The Gazette family of newspapers – Denver Gazette, The Gazette of Colorado Springs and Colorado Politics – earned dozens of journalism awards, including 11 first place finishes and the contest’s most prestigious honors, from the Society of Professional Journalists Top of the Rockies 2023 Contest.

Denver Gazette reporter Carol McKinley was honored as Colorado’s Journalist of the Year by the Colorado chapter of SPJ during the awards ceremony at the Slate Hotel in Denver Saturday night. Colorado Politics reporter Marianne Goodland was also honored with the Keeper of the Flame Award for lifetime achievement in journalism and her contributions to the profession by mentoring young journalists. 

McKinley was singled out for her groundbreaking reporting on the fentanyl crisis chronicling the catastrophe left by the drug’s deadly wake. The veteran journalist was also cited for her breaking news coverage of the Marshall fire, the Ukrainian War, the Barry Morphew case in the disappearance of his wife Suzanne Morphew, and the Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs.

McKinley also anchored the Denver Gazette’s coverage of the fentanyl crisis, chronicling the fatal drug’s deadly wake in Colorado.  

Goodland, who has been a reporter at the state Capitol since 1998, was recognized not only for her work writing about the intricacies of politics and policy but also for helping journalists learn the intricacies of the legislative process.

Goodland has consistently been keeping tabs on the Colorado state legislature longer than any other journalist in the state, delivering incisive analysis of and reporting on the biggest public policy debates in the state.   

The contest, open to media outlets from Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming, is a “regional, multi-platform contest for reporters and news organizations” administered by the SPJ Colorado Pro Chapter and covers work from 2022. 

The Denver Gazette won the following:

• First Place, Multimedia Story – Carol McKinley: “Colorado’s 462 faces of fentanyl” 

• First Place, News Reporting Single Story – Christopher Osher: “Prosecutor struggled with Aldrich bomb threat case that was dismissed” 

• First Place, Sports Columns – Woody Paige

• First Place, Sports News – Tyler King and Paul Klee:”Deion Sanders” 

• Second Place, A&E and Food Criticism – John Moore

• Second Place, Ag and Environment News – Evan Wyloge: “Non-survivable’ evacuation routes threaten some of Colorado’s most wildfire-prone areas” 

• Second Place, Business Enterprise Reporting – Dennis Huspeni: “Retail Delivery Fee” 

• Second Place, Education News – David Migoya: “Cherry Creek School District faces federal discrimination, harassment inquiries” 

• Second Place, Front Page Design – Lill Mayor: “McKinnon’s Megadeal” 

• Second Place, Legal Feature – Hannah Metzger: “A wrongful DUI arrest by Loveland PD kept woman from her kids for months. It’s part of a pattern, attorney says” 

• Second Place, News Column – John Moore

• Second, Place Business News – Dennis Huspeni and Mark Samuelson: “Denver’s housing permit backlog plight” 

• Third Place, Climate Photography/Video – Tim Hurst: “Tarantulas research” 

The Colorado Springs Gazette won the following:

• First Place, Climate Reporting – Mary Shinn, Debbie Kelley, Stephanie Earls, Seth Boster, Jessica Van Dyne, Marianne Goodland: “Tipping point: The Colorado in Peril” 

• First Place, Breaking News Story – Debbie Kelley, Carol McKinley, Breeanna Jent: Club Q Shooting 

• Second Place, Features Short Form – Seth Boster: “By a master’s hands in the Colorado mountains, the bamboo fly rod lives on” 

• Second Place, Mental Health Feature – Stephanie Earls: “‘Hero’ Army vet who tackled Club Q mass shooter says he acted on instinct” 

• Second Place, News Photography/Video – Christian Murdock, Parker Seibold, Jerilee Bennett, Skyler Ballard: Club Q shooting  

• Second Place, Public Service – Mary Shinn, Debbie Kelley, Stephane Earls, Seth Boster, Jessica Van Dyne, Marianne Goodland: “Tipping Point”  

• Second Place, Sports Feature – Brent Briggeman: “Edie Worthington blazes women’s trail with Air Force football” 

• Second Place, Sports Photography/Video – Christian Murdock: Avalanche win the Stanley Cup 

• Third place, Climate Photography/Video – Skyler Ballard: “Tipping Point: Lake Powell” 

• Third Place, Sports News – Brent Briggeman: “Service acedemy athletes figure to see direct path to pro sports removed by provision in defense spending bill” 

Colorado Politics won the following:

• First Place, Headline Writing – Ernest Luning: ‘Lies, lies and damn lies’: Boebert’s GOP challenger swings back at ads alleging hemp scheme

• First Place, Religion News – Debbie Kelley, Luige Del Puerto: Colorado activists on both sides of abortion debate gear up for big fight

• First Place, Breaking News Story – Ernest Luning: Roe decision rattles ballot chase amid heavy spending by Democrats in Colorado’s GOP primaries

• First Place, Politics Feature – Hannah Metzger: Colorado lawmakers move further left, but will the laws follow suit? | COVER STORY

• First Place, Extended Coverage – Marianne Goodland: Open Secret

• Second Place, Headline Writing – Ernest Luning: TRAIL MIX | Newest Boebert challenger lands in Democratic primary with a splat

• Second Place, Religion News – Hannah Metzger: Colorado bill aims to create reporting requirements for health care sharing ministries

• Second Place, Column Personal/Humor – Marianne Goodland: Capitol M

• Second Place, Obit Reporting – Marianne Goodland: House Minority Leader Hugh McKean

• Second Place, Legal News – Michael Karlik: Racial discrimination in jury selection

• Third Place, Breaking News Story – Ernest Luning: Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters faces arrest warrant on obstruction charge after fracas in bagel shop

• Third Place, Public Service – Hannah Metzger: COVER STORY | Colorado ends free DMV driving tests, forces drivers to spend hundreds at private companies

• Third Place, Education News – Hannah Metzger: Bill advances to protect Colorado educators from doxxing

• Third Place, Feature Long form – Hannah Metzger: COVER STORY | Facing ‘hopeless’ future, many young Coloradans turn away from having children

• Third Place, News Reporting Single Story – Hannah Metzger: COVER STORY | Colorado legislature on rising youth violence: ‘We’re at a crisis’

• Third Place, Politics Feature – Marianne Goodland: COVER STORY | Unsustainable? Colorado’s government keeps growing

• Third Place, Health News – Marianne Goodland: Colorado insurance rates will be more expensive than Polis administration promised

• Third Place, Legal Feature – Michael Karlik: COVER STORY | Failure to train: The 7 minutes that cost Boulder $3.41 million

• Third Place, Legal News – Michael Karlik: COVER STORY | Contrition: Amid conflicts of interest, judges in Colorado correct course