The OBSERVER has been honored in 12 categories by the California Newspaper Publishers Association, which includes more than 1,000 daily, weekly, monthly, and campus newspapers. On May 17, The OBSERVER took three first-place awards and placed in nine other categories:
Audience/Community Engagement Award
- Division 4: First Place, “It’s OK Brotha – Normalizing Black Men’s Mental Health One Story At A Time,” Sterling Davies, Madelaine Church, Genoa Barrow
Technology Reporting
- Division 4: First Place, “From The Streets To The Hardwood: Tech Pioneer’s Road To Success,” Christine Shelby
Profile Story
- Division 4: First Place, “Bunmi Awoniyi, Sacramento’s First Black Presiding Judge,” Williamena Kwapo
Public Service Journalism
- Division 4: Third Place, “Head Space: Exploring The Mental Health Needs Of Today’s Black Men,” Genoa Barrow
In-Depth Reporting
- Division 4: Third Place, “Caught In The Crosshairs – a series on gun violence and its impact on the Black Sacramento,” Robert J. Hansen
Coverage Of Youth And Education
- Division 4: Third Place, “Youth Voters and Civic Engagement,” Sterling Davies
- Division 3: Third Place, Modesto Bee, “State attorney general questions sex education curriculum approved by local public school,” Taylor Johnson, now The OBSERVER’s education reporter
Feature Photo
- Division 4: Third Place, “Game Changers,” Louis Bryant III
Feature Story
- Division 4: Fourth Place, “Relationship Goals: Sharing Black Stories,” Genoa Barrow
Food Writing And Reporting
- Division 4: Third Place, “Hunger Pains,” Genoa Barrow
Health Reporting
- Division 4: Fifth Place – The OBSERVER Head Space: Exploring The Mental Health Needs Of Today’s Black Men – Genoa Barrow
Homelessness Reporting
- Division 4: Fifth Place, “Sacramento Unhoused,” Robert J. Hansen, Madelaine Church
Print Front Page Layout And Design
- Division 4: Fourth Place, Kenyon Shafer
See all the honorees at cnpa.com/california-journalism-awards/2024-cja-winners/.