IndieWire is continuing its award-winning journalism with recognition by the 17th annual National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards.
The Los Angeles Press Club toasted the best reporting, criticism, and analysis from across the digital, print, and broadcast media industries throughout the past year in a ceremony on Sunday, December 1.
IndieWire received 14 nominations and ultimately won four awards, with three additional second or third-place prizes.
IndieWire’s Editorial Director Kate Erbland was awarded with a first-place award in the Personality Profile, Film Personalities, Online category for her interview with Kirsten Dunst. The piece, titled “Kirsten Dunst Is Our Most Reasonable Movie Star,” was celebrated for being a “fascinating profile of actress Kirsten Dunst, who speaks her mind,” which stood out in this “excellent, competitive category,” according to the National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards jury.
David Ehrlich, IndieWire’s Reviews Editor and Head Film Critic, was honored with the award for best Film Critic — Over 1,000 words. “David Ehrlich’s writing, while entertaining and informative, is at an elevated
level, not just for criticism, but for journalism,” the jury statement reads.
IndieWire’s Senior News Editor Samantha Bergeson was recognized for her piece “For Female Creatives, Hollywood Is Still Just as ‘Bleak’ as Some Fear, but It Doesn’t Have to Be” about the lack of funding for female auteurs even after the success of “Barbie.” The National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards jury praised the feature for being “an insightful, if realistically depressing, examination of gender equity in Hollywood, deftly weaving in the leading female voices of today.”
IndieWire’s Curation Editor Wilson Chapman’s interview with Bryan Lee O’Malley was honored for being a “highly readable look into how the creator of a cult classic revisits his own material, years later, in a new light for old and new fans alike.” The piece “Bryan Lee O’Malley Wanted ‘Scott Pilgrim Takes Off’ to Surprise You” was recognized in the Soft News, TV/Streaming Related, Online category.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the IndieWire staff for these National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards,” IndieWire Editor in Chief and SVP Dana Harris-Bridson said. “The stories honored show the range and depth of IndieWire’s coverage, and the unique lens that only IndieWire can give. Our profiles, criticism, and reporting show definitively that we are the creator’s trade.”
Beyond the first-place wins, IndieWire was acknowledged in other categories as well.
Digital Director Christian Blauvelt’s obituary for Tony Bennett, titled “Tony Bennett Gave an Iconic ‘Goodfellas’ Moment Its Charge — but He Didn’t Like Being Associated with It,” placed third in the Obituary/In Appreciation, Music and Other Arts Personalities, Print/Online category.
Tom Brueggemann, IndieWire’s Box Office Editor, placed third for the best Headline, Any Media for his piece “They Don’t Climax in IMAX — or, Why Films with Sexy Sizzle Are Rare Today.”
And IndieWire freelance contributor Siddhant Adlakha placed second in the Film Critic — Under 1,000 words category.
Check out the full list of winners here.
