Miami Herald reporting wins big in national, state journalism contests
The winning coverage included an investigation into the botched inquiry of a Biscayne Bay boat crash that led to the Florida Legislature changing boater safety laws. Coverage of a South Florida attorney who used a legal loopholes to manipulate condo auctions also won an award and led to a proposed change to the law.
Here is the list of the Herald's recent awards, honors and recognitions:
National Headliner Awards
The National Headliner Awards is one of the oldest and largest annual journalism contests.
Local news beat coverage or continuing story in top 20 media market:
▪ First place: Brittany Wallman and Ben Wieder for 'Rigged.'
▪ Second place: Grethel Aguila, David Goodhue and Susan Merriam for 'Wrecked Justice.'
Investigative reporting in top 20 media market:
▪ Third Place: Miami Herald Staff for Criminal Injustice, which explored how Miami-Dade's legal system failed victims in several controversial cases.
This package included:
— 'Key Biscayne's Dark Secret' by Ana Claudia Chacin and Clara-Sophia Daly, which focused on how Miami-Dade's State Attorney's Office dismissed sexual abuse allegations against a popular gymnastics coach in Key Biscayne. Police investigated and arrested Oscar Olea weeks after the Miami Herald reported that former students alleged he sexually abused them.
— 'Deal with the Devil' by Sarah Blaskey and Brittany Wallman detailed how Miami murderer William 'Little Bill' Brown was given a sweetheart plea deal of 25 years in prison and immunity from prosecution for one of Miami's worst mass shootings. In return, Brown served as an informant for years, digging up information on other inmates for prosecutors.
— Dr. Feelgood by Julie K. Brown showed how a Miami Beach doctor accused of sex trafficking a teenage girl evaded serious charges. The State Attorney's Office dropped charges against Dr. Jeffrey Kamlet after the girl was found dead.
— 'Wrecked Justice' by Grethel Aguila, David Goodhue and Susan Merriam. The Herald's dissection of the 2022 boat crash that killed 17-year-old Luciana 'Lucy' Fernandez and critically injured Katerina 'Katy' Puig led to prominent real estate broker George Pino, the boat's captain, to be charged with misdemeanors, and later, a felony. Pino has pleaded not guilty.
2024 Associated Press Sports Editors contest
The 2024 Associated Press Sports Editors contest, judged by sports editors and journalists from across the nation, recognized work that was published in 2024.
First place in the investigative category: 'Key Biscayne's Dark Secret,' by Ana Claudia Chacin and Clara-Sophia Daly
2024 Best in Business Awards
The 2024 Best in Business Awards by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing honors excellence in business journalism from 2024.
First place in real estate coverage for medium market: 'Rigged' by Brittany Wallman and Ben Wieder
Investigative Reporters and Editors
Finalist, Tom Renner Award, which recognizes outstanding crime reporting: Julie K. Brown
Finalist, Print/Online investigations: 'Wrecked Justice' by David Goodhue, Grethel Aguila and Susan Merriam
Livingston Awards
Finalists: Ana Claudia Chacin and Clara-Sophia Daly. Winners will be announced June 10 at an in-person awards ceremony in New York City hosted by Audie Cornish, Livingston Awards national judge and host of 'CNN This Morning with Audie Cornish.' The Livingston Awards honor the best reporting and storytelling by journalists under 35.
Taylor Family Award for Fairness in Journalism, Neiman Foundation
Finalist: 'Guilty of Grief' by Carol Marbin Miller, Linda Robertson and Camellia Burris with the help of visual journalist Jose Iglesias and data/visual journalist Susan Merriam.
The annual Taylor Family Award is meant to encourage fairness in news coverage by American journalists and news organizations.
Sidney Awards
'Guilty of Grief' by Carol Marbin Miller, Linda Robertson and Camellia Burris was awarded the Sidney Award in December, sponsored by the Sidney Hillman Foundation, a monthly award for outstanding investigative journalism that exposes social and economic injustices.
The series relied on hours of police bodycam footage, thousands of court documents, interviews and other records to tell the saga of Gamaly Hollis and her son Richard Hollis, a 21-year-old with a history of psychiatric problems. He was later shot dead by Miami-Dade police officer Jaime Pino during a confrontation in the Hollis' Kendale Lakes apartment. His mom, Gamaly Hollis, was jailed for nearly a year after protesting on Facebook against Pino. The State Attorney's Office offered Hollis a plea deal instead of additional jail time a week after the Herald's series was published.
National Association of Black Journalists 2025 Salute to Excellence Awards
Finalist for a feature story in a newsroom with a staff of 51-100: 'These Black Veterans Served In Multiple Wars. Now They Meet Daily At A Miami Mcdonald's' by Michael Butler and photojournalist Carl Juste.
NABJ's awards recognizes journalism that 'best covers the Black experience or addresses issues affecting the worldwide Black community.'
2025 Florida Society of News Editors Journalism Contest
The annual Florida Society of News Editors journalism contest recognizes works across Florida's news industry.
Investigative Reporting, First Place — Guilty of Grief: Carol Marbin Miller, Linda Robertson, Camellia Burris, Jose Iglesias, Susan Merriam, Pierre Taylor, Carolina Zamora. Also contributing to the series were Alie Skowronski, Andres Viglucci, and McClatchy Creative Director Sohail Al-Jamea and Visual Journalist Rachel Handley.
Community Leadership, First place — Guilty of Grief.
Enterprise writing, First place — Guilty of Grief.
Multimedia, First Place — Wrecked Justice: David Goodhue, Grethel Aguila, Susan Merriam, Pedro Portal, Carl Juste, Sohail Al-Jamea, Kevin Scott.
Spanish beat writing, First place: Sonia Osorio.
Spanish sports writing, First place: Jorge Ebro.
Sports columns, First place: Greg Cote.
Sports photography, First Place — 'Georgia fan selfies with Miami coach after team's defeat': Al Diaz.
Investigative Reporting, Second Place: — Juvenile Crime, Adult Time: Shirsho Dasgupta. The series found that teens who were tried in court as adults were often given higher sentences on average for felony crimes than older, adult offenders.
Spot News Photography, Second place — 'Fire at the Temple Court Apartments': Carl Juste.
Spanish feature writing, Second place: Sarah Moreno.
Spot News Photography, Third place — 'Aftermath of Hurricane Milton': Pedro Portal.
Breaking News, Third Place — 'The Cuffing of Tyreek Hill:' by Grethel Aguila, David J. Neal, David Goodhue, Doug Hanks, Devoun Cetoute, Charles Rabin, Isaiah Smalls, Camellia Burris, Barry Jackson, Al Diaz.
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