Variety Shines at the 18th Annual National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards
Variety had a successful night at the 18th annual National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards, winning 20 first-place trophies, an increase from the 14 wins they received the previous year. The wins spanned various categories, including hard news, business reporting, commentary, criticism, photography, and cover art. Chief music critic and senior writer Chris Willman was named Print Journalist of the Year and received five awards. Other writers and reporters who won first-place prizes included Kate Aurthur, Leo Barraclough, Daniel D’Addario, Clayton Davis, Matt Donnelly, Owen Gleiberman, Brent Lang, Kristen Lopez, Naman Ramachandran, Michael Schneider, and Michaela Zee.
The magazine's cover package on Taylor Swift's Eras Tour was well-received, with Willman winning Best Music Feature for his cover story on Swift. The team of Jennifer Dorn, Haley Kluge, Richard Maltz, and Joe Toreno won Best Cover Art for their image related to the tour. The photography team, including Dorn, Kluge, deputy photo editor Jennifer Halper, Emilio Madrid, and Richard Maltz, also received recognition for their work.
Executive editor Brent Lang and chief correspondent Daniel D’Addario were among the multiple winners, with Lang winning awards for Business/Film/Print and Commentary Analysis/Trend, Film, Print, and D’Addario winning Best Theater/Performing Arts Critic. Chief film critic Owen Gleiberman and editor-at-large Kate Aurthur were recognized for their pieces on Val Kilmer and Shannen Doherty, respectively.
Other winners included Michael Schneider, Clayton Davis, Matt Donnelly, Naman Ramachandran, and Michaela Zee, who received awards in various categories. Variety also received numerous second- and third-place honors at the awards ceremony.
The event took place at the Millennium Biltmore, where the L.A. Press Club hosts the SoCal Journalism Awards annually. Honorary awards were presented to Paul Anka, Larry Mantle, Marlee Matlin, Kasi Lemmons, and Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller Rogen. Anka closed the ceremony with a special performance of "My Way" to celebrate the winners and attendees of the event.