The Arizona Daily Star earned the three top awards from the Arizona Press Club — journalist of the year (in a tie), photojournalist of the year, and the Don Bolles Award for Investigative Reporting.
Those are in addition to six first places, and other honors, received by the Star in the contest results announced Friday.
Emily Bregel, the Star’s immigration and border reporter, tied for Virg Hill Arizona Journalist of the Year with Chelsea Curtis of Arizona Luminaria and Jason Wolf of The Arizona Republic.
Emily Bregel
The Star’s Mamta Popat was named the Nick Oza Arizona Photojournalist of the Year — and the Star also swept that category, with Kelly Presnell in second and Grace Trejo in third.
“Our photo staff winning all three places in Photojournalist of the Year in addition to winning and scoring high in individual categories makes a statement,” said Arizona Daily Star Executive Editor David McCumber.
Mamta Popat
Star reporter Tim Steller and Lee Enterprises Public Service Journalism reporter Emily Hamer received the Don Bolles Award for Investigative Reporting for the series “Twisted Message,” which the judge said “represents the hallmark of investigative journalism: revealing new and noteworthy information in an endlessly readable format that produced concrete changes as a result.”
Tim Steller
Emily Hamer
After the “Twisted Message” series was published, a parishioner in the Tucson church that was a focus of the series, Golden Dawn Tabernacle, was indicted on child molestation charges. He had admitted to sexual conduct with a child during an interview for the series. The pastor of the church, Isaac Noriega, was charged with failing to report child sexual abuse. Both criminal cases are still pending in Superior Court.
Bregel’s reporting in her Journalist of the Year entry included: “Tucson families prepare for mass deportations: ‘A sad and painful time,’” “Sonora ranchers: Mine’s ‘unethical’ water pumping leaving them dry,” “Sonora ranchers warn imperiled San Pedro aquifer will impact Arizona, too,” “Missing migrant remains out of reach in protected Arizona wilderness,” “Border Patrol confiscation of migrants’ meds leads to medical harm, wasted funds; “Tucson Rep. Juan Ciscomani’s brother-in-law calls his border politics hypocritical,” “One year into Biden asylum rule, migrants face threats, long waits south of border“ and “Hate speech, convoy drive surge in vigilantism, harassment on border.”
Worshippers carry the cross during the 57th annual Good Friday Cross Procession led by Los Dorados Orphan League up Sentinel Peak on March 29, 2024. This photo was part of Mamta Popat’s first-place winning picture story, “Good Friday Cross Procession.”
Popat’s Photojournalist of the Year work included a first-place-winning picture story, “Good Friday Cross Procession,” and the top feature photo of 2024, among other images.
“These results confirm what Star readers already know: This staff delivers top-notch journalism to Southern Arizona every day,” said McCumber.
“It’s particularly great to win the Virg Hill and Don Bolles awards; both of them mean a great deal to Arizona journalists.”
Jerry Carlyle, a Tohono Oʼodham tribal member, blesses a station of the cross during the 57th annual Good Friday Cross Procession led by Los Dorados Orphan League up Sentinel Peak on March 29, 2024. This photo was part of Mamta Popat’s first-place winning picture story, “Good Friday Cross Procession.”
Steller also took first place in column writing. McCumber said, “In a year when he teamed up on the state’s top investigative journalism project, for Tim Steller to also win as a columnist is very special.”
“We’re not the largest newsroom in the state, but pound for pound I believe the Star is one of the best news operations anywhere,” McCumber said. “I couldn’t be prouder of the entire staff.”
The Star’s honors include:
Breaking news: 1st: Bruce Pascoe “Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Walton, who breathed life into broadcasts from McKale Center, dies at 71.” Judge’s comment: “The comprehensive nature of (Pascoe’s) news obituary with no notice is the definition of pivoting when there is breaking news.”
2nd: Ellie Wolfe, “U of A president orders arrests, police and protesters clash”
Environmental and science reporting: 1st: Emily Bregel, “Mining giant’s water use draining Sonoran aquifers, with implications for Arizona.” Judge’s comment: “Deep, thoughtful borderland reporting that makes legible the international breadth of a water problem, its connections to multiple environmental consequences, and the stakes for the people involved.”
Column, Opinion or editorial reporting: 1st: Tim Steller, “Tucson’s deepening drug problem.” Judge’s comment: “Timothy Steller has a really confident voice. He uses just enough words to put the reader in the situation, but not too many to get in the way of the story. That’s an impressive combo.”
2nd: Michael Lev.
Photojournalism – Picture story: 1st: Mamta Popat, “Good Friday Cross Procession.” Judge’s comments: “Lovely photo story on the Good Friday Cross Procession. Strong community-focused photojournalism. Each image in a photo story is beautifully seen, and stands on its own. The pacing of the photo story has a strong beginning, middle and end. The photographer shared dynamic lighting, heartfelt emotion and moments. A very strong and tightly-edited photo story.”
3rd: Grace Trejo, “U.S. flag placement at the Arizona Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery”
Photojournalism – Feature: 1st: Mamta Popat, “Veterans Day parade.” Judge’s comment: “Wonderfully cropped moment from a crowd of parade onlookers. That kid’s face is priceless. “
Parker Fite, middle, waits for the start of the 105th annual Tucson Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 11, 2024. This photo won first place in the Arizona Press Club’s photojournalism feature category, with the judge noting, “That kid’s face is priceless.”
3rd: Kelly Presnell, “Untangle”
Photojournalism – Pictorial: 1st: Kelly Presnell, “Football dusk.” Judge’s comment: “Beautiful light, moment, composition and surprise in one frame. Great work!”
Personality profile/human interest reporting: 2nd: Norma Coile, “Bob Hirsh, Tucson’s ‘finest criminal defense lawyer,’ dies”
Photojournalism – News: 2nd: Kelly Presnell, “Monsoon Flooding”
3rd: Grace Trejo, “Manzo Bobcats’ Garden-to-Table experience”
Business reporting: 3rd: Cathalena E. Burch, “Too much wine, not enough drinkers: Arizona wine industry is in a slump”
Photojournalism – Sports: 3rd: Kelly Presnell, “Territorial Cup”
In addition, Star reporter Analeise Mayor won first place in student features for a story written for Arizona Sonoran News Service and published by the Star when she was a University of Arizona student, “Starting Over After the Fire“.
Note: Results have not yet been announced in two categories, immigration reporting and health reporting.
