The Press Democrat was honored as the best newspaper of its size in California, while its journalists took home top honors for public service, writing and photography in the state’s largest journalism contest.
The newspaper won 23 first place awards from the California News Publishers Association, including for coverage of education, local government, business, arts and entertainment, immigration, agriculture and the environment.
Reporting by Adriana Gutierrez and Kerry Benefield on the fiscal crisis threatening Sonoma County’s largest school district won the top award for public service.
The award for general excellence recognized contributions from across the newsroom, design and advertising teams, honoring The Press Democrat as best in class — for the fourth year in a row — among newspapers and online sites with 15,000 to 50,000 subscribers — a category that includes all but a handful of the largest metro papers and online outlets and the state’s smaller dailies.
Overall, the newspaper and its website, pressdemocrat.com, won 85 awards for print and digital journalism from 2025 in the annual California Journalism Awards, organized by the state’s largest media trade group.
The Press Democrat’s sibling publications, the Sonoma Index-Tribune, Petaluma Argus-Courier and North Bay Business Journal, together won 18 awards, including 4 first places.
1st place awards
The 23 awards included:
General excellence, for two consecutive issues of The Press Democrat (Sept. 20-21) that showcased reporting on local law enforcement oversight, the fiscal crisis within Santa Rosa City Schools, the aid shortfall for 2017 fire survivors and the clash over backyard beekeeping and commercial cannabis farms. The package included a range of essential local business, features and sports coverage, as well as reporting from around the nation and world, the Sunday Forum pages with opinion content and commentary, plus the annual Communidad section featuring special coverage of the North Bay’s diverse Latino community. The category grades news organizations not only on their journalism, but also overall design, presentation and advertising content.
Public Service, for reporting by Adriana Gutierrez and Kerry Benefield, whose in-depth coverage illuminated the greatest financial collapse in the history of Santa Rosa’s 150-year-old public school system. Their dozens of stories included a drumbeat of daily coverage and deeper enterprise reporting on the origin, extent and fallout of the crisis — the closure of six campuses through June, about 150 teacher and staff layoffs and the elimination of numerous special programs, including counseling services for students.
Writing, for Emma Murphy’s story “Alone on the Mountain,” delving into the adventurous life and domestic-violence murder of Sonoma County park ranger Kat Pringle.
Agriculture Coverage, for the series of stories by John Beck, with photography by Kent Porter and additional reporting by Raquel Issenberg, on the end of most private ranching in Point Reyes National Seashore, brought about through a secretly-brokered buyout by The Nature Conservancy.
Kent Porter / The Press Democrat file
Kevin Lunny with granddaughter Isabella Mata, 6, pushes beef cattle toward an open pasture Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 at the Lunny Ranch in Point Reyes National Seashore. In the background is Drake’s Estero, where Drakes Bay Oyster Co., owned by Lunny, closed in 2014. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat file)
Arts and Entertainment Coverage, for Dan Taylor’s story on musician, composer and groundbreaking Healdsburg Jazz artistic director Marcus Shelby, with photography by John Burgess.
Columns, for Kerry Benefield’s delightful pieces on an abandoned kitten’s cross-country bike trip, with photos by Christopher Chung, and a local veteran’s reunion with his long-lost dog.
Artistic Photo, for Kent Porter’s luminous shot of a supermoon rising behind a mountain ridge.
The Cold Moon, the last supermoon of 2025, rises behind the Mayacamas Mountains and Nuns Fire burn scar, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025 in Glen Ellen. The yellow orange tint is due to a layer of cirrus clouds and smoke particulates trapped under a persistent high pressure ridge. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
Business and Economy Coverage, for reporting on the widening economic headwinds hitting the region’s wine industry, with slumping consumer sales and slower tasting room traffic spilling over into pullbacks for growers, by reporters Sarah Doyle, Jeff Quackenbush and Phil Barber and The Press Democrat’s staff photojournalists.
