2023 Single Category Winners
General News
Judges’ comments: This was equally as hard to judge as the Feature Category. Just an incredible stack of daily photojournalism here. We enjoyed judging it, but it was hard to narrow them down.
First Place: Terry Pierson, Riverside Press-Enterprise
Murrieta Valley celebrates as they win the Riverside County Office of Education 41st Mock Trial Competition at Riverside Historic Courthouse in Riverside on Thursday, February 23, 2023.
Second Place: Mindy Schauer, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Crime victims gather at the closing of the Crime Victims’ Rights Ceremony in Santa Ana on Monday, April 24, 2023.
Don Wagner, chair of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, is in back.
Third Place: Mindy Schauer, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Kathryn Zahm jumps into the arms of her husband, Maj. Andrew Do, after he returns to Camp Pendleton on Tuesday, June 6, 2023 after a seven-month deployment.
Award of Excellence: Mindy Schauer, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
John and Marcella Vella, left, the parents of fallen Huntington Beach Police Officer Nicholas Vella, and Vella’s brother, John Arthur Vella, attend an emotional dedication in Huntington Beach on Saturday, February 4, 2023. A portion of PCH will be named the “Officer Nicholas Vella Memorial Highway.”
Award of Excellence: Mindy Schauer, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Western High School graduate Anas Mohamed gets tossed in the air as he celebrates graduation with his family and friends in Anaheim on Wednesday, May 24, 2023.
Award of Excellence: ROBERT GAUTHIER, LOS ANGELES TIMES
Palmdale, CA, Sunday, September 17, 2023 -Sheriffs deputies attend a candlelight vigil for LA County Sheriff Ryan Clinkunbroomer who was murdered in his car outside the Palmdale station.
Award of Excellence: Gina Ferazzi, Los Angeles Times
AGUANGA, CA - NOVEMBER 22, 2023: Lucila Boyles hugs one of her surviving cats near her destroyed home, which was reduced to ashes after the October Highland fire swept through November 22, 2023 in Aguanga, California. She and her husband George have been very appreciative of strangers donations but he fears the all the debris from his burned home will never get removed because the dirt road leading to his property is in very bad shape. They lost two cats in the fire.
Feature
Judges’ comments: This category was really one of the toughest to judge. Jammed packed with good images. Hard to narrow them down because there were so many excellent moments to choose from.
First Place: ROBERT GAUTHIER, LOS ANGELES TIMES
Jacumba, CA, Friday, November 24, 2023 - Asylum seekers from China, camp near the border wall, often waiting days to be transported by the U.S. Border Patrol. With no amenities like food and water, campers strip nearby fields of manzanita and other trees and plants to fuel campfires. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Second Place: CRISTINA KLENZ, FREELANCE
Gladys Flores is of Romani descent and more specifically from the Xoraxay nation. Like many other Roma from her extended family she suffers from asthma and COPD from a lifetime of smoking. She puts on her mascara before leaving a hospital in Chino, California, after a three-day stay due to her COPD illness.
Third Place: ROBERT GAUTHIER, LOS ANGELES TIMES
Eagle Pass, Texas, Monday, September 25, 2023 - Tears of joy are shed as a family crosses into the U.S. on the banks of the Rio Grande.
In interviews, Venezuelans said that while they didn’t necessarily understand the details of U.S. policy, they believed they would be allowed to enter the country if they could reach the border.
“Every day, more people are setting off for the Darien, risking their lives, risking the lives of their children,” said Maria Garza, 28, part of a group of young Venezuelans gathered on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande on a recent evening.
Award of Excellence: rINGO cHUI, fREELANCE
A man takes photos of a mural near Japanese American National Museum during the World Naked Bike Ride where nude cyclists ride through Downtown Los Angeles on June 24, 2023.
Award of Excellence: rOBERT gAUTHIER, los angeles times
Jacumba, CA, Friday, November 24, 2023 - A migrant family from Colombia huddles in the darkness, awaiting transport from the U.S. Border Patrol. Asylum seekers from China, South America and the Middle East wait near the border wall, often waiting days to be transported by the U.S. Border Patrol. Many are deported and sent back home.
Award of Excellence: MINDY SCHAUER, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Lt. Irwin Rosenberg with the San Fernando Police Department stands out as he cheers with the Long Beach Beauties during Opening Ceremonies at the Southern California Special Olympics in Long Beach on Saturday, June 10, 2023.
