La Prensa San Diego staff writer, photographer, social media manager, and office jack of all trades Mario A. Cortez picked up some hardware this week at the 45th annual San Diego Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards Dinner, celebrated on Tuesday, Oct. 30 at the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation.

Among non-daily newspapers, Cortez’s features for La Prensa San Diego “Obra Bilingüe Trae Risas a San Diego” in the theatre review category, “Citizenship Ceremony Welcomes Special Group of New Americans” in the multicultural stories category, and “Making Movies Tour Celebrates Immigrants” in entertainment reporting earned accolades from judges and the recognition of San Diego Press Club members.

“To be recognized by leading media professionals for my stories that feature Latinos and immigrants at their core is a great honor. Our voices exist and more stories should reflect that,” Cortez shared.

The yearly ceremony celebrates outstanding work across local media and the people creating outstanding stories.

The San Diego Press Club is one of the largest communications professionals organizations in the United States and is comprised of journalists, public relations agents, educators, and many more.

You can follow Mario on both Twitter and Instagram at @macortez619.