Local Government Coverage, for Marisa Endicott’s examination of skyrocketing insurance costs for California counties, an accelerating trend that is draining dollars for public services.
Youth and Education Coverage, for Tarini Mehta’s coverage of the crisis that pushed Napa County’s smallest school district — Pope Valley Union Elementary — to the brink of implosion.
Editorial Comment, for former Editorial Director Jim Sweeney’s assessment of the opportunities and risks presented by a regional plan for the Eel River, where PG&E wants to decommission and remove its two dams, raising questions about future water security for farms, cities and rural residents in Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties.
Environmental Reporting, for Anna Armstrong’s coverage of the debate ignited in western Sonoma County by a family’s plan for an asphalt plant at their longstanding Forestville quarry, with photos by Kent Porter.
Fine Arts Writing, for John Beck’s piece on ‘The Poetry House,’ the Sonoma Coast retreat dreamed up by late sculptor Bruce Johnson and local poet Elizabeth Herron, illustrated with Beth Schlanker’s photos.
Food Writing and Reporting, for a compilation of Heather Irwin’s restaurant reviews and food writing.
Bazaar Sonoma restaurant owners Jenny Phan and Sean Quan are grateful for the community support Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025 after a fire closed their Forestville restaurant. BASO now operates in a temporary location offered by friend Gerard Nebesky who used it as an extra kitchen for his Gerard’s Paella Catering. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
Immigration Reporting, for stories by Phil Barber and Marisa Endicott about the local ripples of the Trump administration’s historic crackdown on immigration enforcement, focused on the experience of North Bay residents navigating the U.S. detention system.
In-Depth Reporting, for Emma Murphy’s probing coverage of a landmark Sonoma County government real estate deal and a resulting state investigation into a member of the Board of Supervisors.
Front Page Layout, for Denise Szott’s arresting cover featuring Colin Atagi’s story about the local cases behind California’s deeply flawed system that allows motorists convicted in fatal crashes to continue driving, as shown in a CalMatters investigation.
Front page for July 6, 2025
Profile, for Kerry Benefield’s story “Jesika’s Journey,” about a local health care hero who turned her own past experience with addiction into a vital community role helping Sonoma County’s most vulnerable residents.
Sports Feature Story, for the chronicle by reporter Gus Morris and Kent Porter of the final days of the 2025 Sonoma State University women’s and men’s basketball seasons, in the wake of the campus president’s decision to end all 11 intercollegiate sports programs at the school to help address a nearly $24 million deficit.
Print Inside Page Layout, for the Feast & Wine pages by designer Lisa Ostroski and features editor Sofia Englund.
Feast & Wine cover Nov. 12, 2025. (The Press Democrat)
Nov. 12, 2025 Feast and Wine section pages
Feast and Wine cover Dec. 10, 2025. (The Press Democrat)
Feast and Wine pages, Dec. 10, 2025. (The Press Democrat)
Feast and Wine cover Dec. 31, 2025. (The Press Democrat)
Feast and Wine pages, Dec. 31, 2025. (The Press Democrat)
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Feast & Wine cover Nov. 12, 2025. (The Press Democrat)
Tourism/Travel Writing, for Sarah Doyle’s story about local winemaker Daryl Groom’s trek, with his son, along the famed Camino de Santiago, helping raise funds for heart charities.
Wildfire News Coverage, for team coverage of the 2025 Pickett Fire that menaced communities in eastern Napa County.
Wildfire Photo, for Kent Porter’s otherworldly shot of the nighttime fight to save Aetna Springs from the Pickett Fire.
Kent Porter / The Press Democrat
Reflected in a homeowners pool, a California Conservation Corps firefighting hand crew heads toward the Pickett Fire line, Saturday, August 24, 2025. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
2nd place awards
The 20 awards included:
Agriculture Coverage, for stories by Heather Irwin, Sarah Doyle and Jennifer Graue, with photography by John Burgess and Christopher Chung, spotlighting resilience and ingenuity among Sonoma County farmers.
