The New York Post cleaned house in the New York State Associated Press 2017 journalism awards, taking first place honors in investigative reporting, public service, sports column writing, entertainment writing, business reporting, illustration and news design.
In all, the newspaper nabbed 25 prizes at the annual awards ceremony Saturday in Saratoga Springs.
“From stories that made a difference to columns that made you think to headlines that made you laugh, we’re enormously proud of all our journalists, and grateful to the AP Awards for recognizing their hard work,” said Post Editor-in-Chief Stephen Lynch.
The Post competed with other newspapers with a circulation greater than 125,000.
Reporters Melissa Klein and Isabel Vincent were awarded first place for investigative/enterprise reporting for their stories about legendary Metropolitan Opera conductor James Levine and allegations that he molested an Illinois teen for years.
The reporting led to the Met firing Levine following an internal probe.
The newspaper also swept the three top awards in the public service category.
First place went to The Post for their “Education Boondoggle” series.
Through a series of reports, The Post exposed the city’s School Renewal Program as a costly boondoggle that shortchanges New York’s public-school students. Reporters Bruce Golding, Susan Edelman and Yoav Gonen found that the program, which was designed to improve struggling schools, instead produced an expensive litany of failure.
“Good investigative reporting and follow up. Good example of being a steward of public funds and holding the powerful to account,” the judges commented.
Second place in the category went to Dean Balsamini and Susan Edelman for their reporting on a FDNY hazing scandal, and Gabrielle Fonrouge won third place for taking readers into the world of revenge porn.
Reporter Kevin Dugan was a one-man wrecking crew in the business writing category, taking first, second and third place awards as he examined securities-based loans, Goldman Sachs and the mystery around former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort’s Brooklyn brownstone.
Among the other Post winners were:
- First place in headline writing for Harry Shuldman’s “Chris Crispy” and second place for Deb Pines Livingstone for “Flake News.”
- First place column for Salena Zito’s “Trump’s America.”
- A first place in feature writing for Fonrouge for her story about how Rikers Island inmates responded to a plane crash in 1957.
- First place in art/entertainment reporting to Barbara Hoffman for her story about the scandalous life of Frank Lloyd Wright, and second place to Zachary Kussin for his article on the Aluminaire House, an all-metal home.
- For sports story, Howie Kussoy won a first place award for his night out with boxer Floyd Mayweather and a profile of former NBA star Kenny Anderson. Ken Davidoff took third place.
- Joel Sherman won a first place award in the sports column category. Mark Cannizzaro and Mike Vaccaro took second and third.
- In news full-page design, Ana Gioia won first place for “Hurricane Harvey,” Peter LaVigna received a second place award for “Survivor,” and Gioia grabbed third place for “Rowdy Donny Griper.”
- Gioia also took all three places in the illustration or graphic category.
