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IndieWire picked up six nominations in the 2026 SoCal Journalism Awards, the LA Press Club announced on May 11. The recognition spans criticism, reporting, and features and highlights work published during the 2025 calendar year. These nods place the outlet and several of its writers back in contention among Southern California’s top entertainment journalists.
What IndieWire was nominated for at the 2026 SoCal Journalism Awards
Overview of the nominations
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- Best Website — nomination for IndieWire’s newsroom and year-round coverage.
- Best Criticism of TV — Ben Travers, for TV criticism published in 2025.
- Entertainment Reporting — Ryan Lattanzio and Anne Thompson, for an episode of the “Screen Talk” podcast titled about Tom Quinn of Neon and Oscar-season strategies.
- Entertainment News: Film/Broadcast — Alison Foreman, for a first-person piece on walking the treadmill scene from the new Stephen King adaptation.
- News Feature: Film/Broadcast Related — Rance Collins, for a feature about TCM’s films that trace queer history.
- Lifestyle Feature — Rance Collins, for a story on Cinespia’s transformation of a cemetery into a popular L.A. outing.
Individual nominees and the pieces that stood out
The LA Press Club singled out several IndieWire contributors for distinct types of work. Ben Travers earned recognition for his TV criticism across the year. His reviews and analysis of new shows drew attention from the judges.
Ryan Lattanzio and Anne Thompson were nominated in the reporting category for an episode of the IndieWire podcast “Screen Talk.” The episode focused on Tom Quinn of Neon and offered insider perspective on awards-season maneuvering ahead of Cannes.
Alison Foreman was recognized in the Entertainment News: Film/Broadcast category for a vivid, first-person recount of participating in the treadmill challenge tied to the Stephen King adaptation, capturing both physical strain and cultural context.
Former IndieWire weekend editor Rance Collins appeared on the ballot multiple times. His feature on TCM examined how a channel’s programming highlights queer evolution in cinema. Collins was also nominated for a lifestyle feature that detailed how Cinespia turned a cemetery into a sought-after weekend destination.
Collins additionally earned a nod as Online Journalist, Independent/Freelance, recognizing work across IndieWire, Beverly Press, Los Angeles Magazine, and Variety. Beandrea July received a nomination in the Criticism of Film (over 1,000 words) category for criticism published at IndieWire and SEEN Journal.
Why these nominations matter for IndieWire and regional journalism
The SoCal Journalism Awards are run by the LA Press Club, which also organizes the National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards. These local honors focus on work produced in the previous year and highlight excellence in entertainment coverage across Southern California.
Recognition across multiple categories underscores IndieWire’s strength in both critical voice and reported features. The nominations reflect a mix of staff, former staff, and freelance contributors.
Past success and the upcoming awards ceremony
At last year’s awards, IndieWire received a record 11 nominations and won four prizes at the 67th ceremony. The newsroom earned Best Website and other honors.
- Ben Travers won Criticism of TV.
- Brian Welk won News Feature, Film/Broadcast Related, for reporting on tax incentives and production incentives across states.
- Sarah Shachat and Trevor Wallace won Regular Podcast for a “Filmmaker Toolkit” episode.
The 68th SoCal Journalism Awards are scheduled for June 28 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. The ceremony will gather editors, reporters, critics, and producers to celebrate the region’s storytelling about film, TV, and the arts.
