Courier Journal wins big at Louisville Society of Professional Journalists 2024 awards ceremony (2024)

The Courier Journal took home more than 30 awards Thursday evening at the 2024 Society of Professional Journalists Louisville Pro Chapter ceremony, including Journalist of the Year and Rookie of the Year.

Stephanie Kuzydym was recognized as Journalist of the Year for her work in covering the horse racing industry during a series of horse deaths at Churchill Downs during the 2023 Kentucky Derby season and “Safer Sidelines,” the in-depth investigation into the sudden deaths of student athletes. Eleanor McCrary was awarded Rookie of the Year for her investigation into childhood lead exposure, co-written with 2023 Rookie of the Year Connor Giffin.

"What an honor for SPJ to bestow reporters at The Courier Journal with Journalist of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards," Courier Journal Executive Editor Mary Irby-Jones said. "It is always an honor for journalists in our newsroom to be recognized for the work we continue to do to serve our community."

Kuzydym and “Safer Sidelines” have won many accolades nationally and locally, including awards at the National Headliner Awards, Online News Association, Kentucky Press Association and Associated Press Sports Editors.

Her work into sudden deaths of athletes started long before joining The Courier Journal — Kuzydym started a database in 2016 called “The Boys Who Died of Football,” documenting a case every time she came across a headline detailing an athlete’s death. She joined the Louisville newspaper after receiving a grant from the University of Southern California's Annenberg Center for Health Journalism to continue the investigation, culminating in a sweeping project that has sparked changes to safety measures used in Kentucky schools and cited by organizations working to improve athlete safety across the country.

McCrary, the metro reporter at The Courier Journal, and Giffin, environmental reporter for the newspaper, joined forces to comb through dozens of documents and interviews to learn how lead paint in Louisville had poisoned hundreds of children, coming together in a five-part investigation called "A Heavy Burden."

Before joining The Courier Journal as a full time staff member in 2023, McCrarywas an intern for the newspaper in 2022 and completed a fellowship on the fact-check desk at USA TODAY.

Journalist of the Year

Stephanie Kuzydym for her investigative work, including her project "Safer Sidelines" which examines sudden deaths of student athletes.

Here are other stories by Kuzydym:

• "KHSAA lightning policy is strong, but what happens when it's ignored?"
• "As racing returns to Churchill Downs after horse deaths, why the word 'safe' stays unsaid"
• "Proposal to remove guns in mental health crises meets opposition at Kentucky hearing"
• "Parklands of Floyds Fork is expanding by hundreds of acres, crossing into Bullitt County"

Rookie of the Year

Eleanor McCrary for her work on "A Heavy Burden" and her continued reporting on the administration of Mayor Craig Greenberg and city officials.

Here are other articles by McCrary:

• "Mayor Greenberg refuses to sign Louisville's new anti-gentrification ordinance"
• "Volunteers of America to operate Louisville's Community Care Campus"
• "Longtime Louisville city employee Ozzy Gibson named interim director of TARC"
• "TARC executive director Carrie Butler resigns"

First placeSPJ Louisville awards

• Sports Column Writing: C.L. Brown, "AD Tom Jurich, Josh Heird, Horse racing is at crossroads, Denny Crum"
• Best Kentucky Derby story: Brooks Holton, "How Secretariat changed Ron Turcotte's life — and helped decorated jockey inspire others"
• Crime/courts/criminal justice reporting: Lucas Aulbach, "Louisville shooting aftermath, 911 calls of Louisville Old National Bank shooting, A Louisville corner changed forever"
• Editorial writing: Bonnie Jean Feldkamp on behalf of The Courier Journal Editorial Board, "Louisville mourns mass shooting, new police chief hire, JCPS 'transportation disaster'"
• Social justice reporting: Bailey Loosemore, "Louisville’s homeless camp ‘clearing spree," ‘It’s life or death,' Christ Temple Christian Life Center"
• Health reporting: Connor Giffin and Eleanor McCrary, "A Heavy Burden"
• Enterprise/investigative reporting: Stephanie Kuzydym, "Safer Sidelines"
• Best picture story: Jeff Faughender, "Fire crews conduct prescribed burn at Iroquois Park"
• Sports feature photography: Matt Stone, "On the Bench"
• Sports action photography: Jeff Faughender, "Tipoff elegance"
• Page Design: Bill Campling, "Derby Preview"
• Page graphics/illustration: Bill Campling, "Community Forum"
• Sports reporting: Brooks Holton, "Louisville basketball attendance problem, Wesley Cox"
• Sports feature writing: Stephanie Kuzydym, "Best friends die separate, untimely deaths, setting families on mission of hope"
• Personality/profile writing: Kirby Adams, "Dan Oliver, Corey Queen, The Hat Girls"
• Government/politics reporting: Josh Wood, "Greenberg administration's first year woes"
• Best video (non-broadcast): Jeff Faughender, "Safer Sidelines"
• Column writing: Maggie Menderski, "Trusted Company, ‘Doesn’t Make Sense’ Old National Bank, Come Back Inn"

Second placeSPJ Louisville awards

• Editorial writing: Bonnie Jean Feldkamp
• Continuing coverage: Josh Wood, "‘An intimidation thing’, ‘Slap on the hand’, ‘Like an animal’"
• Feature writing: Maggie Menderski, "Secretariat’s Park, Haitian Refugees, Delaying Alzheimer"
• General news photography: Michael Clevenger and Scott Utterback, "Tornado Damage"
• Sports action photography: Scott Utterback, "Slam Dunk"
• Business/technology reporting: Bailey Loosemore, "Heritage Green apartments, Dollar stores"
• Column writing: Lennie Omalza

Third placeSPJ Louisville awards

• Best Kentucky Derby story: Jason Frakes, "'He was one of a kind': Secretariat's legacy remains untouched 50 years after Triple Crown"
• Sports feature photography: Sam Upshaw, "Off the Court"
• Sports reporting: Jason Frakes, "'Overkill' or status quo? Recent horse racing deaths cast shadow before Preakness Stakes"
• Personality/profile writing: Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez, "Linda Frankel, Raegan and Rylyn Richins, Willie Carver Jr."
• Feature writing: Amanda Hanco*ck, "Goshen store owner, 'Mother of Bourbon,'Louisville restaurants alphabet challenge"
• Column writing: Joe Gerth, "‘My old Kentucky Home,' Former state Rep. Jerry Miller, Anti Trans bill"

More: The Courier Journal wins big at Kentucky Press Association awards. Here are the winners