INSP Awards Shortlist Announced

The finalists for the INSP Awards 2015 have been revealed, ahead of the awards ceremony in Seattle on 25 June.

The INSP Awards have been recognising excellence in street papers since 2008.

For the first time this year, the awards feature five ‘Impact’ categories, which celebrate the range of additional work that street paper organisations do, beyond the papers themselves.

Judges agreed that the standard of work was exceptional, and all commented on how much they had enjoyed reading the entries for all categories.

After judging the Impact categories, writer, communications strategist & entrepreneur Candace Faber, said: “I'm so impressed by every effort represented here and inspired by what the street papers are doing in their communities around the world. What an honour.”

Richard Walker, editor of The National and The Sunday Herald, said of the stories: “Overall, a really high standard and some unexpected topics which made you look at some subjects in a whole new way.”

The winners will be announced at a gala dinner in Seattle on 25 June, as part of INSPired Together: Global Street Paper Summit. 

If you'd like to hear more about the work of street papers, sign up for the INSP news round up here.

INSP AWARDS 2015 FINALISTS

Best News Feature

• The Contributor, USA
  Finding forgiveness on death row By Amanda Haggard
• The Big Issue South Africa
  What’s wrong with crime scene investigation in South Africa? By Damien Schumann
• Hinz&Kunzt, Germany
  Milano Centrale: a resting stop for refugees By Jonas Füllner
• Sorgenfri, Norway
  The Heroines By Trond Ola Tilseth
• Street Roots, USA
  American police arrest homeless woman for charging phone By Emily Green

Best Cultural Feature

• Megaphone, Canada
  “The cure for blindness is telling it” By Austin Chisholm
• The Curbside Chronicle, USA
  Wayne Coyne: Home is Weird You Are By T.O. Bowman
• The Big Issue, UK
  Sir David Attenborough: 88 and still flying high By Sylvia Patterson
• The Big Issue Australia
  Saudi Arabia’s first female filmmaker By Rebecca Harkins-Cross
• Real Change, USA
  Cardboard canvas By Hart Hornor

Best Cover

• The Big Issue South Africa
• The Curbside Chronicle, USA
• The Big Issue Taiwan
• Megafon, Norway
• LiceuLice, Serbia
• Sorgenfri, Norway

Best Photo

• Megafon, Norway
  Photo by Ingvild Festervoll Melien
• Shedia, Greece
  Photo by Matina Paschalis
• The Curbside Chronicle, USA
  Photo by Joshua Officer
• =Norge, Norway
  Photo by Dimitri Koutsomytis
• The Big Issue South Africa
  Photo by Juhan Kuus

Best Design

• The Curbside Chronicle, USA
• LiceuLice, Serbia
• Mi Valedor, Mexico
• Speak Up, USA
• The Big Issue Taiwan

Best Vendor Contribution

• The Big Issue Australia
  STUFFED By Wayne
• Megafon
  “Dear Mum and Dad” By Ida
• The Contributor
  Dinner with my Son By Jennifer Alexander
• Denver Voice
  Random Life Particles By Barbara Bartlett
• Speak Up
  Hope Dead Winter By Dustin LaPres

Best Non-Street Paper Project

• Nota Bene, Slovakia
  Homeless Luggage Porters
• CAIS, Portugal
  CAIS Recicla
• Street Sense, USA
  Cinema from the Street
• The Big Issue Australia
  The Big Issue Classroom
• Apropos, Austria
  Yoga for Vendors and Readers

Best Online Presence

• Megaphone, Canada
• Street Roots, USA
• The Big Issue, UK
• The Big Issue Taiwan
• Hinz&Kunzt, Germany

Best Technology Innovation

• Shedia, Greece
• Megaphone, Canada
• The Big Issue South Africa

Best Breakthrough

• Bodo, Germany
• Street Roots, USA
• The Contributor, USA
• Hus Forbi, Denmark
• Toledo Streets, USA

Best Campaign

• Hinz&Kunzt, Germany
  Victory for Bottle Collectors
• Megaphone, Canada
  Dying on the Streets: Homeless Deaths Report and Campaign
• Real Change, USA
  OutsideIN
• The Big Issue, UK
  The Vendorendum
• The Contributor, USA
  #WrapUp2014