Boulder Reporting Lab, which launched at the end of 2021, is proud of our commitment to local, high-quality journalism and the impactful stories we’ve produced with and for our community. It’s an honor to receive recognition from our peers in journalism so early in our newsroom’s existence. Here’s a list of awards we have won since we launched:
2024
INN Nonprofit News Awards (national)
Insight Award for Explanatory Journalism – Finalist
Hidden Hazard: Boulder’s Million-Ton Coal Ash Problem
Tyler Hickman, Gabe Allen, Alyssa Crume, Devin Farmiloe, Por Jaijongkit, Audrey Wheeler, Tim Drugan, Stacy Feldman and Hillary Rosner
LION Local Journalism Awards (national)
Journalistic Impact Award – Finalist
Boulder Reporting Lab team
SPJ Top of the Rockies (regional)
Public Service – First Place
Hidden Hazard: Boulder’s Million-Ton Coal Ash Problem
Tyler Hickman, Gabe Allen, Alyssa Crume, Devin Farmiloe, Por Jaijongkit, Audrey Wheeler, Tim Drugan, Stacy Feldman and Hillary Rosner
Judges’ comments: “Very informative and clear writing.”
Ag and Environment: News – First Place
Boulder’s controversial prairie dog control program expands
- In the new year, Boulder plans continued removal of prairie dogs as the rodents achieve record influx
- City of Boulder seeks to expand lethal prairie dog control to most of its farmland
Tim Drugan
Judges’ comments: “Interesting, informative and well-researched pieces.”
Best Solutions Journalism – First Place
Explaining Boulder’s flood risk — and the unpopular but necessary solutions to address it.
- As Boulder seeks to flood-proof Goose and Twomile Creeks, some residents grapple with altering a wildlife pathway for flood defense
- Boulder’s $40 million flood project is a possible preview of dozens more battles to come
- Boulder’s stormwater infrastructure faces test as wet spring continues and flood projects in ongoing limbo
- Boulder’s flood risk: A decade after 2013’s deadly deluge, are we ready for the next?
- South Boulder Creek flood mitigation project moves forward, but faces permitting and open space allocation challenges
- Boulder considers design changes to $40 million Goose Creek flood mitigation plan amid resident opposition
Tim Drugan
Judges’ comments: “Comprehensive, compelling journalism about finding solutions to flooding risks in Boulder, Colorado.”
Climate Reporting – First Place
The reshaped climate reality spurred by Marshall Fire’s destruction
- As Boulder County residents wake up to risk of living on wildfire-prone grasslands, a search for solutions
- ‘All the small carriers left’: Homeowners in Boulder’s mountain communities struggle to find insurance coverage after devastating wildfires
- Nonprofits step in to protect Boulder mountain homes from wildfire as government efforts still lag
- ‘We’re going to lose people who want to live here’: High housing costs, trauma hinder some Boulder County residents in their recovery from the Marshall Fire
- Marshall Fire recovery groups push for transparent wildfire mitigation ‘vision’ in Boulder County — for the mountains and plains
- ‘Minutes to hours to get people evacuated’: Boulder County takes on its wildfire evacuation challenge
Tim Drugan
Enterprise Reporting – First Place
Hidden Hazard: Boulder’s Million-Ton Coal Ash Problem
Tyler Hickman, Gabe Allen, Alyssa Crume, Devin Farmiloe, Por Jaijongkit, Audrey Wheeler, Tim Drugan, Stacy Feldman and Hillary Rosner
Judges’ comments: “Residents near a closed power plant have to contend with the facility’s dangerous legacy: coal ash contamination. The Boulder Reporting Lab uncovered multiple examples of the hazard posed by heavy metal residues, the threat to ground water, and other worries that will be faced by residents unless action is taken.”
Extended Coverage – First Place
Climate Disaster Dollars & Sense: Marshall Fire Fund Up Close
Tim Drugan, Claire Cleveland, Ali Branscombe
Judges’ comments: “After the Marshall Fire ravaged Colorado, residents were desperate for funds to help them rebuild. The Boulder Reporting Project performed a major service to the community by looking behind the curtain to see how funds are disbursed — who gets money, who doesn’t and why.”
