Chronicle named state’s best large newspaper by publishers group

s editorial and opinion page editor, at the Visionary Awards gala on March 30, 2017, at the Opera War Memorial. less Priscilla Chan, The Chronicle's 2017 Visionary of the Year (center) with San Francisco Chronicle Editor in Chief Audrey Cooper (right) and John Diaz, the newspaper' s editorial and opinion page editor, at the ... more Priscilla Chan, The Chronicle's 2017 Visionary of the Year (center) with San Francisco Chronicle Editor in Chief Audrey Cooper (right) and John Diaz, the newspaper' Photo: Susana Bates, Special To The Chronicle Photo: Susana Bates, Special To The Chronicle Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Chronicle named state’s best large newspaper by publishers group 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

The San Francisco Chronicle was named the state’s best large newspaper Saturday by the California Newspaper Publishers Association, the second year in a row that the paper has won the contest’s top prize.

Besides the general excellence prize, The Chronicle won first-place awards for feature stories in the food and sports sections, an editorial about San Francisco homelessness, a business package on vacation rentals, agricultural reporting, feature photography, lifestyle coverage, photo and graphic illustration.

“We are thankful the judges recognized us again for the depth and quality of the journalism we provide to readers,” said Audrey Cooper, the paper’s editor in chief. “The fact it is the second year we have won this award speaks to the ongoing dedication of our staff — not only our hardworking journalists, but the people throughout the Chronicle who support us in telling the story of Northern California.”

The judges hailed The Chronicle’s strong storytelling, watchdog journalism, sports and arts coverage as decisive factors in the decision to give the paper the general excellence award, but gave special praise to the emotional package written by staff writer Erin Allday about longtime AIDS survivors.

“The key factor to this judging was the magnificent special section on men who had survived HIV and AIDS,” wrote the judges. “The photography was riveting. The stories moving. Remarkable work.”

The top prize for profile feature went to Jonathan Kauffman for a “wonderfully written and entertaining” yarn about the closure of Curry Corner, a Hayward institution known as much as a hub for the local Fiji Indian community as it was for its food.

First place for best sports feature went to writer Ron Kroichick and photographer Michael Macor for the Najee Chronicles, part of a series about Antioch High School’s sensational running back Najee Harris, the top college football recruit in the country. Photographer Carlos Avila Gonzalez also contributed to the series.

Editorial page editor John Diaz took home first prize for his hard-hitting piece challenging the city to take on homelessness. It “perfectly blends outrage and reason in its appeal for the kind of comprehensive, massive assault on homelessness that San Francisco obviously needs,” the judges wrote.

The Chronicle’s package on Airbnb and its love-hate relationship with San Francisco was tapped for best business coverage. The judges praised staff writers Carolyn Said and Joaquin Palomino for their “deep dive” into the vacation rental industry and how it impacts the city’s housing supply.

The “thoroughly reported and well-balanced” story was “told through the experiences of tenants and landlords,” wrote the judges. “Compelling read about an uneasy state of affairs.”

A story by staff writer Tara Duggan about the seafood industry’s “new normal” won for best agricultural reporting

The photo and graphics departments also took home awards. A Scott Strazzante picture of an exuberant Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors won best sports feature photo for its “stunning clarity and force.”

Graphic artist John Blanchard won for photo illustration, the travel staff won for lifestyle coverage, and Steven Boyle, Christopher T. Fong and Danielle Mollette-Parks won for their illustration in a special report on the future of retail.

The Chronicle also brought home several second-place awards, including one for breaking news coverage of Oakland’s Ghost Ship fire and for environmental coverage of sea level rise by John King.

The large newspapers category includes papers with daily circulations of more than 150,000.

Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite