General Excellence RibbonGeneral Excellence Ribbon

Weeklys publications consistently bring home top awards at the California Journalism Awards and other contests, including six of the state’s top award, General Excellence, in recent years, and four consecutive first place wins for investigative reporting.

Metro Silicon Valley was chosen three years in a row for providing the state’s best weekly Arts & Entertainment coverage.

We are proud to deliver some of California’s best journalism and writing. Below are some of the awards we’ve won.

California Journalism Awards

General Excellence

Pajaronian, First Place, 2022
Good Times, First Place, 2022
Good Times, First Place, 2019
Gilroy Dispatch, First Place, 2018

Investigative Reporting

North Bay Bohemian, First Place, 2019
Metro Silicon Valley, First Place, 2018: Racist, Sexist, Homophobic Texts Between Sheriff’s Deputies Force Resignation of Deputy Sheriffs’ Association President, Jennifer Wadsworth
Metro Silicon Valley, First Place, 2016: Skipping Out on Bail, Jennifer Wadsworth “Powerful indictment of a corrupt and dysfunctional bail bonds system. Deep, careful reporting and clear writing make this one of the top entries in a hyper-competitive category.”
North Bay Bohemian, Second Place, 2013
Metro Silicon Valley, Second Place, 2005: Hungry, Stett Holbrook
Metro Silicon Valley, Second Place, 2004
Metro Silicon Valley, First Place, 2002: Lauren Stein, Jagged Little Pill
Metro Silicon Valley, First Place, 1997: Unhung Hero, Ami Chen Mills
Metro Santa Cruz, Crash Hotels, Kelly Luker

Arts & Entertainment Coverage

Good Times, Second Place, 2019
Metro Silicon Valley, Third Place, 2019
Metro Silicon Valley, First Place, 2018
Metro Silicon Valley, First Place, 2017
Metro Silicon Valley, First Place, 2016
Metro Silicon Valley, Second Place, 2010
Metro Silicon Valley, First Place, 2009
Metro Silicon Valley, First Place, 2008
Metro Santa Cruz, First Place, 2006
North Bay Bohemian, First Place, 2004
Metro Silicon Valley, Second Place, 2001
Metro Silicon Valley, Second Place, 2001

In Depth Reporting

Metro Silicon Valley, First Place, 2017: CEQA Racket Extracts 11th Hour Payoffs Amidst Housing Crisis, Jennifer Wadsworth, Dan Pulcrano, Tom Gogola “Through its digging, extensive reporting and clear but passionate writing, Metro Silicon Valley produced first-rate work.”

Public Service Journalism

Metro Silicon Valley, First Place, 2018: Dominic Caserta Sexual Harassment Exposed, Jennifer Wadsworth “A great example of a newspaper not waiting around for government types to get rid bad actors. Bad news teacher meant big news for this winner.”

Breaking News

Morgan Hill Times, First Place, 2019: “Community news reporting at its best.”
Morgan Hill Times, Second Place, 2015: Lying MH veteran apologizes, Michael Moore, Jack Foley

Environmental Reporting

North Bay Bohemian, First Place, 2017: Of Water and Wine, Stett Holbrook
North Bay Bohemian, Second Place, 2015: Lawson’s Landing, Thomas Gogola
Good Times, Second Place, 2015: “Foggy Notion,” “Tracing the Elements,” Maria Grusauskas, Henry Houskeeper
Metro Silicon Valley, First Place, 1997: To Shoot a Thief, Ami Chen Mills

Writing

Pacific Sun, Second Place, 2022: Coverage of 2022 Elections
North Bay Bohemian, First Place, 2016: Condemned Men Talking, Tom Gogola
Metro Silicon Valley, Second Place, 2016: Stuck Lovers, Jennifer Wadsworth
North Bay Bohemian, First Place, 2015: Music on the Margins, Charlie Swanson
Metro Silicon Valley, Second Place, 1998

Enterprise News Story or Series

Hollister Free Lance, First Place: Funds Missing from Charitable Trust, Barry Holtzclaw

Coverage of Local Government

Pacific Sun, First Place, 2022
Good Times, First Place: Unit Shifter, Jacob Pierce

Freedom of Information

Metro Silicon Valley, 2003: County’s Bounty, a five-month battle with county officials to obtain salaries of top-level managers, who were given pay increases as county workers were being laid off

Front Page Design

Metro Silicon Valley, First Place, 2016: We Will Survive
Gilroy Dispatch, First Place, 2015: Stephanie Woehrmann, Roger Black, Dan Pulcrano

Editorial Comment

Hollister Free Lance, First Place: San Benito County Leaders Silent on Dabo, Barry Holtzclaw

Sports Section

Hollister Free Lance, First Place: Emanuel Lee, sports editor

Sports Feature Story

Hollister Free Lance, First Place 2016: Life Renewed for Hughes-Fudge, Emanuel Lee

Sports Photo

Gilroy Dispatch, First Place, 2014: Goodbye, Lora Schraft

Association of Alternative Newsmedia AAN Awards.

Investigative Reporting (David Carr Award)

Metro Silicon Valley, Second Place, 2019: Sheriff Texting Scandal, Jennifer Wadsworth

Arts Feature

Good Times Santa Cruz, Second Place, 2019: Santa Cruz Goes Dark, Steve Palopoli

Cover Design

Good Times Santa Cruz, First Place, 2017: Tabi Zarrinnaal

Free Speech

Metro Silicon Valley, First Place, 2018: Milpitas City Manager Misuse of Taxpayer Funds, Jennifer Wadsworth

Food Writing

North Bay Bohemian, Second Place, 2011:Coldest Beer in Town, Black Diamonds and Building a Better Berry by Alastair Bland
North Bay Bohemian, First Place, 2007: Daedalus Howell, Swirl
Metro Santa Cruz, First Place, 2009: The Jester’s Quest, Christina Waters

Music Criticism

North Bay Bohemian, First Place, 2012: Morning Glory gOoD-bAiT and Lapse of Reason, Gabe Meline