Mental Health: News – First Place
Boulder County Jail struggles to implement Colorado mental health law limiting solitary confinement
John Herrick
Judges’ comments: “The Boulder Reporting Lab took a deep dive into solitary confinement in the Boulder prison and shed light on how it is not keeping up with new laws that impact inmates’ mental health.”
Multimedia Story – First Place
Boulder Reporting Lab’s reader-powered election project
John Herrick, Stacy Feldman, Tim Drugan
Judges’ comments: “Boulder Reporting Lab committed to allowing readers to help shape election coverage, and the lab did so in a big way. Great job!”
News Reporting – Single Story – First Place
Humans started the devastating Marshall Fire, 18-month investigation concludes. Drought, high heat and winds fueled its spread.
Tim Drugan
Judges’ comments: “Exceptionally thorough and broadly consequential reporting that publicly elevated an issue affecting a statewide population. This type of solid reporting increases the potential for effective action by those affected, local leaders, and elected officials.”
Beat Reporting – Second Place
These stories collectively expose the challenges posed by entrenched housing laws on Boulder’s affordability goals, exploring efforts to overcome them, with the alarming rise in homelessness as the most pernicious symptom of these failed policies.
- Developers abandon affordable senior housing project at Fruehauf’s property amid rising costs
- The ‘forgotten history’ of rent control in Boulder
- Homelessness in Boulder Valley School District hits highest level since Great Recession
- What Gov. Jared Polis’ housing plan could mean for Boulder, his hometown
- The City of Boulder isn’t outright opposing the governor’s land-use bill
John Herrick
Legal: News – Second Place
Boulder Valley School District’s discrimination lawsuit
- Boulder Valley School District nears settlement over discrimination lawsuit
- Boulder Valley School District settles discrimination lawsuit
- BVSD agrees to pay another parent in the wake of a discrimination lawsuit
John Herrick
Obit Reporting – Second Place
Tragic loss of young cycling champion: Boulder mourns Magnus White, 17, as community calls for safer roads
Jenna Sampson
Social Justice Reporting – Second Place
Boulder’s strained eviction protection program faces new pressure
- Evictions jump to the highest levels in years
- City runs out of rent relief money
- Evicted tenant sues the owner of a mobile home community
John Herrick
Breaking News Story – Third Place
Colorado Court of Appeals ruling on defamation lawsuit is a win for all but one member of the Boulder Progressives
John Herrick
Better News Media Contest – Colorado Press Association (statewide)
Excellence in Editorial – Winner
Boulder Reporting Lab team
Best Investigative Story Package – First Place
Boulder County’s elected coroner takes ‘time away’ after internal investigation substantiates workplace allegations
Tim Drugan
Best Public Service Project – First Place
Boulder County’s elected coroner takes ‘time away’ after internal investigation substantiates workplace allegations
Tim Drugan
Best Editorial Special Section – First Place
Boulder Reporting Lab’s reader-powered election project
Boulder Reporting Lab team
Best Feature Story – First Place
A Boulder family’s civil rights lawsuit highlights the dangers of jailing mentally ill people. After 7 years and a major settlement, little has changed.
