Post is the most with 25 prizes at AP Awards

The New York Post cleaned house in the New York State Associated Press 2017 journalism awards, taking first-place honors in investigative reporting, public service, sports-column writing, business reporting, headline writing, illustration and news design.

In all, the newspaper took 25 prizes at the annual awards ceremony Saturday in upstate Saratoga Springs.

“From stories that made a difference to columns that made you think to headlines that made you laugh, we’re enormously proud of all our journalists, and grateful to the AP Awards for recognizing their hard work,” Post editor-in-chief Stephen Lynch said Monday.

The Post competed with other newspapers with a circulation greater than 125,000.

Reporters Melissa Klein and Isabel Vincent were awarded first place for investigative/enterprise reporting for their stories about allegations that legendary Metropolitan Opera conductor James Levine molested an Illinois teenager for years.

The articles sparked an internal investigation by the Met, which resulted in its ultimately firing the maestro.

The newspaper also swept the three top awards in the public-service category.

First place was for stories exposing the hazards adults face in trying to get a highschool equivalency diploma through the Department of Education.

Second place went to Dean Balsamini and Susan Edelman for their reporting on an FDNY hazing scandal.

And Gabrielle Fonrouge took third place for taking readers into the world of revenge porn.

Reporter Kevin Dugan was a one-man wrecking crew in the business-writing category, taking first-, secondand third-place awards as he examined securities-based loans, Goldman Sachs and the mystery surrounding former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort’s Brooklyn brownstone.

Among the other Post awards are:

■ First place in headline writing to Harry Shuldman for “Chris Crispy,” and second place to Deb Pines for “Flake News.”

■ First place in column writing for Salena Zito’s “Trump’s America.”

■ First place in feature writing to Fonrouge for her story about how Rikers Island inmates rescued people from a plane crash in 1957.

■ First place in art/entertainment reporting to Barbara Hoffman for her story about the scandalous life of Frank Lloyd Wright, and second place to Zachary Kussin for his article on the Aluminaire House, an all-metal home.

■ First and second place in sports writing to Howie Kussoy for his night out with boxer Floyd Mayweather and a profile of former NBA star Kenny Anderson. Ken Davidoff took third place.

■ First place in sports-column writing to Joel Sherman. Mark Cannizzaro and Mike Vaccaro took second and third, respectively.

■ First place in news fullpage design to Ana Gioia for “Hurricane Harvey,” Peter LaVigna received a secondplace award for “Survivor,” and Gioia grabbed third for “Rowdy Donny Griper”

■ The top three awards for illustration or graphics went to Gioia.