Washington City Paper, finalists in five of the highest-circulation categories for the 2009 Association for Alternative Newsweeklies Awards, has been named the first-place winner in three of them: arts criticism, media reporting/criticism, and innovation/format buster. In addition, this blog received second-place honors and staff photographer Darrow Montgomery, who received honorable mention in the 2008 awards, was named as the third-place winner for photography at the annual convention, where winners are announced each year. More about the first-place winners:

Read More "AAN Awards Update: Washington City Paper Brings Home Three First-Place Wins" »

The Association for Alternative Newsweeklies recently announced finalists for its best blog category, naming the City Desk staff blog among the top four for highest-circulation papers. City Desk was also named as a finalist in this category last year. The latest nomination brings Washington City Paper's AAN awards total this year to five. The paper was also nominated in Photography, Arts Criticism, Media Reporting/Criticism, and Innovation/Format Buster categories.

Blog judges evaluated three individual posts and the overall blog. So which among our much-loved, never criticized blogposts made the cut?

Read More "Blog About This Blog: City Paper Adds Another AAN Award" »

The Association for Alternative Newsweeklies announced finalists for its annual prizes today, selecting Washington City Paper as a top contender in four categories: Photography, Arts Criticism, Media Reporting/Criticism, and Innovation/Format Buster.

Staff photographer Darrow Montgomery, who's been shooting for City Paper for 23 years, is among the top three entries for the highest circulation category (50,000 and over). This is the fourth time Montgomery will be honored by AAN. He was given honorable mention for his work in the 2008 awards.

Galleries writer Jeffry Cudlin, who won the top prize for arts criticism last year, was again named a finalist for 2009.

Editor Erik Wemple was named in two categories. His cover story about the Washington Post's struggle to merge its print and online operations, "One Mission, Two Newsrooms," is a finalist in the Media Reporting/Criticism category.

Wemple also contributed to the finalist in the Innovation/Format Buster category, "Washington City Paper Seeks Content Bankruptcy," along with Managing Editor Andrew Beaujon and Asst. Managing Editor Jule Banville.

Read More "Washington City Paper Named Finalist in Several AltWeekly Awards" »

City Desk's AS-IT-HAPPENS news analysis of Chief Justice John Roberts' swearing-in flub is gaining credibility.

The Times of London is one news organization among many now raising questions about the legitimacy of Barack Obama's presidency as a result of Roberts rolling his own on the oath language, and Obama repeating Roberts' version rather than the prescribed wording.

Fox News continues to harp on the legal ramifactions of Roberts' words, too.

All that has to happen now is for Larry Klayman to file a suit, and then we find out Roberts' was Googling "How to" and "fuck up a swearing-in" before the ceremony, and then Roberts still rules in US v. Barack Obama that Obama's presidency is a sham, and well, let's just say: "Hello, AAN Awards!"