John Herrick
Best Health Enterprise/Health Feature Story – First Place
Arrival of fentanyl in Boulder hits homeless people particularly hard, revealing ‘broken and overwhelmed’ treatment system
John Herrick
Best Education Story – First Place
Boulder Valley School District nears settlement over discrimination lawsuit
John Herrick
Best Breaking News/Deadline Reporting – First Place
Terrible situation to put students in:’ Active shooter report at Boulder High was fake ‘swatting’ call
John Herrick, Tim Drugan
Best Crime & Public Safety Reporting – First Place
Was a CU Boulder student stabbed downtown last week? Here’s what we know and don’t know
John Herrick, Tim Drugan, Isabella Hammond (CU Independent)
Best Website – First Place
Boulder Reporting Lab website
Boulder Reporting Lab team
Best Environmental Story – Second Place
Boulder County cities and towns pursue solutions to future Colorado River shortages, on their own
Tim Drugan
Best Investigative Story Package – Second Place
Hidden Hazard: Boulder’s Million-Ton Coal Ash Problem
Tyler Hickman, Gabe Allen, Alyssa Crume, Devin Farmiloe, Por Jaijongkit, Audrey Wheeler, Tim Drugan, Stacy Feldman and Hillary Rosner
Best Politics Reporting – Second Place
Homelessness takes center stage: How it shaped Boulder’s election and the community’s response
John Herrick
Best Public Service Project – Second Place
Hidden Hazard: Boulder’s Million-Ton Coal Ash Problem
Tyler Hickman, Gabe Allen, Alyssa Crume, Devin Farmiloe, Por Jaijongkit, Audrey Wheeler, Tim Drugan, Stacy Feldman and Hillary Rosner
Best Series or Sustained Coverage – Second Place
Climate Disaster Dollars & Sense: Marshall Fire Fund Up Close
Tim Drugan, Claire Cleveland, Ali Branscombe
2023
INN Nonprofit News Awards (national)
INNovator Award – Finalist
Pop-up community newsroom, born out of Colorado’s devastating fire
Anthony Albidrez, Ali Branscombe, Amber Carlson, Josh Couture, Helen Driesen, Elise Ertl, Zain Iqbal, Hillary Rosner and Stacy Feldman
Insight Award for Explanatory Journalism – Finalist
Climate disaster dollars and sense: Marshall Fire Fund up close
Tim Drugan, Claire Cleveland and Ali Branscombe
LION Local Journalism Awards (national)
Collaboration of the Year – Finalist
No return: The unseen toll of the Marshall Fire’s ‘standing home’ survivors
Anthony Albidrez, Ali Branscombe, Amber Carlson, Josh Couture, Helen Driesen, Elise Ertl, Zain Iqbal, Hillary Rosner and Stacy Feldman
SPJ Top of the Rockies (regional)
Public Service – First Place
No return: The unseen toll of the Marshall Fire’s ‘standing home’ survivors
Anthony Albidrez, Ali Branscombe, Amber Carlson, Josh Couture, Helen Driesen, Elise Ertl and Zain Iqbal
Judges’ comments: “This story gives voice to a struggling segment of the population that most people don’t think about when it comes to wildfires in a populated area, standing home survivors. This thorough and well-sourced telling examined the health and financial woes of those who initially thought themselves lucky to retain their homes, only to find out smoke and toxins jeopardized their houses and their futures in them.”
Climate Reporting – First Place
Demystifying and deconstructing climate impacts and solutions in Boulder County:
- ‘These areas are made to burn’: When it comes to the health of the forests surrounding Boulder, there is no replacement for fire
- Wildfire is among the biggest risks to Boulder’s water supply. How is the city protecting its streams, creeks and reservoirs?
- A personal trainer for fire mitigation: Wildfire Partners helps homeowners address unique challenges to protect themselves and their neighbors before the next blaze strikes
- What does a fire resilient property look like? One Boulder County resident’s home offers a glimpse.
- ‘It’s never going to be done’: City forest thinning projects highlight ongoing maintenance needed to keep Boulder open space in balance and safer from fire
- How does mine waste affect water sources in Boulder County? A look at reclamation efforts in the Fourmile watershed offers a glimpse.
- To curb wildfire risk, some Boulder residents are taking burying power lines into their own hands
- The Shadow Canyon Hand Crew: Where Boulder firefighters learn to be wildland firefighters
- Boulder’s farmland is becoming desert. A solution? Look to beavers and prairie dogs.
- After carbon-neutralizing his own life, Boulder resident is launching an organization to help other climate-conscious locals do the same
- The history of Boulder’s wildland firefighting division reveals a fight for survival since its inception
Tim Drugan
Judges’ comments: “Impressive body of work and follow-through that places environmental education and community information needs first.”
Ag and Environment: Feature – First Place
Decades of ‘what-ifs’: The history of CU South leaves many wondering what could have been
Tim Drugan
Judges’ comments: “This interesting explanatory piece integrated multiple layers of in-depth research and interviews with key decision-makers to create a narrative timeline describing how 308 acres of land came to be owned by a local university, vs. the city of Boulder. It’s a deep dive with strong local appeal and relevance.”