Award of Excellence: genaro molina, LOS ANGELES TIMES
Saul, 55, watches news reports on his smart phone while parking his 2004 Toyota Camry in a Safe Parking lot where he spends the night in Hollywood on October 10, 2023. Saul, who only wanted to give his first name, has been living homeless in his car since July 2021. He covers the windows of his car with plastic black trash bags to keep the light out so he can sleep. “You don’t know where it ends,” said Saul about his homeless situation. “I could end up here indefinitely,” he concluded. In the latest census, about 44% of participants of the Safe Parking program were 55 and older, while 21% were 62 and older.
Award of Excellence: ROBERT GAUTHIER, LOS ANGELES TIMES
Eagle Pass, Texas, Sunday, September 24, 2023 - Olga Pacheco, 1, is handed down from the roof of a shipping container used to block migrants from entering the U.S. along the banks of the Rio Grande.
Francys Lira, 42, a mother of four, was accompanied by her 14-year-old son.
“They say it’s easier to get in with kids,” said Lira, repeating what has become conventional wisdom. By court order, the U.S. government cannot detain families with children for more than 20 days.
Though most of the migrants claim asylum, nearly all of those interviewed near the border cited economic opportunity, not political persecution, as their motivation for coming.
Portrait
Judges’ Comments: This was an extremely competitive category. We debated for a long time. But we were impressed by all the entries.
First Place: SARAH REINGEWIRTZ, LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS
Latia Stevenson’s 5-year-old daughter Alyiah looks out of a Mayor’s Office conference room in Los Angeles City Hall while her mother tries to get housing help for her and her six children, including an infant on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. Stevenson was using city council meetings’ public comment to get help for her family who was living in a car.
Second Place: CRISTINA KLENZ, FREELANCE
Ricky Ziko is a native of Chicago, shares a love for traveling with his wife, Tammy and have been married and exploring the country together for nine years. Their adventures have taken them to locations such as Alaska, Oklahoma, Denver, Minneapolis, Indiana, Chicago, and across the country to Miami. Like many Roma of their generation, neither one has a formal education. Their inability to read has not hampered their zest for travel and adventure. “We don’t plan it. We just pack up the car and go.”
Third Place: JULIE LEOPO, VOICE OF OC
Sitting in the open area of her school, Violeta Acuna, 17, is a trans student at a Chino public charter school, Options for Youth. The school provides alternative education for those who struggled in traditional high schools. Acuna attends classes twice a week.
Award of Excellence: PATRICK FALLON, AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE
French mixed martial arts fighter Ciryl Gane looks on ahead of his fight against US mixed martial arts fighter Jon Jones during their UFC 285 heavyweight title bout at T-Mobile Arena, in Las Vegas, Nevada, on March 4, 2023.
Award of Excellence: YANNICK PETERHANS, FREELANCE
Day Mori, a queer magician from Los Angeles, sits in their apartment on July 7, 2023. Mori is part of the Junior Society at The Academy of Magical Arts, hosted by Los Angele’s Magic Castle.
Award of Excellence: SARAH REINGEWRITZ, LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS
Josh Carter, 25, with his pets Snowball and Nayla at his Skid Row encampment where a mattress serves as one of the walls on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.
Award of Excellence: JULIE LEOPO, VOICE OF OC
Alan Palomo, the L.A.-based electronic artist formerly known as the frontman of chillwave band Neon Indian, at home.
Award of Excellence: CRISTINA KLENZ, FREELANCE
Grace Flores, a two-year-old Romani child from the Xoraxay nation, is visiting her grandparents in Chino, California. The Xoraxay arrived in the United States in the 1980s. Like all Roma, the group left India 1000 years ago, however, they settled in Turkey and migrated through Eastern Europe eventually settling in Chile in the early 1900s before making their way to the United States.
Pictorial
Judges’ Comments: These were not just pretty pictures. They had complete stories within them.
First Place: GENARO MOLINA, LOS ANGELES TIMES
A visitor reflects on the art of Newsha Tavakolian that is part of, “Women Defining Women in Contemporary Art of the Middle East and Beyond,” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Los Angeles on May 30, 2023. This exhibition presents 75 works by women artists who were born or live in what can broadly be termed Islamic societies.
Second Place: THOMAS CORDOVA, LONG BEACH POST
Raindrops form on a window as a man walks by as he takes cover from the rain as a major storm moves through Long Beach Friday, Feb. 24, 2023.
Third Place: ROBERT GAUTHIER, LOS ANGELES TIMES
Corcoran, CA, Monday, June 5, 2023 - PG&E crews work to remove one of hundreds of power line transformers at a flooded pistachio orchard. The field was flooded after a makeshift levee built during a 1983 flood, broke nearly a mile away. Crews in airboats and helicopters worked over the course of a month to mitigate the potential for shock and environmental damage from flooded units.
