A goal of Long Lead is to define a new era of media — specifically, longform journalism. And if the critics are to be believed, we’ve been scoring big recently. In the past couple of months, Long Lead productions ranging from photo essays to narratives to podcasts have been winning some of journalism’s biggest honors.
Looking for a great summer read or listen? Check out these award-winning features produced by Long Lead:
In the Mad Men era of magazine journalism, Virginia Kraft was deadly with a rifle and penned epic, deeply reported features for Sports Illustrated. Among the most important sports journalists of her time, the pioneering adventure writer chiseled early cracks into publishing’s male-dominated world. In this profile and personal essay, journalist Emily Sohn explores why no one has heard of her.
At the 2024 Mirror Awards, Sohn was honored with the Best Profile prize. Judges from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University were effusive in their praise for Emily’s work:
“We love every aspect of this story — the subject, the reporting, the writing, the structure, the formatting, the photos, and the pull quotes — were tremendous, all around.”
Here are all the awards “The Catch” hauled in so far this year:
Webby Awards
Best Individual Editorial Feature
Newhouse Mirror Awards
Best Profile
Society of News Design
Award of Excellence, Design: Features
Award of Excellence, Design: Social Issues
“Long Shadow,” by Garrett Graff
Through a series of riveting, complex narratives, this podcast series makes sense of what people know — and what they thought they knew — about the most pivotal moments in U.S. history, including Waco, Columbine, 9/11, January 6, and beyond.
The Society of Professional Journalists recently named the second season of Long Shadow, Rise of the American Far Right, the Best Narrative Podcast at its 2023 Sigma Delta Chi Awards earlier this month. The annual honors, which have been around for 85 years, acknowledge the best in journalism to promote “the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry.”
Long Shadow “does what podcasts are uniquely situated to do,” said the SPJ in its awards announcement. “[It] allows the creators to take a long look at events and pick out pathways and threads that may otherwise be lost in the moment, but with the perspective of time glow brightly when studied.” Meanwhile, season three, In Guns We Trust, got a pair of early “Best of 2024” honors.
Here’s everything the podcast has won this summer:
Society of Professional Journalists – Sigma Delta Chi Award
Best Narrative Podcast or Radio Documentary
Mashable
Best Podcast of 2024
The Week
Best Podcast of 2024
“Lifting Ukraine,” by Maranie Staab
Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, world-record-setting powerlifter Anna Kurkurina has saved and sheltered countless injured and orphaned animals, ensuring that in her country’s fight for independence, more than just the strong will survive.
In this series of intimate photos and videos, photojournalist Maranie Staab presents an inspiring profile of Kurkurina, chronicling the athlete’s daily struggles and triumphs as she attempts to uplift the most vulnerable inhabitants of her city, Mykolaiv. Rescuing pets left to scavenge the rubble of airstrikes, strength-training disabled children, and feeding an ever-growing pack of four-legged houseguests, the three-time world champion muscles through her days demonstrating unwavering strength in the face of seemingly endless war.
Long Lead’s first foray into photo essays, this timely, heartfelt feature was a hit at this year’s Webby Awards:
Webby People’s Voice Award
Best Use of Photography
Webby Awards
Best Use of Photography
We are honored by the praise given to Long Lead productions this summer — and the season isn’t even halfway done. More great longform features are on on the way. Until then, be sure to subscribe to “Depth Perception,” our weekly newsletter celebrating the best journalism everywhere, and the practitioners who shape it.