The Milwaukee Press Club, the oldest active press club in America and known for honoring excellence in the field of journalism, announced the winners of the 94th Annual Gridiron Awards on May 3.

Milwaukee Independent earned a staggering 12 awards, across a variety of categories, highlighting the publication’s exceptional talent in both reporting and visual storytelling.

Particularly noteworthy was the publication’s clean sweep of winners in two categories, showcasing their dominance in the arena of local photojournalism and hard news features, and earning the “Best Local News Website” distinction.

At the Pfister Hotel, where the 2024 Gridiron Awards Dinner was held, Milwaukee Independent accepted awards for reporting that stretched from the invasion of Ukraine to the streets of Milwaukee.

The recognition from the Milwaukee Press Club served as a testament to Milwaukee Independent’s commitment to excellence in journalism. The awards are highly regarded in the industry, recognizing outstanding work in reporting, photography, design, and multimedia.

Being honored in such a wide range of categories underscored the publication’s versatility and its ability to engage readers with compelling narratives, investigative depth, and visual storytelling.

Among the winning pieces were in-depth analyses of local issues, feature stories that brought global events closer to home, and investigative reports that shed light on matters of public concern. The categories also covered such a broad spectrum of journalism, reflecting Milwaukee Independent’s holistic approach to news coverage and its dedication to informing the public with integrity and creativity.

The 2024 contest drew hundreds of entries from throughout Wisconsin in professional and collegiate categories. The competition was judged by professional journalists from press clubs throughout the United States, including statewide clubs in Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Western Pennsylvania, and Southeast Texas, and metro-area clubs in Cleveland, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco, and Syracuse.

The Milwaukee Independent team was traveling across the Fukushima region of Japan, scarred by a devastating national disaster and nuclear accident, when news reached them about earning a dozen Milwaukee Press Club nominations just miles away from the radioactive Daiichi Nuclear Plant on March 11.

“If nobody puts it down on the record anywhere, then the monsters win totally. It must be someplace on the record, because otherwise they could get by with anything. Does it stop anything? I don’t feel that everything I’ve done has been of use. But at least, it is better than silence. Because if you are silent, then they can rewrite it anyway they want. They can make it look great afterward. So there is a point on the record.” – Martha Gellhorn, War Correspondent

Under the rules, news organizations could only enter work from last year in the Milwaukee Press Club’s competition. The 2024 awards reflect editorial features produced in 2023. Milwaukee Independent has earned a total of 71 awards for work since 2016. The winners selected for the 94th Annual Gridiron Awards for Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism are:

[BRZ] • VISUAL JOURNALISM: BEST PHOTO ESSAY
Medical Mission to Jordan: The faces of Syrian refugees and their health struggles after years of war

[GLD] • VISUAL JOURNALISM: BEST NEWS PHOTOGRAPH (1 OF 3)
Bombs in the Night: Why children in Uman are still traumatized by Russia’s missile attack

[SLV] • VISUAL JOURNALISM: BEST NEWS PHOTOGRAPH (2 OF 3)
The bus is for all of us: Milwaukee County’s 2023 Pride Month kicks off with new MCTS Pride Bus design

[BRZ] • VISUAL JOURNALISM: BEST NEWS PHOTOGRAPH (3 OF 3)
Governor Evers signs legislation to increase penalties for carjacking and reckless driving in Wisconsin

[SLV] • VISUAL JOURNALISM: BEST FEATURE PHOTOGRAPH
Wisconsin Ukrainians host annual fundraising picnic to support homeland on 500th day of war

[GLD] • ONLINE EXCLUSIVELY: BEST LOCAL NEWS WEBSITE
Milwaukee Independent: An Online Daily News Magazine

[GLD] • ONLINE EXCLUSIVELY: BEST SHORT HARD FEATURE STORY (1 OF 3)
Ithaka: Family-focused documentary about the fight for Julian Assange’s freedom premieres in Milwaukee

[SLV] • ONLINE EXCLUSIVELY: BEST SHORT HARD FEATURE STORY (2 OF 3)
Being Friends of Angels: The Milwaukee nonprofit saving lives and offering hope in Ukraine

[BRZ] • ONLINE EXCLUSIVELY: BEST SHORT HARD FEATURE STORY (3 OF 3)
Acts of Hate: Local family faces lengthy legal battle with neighbors over alleged racial harassment

[BRZ] • ONLINE EXCLUSIVELY: BEST SHORT SOFT FEATURE STORY
John Gurda’s Milwaukee: New book transforms iconic bus tours into self-guided adventure of discovery

[BRZ] • ONLINE EXCLUSIVELY: BEST SINGLE EDITORIAL
Irpin is not forgotten: Residents thank Milwaukee Independent for reporting on their “Hero City”

[BRZ] • Online Exclusively: Best Explanatory Series
Milwaukee and Ukrainian volunteers help refugee children and injured heroes cope with survival