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MNSPJ 2025 Page One Awards Winners
The Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists announced the winners of its annual Page One journalism awards June 26 at Nicollet Island Pavilion in Minneapolis. Below is a full list of the honorees. Click here to read about the winners of the inaugural A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism in Minnesota.
Special awards:
5A. Journalist of the Year: J. Patrick Coolican of the Minnesota Reformer
Judge’s comments: Patrick Coolican has proven that great journalism is not just about breaking stories, but about the relentless work behind the scenes that makes those stories possible. As the editor of the Minnesota Reformer, he has led this small-but-mighty team to tackle some of the most difficult, important investigations in the state. His leadership and mentorship show up in the work of the reporters, work that digs deeper and pushes boundaries. The judges said Coolican’s vision and ability to identify the unique strengths of each team member have made the Reformer a standout organization. One judge commented that in a crowded media landscape, the Reformer is not only punching above its weight, but has become a true powerhouse.
Honorable Mention: A.J. Lagoe of KARE 11, David Pierini of North News
5B. Young Journalist of the Year: Mara Klecker of the Minnesota Star Tribune
Judge’s comments: Mara Klecker’s reporting is marked by clarity, empathy and a remarkable range — from thoughtful stories about student life, to hard-hitting investigations into Minnesota’s charter schools. The judges commended her leadership on the Minnesota Star Tribune’s yearlong charter school project, as she held her own among veteran journalists and shaped a powerful series of stories that resulted in action at the Capitol. The judges were impressed with her ability not only to handle complex stories, but also Klecker’s thoughtful and simple approach to everyday stories on the education beat. The judges thought Klecker’s work over the last year was thorough, honest and deeply human.
5C. Best Beat Reporting: Kim Hyatt of the Minnesota Star Tribune
Judge’s comments: Kim Hyatt’s return home to north-central Minnesota has given readers unique, meaningful stories that break the beat-reporting mold. The judges praised Hyatt’s work for its depth and impact. Whether covering Arctic Cat layoffs in Thief River Falls or the rise of “Tin City” structures in Crosslake, she brings an energy and effort that reflect her deep sourcing and connection to the communities she covers. The judges said Hyatt has a rare gift for mining powerful stories in small towns and making them relevant to readers all across the state.
Honorable Mention: Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press
5D. Best Use of Public Records: Becky Dernbach and Cynthia Tu of Sahan Journal for “A $132 million loophole in Minnesota’s anti-corruption laws”
Judge’s comments: Sahan Journal’s investigation into a Minnesota charter school uncovered a major loophole in the state’s anti-corruption laws — one that allowed millions in contracts to be awarded without following a competitive bidding process. Dernbach and Tu combined old-school reporting with smart use of AI to create a dataset that had never been compiled before. The judges praised the project’s nuanced writing, innovative blend of technology and investigative reporting and an important explainer of the reporting methods. The result was a powerful exposé that revealed $132 million in unchecked spending in a single school year — and that spurred swift legislative action.
Honorable Mention: Andy Mannix, Liz Sawyer and Jeff Hargarten of the Minnesota Star Tribune for coverage of the Minneapolis Police Department
The Peter S. Popovich Award: The staff of the Minnesota Reformer
Board comments: Each year, the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists awards the Peter S. Popovich Award to a person or organization that exemplifies the fight to uphold First Amendment rights. The award, MNSPJ’s most prestigious, honors the life of Peter Popovich, a legislator, judge and advocate for open government.
Five years after its launch, the Minnesota Reformer has demonstrated a consistent use of public records to produce scoops and investigations that hold the powerful to account and inform the public about their government’s actions.
Examples from 2024 include coverage of the MPD’s failure to publish disciplinary records as required, reporting showing that some Feeding Our Future defendants have ties to Medicaid-funded autism centers now under investigation by the FBI, and a scoop highlighting the Minnesota Star Tribune publisher’s ongoing relationship and communication with the Walz administration.
