The Society of Professional Journalists announced the recipients of their
2021 Sigma Delta Chi Awards for Excellence in Journalism last night.
The awards recognize outstanding work published or broadcast in 2021…Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press.
For Editorial Cartooning the honorees were Mike Smith and Clay Jones.
Judge’s opinion:
Mike Smith is a man of few words but all of them are amusing or biting or both,
he finds the shortest distance to funny.
The judge says:
Jones has a childlike illustration style and a gut-punch of an opinion style,
that contradiction make his cartoons all the more powerful.
Clay Jones acknowledges the win at his blog and includes his submission:
This is crazy. I’ve never won one of the big ones before this year and now I have two [including the Robert F. Kennedy Award].
There are two winners of this award this year. I won for publications lower than 100,000 circulation (which Claytoonz.com is). Mike Smith of Greenspun Media won for over 100,000. So congrats to Mike.
We also congratulate Mike – and Clay.
The presentation is on YouTube (editorial cartooning at 36:15)