for exclusively reporting news from the private and secret Grammy meetings, discovering that expected nominees for best new artist â Cardi B and Post Malone â became ineligible for the award, as well as learning that Postâs album was kicked out of the rap category and placed into pop after a heated debate.https://bit.ly/2yLaxXh
Correspondent Adrian Sainz drew on his deep knowledge of Memphisâ musical history to tell the fascinating but sometimes overlooked story of Steve Cropper, the 79-year-old guitarist who worked at Stax Records alongside Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave and others, leaving an indelible imprint on the American songbook.
Complemented by Kristin Hallâs engaging video and Mark Humphreyâs striking portraits, Sainz lays Cropper's story out in rich detail, from the birth of Reddingâs â(Sittin On) The Dock of the Bayâ to his work with the Blues Brothers and current projects.
For an illuminating, unexpected holiday offering that reveals the low-key man whose music everyone celebrates, Sainz earns APâs Best of the States award for the week of Dec. 28.
When investigating politicians, the adage goes, âfollow the money.â But it is equally important to follow the meetings.
for being first to obtain key factual details of the Paris robbery targeting Kim Kardashian West, amid wild rumors circulating online. http://hrld.us/2dWx9dJ
for getting the first interview with Zayn Malik, formerly of One Direction, in which he talked about his former band and an eating disorder. http://wapo.st/2eNLyK9
for being the only one to report that Beyonce's country song "Daddy Lessons" was blocked from being a contender for a Grammy in the country category _ deep information from the inner-workings of the Recording Academy. http://bit.ly/2hKzPL3
for breaking news of the sudden move of Princeâs master tapes and unreleased music from Minneapolis to Los Angeles, which has angered some heirs of the late star. Entertainment Editor Nekesa Moody got a tip that led to the scoop. http://wapo.st/2zlbKnG
for breaking the news that Nicki Minaj was pulling out of a performance in Saudi Arabia after several human rights organizations asked the rapper to cancel the show. https://bit.ly/2LbO7ak
The envelope was opened, âGreen Bookâ was announced as best picture at the 91st Oscars, and entertainment writer Andrew Daltonâs eyes shifted over to Spike Lee.
The director threw up his hands in exasperation and attempted to storm out of the Dolby Theatre before being told to return to his seat. Social media quickly lit up with disdain for the selection by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and Daltonâs eyewitness reporting quickly fueled the criticism.
In a packed theater filled with actors and other journalists, Dalton reported what few saw and the television cameras didnât show, giving the AP exclusive material and driving audiences to its comprehensive Oscars coverage.
Later that night, entertainment producer Mike Cidoni Lennox interviewed âGreen Bookâsâ producers outside the Oscarsâ official after-party, helping drive the following dayâs coverage of the controversial win.
The reaction to the best picture winner capped dominating all-formats team coverage of the Oscars, the result of months of planning and preparation. AP customers received a steady stream of photos, video and stories, including film writer Jake Coyleâs deadline story which was viewed more than 88,000 times. Coyle had crafted prep for all the likely winners, allowing for fast updates when the envelopes were opened.
For their extensive planning, professional expertise and swift work, Dalton, Coyle and Lennox win APâs Best of the Week award.
New York City photographer Julie Jacobson and Michelle Smith, Providence, Rhode Island, correspondent, spent weeks negotiating with the parent company of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus about what sort of access they could get to the performers and crew as âThe Greatest Show on Earthâ drew to a close after 146 years.
What they really wanted was to get on the train where the workers lived, the last of its kind in the world. Finally the word came down: We could get on the âpie carâ for the clownsâ last breakfast, but they would not be in costume, and we could absolutely not see the rest of the train, out of respect for the privacy of the performers.
But Jacobson and Smith donât take no for an answer. The access they got, the stories they heard and the images they saw formed the basis for an exclusive and heart-tugging package of photos, traditional and 360 video, and text.