Arts & Entertainment Coverage, for Dan Taylor’s story on Santa Rosa-born actor Morgan Spector, who got his start in local theater at age 7 and now stars on the HBO series “The Gilded Age.”
Breaking News, for a story by Madison Smalstig, with additional reporting by Phil Barber, on an Aug. 10, 2025 murder-suicide that involved an off-duty Sonoma County sheriff’s deputy shooting to death his former partner — also a sheriff’s employee — before killing himself.
Columns, for Kerry Benefield’s series on sickened Navy submariner Paul Critchett’s fight for his veteran’s benefits, with photography by John Burgess.
Editorial Comment, for Jim Sweeney’s defense of hard-won coastal protections shielding California from more offshore oil drilling.
Enterprise News Story, for Marisa Endicott’s examination of the debt load burdening Sonoma State University’s troubled budget, with data graphics by George Buce.
Feature Photography, by Christopher Chung, Kent Porter and Beth Schlanker.
Christine Palmer-Persen blow dries Sebastian as he shakes off water from a bath in Windsor on Friday, February 7, 2025. Sebastian, a 5-year-old grand champion Great Pyrenees, will be competing in the 149th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
At Salmon Creek Beach north, the Milky Way and ocean bioluminescence make for a visual feast for a visitor, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. Sea Surface Temperatures are running above normal giving glowing dinoflagellate plankton a canvas in which to glow. The phenomenon is most common during fall months in the Bay Area ocean waters. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
Annabelle Rincon, 2, feigns pain as she receives a new ‘do, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025, during the Redwood Gospel Missions’ Great Thanksgiving Banquet at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
Sonoma Stompers’ Anthony Scheppler races young fans from the outfield to home plate between innings against the San Francisco Seagulls in Sonoma on Thursday, July 3, 2025. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
Children react to a wall of water heading their way at the new Spray Ground at Finley Aquatic Center in Santa Rosa Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Beth Schlanker / The Press Democrat)
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Christine Palmer-Persen blow dries Sebastian as he shakes off water from a bath in Windsor on Friday, February 7, 2025. Sebastian, a 5-year-old grand champion Great Pyrenees, will be competing in the 149th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
Fine Arts Writing, for Elsa Cavazos’ story “A mic, a moment — and a movement: How poetry found its voice in Napa County.”
Food Reporting, for Jennifer Graue’s feature stories on Sonoma County pop-ups, the fattest pancake around, how to spice up your salad game with citrus and the ties between rainbow chard and politics.
Housing and Land-use Reporting, for Marisa Endicott’s story on how an escalating fight over the future of a Petaluma mobile home park heralds a wider California policy battle over a last bastion of affordable housing, with photography by Beth Schlanker.
News Photo and Wildfire Photo, for Kent Porter’s astounding image of the deadly Esparto fireworks warehouse blast that killed seven people. Read up on the backstory of why he was on scene in Yolo County that day.
Kent Porter / The Press Democrat file
Fireworks explode at a fireworks warehouse near Esparto, Tuesday, July 1, 2025. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat file)
Photojournalism, for selected work by the Press Democrat’s staff photographers representing breaking news, feature, arts and entertainment, community and sports coverage.
