Reporter Erik Hall has been named the Sarah Pettit Memorial Award for the LGBTQ Journalist of the Year for his contributions to Outsports. Former Outsports contributor Katie Barnes was given the NLGJA Journalist Of The Year Award for their writing at ESPNW.

"We are thrilled each year by the work that is nominated for NLGJA's Excellence in Journalism Awards," said NLGJA President Jen Christensen in a statement, "and this year was no different. All of the award recipients are doing their fair share to advance NLGJA's mission of promoting fair and accurate LGBTQ coverage, and it is our privilege to recognize their outstanding work."

It’s powerful to see both of NLGJA’s top two awards going to sports writers, and it is particularly rewarding to see both of them with ties to Outsports. We have been proud of the contributions of both of these people across the media. Here are some highlights of their writing at Outsports (you can find more of Barnes’ writing at ESPNW):

ERIK HALL

After having a wife and two sons, Div. I staffer accepts his sexuality as he approaches 40

Duke athlete 'upset' HB2 forced NCAA to move championships from North Carolina

174 LGBT athletes from Power Five Conference schools have come out publicly

Days after breaking a Big Ten record, this LGBT athlete was harassed in a restroom

This Purdue diver doesn’t shy away from wearing makeup and dressing in drag

KATIE BARNES

The importance of pronouns: Why Katie Barnes goes by they/them/their

The secret double life of a gay basketball coach

Haley & Layana, thank you for reigniting the conversation about homophobia in women's basketball

Beyond coming out: Four conversations we need to have about LGBT people in sports

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