Evan F. Moore, a contributing columnist for The Chicago Defender, won the Peter Lisagor Award for Best Sports Commentary for his April 2024 column on Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and the backlash he faced for how he presents himself.
In “Bears QB Caleb Williams: Criticism of Nails, Fashion Reflect Fan Homophobia,” Moore called out how some fans’ discomfort with the rookie’s style — including painted nails — reveals something deeper: a mix of homophobia, misogyny, and racial double standards that still runs through the culture of pro football.
His commentary, published April 26 in The Defender, was chosen over finalist work by Chicago Sun-Times columnists Steve Greenberg and Rick Morrissey.
The award was presented May 9 at the 48th Annual Peter Lisagor Awards, hosted by the Chicago Headline Club and attended by more than 200 journalists. An SPJ chapter outside Illinois judged all entries.
Moore’s win was one of two honors for The Defender. The publication was named a finalist for Best Reporting on Race and Diversity (Small Print/Online) for its April 22, 2024, investigative series, “Black and Unhoused in Chicago: How Housing Segregation Fueled a Homegrown Crisis.” The piece was reported by Nicole Jeanine Johnson, Tacuma R. Roeback, and Christa Carter-Williams.
“This is a well-deserved win for Evan and a testament to the kind of journalism we’re all about,” said Chicago Defender Managing Editor Tacuma Roeback. “His column struck a nerve and did so with aplomb and purpose.”
The Chicago Defender, now in its 120th year, remains committed to reporting that challenges systems, centers Black lives, and refuses to flinch.
Both award-winning works can be read below:
Read: Bears QB Caleb Williams: Criticism of Nails, Fashion Reflect Fan Homophobia
Read: Black and Unhoused in Chicago: How Housing Segregation Fueled a Homegrown Crisis
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