José Alberto Gonzalez Mendoza wasn't a celebrity or politician we often write about. But he, his family and his co-workers are the people we entered this profession to protect, even when the others who were supposed to failed them. Nuts-and-bolts journalism.

A thorough news story about atrocities against an already disadvantaged segment of the population. I would trust that there were some law enforcement policy changes as a result of this article.

A fair story about a local football coach leaving for another job. Pretty standard, though it has at least one good quote. Would like to have seen a story built off that quote.

Great series on the growth of local sports. Each story is unique and impactful. Good job

Great composition and more than makes up for the fact we can't see the faces head on

Tightly written, solid explanation of the moving parts at play in an issue of state and local control and annexation — issues that, in the wrong hands, could make readers' eyes glaze over. Good job breaking down the ins and outs. Good progression of the subhead sections. Small thing, but I liked the bullet-point list. A helpful tool. Solid tackling of what's at stake in a state vs. city conflict. Good framing of the 10-year clock aspect as dramatic.

Deft handling of a complicated, controversial, high-profile and still forming constitutional topic.

Well written stories that effectively explained this difficult situation and all the various people hurt by it.

An outstanding in-depth story about family and ethnic gravesites threatened by a major industrial development nearby. The story reflects on current families’ efforts to identify and protect their ancestors’ graves. Exceptional writing; exceptional sourcing—integrating with detail the historical significance of the endeavor and the implication current events have on that history.

The format of this story makes it approachable and fun to read.

A well-written tale of a horrific incident that deserves historical recognition. A reminder to current and future generations of the atrocities committed by whites toward blacks.

There was not a lot of separation between stories in this entry-short category. The winning entry got down to the impact of sports coverage more than other entries. I would like to have seen a different organization for this story --why was he denied should have been higher-- but the story does stand out from others.

First-class reporting and writing. There was a variety of voices. There didn't seem like a wasted quote. I also appreciated the context the writer included about witnessing other athletes protest social issues. Terrific story. Thanks for the good read.

The story summary, the conversations with the women in focus: outstanding! Women, Black women especially, have assumed multiple leadership roles in this community, and the writer succeeds with a dynamic series of conversations.

Well-researched, great quotes and a great job of tying together history, law, science, government and politics, all without ever getting bogged down in the jargon of any area. The reporter compels the reader to follow to the end.

Good lede and storytelling. Dramatic introduction of driver Danny McNeal. The "some days ... other days" paraphrase is captivating. Nice storytelling rather than just leaning on quotes. Constructing a timeline of events was a great idea and an engaging piece of the story. The end of the first article, and the second one, provided a strong accountability aspect, looking into the investigation process and jurisdictional obstacles among authorities and mentioning the family's push for more help.

Excellent reporting about the candidates' strategies, with a good setup for the introduction, solid quotes, the candidates' responding to each other's ideas and tactics, and good quotes from their supporters.

Given this is the business category, I would have liked to see more exploration of why/how gentrification pushed Black-owned businesses out of the area, along with touching on any community struggles to fight that pattern years ago. Nonetheless, this is one of the most engaging entries in the category and possibly the weightiest. Writing is tight. Overall a good microcosm of endurance in, as the story says, a town that is only now starting to reconcile with its racist past.

This piece takes a hot topic -- AI -- in a different direction from other articles covering it. Well written and thought-provoking.