AmNews Excellence Recognized
Awards, accolades, media recognition, film and more!
AmNews Awards
Nonprofit organization that focuses on women working in the media in the NYC-Metro area
Helina Selemon, Shannon Chaffers, Noy Thrupkaew,
Damaso Reyes
Feature Reporting – NYC Metro
Newspaper
“Hidden Costs: The Financial Toll of Gun Violence”
Full List of Awards
(From left to right) Jaytan Mcmillan, Robin Kheperah Kearse, Jotaka Eaddy, Erica Ford, Victoria Smith and AmNews Publisher Elinor Tatum at the LIFE Camp Sneaker Gala. (Ariama Long photo) 
Publisher Elinor Tatum attends Harlem School of the Arts Brigerton-themed 60th Anniversary Gala 
Helina Solomon awarded Maynard 200 alum in 2023, 2024 Solutions Journalism Award 
Amsterdam News impacting the young journalists of tomorrow.
AmNews Accolades
- The New Jersey Monitor and Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, NY), source the New York Amsterdam News for heat and gun violence data.
- Highlights of Amsterdam News’ exceptional awards and accolades over the past 24 months.
AmNews Newsroom in Action
- Shannon Chaffers, one of our Blacklight reporters, was honored by the Newswomen’s Club of New York with their Martha Coman Front Page Award for Best New Journalist
- Helina Selemon, our Blacklight Science Reporter, was named the 2024 Writer of the Year by the New York Press Association. The judges said: “Engaging personal stories and thorough reporting. Very impactful”
- Amsterdam News’ Blacklight investigative unit won two NABJ Salute to Excellence Awards. One for Roxanne Scott’s stories on the impact of climate change on Black homeowners in Queens and the second award for our series Hidden Costs: The Financial Toll of Gun Violence.
- Amsterdam News Publisher and Editor in Chief Elinor Tatum appeared on “Here and Now” on WABC-TV
- Amsterdam News featured on Spectrum News NY1’s “In the Papers” segment
- Helina Selemon, Shannon Chaffers, Noy Thrupkaew and Damaso Reyes earn Best Feature Reporting award from the New York Press Club
- Siobhan Bennett earns “Innovator of the Year” LMA 2025
- Shannon Chaffers earns Newswomen’s Club of New York Martha Coman Award for Best New Journalist
- Kristin Fayne-Mulroy earns E&P Editor Extraordinaire 2025
- Reporters Helina Selemon, Shannon Chaffers and Executive Editor Damaso Reyes take the First Place Journalist Innovation Award for their series “Hidden Costs: The Financial Toll of Gun Violence” at the National Headline Awards
- President Siobhan Bennett accepted in the Knight Fellowship – Poytner Institute/MTC 2025
- Investigative Reporter Shannon Chaffers honored as E&P 2025 News Trailblazer of the Year and Tomorrow’s Trailblazer
- Public Safety Reporter Tandy Lau speaks on the role of diverse media in building trust with the National Press Foundation
- Former Science Reporter Helina Selemon named NY Press Association Writer of the Year
- Elinor Tatum featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered.”
- New York Amsterdam News featured in the New York Times.
- Executive & Investigative Editor Damaso Reyes featured on Journalism Salute podcast
- More to come!
The Amsterdam News being praised at 2024 Knight Foundation Forum by Alicia Bell of the Borealis REJ Fund.
AmNews Impact
Word In Black, conceived by AmNews Publisher Elinor R. Tatum, with 10 other Black publishers nationwide, promises to confront inequities, elevate solutions and amplify the Black experience.
AmNews Events
AmNews Archives
Racial Justice Journalism through the decades