Variety Nominated for 107 National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards

Variety has secured a dominant position with 107 nominations for the Los Angeles Press Club's 18th National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards, a clear testament to the prowess of its editorial and creative teams. In a significant individual achievement, Daniel D’Addario and Chris Willman are both in the running for print journalist of the year, and Ethan Shanfeld is a nominee for online journalist of the year.

The publication's critics were widely acknowledged across numerous categories. Peter Debruge, who serves as co-chief film critic, and freelance writer Siddhant Adlakha received nominations for reviews under 1,000 words. Further critical honors were bestowed upon Aramide Tinubu for television, Daniel D’Addario for theater and performing arts, and Jem Aswad for music. The Los Angeles Press Club, an institution established in 1953 to promote high journalistic standards, organizes these awards to spotlight exceptional arts and entertainment reporting.

Nominated print features included Adam B. Vary's examination of "Toxic Fandom," Brent Lang's look at how Netflix has upended the industry, and Tatiana Siegel's report on the production challenges confronting "Joker: Folie a Deux." The art department alone earned a dozen nominations, one for the "Taylor Swift fandom" cover package created by Jennifer Dorn, Haley Kluge, Richard Maltz, and Joe Toreno. An industry analyst noted, "This level of recognition reaffirms Variety's pivotal role in shaping the conversation around entertainment news."

Digital and audio formats also received extensive recognition. Michael Schneider was nominated for his reporting on local journalists during wildfire emergencies, and J. Kim Murphy for his investigation into the marketing plan for what might be Clint Eastwood's final film. In the podcasting sphere, co-Editor in Chief Cynthia Littleton was nominated for a "Strictly Business" episode, while the "Awards Circuit" podcast team earned two nominations for hosting and for best arts/entertainment podcast. Additionally, Marc Malkin and Angelique Jackson were nominated for their respective one-on-one podcast interviews with Barbra Streisand and Marsai Martin.

The awards ceremony is scheduled for December 7th. Variety enters this year's event with strong momentum, having won 14 awards at the last ceremony, including the print journalist of the year honor for Chris Willman. This consistent success not only underscores the outlet's journalistic quality but also its lasting influence in a fast-changing media environment where reliable industry insight is more crucial than ever. The National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards are considered a key barometer for excellence in this niche, often highlighting trends before they enter the mainstream conversation.