Best Journalist

It's a double-header year with "BOA" veteran Jordan Smith sharing top honors with Richard Whittaker, and we couldn't be prouder because they hang their hats here. Two of the hardest-working journalists in the business, Smith and Whittaker churn out gems week after week. (Maybe you've noticed they're also prolific?) Smith is an award-winning investigative reporter who covers criminal justice and reproductive rights. She hits the streets like a bloodhound sniffing out stories that others would rather go untold (we think she may have a trace of Doberman in her, too). As for Whittaker, he's a U.K. transplant, so in our view that makes him the resident authority on politics and, well, just about everything. His specialty of late is education – he's thrown the book at the Austin school board a time or two – but his interests are many and varied – everything from bangers and mash to burlesque, roller derby to haunted houses – and his heart is true. We're fortunate to have a writer with his bandwidth, and regular readers have no doubt seen his signature throughout the paper. We know it's not polite to brag about your kids, but we think ours are great. And we're plum tickled you think so, too.