The Reformer uses Minnesota’s freedom of information laws to report without fear or favor, and it shares its reporting with newsrooms across the state for free to make these essential stories available to more Minnesotans. For that, we commend them.
Coverage awards:
1A. Breaking News Reporting (big)
1. Chris Snowbeck, Jeremy Olson, Victor Stefanescu and Paul Walsh of the Minnesota Star Tribune for coverage of the murder of the UnitedHealthcare CEO
2. Nicole Ki and Feven Gerezgiher of MPR News for “Minneapolis punk show mass shooting victims react as teen takes plea deal”
3. Staff of the Minnesota Star Tribune for coverage of the fatal shooting of Burnsville first responders
1A. Breaking News Reporting (small)
1. Jerry Burnes of Iron Range Today for “Floods wreak havoc on Iron Range residents, businesses and tourism”
2. Kay Fate of the Steele County Times for coverage of a decades-old murder mystery ending in the arrest of an Owatonna man
3. Jasmine McBride of the Center for Broadcast Journalism for “Sun Country flight attendants demand fair wages, better contract”
1B. Feature Reporting (big)
1. Ryan Faircloth of the Minnesota Star Tribune for “This Minnesota county voted blue for nearly 100 years — until Trump”
2. Regina Medina of MPR News for “After losing legs in shredder, Minnesota man sets a path forward”
3. Jake Steinberg of the Minnesota Star Tribune for “This is one of Minnesota’s oldest trees. Climate change could kill it.”
1B. Feature Reporting (small)
1. Steve Lange of Rochester Magazine for “The man who walked around the world”
2. David Pierini of North News for “At new V3 Center, swimming is life”
3. Abraham Swee of University of St. Thomas Magazine for “First Class of Tommie Nurses Ready to Advance Equity, Whole-Person Care”
1C. Profile Reporting (big)
1. Susan Du and Renée Jones-Schneider of the Minnesota Star Tribune for “He was in prison for 19 years for a murder he didn’t commit. Suddenly, he was free.”
2. Katelyn Vue of Sahan Journal for “Pain of displacement from St. Paul’s West Side Flats lingers decades later”
3. Chris Strouth of The Current (Minnesota Public Radio) for “A final hang with Spider John Koerner, Minneapolis’ storied folk music explorer”
1C. Profile Reporting (small)
1. Steve Lange of Rochester Magazine for “I Never Saw My Home Again“
2. Jay Boller of Racket for “Barkhad Abdi Moved Back to Minneapolis, But He Never Left Hollywood”
3. Brady Slater of Pine Knot News for “At age 91, jockey still riding tall”
1D. Enterprise/In-Depth Reporting (big)
1. Sheila Eldred and Cynthia Tu of Sahan Journal for “Overlooked: Who suffers the most from the opioid epidemic in Minnesota?”
