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Award-Nominated Stories from 5280

The May 2022 issue of 5280.

Each year, 5280 submits its journalism to regional and national competitions. Although our first priority is to serve our readers with stories that entertain and inform, we believe it’s important to have our work judged alongside our peers’. Not only do these contests let us know how we measure up, but they also give us plenty to aspire to. Over the years, 5280 has been fortunate to garner nominations and wins at several of the industry’s most prestigious awards competitions. Below, we’ve compiled a running list of some of the trophy winners for your reading pleasure.


2023 Nominations

National Magazine Awards

Best Lifestyle Journalism: Stars Bright (May 2022)
Travelers are flocking to the West for what its wide-open spaces lack: light pollution. From savvy rural towns that have gone dark to attract stargazers to protected places where visitors can watch the constellations as the country’s original inhabitants did, we break down where—and how—to best enjoy the night sky in the Centennial State. By Jessica LaRusso, managing editor

National City and Regional Magazine Awards

Best Essays/Commentary/Criticism: Is This Land Your Land? (April 2022)
The terrain now known as Colorado is rich with the trails, stories, traditions, and knowledge of people who have lived here since the beginning of memory. It’s also etched with the trauma of centuries of violent colonization of Indigenous individuals and communities. The contemporary practice of land acknowledgment aims to reckon with this past and atone for historical harms—but does it work? By Kate Siber

Best Civic Journalism: The High Cost of High Country Living (September 2022)
Breckenridge has the most short-term rentals of any municipality in the state—more than 4,000 in a town of just 5,100 permanent residents. What does that imbalance mean for those who live and work in this quintessential Rocky Mountain town? By Devon O’Neil

Best Reader Service: One Pill Can Kill You: The Fentanyl Crisis (November 2022)
With over 900 deaths last year and more expected in 2022, it’s clear that Coloradans aren’t getting the message: This stuff is deadly. By Lindsey B. King, editor


2022 Winners

The September 2021 issue of 5280.

National Magazine Awards

Best Service Journalism: Shattered Minds (July 2021)
Medical professionals say there’s reason to be concerned about the safety of high-THC cannabis concentrates, particularly as they relate to the mental health of teenagers and young adults. With use on the rise among kids, experts are sending out an SOS, but it may not be reaching the intended audience: Colorado parents. By Lindsey B. King, editor

National City and Regional Magazine Awards

Best Reader Service: Shattered Minds (July 2021)
Medical professionals say there’s reason to be concerned about the safety of high-THC cannabis concentrates, particularly as they relate to the mental health of teenagers and young adults. With use on the rise among kids, experts are sending out an SOS, but it may not be reaching the intended audience: Colorado parents. By Lindsey B. King, editor

Best Leisure/Lifestyle Interests: Where the Ancestors Whisper to You (September 2021)
If you’re willing to listen, Colorado’s Mesa Verde National Park has plenty of secrets to reveal—and just as many mysteries to ponder. More than 115 years after it was established to protect the archaeological sites left behind by the Ancestral Puebloans, we take you back in time with this comprehensive visitor’s guide. By Lindsey B. King, editor

Best Reporting: Criminal Defense (December 2021)
How the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe’s race to protect its sovereign nation from the COVID-19 pandemic transformed its southwestern Colorado reservation, members, and leadership forever. By Robert Sanchez, senior staff writer

2022 Nominations

National Magazine Awards

Best Lifestyle Journalism: The Beginner’s Guide to Winter Camping (November 2021)
Your tent might say it’s only designed for spring, summer, and fall, but that’s no reason not to fully enjoy all the solitude and snow-globe scenery the fourth season has to offer. We asked local backcountry veterans for tips, tricks, and hacks that will help you gear up, stay warm, sleep (relatively) well, eat right, be safe, and have a great time in Colorado’s winter wonderland. By Lindsey B. King, editor

National City and Regional Magazine Awards

Best Civic Journalism: Life and Death in the Mountains (August 2021)
After two teens died by suicide last year, how will Summit County address its ongoing mental health crisis? By Devon O’Neil

Best Feature Story: Dear Colorado… (September 2021)
When Elijah McClain’s 2019 death began attracting national attention during the summer of 2020, thousands of people from across the country mailed letters to Governor Jared Polis, begging for justice, fairness, and a bit of hope. We read every one. By Robert Sanchez, senior staff writer