Best of the Godbeat: At #RNA2014, Religion Newswriters Association honors top religion journalism

The @PittsburghPG did very well at #rna2014. 1st & 2nd place for religion coverage in Metro newspaper pic.twitter.com/CTydFkaE2E

— Ann Rodgers (@annrodgerspgh) September 21, 2014

Here at GetReligion, we've been big fans of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's exceptional religion writers.

So we weren't surprised to see former Post-Gazette Godbeat specialist Ann Rodgers, Pittsburgh's longtime "queen of religion news," and her successor, Peter Smith, take top honors in the Religion Newswriters Association's annual writing awards. 

Winners were announced Saturday night at #RNA2014 — RNA's annual meeting — in the Atlanta area. (See our 5Q+1 interview with RNA President Bob Smietana and our post on the conference's "God and Guns" panel.)

For GetReligion readers, a number of other names on the award list will be familiar, too.

Unpacking. #RNA2014 @RNS pic.twitter.com/gEf1ouEvhu

— David Gibson (@GibsonWrites) September 21, 2014

Religion News Service's David Gibson — known for his analysis pieces — won first place in the Religion Reporter of the Year category for large newspapers and wire services.

Time magazine's Elizabeth Dias earned first place in the Supple Religion Feature Writer of the Year contest for work that included a cover story on "The Latino Reformation." Her winning entry includes the full, 3,500-word story on Hispanic evangelicals, which was hidden behind a paywall when it was originally published.

Other winners' names may not be as familiar, but their excellent religion journalism is also worth checking out. 

I'm so honored to win the first place Cassels Religion Reporter of the Year Award. Thank you! #RNA2014 pic.twitter.com/46s7hjBMGD

— Holly Meyer (@HollyAMeyer) September 21, 2014

'Dispatch' religion reporter @JoAnneViviano named one of the best. http://t.co/lwJO0qOODX via @DispatchAlerts

— Rita Price (@RitaPrice) September 22, 2014

Thank you #RNA2014 and the Chandlers for the award last night. I am already looking forward to next year! pic.twitter.com/JQLYmeqsNh

— Heather Adams (@HeatherAdams44) September 21, 2014

And by all means, be sure to read about the lifetime achievement award winner, Roy Larson of Chicago Sun-Times and Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism fame.

"May your bylines be blessed." - Lifetime achievement award winner Roy Larson #medill #RNA2014

— kate shellnutt (@kateshellnutt) September 21, 2014

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