Variety Nabs 106 Nominations for National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards

Variety leads the field in nominations for the 17th annual National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards. The list includes a bid for best entertainment website, four contenders for journalist of the year honors, a photo journalist of the year mention for veteran staffer Dan Doperalski and a nonfiction book of the year nom for co-Editor in Chief Ramin Setoodeh.

Variety nominations are spread widely across the masthead, recognizing a range of journalists as well as the photography, illustration and design of the weekly print magazine and social media efforts.

Nominated for print journalist of the year are executive editor Brent Lang, Tatiana Siegel, executive editor of film and media, and Chris Willman, chief music critic and senior music writer. Clayton Davis, senior awards editor, is up for online journalist of the year. The eligibility period for the kudos administered by the

Willman is also a contender for film critic of the year in the under 1,000 words category; chief film critic Owen Gleiberman is in the running for film critic of the year in the over 1,000 words heat. Jem Aswad, executive editor of music, is nommed for music critic. Variety TV critic Aramide Tinubu is up for theater/performing arts critic.

Setoodeh is recognized for his 2024 HarperCollins release “Apprentice in Wonderland: How Donald Trump and Mark Burnett Took America Through the Looking Glass.”

Variety‘s biannual “Actors on Actors” franchise is nommed in the photo essay field for the December 2023 edition focusing on Oscar contenders, yielding mentions for photographer Alexi Lubomirski and Variety‘s visual director Jennifer Dorn and creative director Haley Kluge. Dorn, Kluge and photographer Michael Buckner landed a bid for best news photo for the dramatic shot of SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher that ran as Variety‘s print magazine cover in July 2023 as the actors strike began.

Variety‘s striking Cannes 2024 print magazine cover featuring “Furiosa” star Anya Taylor-Joy landed a spot in the cover photo category. The December 2023 themed issue “The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time,” shepherded by chief correspondent Daniel D’Addario, is up for best entertainment publication.

Siegel is also a contender in the celebrity investigative story category for her 2023 cover story about problems within the Marvel universe: “Crisis at Marvel: Jonathan Majors Back-Up Plans, ‘The Marvels’ Reshoots, Reviving Original Avengers and More Issues Revealed.”

Jennifer Maas, senior writer, TV and video games, grabbed a mention for her July 2023 cover story “Peak TV Has Peaked” as well as in the podcast interview category for her “Strictly Business” sitdown with Xbox Studios president Matt Booty.

Associate music editor Thania Garcia is up for business tech/design/arts story for her August 2023 story “Drake’s Team on Bringing the ‘It’s All a Blur’ Tour’s Surreal Staging to Arenas: ‘Like Figuring Out a Rubik’s Cube.'” Garcia is also in the hunt for the diversity in music/performing arts category for her March 2024 story “Meet the Women Managing Música Mexicana’s Breakout Stars, From Xavi to Yahritza Y Su Esencia and More.” Variety.com editor William William Earl is up in the same category for “‘Whose Fault Is it That You’re Gay?’: Wild Questions Fuel Episodes of ‘That’s a Gay Ass Podcast’ About Sexual Awakenings and Queer Superpowers”

Angelique Jackson is a contender in the diversity in TV/film category for her November 2023 story “How ‘The Marvels’ Got Its Blerd Girl Energy.”

Variety took three of the five spots in the general news, print or magazine category:

Brent Lang, Tatiana Siegel, Matt Donnelly: “Showstopper! Strikes Plunge Hollywood Into Chaos With Pricey Movie Delays, Pay Battles and AI Anxiety”

Tatiana Siegel: “A Fired ‘Scream’ Star, Clients Booted From Agencies and a Secret Tom Cruise Meeting: Inside Hollywood’s Divide Over Israel”

Adam B. Vary: “Michael Jackson Biopic Team Touts ‘Unbiased’ Look at Pop Star; ‘Leaving Neverland’ Director Calls Script Draft ‘Startlingly Disingenuous.'”

Among other Variety nominations:

More to come