The Star Tribune sports staff earned five top 10 honors from America's leading sports editors organization for its work in 2021. The Associated Press Sports Editors judges awarded the Star Tribune top 10 distinctions for its Sunday sports sections and weekday sports sections in Division A, which included the nation's largest publications.

The Star Tribune was also honored in a new category, event coverage, for its articles by Rachel Blount, Jim Souhan, Zoë Jackson and James Walsh and its podcast by Michael Rand about Suni Lee winning the Olympic gold medal in the women's gymnastics all-around competition.

Star Tribune reporter Chip Scoggins received top 10 recognition in explanatory writing for his article in August about the relationship between gambling and youth sports in Minnesota.

Star Tribune photographer Carlos Gonzalez earned top 10 honors in the action photo category for his December photo of Gophers men's basketball player Luke Loewe falling after being blocked against Michigan State.

Winners in the writing and photography categories will be announced in the coming weeks, and honorees will receive their awards at the APSE summer conference in Indianapolis in June.