Newport Beach Independent writers won several awards at the annual Orange County Press Club’s Excellence in Journalism Awards during the awards dinner on June 17, 2026, at the Anaheim Hills Country Club. Awards were given in a variety of categories for articles and photos published in 2025.
Newport Beach Independent editor and writer Christopher Trela was awarded the Sky Dunlap Award, the Press Club’s highest honor, recognizing lifetime achievement and community service. The award is named for John William “Sky” Dunlap, 1912-68, who owned and published the Globe, an independent newspaper.
According to the OC Press Club, Trela is an award-winning journalist, photographer, public relations professional, and educator whose work has helped shape Orange County’s media, arts, and cultural landscape for more than three decades.
A former president of the Orange County Press Club, he has earned numerous honors through the club’s annual Excellence in Journalism Awards and has published more than 3,000 articles and columns covering arts, culture, business, food, travel, and community issues. He currently serves as Lifestyle Editor for the Newport Beach Independent and Executive Dining Columnist for the Orange County Business Journal.
Beyond journalism, Trela has made significant contributions to the community through arts advocacy, education, and nonprofit leadership.
He teaches public relations at Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts; leads ArtsPR, a consulting firm serving arts organizations; and serves on several local nonprofit boards, including the Newport Beach Film Festival and Culture OC.
A former Newport Beach Arts Commissioner and co-founder of New Voices Playwrights Workshop, Trela has dedicated his career to supporting the arts, mentoring future communicators, and strengthening Orange County’s cultural community.
Newport Beach Independent contributing writer Zoe Luczaj won two awards at the event. She was awarded first place for Best Arts/Culture Review for her article “Art Imitates Art: An Enchanting Evening at the Pageant of the Masters,” and third place for Best Music/Entertainment Review for “A Time Capsule of Rock and Roll: South Coast Repertory’s Electrifying ‘Million Dollar Quartet’,”
Contributing writer Richard Simon received second place in the Best News Feature Story category for “Newport Beach Fire Department Strike Team Spends Two Weeks Battling Pacific Palisades Fire,”
And finally, in the Best Food/Restaurant Story category, editor Christopher Trela received honorable mention for “Harvest at The Ranch: Laguna’s Hidden Culinary Gem Rooted in Farm-to-Table Flavors.”
For more information, visit https://orangecountypressclub.com.
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