For their resourceful and revealing behind-the-scenes look at the end of a cultural icon, Jacobson and Smith receive this week's Best of the State honors.
for producing an engaging series of exclusive profiles on eight breakthrough entertainers for 2018, with video, text and photos of each discussing the years that launched them on the path to stardom. https://bit.ly/2POedOg
for thinking to ask Matthew McConaughey at a red-carpet event about the just-announced death of fellow actor and friend Sam Shepard, and capturing McConaugheyâs stunned reaction. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHMF4LlWgZI
While a lot of outlets discussed the issue of respect and titles surrounding a 30-year-old clip of Maya Angelou admonishing a young woman who dared call her by her first name, it was Italie who actually found and interviewed the woman, now almost 50, for her reaction to the video going viral. https://bit.ly/2UYiNgm
for obtaining an exclusive walkthrough of new procedures by the film academy and accounting firm PwC to avoid another envelope flub like the one that resulted in the incorrect naming of the best picture winner at last year's Oscars. http://bit.ly/2EywzPo
for swift collaborative action, first retracing a lost call from a source at Doris Dayâs longtime animal foundation who confirmed that the much-loved actress and singer had died, and then assembling a series of urgent news updates and preparedness that moved before the competition. https://bit.ly/2EqBbIC
for their efforts in gaining exclusive access to some of the affected areas and shooting compelling video that captured the physical damage and the personal devastation of the Gatlinburg fires. New York-based Nathan Griffiths produced a 360 video, and Eric Schelzig shot aerial photos while on a flyover tour with the governor. https://apnews.com/b1b36cc743444b3b87a4e646fd1371a8
The farewell to the Queen of Soul promised to be an extravaganza â days of tributes, musical performances and a marathon funeral.
The AP team diligently prepared for the events and when the time came, the combined efforts of Detroit-based photographer Paul Sancya and Miami-based visual journalist Josh Replogle turned a pair of pool opportunities into two exclusives during the week of mourning for Aretha Franklin in Detroit.
Among the highlights: Sancyaâs shot of Franklin lying in her casket with red heels clearly visible, video and photos of the singer in her final resting place and an exclusive interview with a controversial pastor.
Their work earns the Beat of the Week.
The two-day sentencing hearing and imprisonment of former TV star Bill Cosby ended a decades-long battle over sexual assault accusations against the comedian once known as âAmericaâs Dad.â An AP team of reporters, photographers and video journalists drew on strong planning and coordination to excel in all formats while fending off a throng of competition.
The AP was ahead at all key moments in the sentencing, from a judgeâs decision to label Cosby a sexually violent predator to the moment he handed down a sentence of 3 to 10 years and then denied bail. Staffers moved top photos to the wire almost instantly after they were shot, and provided live video of the scene.
For their excellent work in covering the Cosby sentencing, the team of Michael Sisak, Maryclaire Dale, Claudia Lauer, Pete Brown, Alyssa Goodman, Matt Rourke, Matt Slocum, Jackie Larma, Mike Householder and Joe Frederick share the Best of the Week award.
teamed up to tell the exclusive story of a 105-year-old California woman who died from COVID-19 â she was a toddler when her mother died in the 1918 flu pandemic.Acting on a tip about the story from entertainment/lifestyles editor Julie Rubin, Richmond chronicled Primetta Giacopiniâs rich life story with video journalist Daley and freelance photographer Edelson, including an on-camera interview with Giacopini's daughter in the Bay Area. Giacopini had lost her fighter pilot husband in World War II, barely escaped wartime Europe, ground steel for the U.S. war effort and advocated for her disabled daughter in a far less enlightened time.The all-formats story resonated with audiences online, in print and in broadcast. âMy grandmother and mother, the only thing that could kill them was a worldwide pandemic,â her daughter told the AP.https://aplink.news/04ihttps://aplink.video/lzb
Rolled out over the week of Jan. 6, AP's one-year anniversary coverage of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol stood out in a highly competitive field, with exclusive content across text, photos and video, including an interview with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Weeks of preparation and reporting paid off in broad, deep, insightful coverage. Among the offerings: lawmakers recounting their experiences inside the Capitol on the fateful day, a profile of protester Ashli Babbitt, AP staffersâ first-person accounts of covering the riot, the stubborn hold of conspiracy theories, teachers around the country debating how to teach the event, and much more.
Photos and video were no less compelling, highlighted by the exclusive and widely used on-camera interview of Pelosi, who chose to sit down with AP rather than the networks on the eve of the anniversary.
For demonstrating the APâs ability to deliver best-in-class content across platforms on this major anniversary, the team behind the Jan. 6 coverage is APâs Best of the Week â First Winner.
