The Chicago Journalists Association (CJA) is excited to announce the finalists for its 2024 Sarah Brown Boyden Awards. This year’s contest once again saw a record number of submissions. The Sarah Brown Boyden Awards honor the best of the best journalism in Chicago and Northwest Indiana across 19 different categories. 

The winners will be announced at CJA’s 85th Anniversary Awards Ceremony on Friday, November 15, 6:30-9:30 p.m., in Ruggles Hall of the Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton St, Chicago.

To get tickets, visit Eventbrite. Congratulations to all of our finalists!

Finalists for the 2024 Sarah Brown Boyden Awards

ARTS

• Mark Braboy, The TRiiBE
  • “Chicago fans reflect on what Frankie Beverly and Maze’s music means to Black people around the country”
  • “Andre 3000 played his flute on the West Side like a true Outkast would”
  • “Noname is accountable to her community, not the internet”

• Brandon Dupré, Crain’s Chicago Business
  • “In this legal fight, the Art Institute stands to lose more than an artwork”

• Atavia Reed, Block Club Chicago
  • “How An Englewood Artist And Activist Is Helping Black Families Keep Their Homes”

BEST SERIES

• Max Blaisdell, Sam Stecklow and Matt Chapman, for the Chicago Reader
  • “Judges challenge police credibility in court”
  • “Inside the Cook County’s State’s Attorney’s Brady lists”
  • “Disgraced cops still on the streets and in the courtrooms“

• Grace Hauck, Illinois Answers Project
  • “Strapped Down: Restraint Chairs in Illinois Jails”

• David Jackson, Injustice Watch
  • “Exploited Elders”

BREAKING NEWS

• Kelly Garcia, Injustice Watch
  • “Cook County plans to replace juvenile detention center with smaller ‘centers of care’”

• Jason Meisner, Megan Crepeau and Ray Long, Chicago Tribune
  • “Ex-Ald. Ed Burke convicted on 13 of 14 counts at landmark federal corruption trial; jury convicts one co-defendant and acquits the other”
  • “Former Ald. Ed Burke’s verdict stands out in long arc of City Council crooks”

• Madison Savedra and Staff, Block Club Chicago
  • “Migrants Sleep Outside In Frigid Temps As City Council Squabbles About What To Do Next”
  • “City Wakes Pilsen Migrant Shelter Residents At 1 AM To Announce Measles Lockdown, Causing Panic”
  • Migrants

BUSINESS

• Lizzie Kane and Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune
  • “Verbal abuse, a ‘sex-driven’ culture”

• Mariah Rush, Chicago Sun-Times and Alden Loury, WBEZ Chicago
  • “Exodus of major, full-service grocers offering healthy variety paints a bleak picture of food access for some in Chicago”

• Stephanie Zimmermann and Elvia Malagón, Chicago Sun-Times
  • “Apartment ‘junk’ fees sock it to renters”

COLLABORATIONS

• Mick Dumke and Rachel Hinton, Block Club Chicago with Emeline Posner and Jennifer Bamberg for the Illinois Answers Project
  • “As City Battles Housing Shortage, CHA Lets Hundreds Of Empty Homes Decay”
  • “This Vacant Bungalow Is Owned By The CHA — And Now It’s A Drug Stash House”
  • “For 2 Decades, A Historic Pullman Home Has Been Vacant Under CHA’s Watch”

• Dan Mihalopoulos, WBEZ Chicago with Tom Schuba, Chicago Sun-Times and Kevin G. Hall, Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project
  • “Extremism in the ranks: Chicago police with extremist ties have troubling records”
  • “Who are the Oath Keepers?”
  • “Chicago Police Department tolerates officers with extremist ties”

• Staff, Cicero Independiente with MuckRock, Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and Columbia University’s Brown Institute for Media Innovation
  • “The Air We Breathe: Our Network of Sensors Shows How Industry is Still Polluting Cicero’s Air”
  • “The Air We Breathe: How the Koppers Plant Became, and Remains, Cicero’s Toxic Neighbor”
  • The Air We Breathe Newsletter

COMMENTARY

• David Greising, for the Illinois Answers Project and Chicago Tribune
  • “The challenge to erase Illinois’ $140 billion in pension debt”
  • “What Illinois can learn from other states’ pension reform”
  • “Examining the plans to tackle Illinois’ pension debt”

• Morgan Elise Johnson, The TRiiBE
  • “Confronting colonialist propaganda, Zionism and the Civilized/Holy”

