On Thursday, June 26, the Utah Headliners Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) celebrated the hard work of the state’s best journalists, photographers and editors from newspapers, television, radio and, yes, magazines. Salt Lake magazine’s team was honored to be among the award-winning media creators in the state of Utah.
The SPJ judges recognized Salt Lake magazine in 20 categories, including top nods for design and graphics, reporting and a second-place win in the Best Magazine Category. (We’ll get you next year, Deseret magazine.)
The SPJ, both locally and nationally, exists to highlight the important work journalists do to keep the public informed and shine a light on public issues and the team at Salt Lake magazine is honored to be in such good company. Fun fact: The national and local SPJ gave the Utah State Legislature its annual “Black Hole Award” for restrictions on media and public access to government documents.
1st Place
- Design and graphics: Best single-page design
- Salt Lake magazine: “Anarchy in The SLC! SLC Punk 25 Years Later”
- Chelsea Rushton, designer
1st Place
- Design and graphics: Feature page design
- Salt Lake magazine: “Off The Radar: How Utah Helped Win the Atomic Race”
- Editor, Jeremy Pugh, Designer, Kimmy Hammons
3rd Place
- Magazine category: Best cover design
- Salt Lake magazine – July 2025 Issue “75+ Reasons To Love Utah”
- Chelsea Rushton, designer
2nd Place
- Magazine category: Best magazine
- Salt Lake magazine
- Jeremy Pugh, editor, Christie Porter, managing editor, Chelsea Rushton, designer
1st Place
- Magazine category: Food and Drink
- “The 2024 Salt Lake Magazine Dining Awards: The Where to Eat Now Edition”
- Jeremy Pugh, writer/editor, Christie Porter, writer/editor, Chelsea Rushton, designer, Adam Finkle, photographer
2nd Place
- Magazine category: News story
- Salt Lake magazine: “Big Trouble in Little Cottonwood: The Gondola Debate”
- Tony Gill, writer, Jeremy Pugh, editor, Chelsea Rushton, designer, Adam Finkle, photographer
1st Place
- Magazine category: Solutions journalism
- Salt Lake magazine: “Let’s Wade In: Water Issues in Utah”
- Christie Porter, writer, Jeremy Pugh, editor, Chelsea Rushton, designer
Honorable Mention
- Salt Lake magazine: Writing and Reporting – Arts and entertainment
- “40 Years of Footloose: Cuttin’ Loose in Payson”
- Christie Porter, writer, Jeremy Pugh, editor, Janine Miller, designer
2nd Place
- Writing and Reporting
- Best reporter
- Christie Porter – Reporter/Editor
1st Place
- Writing and Reporting – Business/consumer writing
- Salt Lake magazine: Seventy-five Reasons to Love Utah
- Jeremy Pugh, writer/editor Christie Porter, writer/editor Chelsea Rushton, designer
1st Place
- Writing and Reporting – Climate and Environment
- Salt Lake magazine: “Let’s Wade In: Water Issues in Utah”
- Christie Porter, writer, Jeremy Pugh, editor, Kimmy Hammons, designer
2nd Place
- Writing and Reporting: General feature
- Salt Lake magazine: SLC Punk!
- Jeremy Pugh, writer, Chelsea Rushton, designer
1st Place
- Writing and Reporting – General news
- Salt Lake magazine: The Uncertain Future of Abravanel Hall
- Christie Porter, writer
1st Place
- Writing and Reporting – Government
- Salt Lake magazine: Farewell To The Last Old-School Republican: Mitt Romney
- Christie Porter
1st Place
- Writing and Reporting – Division B: Growth and development
- “Try to Escape ‘The Maze’ in Sugar House”
- Christie Porter, writer
2nd Place
- Writing and Reporting – Division B: Humor/lifestyle column
- Salt Lake magazine: Campers on Parade
- Jeremy Pugh, writer
2nd Place
- Writing and Reporting – Longform Storytelling
- Salt Lake magazine: “Dust to Dust: Remembering the Scofield Mining Disaster”
- Jason Mathew Smith, writer, Jeremy Pugh, editor, Ari Jiminez, designer
Honorable Mention
- Writing and Reporting – Review/criticism
- Salt Lake magazine: “Go Beyond Chicken Noodle Soup”
- Lydia Martinez
3rd Place
- Writing and Reporting – Series
- Salt Lake magazine: Utah Lore
- Jeremy Pugh
2nd Place
- Writing and Reporting – Sports Feature
- Salt Lake magazine: “Pickleball: What’s All The Racquet?”
- Heather Hayes, writer, Jeremy Pugh, editor, Chelsea Rushton, designer
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