Courier Journal earns APSE 'Grand Slam,' one of top national awards for sports journalism
The Courier Journal won one of sports journalism's top national awards, earning Associated Press Sports Editors Grand Slam honors for its work in 2023.
The CJ was one of just three publications in the country to earn APSE's most prestigious award.
The Los Angeles Times and Omaha World-Herald were the others. To win a Grand Slam, a publication must place in the top 10 for event coverage, project reporting, digital presence and print portfolio.
The Courier Journal earned a total of eight top-10 honors. Its Kentucky Derby preview edition was recognized in the special section category, Stephanie Kuzydym’s in-depth look into sudden death in youth sports was honored in the investigative category and Michael Clevenger and Matt Stone each finished among the top 10 in the action photo category.
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“I am proud of the incredible work by our sports team and our entire newsroom that led to this remarkable recognition,” Mary Irby-Jones, Courier Journal executive editor and USA TODAY Network Midwest Region editor, said. “This work represents the many ways that the team works tirelessly to serve our readers and our community.”
Kuzydym’s reporting on automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and “The Damar Effect,” following the collapse of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin during a nationally televised NFL game in January 2023, earned top-10 distinction in the projects category.
The Courier Journal’s reporting during the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby was honored in the event coverage category. Led by horse racing reporter Jason Frakes, the winning entry also included stories from C.L. Brown, Brooks Holton, Ryan Black and Alexis Cubit.
“I would like to thank my APSE colleagues for this honor,” Irby-Jones said.
The LA Times competed in Division A — the largest circulation category, which includes The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA TODAY Sports, ESPN.com, The Athletic and Yahoo! Sports. The Courier Journal and Omaha World-Herald were part of Division B, the second-largest circulation category of the four in the contest.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: APSE awards 2024: Louisville Courier Journal earns top national honors
