Golden Globe Foundation members Lena Basse, Janet R. Nepales, and Ruben V. Nepales received awards at the 68th Southern California Journalism Awards, held last night at the historic Millennium Biltmore Los Angeles in Downtown Los Angeles. Fellow Foundation member Kirpi Uimonen was also recognized among this year’s finalists.
Lena Basse of MOTERIS (Lithuania) received First Place awards in both the Personality Profile and Columnist or Critic categories.
First Place – Personality Profile, Foreign Correspondents
“Jafar Panahi and the Moral Labyrinth of Iranian Cinema”
Judges described the article as “a powerful profile for a man who continues to hold truth to power, despite the consequences.”
First Place – Columnist or Critic, Foreign Correspondents
“The Brutalist: One of the Best Films of 2024”
Judges praised the piece as a “well-done documentation of the struggle of making the film and paralleling it with the film’s premise,” noting its examination of the challenges faced by filmmakers and the parallels between a film’s themes and its production journey.
Janet R. Nepales of GMA-7 received two awards:
Second Place – News, Foreign Correspondents
“Fil-Am Jonathan Eusebio talks of his feature film debut, ‘Love Hurts'”
Third Place – Entertainment News or Feature, Foreign Correspondents
“Historic wins of Sean Baker and Anora at the Oscars”
Ruben V. Nepales received two Second Place awards:
Second Place – Entertainment News or Feature, Foreign Correspondents
“At 62, Demi Moore finally feels ‘liberated’ from her own self” (Rappler)
Second Place – Columnist or Critic, Foreign Correspondents
Rappler
Kirpi Uimonen was also recognized as a nominee in the Foreign Correspondents division for her work published in Eeva magazine.
Presented annually by the Los Angeles Press Club, the Southern California Journalism Awards recognize excellence in journalism across a wide range of categories.
The Golden Globe Foundation congratulates Lena, Janet, Ruben, and Kirpi on their recognition and their continued contributions to international journalism.
View the full list of winners at: https://lapressclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SoCal-2026-Winners-06262026-2311.pdf
Header image: Golden Globe Foundation members Janet R. Nepales and Ruben V. Nepales pose with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa, who received the Daniel Pearl Award for Courage and Integrity in Journalism at the 68th Southern California Journalism Awards. Photo by Sthanlee B. Mirador. Also pictured: Lena Basse.
The Los Angeles Press Club, which presents the Southern California Journalism Awards, is a Golden Globe Foundation grantee. Through Foundation support, the Press Club has expanded programs that strengthen journalism and support journalists, including the Foot-in-the-Door mentorship program for underrepresented communities, the Reporting-on-Systemic-Racism Grant, the Charles Rappleye Investigative Grant, and arts-based mental health initiatives. The Foundation also provided emergency funding during the pandemic to assist Southern California journalists facing financial hardship.
