Advocate Staffers Win Three NLGJA Excellence in Journalism Awards

Three Advocate staffers have won Excellence in Journalism Awards from NLGJA -- The Association of LGBTQ Journalists, the organization announced Tuesday.

Diane Anderson-Minshall, editorial director for The Advocate's print edition, won the Sarah Pettit Memorial Award for the LGBTQ Journalist of the Year, one of the two highest awards given by the organization. One judge said of Anderson-Minshall's writing, "These are excellent stories. Great interviews, wonderful depth, elegant writing, and incredible when you know that Diane also runs the show for The Advocate. I don't know how she does it all."

Lucas Gindley, editor in chief of The Advocate (print and online) and president of parent company Pride Media, won the Excellence in Column Writing Award for "LGBTs to America: 'We Told You So,'" noting that the LGBT community had predicted Donald Trump would be an anti-LGBT president. Grindley had won the Sarah Pettit Memorial Award in 2016.

The Advocate managing editor David Artavia won the Excellence in News Writing Award for a nondaily publication, for "Sordid Lives Actor Alleges Mogul Benny Medina Tried to Rape Him," an interview with actor Jason Dortley about the renowned talent manager's alleged assault of him. It's the first NLGJA award for the out gay journalist.

Ronan Farrow, a contributor to The New Yorker and HBO, won the NLGJA's other highest award, NLGJA Journalist of the Year. Farrow has produced, among other things, extensive coverage of the accusations of sexual assault against film producer Harvey Weinstein. "I can think of no other journalist who had a bigger impact this year than Ronan Farrow," one award judge said in NLGJA's press release. "[He inspired] countless women and men to speak out against the predators who, for far too long, have been in great positions of power. Seeing the impact of his work, work that was not even welcome initially at his first media outlet, he continued to pursue the story, even at some risk to himself. In addition to the impact, the work is incredibly well-written, researched and reported, and he deserves recognition." Farrow came out this year as a member of the LGBT community.

Among other awards, former Advocate editor in chief Judy Wieder received the Excellence in Book Writing Award for her memoir Random Events Tend to Cluster. Ken Schwencke received the Al Neuharth Award for Innovation in Investigative Journalism for a ProPublica article, "Why America Fails at Gathering Hate Crime Statistics."

Winners were chosen in nearly 30 categories. The awards will be presented throughout the NLGJA's National Convention, to be held September 6-9 in Palm Springs, Calif. Find the full list of winners here.