Dan Neil, the auto columnist hired last year by the L.A. Times, has won the best commentary or column award from the American Society of Newspaper Editors. Judges called Neil "the most uncommon auto columnist in the country...He delivers great leads, allows no fall off in the writing as he delivers little treasures throughout and yet always rewards the reader at the end."

LAT photographer Brain Vander Brug won the ASNE community service photojournalism award for photos about murder victims and those left behind. S. Lynne Walker of Copley News Service won The Freedom Forum/ASNE Award for outstanding writing on diversity for her account of the changes in a town brought by an influx of immigrants.

Full list with finalists