In recognition of the exceptional talent showcased by dailyplanetdc.com contributors and collaborators in 2024, we are excited to announce the winners of the 2024 Siegel & Shuster Award of Excellence!
Established in 2020, the Siegel & Shuster Award of Excellence is a unique accolade created by the Daily Planet. It is named after Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the co-creators of Superman. The award features authentic digitally composited autographs from Noel Neill’s Lois Lane, Jackie Cooper’s Perry White, and Clark Kent’s signature as featured in a 1940s fan club newsletter.
I’m honored to feature everything that gets published on the Daily Planet. It was my dream to make this a platform for people everywhere from every walk of life. It is that and so much more. Most of the awards were determined by reader votes, but everyone is a winner in my eyes. Voting closed on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. See all nominees here.
Article of the Year
The “top story” award was based on the number of views an article received in 2024, and it was the only award not influenced by public voting. Jainam Turakhia is one of our top reviewers based in India. His work resonates with me on many levels, and I appreciate him for exposing me to a broader scope of cinema than just Hollywood.
Best original art & design
I was so excited that this won Best Original Art & Design. Rebranding the Daily Planet was very important to me and I love how it turned out. With this new look, we hold a sense of self-identity while celebrating the rich history we pay homage to every day at this publication. I’m so happy this won.
Best Breaking News Story
Breaking news stories can be challenging, especially if you’re not quick. This category honors the hard work and determination of Logan Kent, who witnessed history unfold and reported on the story. Logan tends to come out of the woodwork when needed, so I’m happy his work was celebrated.
Best News Feature
This piece was fun to read and an awesome surprise from Brian. Usually basking in the glow of lightsabers and interstellar travel, Brian really dipped his toes in new waters this year. I loved everything he published and can’t wait to read more of his work.
Best Entertainment Feature
There are so many shows out there, and Brianna Taggart’s piece on 23 shows that got her through 2023 helped me through 2024. As a comic book fan, I often face superhero fatigue and need a good palette cleanser to remind me of other art forms. Brianna’s list did that, and I surprisingly really enjoyed many of the series she suggested.
Best Feature from The Planet
Daniel wins again with this carefully crafted Colin Chilvers commemoration. I wasn’t fully aware of Chilvers’s contributions to culture and cinema, let alone Superman, and this heartfelt piece educated me on a man who accomplished wonders. It made me miss him, a man I barely knew about before reading.
Best Voices Feature
Daniel’s contributions to the Planet deserved every bit of celebration. In his third win this year, Sanchez is recognized for an exclusive interview with New York Times bestselling author Robert Venditti, a co-collaborator behind “Superman ’78.”
Best Culture Feature
Abbie Wells was a happy addition to the Daily Planet this year! She offered up a new variety of content for the Daily Planet and helped us grow into the theater world and queer community of the Twin Cities Metro. Her enthusiasm for culture was showcased in her video review of “Mean Girls: The Musical,” I’m glad she won this category.
Best Comics Feature
Podcaster Anthony Desiato won the award for Best Superman Feature in 2024. His honest commentary on personal expectations for the upcoming James Gunn-directed film truly captured what it means to be a Superman fan. I’m thrilled that this piece received recognition!
Awesome Audio
Speaking of Anthony, his podcast Digging for Kryptonite also won the Awesome Audio accolade for 2024. Anthony never misses a beat when producing this show (among numerous others), all while having a family and career and contributing well-written works to other sites such as ours. I’m glad his creation is being recognized.
Best Multimedia Story
This was such a fun piece, and I was happy to help Brendan organize all of his media in one beautiful and celebratory way, especially when it comes to this amazing-looking project, “Jason.” Brendan has been a part of the Planet for nearly half a decade now, and I love watching him fly to new heights with his work. I’m happy his piece won.
Best Superman Feature
There would be no Daily Planet without Superman. This recognition celebrates stories on the Man of Steel, and I couldn’t think of a better recipient than Superman himself, Daniel Sanchez. Being a lifelong fan of Christopher Reeve’s Superman, Daniel poured his all into this review of his hero’s documentary, and you can sense that.
