The staffs of Colorado Politics and sister publication The Gazette won 13 awards in the Society of Professional Journalists’ four-state Top of the Rockies competition for news excellence throughout 2019. 

Colorado Politics’ Joey Bunch received first place in personal column/humor for his “Insights” columns, including one where he discussed his brush with death. Marianne Goodland received first place in long-form features for her coverage of conservation easements, second place in personal column/humor for her “Capitol M” humor columns and third place in news reporting for covering a Gov. Jared Polis recall group.

Colorado Politics’ John C. Ensslin, Ernest Luning, Conrad Swanson and Andy Colwell won second place in breaking news for covering the Denver 2019 election. Alayna Alvarez received second place in best solutions journalism for her coverage on the Denver police co-responder program.

Colorado Politics’ Ernest Luning was awarded second place in news columns for his Trail Mix columns, as well as third place in long-form features for covering the University of Colorado’s “Fantastic Four” – four Colorado political leaders who worked together at CU’s student government years ago. 

Colorado Politics’ Joey Bunch took second place in general reporting for a series or package with his in-depth coverage of Colorado’s lobbyists.

Colorado Politics competed against daily and weekly newspapers and magazines of up to 10,000 circulation in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

The Gazette’s four awards included first-place honors for breaking news and news column, and third place honors for long form feature and agricultural/environmental reporting. 

The Gazette competed against daily and weekly publications with circulations of 30,000 to 75,000, and against small market radio and TV stations.

First-place winners were David Ramsey for his news column at The Gazette, and Evan Ochsner, Olivia Prentzel, Leslie James, Jerilee Bennett and Hannah Tran for their breaking news coverage of the death of De’Von Bailey, a 19-year-old black man killed in an officer-involved shooting. 

The Gazette’s Stephanie Earls took third place in long-form features for telling the story of a homeless man taken in by Monument’s Horseshoe Donuts. Seth Boster received third place in agricultural/environmental general reporting for his story about students tracking noise pollution in Colorado Springs.