S.F. Chronicle wins three awards in Society for Features Journalism contest
The Society for Features Journalism announced winners of its annual Excellence-in-Features Awards last week, honoring the San Francisco Chronicle in three categories for its food and arts writing.
The Chronicle, which competes in Division 3 for the largest newspapers and digital publications, won first place for Arts and Entertainment Feature and Food Writing Portfolio, as well as third place for Food Criticism.
The SFJ awards honor the best in features journalism — 'stories that illuminate everyday lives and the rich diversity of our individual experiences' — across a range of categories from criticism to podcasts and social media. Judges for this year's contest reviewed more than 1,000 entries across three divisions.
Chronicle contributor Todd Inoue took the top prize for Arts and Entertainment feature with his story, 'How a UC Berkeley student went from making cringey TikToks to playing festival sets,' a profile of TikTok sensation Amanda Shultz, aka DJ Mandy, and the incongruous mixes that have propelled her rise.
'This story has all the elements of a perfect A&E feature,' judges wrote. 'It's descriptive, revealing and fun.'
In the category of Food Writing Portfolio, which considers multiple stories by a single author, Chronicle reporter Elena Kadvany won first place; her selection of work included a profile of a baker facing a multiple sclerosis diagnosis and an interactive guide to scoring a reservation at the notoriously popular House of Prime Rib.
'Will I bribe my way into a reservation, or will I follow the frustrating timeline of the rule follower? This writer has the answer, no matter the question,' judges commented.
SFJ also honored Chronicle restaurant critic MacKenzie Chung Fegan, who won third in Food Criticism for her review of Tadich Grill, 'The problem with San Francisco's oldest restaurant,' and an honorable mention for Food Writing Portfolio.
These awards show the continued success of the Chronicle's features writing; in 2024, the Chronicle won four awards in the SFJ contest.
The San Francisco Chronicle (www.sfchronicle.com) is the largest newspaper in Northern California and the second largest on the West Coast. Acquired by Hearst in 2000, the San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 by Charles and Michael de Young and has been awarded six Pulitzer Prizes for journalistic excellence. Follow us on Twitter at @SFChronicle.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Alex Warren's ‘Ordinary' Hits No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100
Alex Warren's 'Ordinary' ascends to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the singer-songwriter's first leader on the list. It rises from No. 4, after reaching a previous No. 2 best. More from Billboard Ye Says He 'Dreams' of Apologizing to Jay-Z Addison Rae Says She Used to Get Paid $20 by Record Labels to Post TikTok Videos: 'It Was Actually Really Sketch' Pusha T Not a Fan of Drake's UMG Lawsuit: 'It Just Kind of Cheapens the Art' Warren becomes the first male soloist to earn an initial Hot 100 No. 1 this year. 'Ordinary,' the 1,181st No. 1 in the Hot 100's 66-year history, rose to the top of both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts in May. On the Hot 100, Warren charted one prior entry, 'Burning Down' (No. 69 peak, last October). Concurrent with the coronation of 'Ordinary,' he adds his second top 40 Hot 100 hit, as 'Bloodline,' with Jelly Roll, debuts at No. 32. Before concentrating on music full-time, Warren grew a following in Hype House, a group of TikTok content creators that frequently collaborated. He signed to Atlantic Records in 2022. 'In my career, I have been so open with my friends who follow me,' Warren, who co-authored 'Ordinary,' told Billboard earlier this year. 'They know everything about me and we're so connected, and I love that. I'm thinking of these people while I'm writing these songs, because I'm thinking about what I would want to hear if I was still going through that.' Browse the full rundown of this week's top 10 below. The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data, the lattermost metric reflecting purchases of physical singles and digital tracks from full-service digital music retailers; digital singles sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites are excluded from chart calculations. All charts (dated June 7, 2025) will update on tomorrow, June 3. