On Wednesday (Jan. 19), the Los Angeles Press Club announced nominations for the National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards, where Billboard nabbed 12 nods.
The L.A. Press Club’s 14th annual National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards is “a national contest aimed at arts and entertainment reporters, photographers, editors and critics across the country, including foreign journalists,” according to its categories and rules page. All published work that was considered for nominations was published between July 2020 and June 2021.
In the creative/performing arts feature (over 1,000 words) and business, music/theater/performing arts related categories, Billboard‘s executive editor, features Rebecca Milzoff received nominations for the “Making a Movement” November 2020 cover story about famed choreographer JaQuel Knight. In the celebrity features (over 1,000 words) category as well as diversity in the entertainment industry, print, Billboard contributor Mitchell Kuga received nominations for the “Call Her By Her Name” Pride 2021 cover story about Rina Sawayama alongside executive editor, West Coast/Nashville Melinda Newman for the “Dreamer-in-Chief” 2020 Country Power Players cover story about Dolly Parton.
The photos from the Parton cover scored senior photo director Jenny Sargent, former executive photo and video director for Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter Jennifer Laski and photographer Miller Mobley a nod in the portrait photo field. Sargent received a solo nod in the feature photo category from the Doja Cat April 2021 cover story, with the cover photo itself earning Sargent, photo editor Samantha Xu, creative director Alexis Cook and photographer Ramona Rosales a nomination in the cover art category. Billboard had two nominations in the photo essay category for the Sawayama cover (Sargent and photographer Zoe McConnell) and The Weeknd 2021 Change Agents cover story (Sargent, Xu and photographer Micaiah Carter).
Milzoff as well as senior editors Nolan Feeney and Lyndsey Havens scored a nod in the entertainment publication – magazine or supplement field for “The No. 1s issue.” The Billboard staff overall was recognized in the entertainment website field for Billboard.com.
See all of the finalists for the National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards here.