PDI columnist in H’wood wins in CA journ awards

RUBEN V. Nepales

“It was an honor to represent the Philippine Daily Inquirer and the Philippines,” Entertainment columnist Ruben V. Nepales said about winning second prize in the 58th Annual Southern California Journalism Awards, presented by the Los Angeles Press Club, on Sunday night at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

One of the biggest news competitions in the area, the Annual Southern California Journalism Awards this year received a record 1,011 entries.

Other reputable publications that submitted entries include the Los Angeles Times and trade bibles, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.

Nepales, who writes the Only IN Hollywood column thrice a week for PDI, won in the entertainment news or feature category for his story, “Woody Allen hopes to direct till he’s 100,” which was originally published on Aug. 2last year.

First prize in the category was awarded to Tom Walters and Liam Hyland of CTV National News, for “Oswald the Lucky Rabbit,” which traced the history of the evolution of Disney’s Mickey Mouse.

The California-based writer expressed elation, adding that Only IN Hollywood was also a finalist in the best columnist or critic category (foreign correspondents).

“I was honored to be up against columnists from the United Kingdom’s The Guardian and The Mail on Sunday, and Canada’s CTV National News,” he said via e-mail.

Nepales said he felt “triple blessed” this year with a third nomination in the entertainment feature (online) category for “A Trailblazing Orchestra of Filipino Expats,” an article on the Filipino American Symphony Orchestra (Faso)—the only Filipino symphony orchestra outside the Philippines, which was published by PositivelyFilipino.com.

Nepales, the first Filipino member and board chairman (in 2012) of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), a group of international journalists that presents the annual Golden Globe Awards, was elected last June 7 to the HFPA’s board of directors. He previously served on the board from 2009 to 2012.