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram. Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published. 'Ordinary' tallied 21 million official streams (down 1% week-over-week), 43.5 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 15%) and 8,000 sold (up 24%) in the United States May 23-29. Boosting its profile, Warren performed the song on the American Music Awards, broadcast on CBS, May 26. The track rebounds 3-1 for a fifth week atop the Digital Song Sales chart and 6-4 on Streaming Songs, after four weeks at the summit. It reaches the top five on Radio Songs (7-5), as it becomes Warren's first No. 1 on a Billboard airplay chart, rising to the top of Adult Pop Airplay. Warren's 'Ordinary' is the first 'ordinary'-titled Hot 100 No. 1. Here's a look at all 10 not-so-'ordinary'-named songs that have hit the chart: 'Ordinary,' Alex Warren, No. 1 peak (one week to date), 2025 'Ordinary World,' Duran Duran, No. 3, 1993 'Ordinary People,' John Legend, No. 24, 2005 'No Ordinary Love,' Sade, No. 28, 1993 'Ordinary Day,' Vanessa Carlton, No. 30, 2002 'Ordinary Life,' Chad Brock, No. 39, 1999 'Ordinary Things,' Ariana Grande feat. Nonna, No. 55, 2024 'Ordinary,' The Weeknd, No. 72, 2016 'Ordinary Love,' U2, No. 84, 2014 'Ordinary Girl,' Hannah Montana, No. 91, 2010 'Ordinary' hits No. 1 in its 16th week on the Hot 100. It's the fifth song to reign for the first time in 2025, following fellow steady risers in Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars' 'Die With a Smile' (20 weeks to No. 1) and Kendrick Lamar and SZA's 'Luther' (13 weeks); conversely, Morgan Wallen's 'What I Want,' featuring Tate McRae, debuted at No. 1 a week ago and Travis Scott's '4X4' launched on top in February. Titles have taken an average of 10.2 weeks to hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 so far in 2025, the most of any year this decade, with one music industry professional theorizing that, currently, 'the whole nature of artist development takes time.' Avg. Weeks to No. 1 on Hot 100 in the 2020s: 2025: 10.2 2024: 4.3 2023: 8.9 2022: 9 2021: 3.5 2020: 5.8 (Since the Hot 100 adopted electronically-monitored Luminate data in late 1991, hits have taken an average of 8.4 weeks to No. 1.)Kendrick Lamar and SZA's 'Luther' holds at No. 5 after 13 weeks atop the Hot 100. It adds a 23rd week at No. 1 on both the multimetric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts – surpassing Lamar's 'Not Like Us' (in 2024-25) for the longest command on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (dating to October 1958, when the chart became the genre's all-encompassing songs ranking). SZA, meanwhile, ranks third with 21 weeks atop Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs with 'Kill Bill' in 2022-23. Morgan Wallen's 'What I Want,' featuring Tate McRae, dips to No. 2 on the Hot 100, a week after it soared in as Wallen's fourth No. 1 and McRae's first. It claims a second week atop the multimetric Hot Country Songs chart. Wallen follows on the Hot 100 with the No. 2-peaking 'Just in Case' (2-3) and 'I'm the Problem' (3-4), as I'm the Problem, the parent set of all three songs, secures a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Shaboozey's 'A Bar Song (Tipsy)' rebounds 9-6 on the Hot 100, following its record-tying 19 weeks at No. 1 beginning last July, and Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars' 'Die With a Smile' dips 6-7 following five weeks at No. 1 beginning in January. Teddy Swims' 'Lose Control,' which led the Hot 100 for a week in March 2024, and became the year's No. 1 song, climbs 11-8. It posts a record-extending 63rd week in the top 10 and a record-padding 93rd week on the chart overall. Drake's 'Nokia' rises 12-9 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 2. Rounding out the Hot 100's top 10, Benson Boone's 'Beautiful Things' bumps 14-10, after peaking at No. 2. It adds a 70th week on the survey, becoming just the 10th title ever to reach the milestone. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Four Decades of 'Madonna': A Look Back at the Queen of Pop's Debut Album on the Charts Chart Rewind: In 1990, Madonna Was in 'Vogue' Atop the Hot 100
Fast Company
an hour ago
- Fast Company
Does the ‘McMigraine meal' really help with headaches? TikTok thinks so
