Diversity Wins Big at Socal Journalism Awards
Diversity took home a total of 16 First Place Awards at the Socal Journalism Awards, more than any other entertainment company. This is a significant increase from last year’s count of eight and a new high for the publication, with a total of 14 awards won by 2023.
Top Honors
The victories included a top trophy for Variety.com as the best website and an honor for Chris Willman as the entertainment journalist of the year. The Los Angeles Press Club presented the awards at a sold-out banquet at the Millennium Biltmore, attended by over 550 journalists. Work published in the 2024 calendar year was recognized at the 2025 ceremony, with Diversity receiving 93 nominations in 56 categories.
Award-Winning Employees and Contributors
The employees and contributors who took home first-place trophies included Daniel D’Addario, Jennifer Dorn, Owen Gleiberman, Angelique Jackson, Neil Jamieson, Ted Keller, Haley Kluge, Emily Long, Jonny Marlow, J. Kim Murphy, and Rebecca Rubin, among others.
Art and Photography Department Shines
The art and photography department was particularly successful at this year’s awards. Creative director Haley Kluge and photo director Jennifer Dorn shared three awards, and design director Ted Keller also received an award. The award for best portrait photo went to a photo of Demi Moore, while the best cover art was won for an Anna Taylor-Joy cover of the magazine.
Multiple Wins for Chris Willman
Chris Willman, senior writer and chief music critic for Diversity, won four awards at the ceremony. In addition to being named entertainment journalist of the year, he was awarded for a selection of his opinion pieces, best music feature for his cover story on Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, and best theater feature for his story on Randy Newman’s Faust.
Other Notable Wins
Owen Gleiberman, chief film critic, was a repeat winner in the best film criticism category. Daniel D’Addario and Ramin Setoodeh shared the honor for best film feature for their cover story on Daniel Craig and Starkey. Tatiana Siegel won the award for best personality profile in the music personalities department for her article on Pras Michél.
Additional Awards
Angelique Jackson received the personality profile prize in the film personalities department for her story on Zoe Saldaña. Emily Long won the prize for personality profile in the TV personalities department for her story on Mariska Hargitay. Rebecca Rubin received the award for entertainment news, performing arts division, for her story on the Tony Awards.
Best Online Features
J. Kim Murphy prevailed for the best feature for TV/streaming/radio for his story on the HBO documentary "Ren Faire." The prize for best online theater/performing arts went to freelance writer Abbey White for her story on disabled comedians.
Best Website
The entire Variety.com staff shared in the publication’s coveted prize for best website for a traditional news organization. Diversity employees also won over 25 awards for second and third place, which were announced on Sunday evening.
Honorary Awards
The ceremony at the Biltmore included the usual honorary awards from the LA Press Club to veteran journalists or celebrities for their work in journalism or philanthropy. A standing ovation went to veteran sports columnist Bill Plaschke, who received the Joseph M. Quinn Award for lifetime achievement.
Special Awards
The Daniel Pearl Award for courage and integrity in journalism went to Clarissa Ward of CNN. The actress Kim Fields picked up the Bill Rosendahl Public Service Award for contributions to citizens’ lives. A special award for excellent reporting on the forest fires in 2020 was accepted by news leaders from all local TV stations in LA.
