote.
News writing
Second place for story on Arapahoe High School student’s suicide
Reporter: Jennifer Brown
“A narrow and deep exploration of teen suicide that features great insights and wonderful writing,” the category’s judge wrote. “It is an issue many media outlets have tackled, but few as well as this piece.”
2019 Society of Professional Journalists “Top of the Rockies” awards
Contest includes entries from Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Utah. Category: large-market outlets with a circulation of more than 75,000.
Politics general reporting
First place
Reporters/editors: John Frank, Jesse Paul, Brian Eason, Sandra Fish, Jennifer Brown, John Ingold, Eric Lubbers, Jason Blevins, Carrie Osgood
- Colorado Republicans, reeling from 2018 losses, wonder: Is it us or is it Trump?
- Three graphics that explain the 2018 election and Colorado’s political future
- It wasn’t just cash: How texting cannabis voters and tech outreach strategies lifted Jared Polis to victory
- Jared Polis vs. Walker Stapleton: What the polls show in the Colorado governor’s race
- How the “outdoor voter” has emerged as a potentially potent political force in Colorado
- How Donald Trump, guns and cash spelled an end to Mike Coffman’s decade in Congress
- Democrats will control Colorado’s government for the first time since 1936. Here’s a chart showing historical trends.
- Jared Polis Promise Tracker: A look at the progress on his 2018 campaign pledges
- Personal injury attorney Franklin Azar donates $224,000 to PAC that has district court judge Edward Moss’ retention in its sights
- It’s official: 2018 is the costliest year ever in Colorado politics
- The nastiest Colorado campaign attacks filling your mailbox — and the truth behind them
- Who’s paying for those political ads? Dark money is tough to track in Colorado
- Women who vote: They’ve shown their might, now they want results in the 6th Congressional District
“A very strong category, but the 2018 election coverage by the Colorado Sun stood out because of how comprehensive, readable and pedestrian it was. These stories look at Colorado politics from angles other media outlets don’t think of,” the judge wrote.
News reporting single story
First place
Reporter: Jennifer Brown
“This is a captivating and heart-wrenching read about an extremely important topic. The writer handled the subject responsibly, contextualizing the scope of the crisis without delving into the unnecessary details so often reported with suicides. The intention of this piece was clearly to inform readers about the youth mental health crisis and offer them resources, not to capitalize on a tragic death for page views,” the judge wrote.
Best solutions journalism
First place
Reporter: Jason Blevins and Nancy Lofholm
- A roadside hotel in Eagle is being transformed into affordable homes — and other housing-strapped resort communities are watching
- Aspen’s workers are hitting retirement age. And that’s made the resort town’s employee housing program a ticking time bomb.
- High-country Colorado towns wrangle big-city problems with homelessness
“Thoroughly reported and extremely well-written,” the judge wrote.
Health general reporting
First place
Reporter: Jesse Paul
“The clear winner,” the judge wrote. “The topic is important, the stakes could not be higher and the ethical challenges troubling. The writing was elevated by detail, anecdote and thoughtful interviews. Original and solid reporting, well done.”
Health enterprise reporting
First place
Reporter: John Ingold
- Doctor on influential Colorado board that decides Medicaid drugs received thousands from pharmaceutical companies
- After Sun report on pharma money and a Colorado Medicaid board, senior state attorney tells board members to be more transparent
- Colorado doctor on influential state Medicaid board resigns after Sun report on pharma money
News feature
First and third places
Reporters: John Ingold and Dean Krakel
- We went to a flat-Earth convention and found a lesson about the future of post-truth life (first)
- A Colorado photographer thought he was alone in the Wyoming mountains. Then he heard a rescue helicopter. (third)
General website excellence
Second Place
The Colorado Sun
Science and tech general reporting
Second and third places
Reporters: Mark Jaffe and Jennifer Brown
- How a Louisville company aims to make electric cars cost less and drive farther using technology from CU (second)
- Colorado, desperate for snow, explores new takes on the old idea of cloud seeding (third)
General reporting, series or package
Second place
Reporters: Jennifer Brown, John Ingold, Kevin Simpson, Tamara Chuang
- Recycling in Colorado is tedious, cost-prohibitive, voluntary — and evolving
- Coloradans generate 9.6 pounds of trash per person, per day. Where does it all go?
- “Where does our poop end up? Probably spread on farmland in eastern Colorado.”
Marijuana general reporting
Second place
Reporter: Nancy Lofholm
Agricultural and environmental general reporting
Second place
Reporter: John Ingold
Become a Colorado Sun member, starting at just $5 a month.
Investigative/enterprise reporting
Third place
Reporters: Jennifer Brown and Jason Blevins
Business enterprise reporting
Third place
Reporter: Tamara Chuang
General legal reporting
Third place
Reporter: John Ingold
Media Community Health Champion
From the Colorado Community Health Network
Reporter: Jennifer Brown