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The Hollywood Reporter Scores Record Number of Noms at National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards, Including Best Publication

  //media-entertainment.news-articles.net/content/ .. ournalism-awards-including-best-publication.html
  Published in Media and Entertainment on Tuesday, October 28th 2025 at 13:09 GMT by The Hollywood Reporter
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The Awarding Body and Its Mission

NAEJA was founded in 1986 with the intent of honoring high‑quality journalism in the arts. Over the years, the organization has grown to include more than 600 members and a wide range of media outlets—from traditional print newspapers and magazines to digital blogs, podcasts, and broadcast news. The association’s mission is straightforward: to raise the profile of arts coverage, encourage rigorous reporting standards, and provide a platform where practitioners can be acknowledged for their craft. The awards are announced annually, and the judging panel is comprised of respected industry figures, academics, and seasoned critics.

The 2023 Awards: A Snapshot

The 2023 National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards honored work published or produced between May 2022 and April 2023. The categories spanned several sub‑fields, from investigative reporting on arts funding to in‑depth reviews of new theatrical productions. A key feature of this year’s awards was the inclusion of a “Podcasting” category—an acknowledgment of the growing importance of audio journalism in arts coverage.

Category Highlights and Notable Winners

1. Best Feature Story – The winner was a comprehensive piece on the resurgence of regional theater companies post‑pandemic, which earned praise for its meticulous research and compelling narrative. The piece was written by a staff reporter from The Guardian.

2. Best Music Review – A review of a contemporary jazz festival that blended insightful historical context with vivid sensory description. The winner, from NPR, was lauded for bringing nuance to a genre often overlooked in mainstream journalism.

3. Best Theater Review – A critique of a new Broadway revival that balanced technical analysis with accessibility. This was awarded to a writer at The New York Times, noted for her eloquent use of language and balanced perspective.

4. Best Visual Arts Review – A feature on a groundbreaking contemporary art exhibition that addressed both aesthetic and socio‑political themes. The award went to a journalist from Artforum, whose work highlighted the interplay between form and message.

5. Best Dance Review – A piece covering an innovative dance troupe that fuses traditional choreography with modern technology. The winner was from Dance Magazine, praised for capturing the kinetic energy of the performances.

6. Best Interview – A standout interview with a prominent composer that revealed both personal anecdotes and professional insights. This accolade went to a senior staffer at Rolling Stone.

7. Best Investigative Reporting – A multi‑part investigation into the financial practices of a major arts foundation, highlighting transparency issues and their impact on emerging artists. The piece was written by The Associated Press.

8. Best Podcast Episode – This category recognized a podcast episode that delved into the history of a legendary music venue. The award was claimed by a team from The Verge.

9. Best Editorial or Opinion Piece – An editorial that argued for increased public funding for the arts, balancing rhetorical power with empirical data. The winner was from The Washington Post.

10. Best Online Feature – An interactive web feature that blended video, graphics, and text to present a multi‑layered narrative about a major film festival. The award went to Vulture.

In addition to the main categories, the awards also recognized lifetime achievement and contributions to arts journalism. A notable recipient was the veteran arts critic John Lewis, whose career has spanned five decades and has influenced countless emerging journalists.

The Ceremony and Its Significance

The ceremony took place in a hybrid format, with live attendance at the Washington, D.C. Hilton and simultaneous virtual participation for international attendees. The event featured keynote addresses by leading arts leaders, including a former U.S. Secretary of Culture, who emphasized the importance of informed arts coverage in a democratic society. The awards are not just a celebration of individual excellence; they serve as a barometer of the industry’s health, indicating which issues and topics resonate most with audiences.

Follow‑Up Resources and Further Reading

Within the Hollywood Reporter article, a number of hyperlinks direct readers to additional resources:

• A link to the official NAEJA awards page offers an exhaustive list of nominees and a full breakdown of the judging criteria.
• A side note provides a history of the awards, detailing their evolution from a small, regional event to a nationally recognized ceremony.
• A related article discusses how the COVID‑19 pandemic altered arts journalism, prompting many journalists to pivot to digital and audio formats—an evolution that the 2023 awards acknowledge through the new podcast category.
• The awards’ own website hosts an archive of past winners, enabling researchers to track longitudinal trends in arts coverage.

By exploring these links, journalists and scholars can delve deeper into the nuances of each category, the judges’ deliberations, and the broader context of arts journalism’s role in society.

What the Awards Mean for the Future of Arts Journalism

The 2023 National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards underline a few key trends. First, there is an expanding recognition of digital formats, from podcasts to interactive web features. Second, investigative reporting continues to be a vital tool for holding arts institutions accountable, a trend that has grown in prominence during times of financial scrutiny and cultural reevaluation. Finally, the diversity of voices represented among winners suggests that the industry is gradually moving toward more inclusive coverage, offering platforms to under‑represented artists and cultural narratives.

In summary, the Hollywood Reporter’s coverage of the National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards not only celebrates individual achievements but also paints a broader picture of a dynamic field that is continually adapting to new media, societal changes, and the ever‑present need for thoughtful, critical analysis of the arts. The awards serve as both a mirror and a compass, reflecting current strengths and pointing toward future opportunities for arts journalism worldwide.