2. Emma Nelson, MaryJo Webster, Dee DePass and Brooks Johnson of the Minnesota Star Tribune for “Income mobility is the American Dream. Most Minnesotans never achieve it.” and related coverage
3. Jennifer Zettel-Vandenhouten of Project Optimist for a series on recycling
1D. Enterprise/In-Depth Reporting (small)
1. Mark Fischenich of the Mankato Free Press for “A decade after debut of Hwy 22 roundabouts: No deaths, many dents, much less dissent”
2. Kay Fate and Rick Bussler of the Steele County Times for coverage of the CFC sex scandal
3. Ethan Nelson of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal for “Frequent Flying Executives”
1E. Business News Reporting (big)
1. Emma Nelson of the Minnesota Star Tribune for reporting on the economy
2. Frederick Melo and Mars King of the Pioneer Press for “After founder’s death, St. Paul’s largest downtown property owner puts 10 downtown sites on market” and related coverage
3. Max Nesterak of the Minnesota Reformer for “Minnesota dairy farm faces $3 million wage theft lawsuit involving hundreds of workers” and related coverage
1E. Business News Reporting (small)
1. Dan Niepow of Twin Cities Business for reporting on business news
2. Frank Jossi of Midwest Energy News for “The Way Forward To Reducing Carbon Emissions”
3. Jay Boller of Racket for “Meet the Serbian Businessman/DJ Who Runs the Zombie AI Southwest Journal”
1F. Business Feature Reporting (big)
1. Molly Guthrey of the Pioneer Press for “With a second chance at life, Mary Haugh is doing the same for houses”
2. Mike Hughlett of the Minnesota Star Tribune for “Lottery winner sets up charity then gets cheated out of money by financial adviser”
3. Ava Kian of MinnPost for “Working tirelessly to keep the lights on and the news flowing”
1F. Business Feature Reporting (small)
1. Dené Dryden of the Rochester Post Bulletin for “Getting weight loss drugs from med spas? Inside this growing service in Rochester”
2. Keith Harris of Racket for “‘Our Community Is as Big as Where African Americans Live’: The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder at 90”
3. J.D. Duggan and Nancy Kuehn of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal for a profile of Electric Fetus
1G. State Politics/Government Reporting (big)
1. Reid Forgrave of the Minnesota Star Tribune for coverage of the presidential election and the shifting politics of Upper Midwest
2. Michelle Griffith, Patrick Coolican, Jessica Lussenhop, Madison McVan and Deena Winter of the Minnesota Reformer/ProPublica for coverage of Gov. Tim Walz
3. Deena Winter of the Minnesota Reformer for “Fraud, fraud, everywhere a fraud”
1G. State Politics/Government Reporting (small)
1. Stuart Sudak, Joanna Werch Takes and Mark Weber of Eden Prairie Local News for coverage of the Minnesota House District 49 election
2. Dené Dryden of the Rochester Post Bulletin for coverage of the proposed medical aid in dying law in Minnesota
1H. Local Politics/Government Reporting (big)
1. Katie Galioto, Anna Boone and Jake Steinberg of the Minnesota Star Tribune for “From One to All”
2. Becky Dernbach of Sahan Journal for coverage of the Anoka-Hennepin budget showdown
3. Susan Du of the Minnesota Star Tribune for “Minneapolis hopes a tougher vacancy policy will clean up its most stubborn nuisance properties”
1H. Local Politics/Government Reporting (small)
1. John Ramos of the Duluth Monitor for “Mayor Reinert’s ‘Partner in Life’ Issues Directives to City Staff”
2. Staff of Eden Prairie Local News for series on 2024 voting in Eden Prairie
3. Brady Slater of Pine Knot News for “End of a police force”
1I. Best Interview (big)