• Michele Weldon, for Newsweek, The Fulcrum and AARP’s The Ethel
  • “To Tell Or Not To Tell — Why Keeping Your Health Concerns A Secret From Work Is Tricky”
  • “Why Trump assassination attempt theories show lies never end”
  • “How I Finally Learned To Get Along With My Adult Children”

EDUCATION

• Reema Amin, Chalkbeat Chicago
  • “Chicago’s pre-K expansion fueled by federal COVID recovery money”
  • “From ‘winning the lottery’ to ‘leaner schools’: How the end of federal COVID money could impact Chicago schools”

• Elly Fishman, for WBEZ Chicago and the Chicago Sun-Times
  • “How a young, deaf refugee from Afghanistan found her voice in Chicago”

• Peter Nickeas, Illinois Answers Project
  • “CPS Principal, Staff Stymied Police Investigation of Mass Shooting at Pilsen High School, Emails, Interviews Show”

FEATURES

• Max Blaisdell, for Chicago Magazine
  • “How a U of C Professor Wound Up a Prisoner of Iran”

• Leslie Patton and Deena Shanker, Bloomberg
  • “‘Upflation’ Is the New Retail Trend Driving Up Prices for US Consumers”

• Anthony Vazquez, Chicago Sun-Times
  • “‘Football was everything’ for this Chicago peewee coach. Even after he became blind.”

HEALTH/SCIENCE

• Emily Hoerner and Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune
  • “Patients reported sexual abuse by medical providers. Health care systems let them keep working.”
  • “Flawed state oversight lets doctors accused of abuse continue to see patients”
  • “Former patients of Fabio Ortega say Endeavor Health failed to protect them from an abusive doctor”

• Kristen Schorsch, WBEZ Chicago
  • “The mental health of migrants simmers below the surface as the next looming crisis”

• Casey Toner, Illinois Answers Project and Mina Bloom, Block Club Chicago
  • “Why Chicago Is Losing The War On Rats”
  • “Local Governments Get Slapped with Rat-Related Tickets”
  • “East Coast Cities are Zapping Rats with High-Tech Traps”

IMMIGRATION

• Elvia Malagón, Chicago Sun-Times
  • “Why we traveled to Toronto to learn about immigration”
  • “Finding refuge in Toronto”
  • “Churches, nonprofits house refugees amid shelter crunch in Toronto”

• Mauricio Peña, Katrina Pham, Nissa Rhee and Sebastian Hidalgo, Borderless Magazine
  • “Investigation: Migrants Describe Inhumane Conditions at Chicago’s Largest Shelter”
  • “Chicago Mayor, Shelter Officials Respond to Living Conditions Following a Borderless Investigation”
  • “Investigation: Chicago Ignored Dozens of Warnings of Migrant Shelter Conditions Before Child’s Death”

• Nell Salzman, Chicago Tribune
  • “52 days on the road: A migrant family’s desperate journey to Chicago”
  • “Born in the USA: Venezuelan mother gives birth”
  • “Waiting in fear: A migrant mother struggles to find health care in Chicago”

INNOVATIVE STORYTELLING

• Andy Grimm, Chicago Sun-Times
  • “Inside Chicago’s most violent neighborhood”

• Jason McGregor, Cassandra West, Steve Hendershot and Margaret Littman, Crain’s Chicago Business
  • “Are stadiums a smart use of taxpayer money?”
  • “When it comes to political conventions, Chicago has star status”
  • “How budget-challenged schools can stay the course”

• Manny Ramos and Kelly Bauer, Block Club Chicago
  • “Death Behind The Wheel: How The CTA Failed A Driver In Crisis”

INVESTIGATIONS

• Grace Hauck, Illinois Answers Project
  • “Strapped Down: Restraint Chairs in Illinois Jails”

• Emily Hoerner and Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune
  • “Patients reported sexual abuse by medical providers. Health care systems let them keep working.”
  • “Flawed state oversight lets doctors accused of abuse continue to see patients”
  • “Former patients of Fabio Ortega say Endeavor Health failed to protect them from an abusive doctor”

• Manny Ramos and Mack Liederman, Block Club Chicago
  • “Death Behind The Wheel: How The CTA Failed A Driver In Crisis”
  • “The CTA’s Oversight Board Is Filled With Political Insiders, Not Transit Experts”
  • “While The CTA Flounders, Its Leader Keeps Getting Pay Hikes”

NEWS/SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY

• Karie Angell Luc, for the Chicago Tribune, Pioneer Press and Chronicle Media
  • “Chicagoans tied to Israel and Palestine react to Hamas attacks, brace for war”
  • “North Shore Jewish Community gathers to pray for Israel”
  • “Chicagoland Jewish community gathers to pray for peace in Israel”