Migraine sufferers have heard it all: ice hats, essential oils, ginger tea. The latest advice? Head to McDonald's and order a large Coca-Cola and fries, dubbed the 'McMigraine meal.' One viral video with 5.7 million views reads: 'Trying McDonald's chips and a Diet Coke because I've had a headache for 48 hours and TikTok said it would help.' In the caption, the TikTok creator confirmed the hack worked. Another posted, 'the migraine girls get it' while pulling up to a McDonald's drive-through. A third asked, 'can someone please explain why the McMigraine always works?' While TikTok health hacks should be taken with a generous pinch of salt, this one may have some basis in science. 'This is a hack that's relatively well known in the migraine community,' neurologist and fellow migraine sufferer Jessica Lowe (@doctorbrainbarbie), explained in a TikTok video with 9.3 million views. 'A large coke from Mcdonalds has about 80 milligrams of caffeine in it. That right there is probably enough to stop your migraine in its tracks.' Caffeine acts as a vasoconstrictor —meaning it narrows blood vessels, which helps counter the dilation that occurs during a migraine. The fries offer both electrolytes and carbohydrates. 'Mcdonalds is well known to have some of the saltiest fries around,' Lowe added. Electrolytes can ease migraine symptoms tied to dehydration or low sodium, while carbs may help if the trigger is hunger or a drop in blood sugar. Still, proceed with caution. For some people, caffeine and fast food can trigger migraines rather than relieve them. Dr. Kay Kennis, a trustee for the Migraine Trust and a GP who specializes in migraines, told the BBC that McDonald's food may also contain high levels of tyramine—a known potential trigger. If you're struggling with migraines, consult your healthcare provider to explore treatment options. But if you're craving McDonald's in the meantime, go for it—you just might get some relief.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Woman Adopts Two Rescue Sister Cats, What Happens in First Week Goes Viral
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A newly adopted pair of cat sisters have melted hearts on social media after a heartwarming video of their first week in their new home went viral. The clip shared on TikTok on Saturday, under the username @lillylucysisters, shows the two tabby cats, Lilly and Lucy, curled up in their owner's arms, purring with joy as they nap there together. "Imagine adopting two rescue sister cats... and this happens in the very first week. Can you imagine what my heart feels like?" reads layover text in the clip. And a caption says: "My heart was exploding." Adopting two cats from the same litter is a big decision that can go either way. They can provide each other with companionship and prevent loneliness, though this depends on their individual personality. A Catster article, medically reviewed by Dr. Maja Platisa, explains that kittens from around three to four weeks of age tend to get along up until they reach social maturity, between two and five years, after that things can change. Sister cats may bond closely or prefer solitude, with some engaging in cuddling and grooming, and others merely tolerating each other. Brother cats often compete for leadership. They can either become inseparable or have endless conflicts. The advantages of adopting two kittens from the same litter include having constant companionship, entertainment, warmth, and grooming, but most importantly always having a play mate by their side. To keep tension between them at bay, make sure they each have their own litter-boxes, and food and water bowls. You can also use pheromones to make the atmosphere in the house more chilled for them. A stock image shows two tabby cats napping together on the bed, curled up to each other. A stock image shows two tabby cats napping together on the bed, curled up to each other. getty images The video quickly went viral on TikTok and it has so far received over 5.9 million views and 1.6 million views on the platform. One user, XENA, said: "Can you imagine what my heart feels like watching this with a cat who hates physical touch?! JEALOUS." wrote: "Hi! Just so you know, this is actually really dangerous because your heart may actually melt and/or cease to beat at the proper rhythm because of how sweet they are. Be careful!!" Rachcondi added: "This is all I want from my non affectionate cat but she looks at me like she is plotting my death." Newsweek reached out to @lillylucysisters for comment via email. We could not verify the details of the case. Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