1. Katelyn Vue of Sahan Journal for “Kao Kalia Yang’s new book, ‘Where Rivers Part,’ dives into her mom’s life story”
2. Britt Robson of MinnPost for “One-on-One with Timberwolves Head Coach Chris Finch”
3. Andy Steiner of MinnPost for “Researcher Ken Winters highlights the risks of cannabis to developing brains”
1I. Best Interview (small)
1. Liz Fedor of Twin Cities Business for “Ballard’s Michaud Serves as a Role Model for Gay Attorneys”
2. Joanna Werch Takes of Eden Prairie Local News for “30 Years of Book Group”
3. Sanni Brown of Carbon Sound for “Interview: Georgia Fort on The Message”
1J. Columns (big)
1. Laura Yuen of the Minnesota Star Tribune for three column submissions
2. Patrick Coolican of the Minnesota Reformer for three column submissions
3. Sheletta Brundidge of the Minnesota Star Tribune for three column submissions
1J. Columns (small)
1. Adam Platt of Twin Cities Business for three “Plattitudes” columns
2. Jay Gabler of the Duluth News Tribune for “Front Row Seat”
3. Mark Fischenich of the Mankato Free Press for “Ask Us” columns
1K. Editorials (big)
1. Aurora Weirens of the Minnesota Star Tribune “From a recent high school grad: Cellphones in the classroom are disastrous”
2. Kayseh Magan, Patrick Coolican and Chuck Johnson of the Minnesota Reformer for three editorial submissions
3. Aaron Brown of the Minnesota Star Tribune for “When a blue district turns red, the dirt stays the same”
1K. Editorials (small)
1. Chuck Frederick of the Duluth News Tribune for three editorial submissions
2. Kathy Vos of the Mankato Free Press for three editorial submissions
3. Jay Boller of Racket for “With Duluth’s Park Point, Kathy Cargill Crossed the Billionaire PR Precipice”
1L. Headlines
1. Patrick Coolican, Michelle Griffith, Madison McVan and Chris Ingraham of the Minnesota Reformer for three headline submissions
2. Kevin Cusick of the Pioneer Press for three headline submissions
1M. Arts & Entertainment Reporting (big)
1. Alex V. Cipolle of MPR News for “Art, destruction and community”
2. Chris Riemenschneider of the Minnesota Star Tribune for “Twin Cities music scene coverage”
3. Jacob Aloi of MPR News for “Bolder and still more bold: An ambitious Shakespeare project at the Guthrie Theater” and other coverage
1M. Arts & Entertainment Reporting (small)
1. Jay Gabler of the Duluth News Tribune for “Northlandia: Iron Range’s Gen Z Finnish polka comedy icon”
2. Jessica Armbruster of Racket for “The Disabled Babes of Burlesque”
3. Em Cassel of Racket for “‘It’s the New Meat Raffle’: Inside the Growing World of MN Gun Bingo”
1N. A&E/Culture Criticism/Reviews (big)
1. Max Sparber of MPR News for three review submissions
2. Joel Swenson of The Current (Minnesota Public Radio) for “PJ Harvey, Chris Stapleton, Motion City Soundtrack reviews”
3. Max Sparber and Alex V. Cipolle of MPR News for “Three Critical DMs”
1N. A&E/Culture Criticism/Reviews (small)
1. Keith Harris of Racket for “‘A Complete Unknown’ Lives Up to Its Title and ‘Reagan’ Is the Movie Ronald Reagan Would Have Made”
2. Keith Harris of Racket for “This Is the Last Sleater-Kinney Show I’ll Ever Review and PJ Harvey Can Get Away With Anything”
1O. Sports News Reporting (big)
1. Heather Rule of Minnesota Hockey Magazine for “PWHL Minnesota’s inaugural season”
2. Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star Tribune for “Coverage of the Minnesota Vikings”
3. Pat Borzi of MinnPost for “Olympic Gymnastic Trials Coverage”
1O. Sports News Reporting (small)
1. Theodore Tollefson of Twins Daily for “After His First Ever Multi-Homer Game, Brooks Lee Feels on Top of the World”
1P. Sports Feature Reporting (big)
1. Chris Hine of the Minnesota Star Tribune for “Miles of Mentorship: The story of Naz Reid and Rudy Roundtree”
