B.A.R. wins California journalism awards

In arts, news, and opinion, the Bay Area Reporter continues its award-worthy coverage. The longtime LGBTQ publication again received recognition in the annual California Journalism Awards from the California News Publishers Association.

The competition with news publications from around the Golden State was for articles published in 2024.

In the news section, the paper won a first place award, Division 5, in editorial comment for “Shame on the US Postal Service,” which took the federal agency to task for rejecting a postage stamp honoring Matthew Shepard, the gay Wyoming college student who was beaten to death in a horrific anti-gay hate crime in 1998.

The paper also received a second place award, Division 5, in editorial comment for “Archbishop needs to follow pope’s directive,” about San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone’s active efforts to go against a decision by the late Pope Francis to allow Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples.

In the local election 2024 category, Division 5, assistant editor John Ferrannini won first place for “SF mayoral forum in queer district lacks LGBTQ questions” about the major candidates in last year’s mayor’s race.

In the religion and faith writing category, Division 5, Ferrannini received first place for “Queer young adults say coming out deepened their faith,” about young people affiliated with Beloved Arise, a Seattle-based nonprofit that seeks to empower religious LGBTQ youth from all faiths and denominations.

Assistant editor Matthew S. Bajko took fifth place in the sports feature category, Division 5, for his article, “Gay Olympian Kenworthy promotes mental health at SF event.” The feature looked at the impact of social media on Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy’s mental health as he gave a talk at the dinner portion of the SoFi Child Mind Institute Golf Invitational at the Olympic Club last summer.

Arts contributor Jim Gladstone won first place in the arts and entertainment category, Division 5, for “‘Baldwin and Buckley at Cambridge' in Berkeley,” about a play about the late gay writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin.

Arts and nightlife editor Jim Provenzano took fourth place in the same category for “Richard Hunt, the gay Muppeteer: 'Funny Boy,' Jessica Max Stein's biography, reveals his vibrant brief life,” about the biography of Hunt.

In film and TV writing/reporting, Division 5, arts contributor Tim Pfaff took first place for “‘Leonardo da Vinci’ – Documenting the supreme Renaissance Man” about the Ken Burns documentary about the gay polymath.

In second place in the same category was contributor Brian Bromberger’s piece, “‘The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka and The Art of Survival’ – Documentary explores a beautiful scandalous artistic life” about the documentary of de Lempicka, the lauded bisexual Art Deco painter whose work last year received its first major U.S. museum retrospective at the de Young in San Francisco.

In music writing/reporting, Division 5, contributor Michael Flanagan won first place for “Finding David Bowie’s queer roots,” about the late musician introducing alternative sexuality to his audiences that was examined in two books about Bowie’s association with the London gay scene.

In the same category, Pfaff received third place for “Charles Ives at 150: Jeremy Denk plays the piano works” about the modernist composer and new recordings of his work by gay pianist Denk.

B.A.R. publisher Michael Yamashita, a gay man, praised the staff and contributors.

“I'm very proud of our editors and writers and gratified that they were recognized by their peers for their accomplishments,” Yamashita stated. “It's great that so many of our arts and culture writers did well, given the quality of entrants from all over the state.”

Added Provenzano, "I'm thrilled to see so many of my contributing writers win these deserved awards. From da Vinci to de Lempicka to David Bowie to James Baldwin, the diversity of our arts coverage continues to shine.”