Dropkick takes one to the body from El Negro Modelo as they perform during Noche de Lucha Libre at Old Courthouse Square in downtown Santa Rosa in celebration of Hispanic Heritage month, Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
Friends Chloe Matej, 13, and Holly Bower, 13, comfort each other after saying goodbye to their lambs at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (Beth Schlanker / The Press Democrat)
The sculpture “Preying Phantasy,” in Jeju Way, where Russian River Brewing Co. owner Natalie Cilurzo stopped to check out the piece before heading to the pub next door. The modern sculpture is part of the two-year Santa Rosa Public Art Walk exhibit in downtown Santa Rosa to Railroad Square. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
Kent Porter / The Press Democrat
Robert, a neighbor, moves out of the way as fire engines arrive at the scene of a structure fire on Sebastopol Road between Santa Rosa and Sebastopol on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
Charlotte Halstead, left, and Ray Carpenter talk at WigOut! Sonoma at Jacuzzi Family Vineyard in Sonoma on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
Petaluma head coach Rick Krist is doused with ice water after the Trojans beat their crosstown rivals, the Casa Grande Gauchos, in the Egg Bowl, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
Beth Schlanker / The Press Democrat
Festivalgoers cheer as Benson Boone performs during day 2 of Bottlerock at the Napa Valley Expo in Napa Saturday, May 24, 2025. (Beth Schlanker / The Press Democrat)
Kent Porter / The Press Democrat
Erica Behler celebrates her victory over Ella Tang win the World Pillow Fighting Championships in Santa Rosa, Friday, July 4, 2025, at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
From left, Aviana Carp, 7, Kiley Quinn, 4, and Kinsley Quinn, 7, walk across a glowing bridge at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts’ Northern Lights Winter Lights Art Walk Tues., Dec.23, 2025 in Santa Rosa.
Eloise and Calvin Rogers celebrate their 75th wedding anniversary in the dining room at Cogir of Sonoma Senior Living in Sonoma Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (Beth Schlanker / The Press-Democrat)
Guadalupanos’ carry a statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe north along Mendocino Ave., Saturday, Dec. 12, 2025, during the annual 8.7 mile pilgrimage from Santa Rosa’s Old Courthouse Square to Our Lady of Guadalupe Roman Catholic Church in Windsor. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
Kent Porter / The Press Democrat
Reflected in a homeowners pool, a California Conservation Corps firefighting hand crew heads toward the Pickett Fire line, Saturday, August 24, 2025. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
Jesika Quintal, right, prays with Kelly Hernandez at Lighthouse Christian Church in Sonoma on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
Shelly Cole of Santa Rosa joins the Taco Tuesday bicycle group during the SOFA Santa Rosa Arts District WinterBlast, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, in Santa Rosa. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
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Dropkick takes one to the body from El Negro Modelo as they perform during Noche de Lucha Libre at Old Courthouse Square in downtown Santa Rosa in celebration of Hispanic Heritage month, Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
Print Front Page Design, for Denise Szott’s layout of Amie Windsor’s story on the tug-of-war over PG&E’s plans for its Eel River dams and the consequences for Mendocino County’s Potter Valley farm region.
Print Inside Page Layout, for Ryan McCrossin’s evocative designs on the weekly Dining Out pages.
Cover for the Dining Out page on Jan. 6, 2025.
Cover for the March 23, 2025 front of Dining Out.
Cover for the May 4, 2025 Dining Out page.
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Cover for the Dining Out page on Jan. 6, 2025.
Religion and Faith Writing, for Dan Taylor’s story on the new leader of Santa Rosa’s Congregation Shomrei Torah, Rabbi Jeremy Morrison, and his bid to foster dialog in a polarized time, with photography by Abraham Fuentes.
Sports Feature Story, for Gus Morris’ portrait of Santa Rosa running star Hanne Thomsen enroute to her first year competing for Stanford University, with photos from Christopher Chung.
Christopher Chung / The Press Democrat
Standout distance runner Hanne Thomsen cruises on a recovery run along Channel Drive in Santa Rosa on Monday, July 28, 2025. Thomsen will be continuing her running career at Stanford University this fall. (Christopher Chung / The Press Democrat)
Wildfire Feature, for Austin Murphy’s story on the common ties between wildfire survivors in Santa Rosa’s Coffey Park and Los Angeles after the devastating Southern California fires in January 2025.
Wildfire News Coverage, for Edward Booth’s recounting of the night that Aetna Springs was nearly lost to the Pickett Fire and the efforts by fire crews to save the the Napa County community, with photos from Kent Porter.
Writing, for Melanie Nguyen’s reflection on her family’s refugee stories 50 years after the Fall of Saigon.