2. Randy Johnson of the Minnesota Star Tribune for “Southern comforts before Northern battles”
3. Heather Rule of Minnesota Hockey Magazine for “Farewell, Sweet Lou. Lou Nanne calls it a career after 60 years of broadcasting the state tournament”
1P. Sports Feature Reporting (small)
1. Theodore Tollefson of ZoneCoverageMN for “Twins Prospect Payton Eeles Is A Modern Day ‘Charlie Hustle’”
2. Jerry Burnes of Iron Range Today for “Chasing the Olympic dream in Eveleth”
3. Dan Gaisbauer of Whenesota for “The Minneapolis Millerettes”
1Q. Best Magazine Cover
1. Mike Novak, Mike Norseng and John Haynes of Twin Cities Business for August/September 2024 edition
2. Mollie Burlingame and Joe Ahlquist of Rochester Magazine for March 2024 edition
1R. Best Website
1. Nora Hertel, Jen Zettel-Vandenhouten and Erica Dischino of Project Optimist
2. Staff of Racket
1S. Best Social Media Account
1. Audrey Kennedy of Axios for Axios Twin Cities Instagram
2. Staff MPR News for MPR News Instagram
3. Staff of Sahan Journal for Sahan Journal TikTok
1T. Best Newsletter
1. Melody Hoffmann and Ellie Zimmerman of Southwest Voices for “Southwest Voices Daily Newsletter”
2. Anna Haecherl, Sam Stroozas, Matt Mikus and staff of MPR News for “Minnesota Today Newsletter”
3. Jen Zettel-Vandenhouten of Project Optimist for “Project Optimist newsletter”
2A. Breaking News Reporting
1. Staff of KSTP-TV for “Burnsville Shooting”
2. Lewis Karpel and Ubah Ali of WCCO-TV for “Southern Minnesota community comes together during major flooding”
2B. Feature Reporting
1. Kirsten Swanson and Monty Stuempert of KSTP-TV for “Ready to Burn”
2. Boyd Huppert and Chad Nelson of KARE 11 for “Mow-A-Wish”
3. Ben Hovland and Anne Guttridge of MPR News for “Being a drag performer in a small town”
2C. Enterprise/In-depth Reporting
1. Jennifer Mayerle, Chris Cruz and Grant Verdon of WCCO-TV for “Tracing Crime Guns”
2. Nathan O’Neal, Casey Hooker and Joe Augustine of KMSP-TV for “The 3M Tapes”
3. Brittney Ermon of KSTP-TV for “Woodbury Dental patients left in limbo”
2D. Sports News Reporting
1. Boyd Huppert and Devin Krinke of KARE 11 for “Mud Ducks”
2. Heidi Wigdahl of KARE 11 for “Alasan’s Dream”
3. Kaomi Lee, Mike Phillips and Nic Ortiz of Twin Cities PBS for “Northernettes Glide To Recognition”
2E. State Politics/Government Reporting
1. Kirsten Swanson and Lee Zwiefelhofer of KSTP-TV for “Minnesota banned the use of deepfakes in elections. Now dozens of other states are, too.”
2. Jennifer Mayerle, Grant Verdon and Breanna Levine of WCCO-TV for “Felons With Firearms”
2G. Best Interview
1. Nathan O’Neal, Casey Hooker and Joe Augustine of KMSP-TV for “St. Paul mass shooting: Grief, recovery and lawsuits loom 3 years later”
2. Jennifer Mayerle, Ben Harper and Chris Cruz of WCCO-TV for “Surviving Gunfire”
3. Ayisha Jaffer of The Current (Minnesota Public Radio) for an interview with the Pixies
3A. Breaking News Reporting
1. Staff of MPR News for “Walz picked to run as Harris’ vice presidential candidate”
2. Kirsten Wisniewski and Kalli Hawkins of WTIP for “Structure fire destroys historic Lutsen Resort along Lake Superior”
3. Megan Buffington of KAXE/KBXE for “Social media rumor prompts 4th notice of alleged threats in GR schools”
3B. Feature Reporting
1. James Napoli and Britta Greene of KFAI for “Saving Minnesotan Old Time Music”
2. Melissa Olson of MPR News for “Restored tribal land ends uncertainty for a family living on Mille Lacs Lake”
3. Deanna StandingCloud, Emma Needham and Marie Rock of Minnesota Native News (Association of Minnesota Public Educational Radio Stations) for “Anangong Miigaading – ‘Star Wars: A New Hope’ Released in Ojibwe Language”