Award of Excellence: MARK TERRILL, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Traffic on the 110 freeway heads toward downtown Los Angeles Friday, Jan. 27, 2023.
Award of Excellence: KAREN QUINCY LOBERG, FREELANCE
A couple stands amid a poppy bloom near the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve in Antelope Valley, Calif. on April 11, 2023.
Award of Excellence: ROBERT GAUTHIER, LOS ANGELES TIMES
Corcoran, CA, Tuesday, July 18, 2023 - Dead and dying pistachio trees remain on a Hanson Farms ranch near 4th Ave. According to a county tally, roughly 94,000 acres of orchards, row crops and pastureland were drowned by the lake, and another 16,000 destroyed by floods elsewhere in the county. A full recovery could take years.
Award of Excellence: Amy Gaskin, Freelance
Award of Excellence: Amy Gaskin, Freelance
Colorful corals and fish are found at the Opal Reef in the Coral Sea off Queensland, Australia on Monday, February 13, 2023.
The lighthouse on Coral Cay Island in the Low Isles of the Great Barrier Reef on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, in Queensland, Australia.
Award of Excellence: Amy Gaskin, Freelance
Award of Excellence: Amy Gaskin, Freelance
The old Post Office clock tower is reflected in a window on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, in Sydney, Australia.
Canadian geese walk after a rain on Belle Isle Park on Sunday, July 23, 2023, in Detroit, MI.
Spot News
Judges’ Comments: This category had some eye-catching images. Like second place and the arrest photo in Third. But the first place of the old ladies holding hands is quite the moment. Their scared faces and holding hands. All the images were executed nicely.
First Place: DAVID SWANSON, AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE
Cathedral City Fire Department rescues residents in a bulldozer following heavy rains from Tropical Storm Hilary in Cathedral City, California, on August 21, 2023. Tropical Storm Hilary drenched Southern California with record rainfall, shutting down schools, roads and businesses before edging in on Nevada on August 21, 2023. California Governor Gavin Newsom had declared a state of emergency over much of the typically dry area, where flash flood warnings remained in effect until this morning.
Second Place: DAVID SWANSON, AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE
Several people had to be rescued after two vehicles fell into a sinkhole in Chatsworth, California, U.S., January 10, 2023.
Award of Excellence: David Swanson, Agence France Presse
Third Place: Ringo Chui, Freelance
A Los Angeles police officer arrests a supporter of LGBTQ+ youth nearby to a rally in support of parental rights and notification policies in schools in downtown Los Angeles, August 22, 2023.
Award of Excellence: David Swanson, Agency France Presse
Award of Excellence: Robert Gauthier, Los Angeles Times
Eagle Pass, Texas, Saturday, September 23, 2023 - People who crossed the US/Mexico border are led, single file, to a border patrol processing center along the banks of the Rio Grande.
The number of Venezuelans in particular has been spiking. U.S. border officials apprehended more than 11,000 people from Venezuela in July and 22,000 in August — and the September total is expected to be even higher. With detention space limited — especially for families — many are being released while they wait for judges to consider their asylum claims.
The chaotic border scenario has become a crisis for President Biden, who is facing criticism not only from his usual Republican enemies but also from some Democrats who say their communities cannot afford the costs of absorbing the newcomers.
Cars sit abandoned on roads as floodwaters from the Tule River inundate the area after days of heavy rain in Corcoran, California, U.S., March 21, 2023.
Award of Excellence: Robert Gauthier, Los Angeles Times
Eagle Pass, Texas, Thursday, September 21, 2023 - Asylum seekers from South America brave the tricky current of the Rio Grande as they complete an arduous journey to America. Crossing the river from Piedras Negras to a public park in Eagle Pass, Texas has proven dangerous for many migrants. It has been reported that over the last year, dozens have drowned.
Entertainment
Judges’ Comments: The first-place photo of Jamie Lee Curtis made us all gasp. What a moment captured by a photographer who was ready and in the right place. Each photo had a strong moment within them. This was a great category to judge.
First Place: ROBERT GAUTHIER, LOS ANGELES TIMES
HOLLYWOOD, CA - MARCH 12: Jamie Lee Curtis, winner of Best Supporting Actress for "Everything Everywhere All at Once”, backstage at the 95th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Hollywood, California.