• Colin Boyle, Block Club Chicago
  • “Migrants Sleep Outside In Frigid Temps As City Council Squabbles About What To Do Next”
  • “One Year After First Migrant Buses Sent To Chicago, City Still Unprepared To Tackle Crisis: ‘There Is No Over For This’”
  • “Migrants At Last Police Station Want Jobs, Not A Spot In City Shelters: ‘Just Give Us Work’”

• Anthony Vazquez, Chicago Sun-Times
  • “Extreme heat, unhealthy air hits Chicago Friday”

POLITICS

• Megan Crepeau, Jeremy Gorner, Ray Long, Dan Petrella and A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune
  • “Democrats flexed muscles in passing out pork in Springfield”
  • “​​From Chicago machine maestro to indicted alderman, Ed Burke’s corruption trial follows half-century of clout”
  • “Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough seeks end to historic anti-patronage case despite charges that she ‘stonewalls’”

• Gregory Pratt, Chicago Tribune
  • “Chicago treasurer accused of misconduct and ethical violations in letter city kept secret for years”
  • “City settlement deal demands silence from whistleblowers fired by Chicago Treasurer Conyears-Ervin”
  • “Ethics board finds probable cause Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin wrongfully fired 2 whistleblowers”

• Staff, Block Club Chicago and Chalkbeat Chicago
  • “A Better, Stronger, Safer Chicago? Mayor Brandon Johnson’s First Year”

PUBLIC SERVICE

• Emily Hoerner and Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune
  • “Patients reported sexual abuse by medical providers. Health care systems let them keep working.”
  • “Flawed state oversight lets doctors accused of abuse continue to see patients”
  • “Former patients of Fabio Ortega say Endeavor Health failed to protect them from an abusive doctor”

• Staff, Cicero Independiente with MuckRock, Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and Columbia University’s Brown Institute for Media Innovation
  • “The Air We Breathe: Our Network of Sensors Shows How Industry is Still Polluting Cicero’s Air”
  • “The Air We Breathe: How the Koppers Plant Became, and Remains, Cicero’s Toxic Neighbor”
  • The Air We Breathe Newsletter

• Staff, Injustice Watch
  • “Check Your Judges”

SPORTS

• Jerome “Rome J.” Johnson, The TRiiBE
  • “What the story of Johnny Johnson, Jr. can teach us about Justin Fields and the plight of the Black quarterback”

• Mack Liederman, Block Club Chicago
  • “Wrigley Field Icon Ronnie Woo Woo Isn’t Going Anywhere”

• Stacy St. Clair and Brian Cassella, Chicago Tribune
  • “The water that raised her: How Wilmette’s Maggie Shea set her Olympic sailing course on Lake Michigan”
  • “‘It still doesn’t feel real.’ Chicago wrestler Joe Rau’s improbable journey leads him to the Olympics — at age 33.”
  • “‘Why can’t that be me?’ Chicago-area native Paul Juda shines in Olympic debut for Team USA gymnastics”

STUDENT JOURNALISM

• Naomi Taxay, Northwestern University
  • “‘My prison cell became my university’: Benard McKinley’s journey to civil rights law”

• Ziyue (Grace) Xue, Northwestern University
  • “Couple in their 80s graduates from fire academy”

TECHNOLOGY

• Jim Daley and Max Blaisdell, South Side Weekly
  • “CPD Reported Hundreds of Missed Shootings to ShotSpotter”
  • “ShotSpotter Monitors Hundreds of North Side Billboards for Free”
  • “ShotSpotter Keeps Listening After Contracts Expire”

• Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune
  • “First lawsuit under new Illinois Fertility Fraud act illustrates challenges in proving claims, crafting legislation”
  • “Breastfeeding moms sent naked photos, videos to purported lactation consultant on Facebook. Now they fear they got scammed.”
  • “Illinois poised to become a haven for out-of-state IVF patients amid conservative backlash”

• John Pletz and Danny Ecker, Crain’s Chicago Business
  • “South Works site, Lockport refinery eyed for potential quantum computer factory”

TRANSPORTATION

• Manny Ramos and Mack Liederman, Block Club Chicago
  • “Death Behind The Wheel: How The CTA Failed A Driver In Crisis”
  • “The CTA’s Oversight Board Is Filled With Political Insiders, Not Transit Experts”
  • “While The CTA Flounders, Its Leader Keeps Getting Pay Hikes”

• Reema Saleh, for the Chicago Reader
  • “The CTA’s missing riders”
  • “The moment met the CTA”

• Amy Yee, Chicago Sun-Times
  • “CTA diversity program gives small businesses a break in the construction industry”