3rd place awards
The 16 awards included:
Arts and Entertainment, for Charles Swanson’s story on local Army veteran Aundray Rogers and the post-service work that led to his recognition by musician John Mayer.
John Mayer (L) poses onstage with Santa Rosa’s Natalie Rogers and Aundray Rogers at a private concert benefiting The Heart and Armor Foundation for Veterans Health at Henson Studios on September 18, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Mayer presented Aundray Rogers with the foundation’s inaugural William H. Greason Service Award at the event, along with a signed guitar. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Heart and Armor)
Breaking News, for team coverage led by Marisa Endicott, Austin Murphy and Gus Morris, with additional reporting by Martin Espinoza and Anna Armstrong, of the unprecedented January 2025 cuts in Sonoma State academics and intercollegiate sports that roiled the university for months.
Enterprise Story, for an inside look by Marisa Endicott and Phil Barber at a Sonoma County family’s fight to keep their home after a yearslong battle over permits and court-appointed cleanup.
Feature Story, for Austin Murphy and Kent Porter’s piece on the Santa Rosa architect building a replica of a beloved landmark destroyed in the Tubbs Fire.
Fine Arts Writing, for John Beck’s story on the Sonoma stage performance that draws on Depression-era photographer Dorothea Lange to make ties to today’s America, with photos from Phoenix Alexandrea.
Food Writing, for a collection of Sarah Doyle’s reporting on the people, places and trends that make up Wine Country in Sonoma and Napa counties and beyond.
Health Reporting, for Martin Espinoza’s investigation showing the ties between an overdose death at a Santa Rosa detox facility and a pattern of county delays affecting substance addiction clients.
Kent Porter / The Press Democrat
Christina McGinty displays a photograph of her son Robert Austin, Saturday, May 10, 2025, when he was football player at Cloverdale High School. He was addicted to opioids and was homeless in recent years. Robert, 43, died after he overdosed at Orenda Center in Santa Rosa on March 14. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
In-Depth Reporting, for more than two dozen stories by Phil Barber last year on the implosion of Ken Mattson’s real estate empire centered in Sonoma and his indictment on charges tied to orchestrating an alleged “classic Ponzi scheme.”
Investigative Reporting, for John Beck’s series, with photos from Kent Porter, unpacking the secret deal to end most ranching in Point Reyes National Seashore.
Print Front Page Design, for Denise Szott’s layout of Paulina Pineda’s news feature on the battle over backyard bee keeping in the city of Santa Rosa.
Sept. 21, 2026 front page of The Press Democrat
Social Justice and Civic Engagement Coverage, for Tarini Mehta’s stories on the uproar over a pending Sonoma State University public lecture by a Palestinian American scholar on the history of Palestine and Israel’s war in Gaza and the receptive crowd that ultimately embraced the event.
Travel Writing, for Martin Espinoza’s toe-curling account of the four hours he unknowingly spent kayak fishing with a rattlesnake inside his boat.
Transportation Reporting, for Anna Armstrong’s story tracking the surge in airplane noise complaints after federal flight path changes at the Santa Rosa airport that escaped Sonoma County’s notice.
Wildfire Feature, for Martin Espinoza’s story about the growth of Santa Rosa-based app Watch Duty, founded five years ago and now an indispensable tool for many to track unfolding wildfires and floods.
Wildfire News Coverage, for Elsa Cavazos’ reporting on the progress and gaps in Spanish-language emergency notices made clear by the 2025 Pickett Fire in Napa County.
Wildfire Photo, for Kent Porter’s shot of Cal Fire’s Boggs Forest Helitack crew at work on a fire in Cazadero.
Firefighters turn away from rotor wash debris kicked up by Cal Fire’s Boggs Forest Helitack as the craft is used to help extinguish a house fire which nearly gutted the structure, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, in Cazadero. The fire also spread in to vegetation, burning about 2.5 acres. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
The Press Democrat and its journalists also earned 18 4th place awards and eight 5th place awards in the contest.