Florida Trend receives 5 'Editorial Excellence' honors from the Alliance of Area Business Publishers

Awarded to Florida Trend at the AABP conference:

• Best Use of Photography/Illustrations – Magazines [Bronze]
  Gary Bernloehr, Jason Morton — The judges said: "The Final Fun-Teir is a smart Space Coast concept that mixes tourism and Florida into an adventurous notion. This is a wonderful execution. The simple idea of folding plastic bottles into the formation of a recycling symbol is brilliant and beautiful. The sculpting communicates the concept in a surprisingly appreciative manner. These unique ways to deliver original content are the surprises that delight readers — yet are difficult to conceive and create."

• Best Body of Work, Single Writer [Silver]
  Amy Keller, writer — The judges said: "It’s rare to find a writer who tackles complex topics and makes them accessible and fresh. Reporter Amy Keller’s take on Florida becoming the bitcoin capital includes one of the easiest-to-understand explanations of how bitcoin emerged from obscurity. Her piece on Florida professors being recruited by Chinese companies to obtain high-tech research was well reported, highlighting deep sourcing and ability to get reluctant sources to share information. In Keller’s capable hands, even a tax story is an enjoyable and informative read."
• Best Personality Profile [Silver]
  “Champion for Women’s Sports” by Amy Martinez — The judges said: "We know about athletes when they’re in the public eye, but this piece is a poignant story about what got Nancy Hogshead-Makar to the Olympics, and how and why she’s making equity in sport her life’s work. This story goes beyond sports and equality in women’s sports; it leaves readers with a connection to the central figure and a desire to follow her work."
• Best Explanatory Journalism [Gold]
  “Fixing the Glades” by Mike Vogel, South Florida editor — The judges said: "Here is an exhaustive look examining why efforts to clean up the Everglades were behind from the start. Excellent work weaving together history, expert sources and documents to show the obstacles to change. Graphics and maps are used well to help show the story."
• Best Local Coverage of a National Business/Economic Story [Gold]
  “Masked by COVID” by Mike Vogel, Amy Keller, Amy Martinez — The judges said: "In 2020, 481 Floridians ages 25-44 died of COVID. In the first nine months of that year, nearly seven times that many died of a drug overdose. While everyone was paying attention to COVID, a new wave of opioid addiction gripped Florida. A combination of exceptionally detailed reporting and deep sourcing made very real the grip opioids still have on the region."