Second Place: JENNIFER MAHER, FREELANCE
Actor Henry Winkler takes a selfie as fans hold up copies of his book “Being Henry: The Fonz and Beyond” during a book signing in Los Angeles, Calif., on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023.
Third Place: GINA FERAZZI, LOS ANGELES TIMES
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 28, 2023: Performance artist Dorian Wood (pronouns: she/her/they/them) takes in the music as she rehearses deconstructed rock classics in her home before an upcoming performance on January 28, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Wood will be performing her “Canto de Todos” at the REDCAT in Los Angeles at the end of the week.
Award of Excellence: THOMAS CORDOVA, LONG BEACH POST
Director James Darrah is not happy during a Long Beach Opera rehearsal of The Romance of the Rose in San Pedro Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023.
Award of Excellence: MINDY SCHAUER, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Seven-year-old Lydia Berube of Irvine thinks artist Alice Neel’s painting, “Sunset, Riverside Drive,” is best viewed upside down while on an outing to Orange County Museum of Art with her parents on Sunday, October 8, 2023. The museum celebrates its one-year anniversary with a week of activities for the public.
Sports Features
Judges’ Comments: The first-place winner feels like the photographer captured “all hell breaking lose.” You can really feel the love in the second place winning image.
First Place: TERRY PIERSON, THE PRESS ENTERPRISE
Etiwanda players and head coach Dave Kleckner celebrate their Baseline League boys basketball championship in the locker room after defeating Damien 57-49 in Rancho Cucamonga on Friday, February 3, 2023.
Second Place: TERRY PIERSON, THE PRESS ENTERPRISE
Fullerton College's George Duah hugs head coach Garrett Campbell in front of Fullerton College's Dylan Nichols #76 after defeating Riverside City College 17-16 to win the National Division-Southern Conference football game in Riverside on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023.
Third Place: MARK TERRILL, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James tosses powder in the air as fans take video prior to an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Award of Excellence: PAUL RODRIGUEZ, FREELANCE
St. John Bosco Catholic High School guard Brandon McCoy Jr walks back to the bench as the Centennial High School team celebrate winning the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Open Division championship basketball game in Anaheim, California, on February 25, 2023.
Award of Excellence: GINA FERAZZI, LOS ANGELES TIMES
PACIFIC PALISADES, CA - FEBRUARY 16, 2023: Fans hold up smartphones to catch a glimpse of Tiger Woods as he tees off on the 1st hole during the first round of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club on February 16, 2023 in Pacific Palisades, California. He finished at 2-under par.
Award of Excellence: KEITH BIRMINGHAM, PASADENA STAR NEWS
Irad Ortiz Jr. celebrates as he tosses flower petals in the air after riding White Abarrio and winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic (Grade 1) during the Breeders’ Cup 2023 World Championships at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Saturday, November 4, 2023.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: CHRIS TORRES, FORT WORTH STAR TELEGRAM
Award of Excellence: Mark Terrill, Associated Press
Miami Heat guard Max Strus, center, makes a 3-point basket against the Denver Nuggets during the first half of Game 2 of basketball’s NBA Finals, Sunday, June 4, 2023, in Denver.
Texas Rangers pitcher Alex Speas (58) gets a ice water shower during his postgame interview after the Rangers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 5-1 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on Wednesday, July 19, 2023. Speas, a second-round draft pick in 2016 who was coaching little league baseball last year, made his big league debut and struck out his first three batters in relief.
Sports Action
Judges’ Comments: You can see the hockey players’ teeth being crushed in this photo for crying out loud. And the girl on the right absolutely completes this image.
First Place: MARK TERRILL, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Los Angeles Kings center Zack MacEwen, left puts Edmonton Oilers center Ryan McLeod into the boards during the second period in Game 3 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Friday, April 21, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Second Place: CHRIS TORRES, THE SIGNAL
Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) gets sacked by Cowboys defensive lineman Dante Fowler (56) leading to a fumble recovery for a touchdown in the first half of an NFL game between the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023.
Third Place: MARK TERRILL, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Southern California guard Reese Dixon-Waters, left, screams as his leg gets stuck under Washington State forward Carlos Rosario during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Award of Excellence: Terry Pierson, THE Press-Enterprise
Hemet’s Quinton Skinner #14 tags out Elsinore’s Tino Zaia #21 as he tries to leap over the catcher to break up the 0-0 tie in the Sunbelt League baseball game in Hemet on Thursday, Apr. 20, 2023. Hemet defeated Elsinore 2-1 in 13 innings to win the Sunbelt League baseball game.
