Nosh/Richmondside won first place in the 2026 Society of Features Journalism awards for a story chronicling a night in the life of Andy’s Donut Stop.
“On the night shift at Andy’s Donut Stop with paramedics, gamblers and the slightly hungover,” published in October 2025, chronicles the late-night and pre-dawn hours at the cafe on 23rd Street. The story took the top spot in the food feature category for division one, which includes newsrooms with 50 or fewer full-time editorial employees and/or news outlets with a local-city-metro area focus. The award winners were announced June 9.
Richmondside summer 2025 reporting intern Thomas Lyons and freelance photographer Carla Hernandez Ramirez teamed for Nosh to capture the scene at Andy’s, including the various customers who turn to it when few other places are open.
In recognizing Lyons’ article the SFJ judges issued this statement: Thomas Lyons grabs readers with his terrific lede that includes the phrase “where one can successfully conduct commerce by pointing and grunting.” And he keeps his audience enthralled with paragraphs like this one: “By 6 a.m., the customers have become progressively less willing to talk to a reporter and less likely to tip. The shop is now a tool, a transition space, a task before work – no longer a destination for the determined or destitute. A liminal space, not a third one.” The writer displays a keen eye for detail, knows how to pace a piece and is respectful in telling unvarnished tales.
During his night at Andy’s, Lyons met tired parents, Chevron workers, and one lucky guy spending his casino winnings. The article demonstrated the important part late-night establishments play in the fabric of a community.
The Society for Features Journalism, founded in 1947, is a nonprofit organization made up of editors, writers, videographers, podcasters, photographers, freelancers, designers and student journalists from across the United States and Canada, is dedicated to promoting, honoring and celebrating the craft of features journalism. The SFJ Awards is an annual, nationwide contest with three visions.