3C. Enterprise/In-depth Reporting
1. Kirsti Marohn, Ben Hovland and staff of MPR News for “Trouble by the water: Minnesota’s vanishing natural lakeshore”
2. Michelle Bruch of KFAI for “Minnesota vs. Big Tobacco”
3. Anika Besst of MPR News for “Resident assistants face new pressures, responsibilities in post-COVID college life”
3D. Best Podcast
1. Brian Bakst, Matt Alvarez, Ellie Roth and Alanna Elder of MPR News for “Politics Friday”
2. Staff of KFAI for “MinneCulture Season 8”
3. Leah Lemm, Cole Premo and Britt Aamodt of the Association of Minnesota Public Educational Radio Stations for “Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine”
3E. State Politics/Government Reporting
1. Ellie Roth of MPR News for “Minnesota’s rural ambulance providers look to state Capitol for their own lifeline”
2. Megan Buffington of KAXE/KBXE for “Struggling rural ambulance services seek support from state Legislature”
3. Dana Ferguson and Clay Masters of MPR News for “State Legislature and elections coverage”
3F. Local Politics/Government Reporting
1. Megan Buffington of KAXE/KBXE for “Grassroots movement prompts Hibbing City Council to change course on Cobb Cook Park public housing”
3G. Best Interview
1. Jill Riley of The Current (Minnesota Public Radio) for “A first-hand account of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Dancing in the Dark’ video”
2. Mac Wilson of The Current (Minnesota Public Radio) for “Frank Turner – interview with The Current’s Mac Wilson”
3. Mike Pengra of The Current (Minnesota Public Radio) for “Greg Brown talks about his retrospective ‘Ring Around The Moon: A Songbook’”
4A. News Photography
1. Azhae’la Hanson of North News for “Charter school board votes to close amid financial crisis”
2. Lorie Shaull of KAXE/KBXE for “News Photography Around Northern Minnesota”
3. Jeff Wheeler, Renée Jones Schneider and Aaron Lavinsky of the Minnesota Star Tribune for “Star Tribune News Photography”
4B. Feature Photography
1. Azhae’la Hanson of North News for “Pictures of the Year: Azhae’la Hanson shoots from the heart”
2. Anthony Soufflé, Elizabeth Flores and Shari Gross of the Minnesota Star Tribune for “Star Tribune Feature Photography”
3. Kerem Yücel of MPR News for “Voices Behind Bars: Portraits of Incarceration, Journalism, and Personal Transformation”
4C. Portrait Photography
1. Kerem Yücel of MPR News for “Resilience, Connection, and Identity: Portraits of Comfort, Wildness, and Creative Expression”
2. Laura Buhman of The Current (Minnesota Public Radio) for “Student 1 & Raffaella”
3. Lorie Shaull of KAXE/KBXE for “Portraits from around Northern Minnesota”
4D. Sports Photography
1. Johnnie Phillips of the Steele County Times for three sports photos
2. Anthony Soufflé, Elizabeth Flores and Carlos Gonzalez of the Minnesota Star Tribune for “Star Tribune Sports Photography”
3. Lorie Shaull of KAXE/KBXE for “Sports Photography in Minnesota”
4E. Infographic/Data Visualization
1. C.J. Sinner, Jake Lovett and Carlos Gonzalez of the Minnesota Star Tribune for “Suni Lee wants balance beam gold. These key moments could get her there.”
2. Yuqing Liu and C.J. Sinner of the Minnesota Star Tribune for “Where Minnesota’s politics have shifted over 20 years”
3. Jeff Hargarten and Dave Orrick of the Minnesota Star Tribune for “Uptown is down for now”
4F. Illustration
1. Mike Novak, Mike Norseng and Charles Williams of Twin Cities Business for “TCB 100”
4G. Page Design
1. Josh Jones of the Minnesota Star Tribune for “‘Rest easy, brothers’”
2. Jake Lovett of the Minnesota Star Tribune for “Paris Olympics Preview”
3. Mike Novak and Mike Norseng of Twin Cities Business for “The Perils of Politics @ Work”