Current contributor Mike McMahan was recognized for music writing, including this cover story on Girl in a Coma.

The San Antonio Current landed recognition in three categories over the weekend at the 2024 Association of Alternative Newsmedia Awards.  

Staff writer Michael Karlis and reporting fellow Brandon Rodriguez won Second Place in Prison Beat Reporting for a series of stories chronicling the dangerous heat levels in Texas prisons, most of which have no air conditioning.

“The stories are well-written, concise and powerful, topped with headlines that emphasize the point,” the judges wrote. “Embedding inmates’ TikToks gives readers a first-hand understanding of the conditions inside.”

The Current also won Third Place in the Ad Marketing Campaign category for its promotion of the San Antonio Flavor 2023 food event. Judges praised Samantha Serna for design and Cassandra Yardeni Wagner for creative direction, noting that “great photography and carry-through on the design” helped  set record-level attendance.

Finally, Current contributor Mike McMahan won Honorable Mention in the Music Writing category for articles covering San Antonio artists including the Last Bandoleros and Girl in a Coma.

The award ceremony took place at the 2024 CharlestAAN conference in Charleston, S.C.

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This article appears in Jul 3-9, 2024.

Sanford Nowlin is editor-in-chief of the San Antonio Current. He holds degrees from Trinity University and the University of Texas at San Antonio, and his work has been featured in Salon, Alternet, Creative...