Features: Short form – First Place
‘Sans Souci magic’: A cooperative community looks for support after the Marshall Fire
Jezy Gray and Anthony Albidrez
Enterprise Reporting – Second Place
No return: The unseen toll of the Marshall Fire’s ‘standing home’ survivors
Anthony Albidrez, Ali Branscombe, Amber Carlson, Josh Couture, Helen Driesen, Elise Ertl and Zain Iqbal
A&E and Food: News or Feature – Third Place
After two of its teenage dancers were displaced by the Marshall Fire, a Louisville dance company closes a tumultuous season with one last performance at the Dairy Arts Center
Jezy Gray
Multimedia Story – Third Place
Nonprofit K9 search and rescue team offers closure to Boulder County residents grieving lost pets after the Marshall Fire
Jezy Gray and Anthony Albidrez
Better News Media Contest – Colorado Press Association (statewide)
General Excellence – Winner
Boulder Reporting Lab team
Excellence in Editorial – Winner
Boulder Reporting Lab team
Excellence in Other Mixed Media
Boulder Reporting Lab team
Best Breaking News/Deadline Reporting – First Place
ACLU of Colorado sues City of Boulder over camping ban enforcement
John Herrick
Best Editorial Collaboration – First Place
No return: The unseen toll of the Marshall Fire’s ‘standing home’ survivors
Anthony Albidrez, Ali Branscombe, Amber Carlson, Josh Couture, Helen Driesen, Elise Ertl, Zain Iqbal, Hillary Rosner and Stacy Feldman
Best Environmental Story – First Place
Decades of ‘what-ifs’: The history of CU South leaves many wondering what could have been
Tim Drugan
Best News Story – First Place
365 fire days a year’: NCAR wildfire is another wake-up call for Boulder
John Herrick and Jezy Gray
Best Politics Reporting
CU South as a microcosm: Understanding Boulder politics through the fight over open space and flood protection:
- Opponents of the CU South annexation want a deal with 500-year flood protection. So did everyone else in Boulder.
- Decades of ‘what-ifs’: The history of CU South leaves many wondering what could have been
- Group seeking to block CU South development threatens to take City of Boulder to court over ballot language
- ‘The biggest fear is losing this place’: Boulder residents grapple with high-stakes CU South vote
- In wake of yet another CU South referendum, uncertainty lingers
John Herrick and Tim Drugan
Best Public Service Project – First Place
No return: The unseen toll of the Marshall Fire’s ‘standing home’ survivors
Anthony Albidrez, Ali Branscombe, Amber Carlson, Josh Couture, Helen Driesen, Elise Ertl, Zain Iqbal, Hillary Rosner and Stacy Feldman
Best Website – First Place
Best Newsletter – First Place
Best Crime & Public Safety Reporting – Second Place
What we know (and don’t) about the Boulder crime rate
John Herrick
Best Education Story – Second Place
Black and Latino students at disproportionately higher rates than most Colorado districts. Parents continue calls for accountability.
John Herrick
Best Series or Sustained Coverage – Second Place
Demystifying and deconstructing climate impacts and solutions in Boulder County:
- ‘These areas are made to burn’: When it comes to the health of the forests surrounding Boulder, there is no replacement for fire
- Wildfire is among the biggest risks to Boulder’s water supply. How is the city protecting its streams, creeks and reservoirs?
- How much water does Boulder actually need — and how much is at its disposal?
- A personal trainer for fire mitigation: Wildfire Partners helps homeowners address unique challenges to protect themselves and their neighbors before the next blaze strikes
- What does a fire resilient property look like? One Boulder County resident’s home offers a glimpse.
- ‘It’s never going to be done’: City forest thinning projects highlight ongoing maintenance needed to keep Boulder open space in balance and safer from fire
- Fire, flood and pollution: How Boulder Watershed Collective navigates a network of concerns in its mission to keep local water sources clean
- How does mine waste affect water sources in Boulder County? A look at reclamation efforts in the Fourmile watershed offers a glimpse.
- To curb wildfire risk, some Boulder residents are taking burying power lines into their own hands
- The Shadow Canyon Hand Crew: Where Boulder firefighters learn to be wildland firefighters
- Boulder’s farmland is becoming desert. A solution? Look to beavers and prairie dogs.
- After carbon-neutralizing his own life, Boulder resident is launching an organization to help other climate-conscious locals do the same
- The history of Boulder’s wildland firefighting division reveals a fight for survival since its inception
- Sunshine Wildland Fire: Why were there so many different places to check for evacuation alerts and information?
Tim Drugan