Award of Excellence: KEITH BIRMINGHAM, PASADENA STAR NEWS
Wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith #1 of the Penn State Nittany Lions reaches for pass against cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn #16 of the Utah Utes in the first half of the 109th Rose Bowl game in Pasadena on Monday, January 2, 2023.
Award of Excellence: Mark Terrill, Associated Press
Coco Gauff, of the United States, serves to Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Wednesday, March 15, 2023, in Indian Wells, Calif.
Animal
Judges’ Comments: This was such a fun category to judge. And we are all so glad you offer it. Most contests do not. Each moment in all of the winners is priceless.
First Place: KEITH BIRMINGHAM, PASADENA STAR NEWS
Zebras fight in Samburu National Reserve in Kenya, Africa.
Second Place: AMY GASKIN, FREELANCE
A joey kangaroo learns to stand, using his mother for balance, on Saturday, February 18, 2023, in Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia.
Third Place: RONEN TIVONY, FREELANCE
Newly hatched baby Egrets in a nest in the Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach, Florida on March 26, 2023. The wetlands attract nature lovers and wildlife photographers and are home to more than 140 bird species and a variety of other wildlife.
Award of Excellence: KEITH BIRMINGHAM, PASADENA STAR NEWS
Hyena and Jackal fight over a water buffalo carcass in Samburu National Reserve in Kenya, Africa.
Award of Excellence: AMY GASKIN, FREELANCE
The Emu is the second tallest bird on the planet and is Australia’s tallest native bird. It’s a flightless bird, with a height averaging 5.7 feet, and it can run over 30 miles per hour. Found throughout mainland Australia, its diet includes flowers, insects, fruits and seeds, and it aids its digestion by consuming stones. Saturday, January 28, 2023, in Hindmarsh Valley, South Australia.
FIRE
Judges’ Comments: The body language of the man alone carrying his belongings among an area completely ravaged by fire made us really feel the magnitude of the aftermath of a disaster like this.
First Place: ROBERT GAUTHIER, LOS ANGELES TIMES
Lahaina, Maui, Thursday, August 10, 2023 - A lone evacuee walks aimlessly amidst the rubble of Lahaina a day after a devastating wildfire destroyed 1,700 buildings and more than 2,000 homes.
Second Place: DAVID SWANSON, AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE
The York Fire has burned over 70,000 acres including Joshua trees and yucca in the Mojave National Preserve and crossed into Nevada July 30, 2023.
Third Place: MICHAEL YANOW, FREELANCE
California State Parks, in cooperation with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), conduct a prescribed burning at Calaveras Big Trees State Park on June 15, 2023 in Arnold, Calif. The planned treatment will cover up to 155 acres and will include areas along Highway 4.
Award of Excellence: ROBERT GAUTHIER, LOS ANGELES TIMES
A support truck driver gets in his truck to move it away from the flames as the Rabbit Fire jumps Highway 79, south of Laird Road in Beaumont on Saturday, July 15, 2023. CAL Fire dozers, firefighters, air tankers and helicopters battle the two day old fire estimated at 4,500 acres.
Award of Excellence: PATRICK FALLON, AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE
Award of Excellence: TERRY PIERSON, THE PRESS ENTERPRISE
Lahaina, Maui, Thursday, August 11, 2023 - A man walks along Front Street, past the burned carcasses of cars that couldn’t escape a catastrophic wildfire that swept through the city days ago. The Lahaina wildfire destroyed the historic town of Lahaina, killing at least 100 people and leaving four missing. The fire also destroyed 1,700 buildings and more than 2,000 homes.
An aerial image shows a red roofed house that survived the fires surrounded by destroyed homes and buildings burned to the ground in the historic Lahaina in the aftermath of wildfires in western Maui in Lahaina, Hawaii on August 10, 2023. Embattled officials in Hawaii who have been criticized for the lack of warnings as a deadly wildfire ripped through a town insisted on August 16 that sounding emergency sirens would not have saved lives. At least 97 people died when the inferno leveled Lahaina on the island of Maui, with some residents not aware their town was at risk until they saw flames for themselves.
UCLA Sport
Judges’ Comments: We really loved the celebration and happiness in this First Place photo. Grabbing a congratulatory hug around the neck shows the camaraderie between teammates.
First Place: KEITH BIRMINGHAM, PASADENA STAR NEWS
Defensive back Jaylin Davies #24 of the UCLA Bruins celebrates with teammates after a USC Trojans turnover and touchdown in the second half of a NCAA football game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles on Saturday, November 18, 2023.