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Ludacris

BEST LOCAL CELEBRITY

Ludacris

THE LOWDOWN: In a word: Versatility. Ludacris can do the hard-as-nails street thing as well as the next multi-platinum rapper, but he can also do far more. The Grammy winner has a knack for deceptively laid-back yet intricate rhymes to rival Eminem’s, and applies it equally to insistent club bangers and socially conscious fare like “Runaway Love.” He’s got an acting career aspiring thug-spians like T.I. can only dream of—and he’s good at that, too. In a nutshell, Chris Bridges is on track to surpass Ice Cube as a crossover artist adept at drama, family-friendly comedy and, of course, music.
THE RUNNER-UP: André Benjamin

Spark St. Jude
Jane Fonda

BEST LOCAL CELEBRITY YOU LOVE TO HATE

JANE FONDA

THE LOWDOWN: Forever enshrined as “Hanoi Jane” for her photo shoot atop a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun during the Vietnam War—for which she has abjectly apologized since 1988—Jane Fonda moved to Atlanta in the early 1990s and since then has spent more time ridiculing her adopted home state of Georgia than praising it. Still, she’s preventing teen pregnancies in a state that ranks 8th in the country for them through her organization, the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (G-CAPP). Isn’t that worth something?
THE RUNNER-UP: Neal Boortz

BEST TV NEWSCAST

Channel 2 Action News

THE LOWDOWN: If a television newscast needs to expand its reach, it certainly can’t hurt to be owned by the same company that owns the only daily newspaper in town. That’s the case for WSB-TV which, like the Atlanta Journal Constitution, is owned by Cox Enterprises. Nonetheless, WSB does have the best follow-up of any team in Atlanta; its news crew knows how to stick with a story.
THE BASICS: 5, 6 and 11 p.m. weeknights, WSB-TV. www.wsbtv.com.
THE RUNNER-UP: Fox 5

Spark St. Jude
Monica Pearson

BEST TV NEWS PERSONALITY

MONICA PEARSON

THE LOWDOWN: Monica Pearson (nee Kaufman) came to WSB-TV in 1975, and has been an integral part of Atlanta ever since. She was the first black person and the first woman to anchor an evening newscast here. Since then, her “Close Ups” series has featured everyone from Jimmy Carter to Denzel Washington. She’s also won 28 Emmys, and successfully battled breast cancer while she was at it.
THE BASICS: 6 and 11 p.m. weeknights, WSB-TV. www.wsbtv.com.
THE RUNNER-UP: Brenda Wood

BEST RADIO STATION

Q100

THE LOWDOWN: The move to a more powerful signal (99.7 FM, the former home of 99X) seems to already be paying dividends for this Top 40 outpost. Anchored by the popular morning-drive “Bert Show,” Q100 stays true to its “all the hits” slogan with a constant diet of hip-hop and R&B as well as rock, pop and singer-songwriters like Colby Caillat.
THE BASICS: WWWQ, 99.7 FM. www.allthehitsq100.com.
THE RUNNER-UP: DAVE-FM

Jason Mallory
From left: Jen Hobby, Bert Weiss, Melissa Carter and Jeff Dauler of “The Bert Show”

BEST MORNING-DRIVE SHOW

The Bert Show

BEST RADIO DJ

Bert Weiss

THE LOWDOWN: The crowning glory of Q100, The Bert Show distracts its legions of loyal listeners from their messy morning commutes with bluntly humorous relationship talk and celebrity interviews. But the real attraction is the winning chemistry between Melissa Carter, Jen Hobby, Jeff Dauler and ringmaster Bert Weiss, whose best-bud demeanor keeps the whole thing on course.
THE BASICS: www.allthehitsq100.com/bertshow/.
THE RUNNERS-UP: The Regular Guys (morning show); Mara Davis (DJ)

Spark St. Jude
Clark Howard

BEST TALK-RADIO SHOW

The Clark Howard Show

THE LOWDOWN: Clark Howard likes to play up his cheapskate image, but behind that skinflint façade is a sharp consumer advocate who doles out indispensable advice on scams, business dealings and financial matters. His show should be required listening for anyone buying a home and everyone in hock to credit card companies—basically, all of us.
THE BASICS: Weekdays, 1-4 p.m., WSB, 750 AM. www.clarkhoward.com.
THE RUNNER-UP: Neal Boortz

BEST LOCAL MAGAZINE

Atlanta Magazine

THE LOWDOWN: Founded in 1961, Atlanta’s signature local magazine introduced its revamped style in September 2007 to rave reviews. Though it has a new look, the publication still presents a balance of investigative stories and lighter pieces on everything from local entertainers to area getaways. And it recently won a coveted National Magazine Award as well.
THE BASICS: www.atlantamagazine.com.
THE RUNNER-UP: The Atlantan

BEST ARTS FESTIVAL

Inman Park Festival

THE LOWDOWN: It’s hard to compete with this festival, which takes place on the tree-lined streets of this intown neighborhood. Patrons come for the variety of goods, from fine arts to quirky antiques, and the parade, which includes a wealth of offbeat participants, as well as the usual suspects like politicians and neighborhood groups.
THE BASICS: www.inmanpark.org.
THE RUNNER-UP: The Dogwood Festival

BEST MUSIC FESTIVAL

Atlanta Jazz Festival

THE LOWDOWN: This month-long event brings notable musicians to the city for concerts that please lifelong jazz lovers, as well as those just learning to enjoy the genre. The finale of the festival is a free three-day concert at Woodruff Park on Memorial Day weekend.
THE BASICS: May 24-26 at Woodruff Park. www.atlantafestivals.com.
THE RUNNER-UP: Music Midtown

Courtesy of the Atlanta Film Festival
“The Lena Baker Story,” this year’s opening-night selection at the Atlanta Film Festival.

BEST FILM FESTIVAL

Atlanta Film Festival

THE LOWDOWN: As the Georgia movie industry continues to grow, this independent festival attracts bigger and bigger names. Of course, its primary focus is filmmakers who work outside the mainstream to produce documentaries, shorts and narrative features—especially those with a local focus, such as this year’s “The Lena Baker Story,” about the first and only woman sentenced to die in the electric chair in Georgia. Film fans come to the festival for movies they won’t see anywhere else.
THE BASICS: www.atlantafilmfestival.com.
THE RUNNER-UP: The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival

BEST IMPROV GROUP

Whole World Theatre

THE LOWDOWN: Expect the unexpected from this improv troupe, which has made a name for itself in the city with consistently funny, energetic and unforgettable performances. In addition to taking the stage for improv shows, the group also offers classes for adults interested in getting in touch with their spontaneous sides, as well as workshops for teens and kids.
THE BASICS: 1216 Spring St. 404-817-7529. www.wholeworldtheatre.com.
THE RUNNER-UP: Dad’s Garage

Greg Mooney
Melinda Helfrich in the Alliance Theatre’s “Eurydice.”

BEST THEATER

Alliance Theatre

THE LOWDOWN: With two stages, this theater brings both blockbuster shows and more intimate performances to Atlanta audiences. It also presents children’s programming and sponsors an annual playwriting competition, with the winning script chosen for production at the theater. In 2007, the Alliance was recognized for its work with a Regional Tony award.
THE BASICS: 1280 Peachtree St. in the Woodruff Arts Center. 404-733-4650. www.alliancetheatre.org.
THE RUNNER-UP: Dad’s Garage

Linnea Frye
Joe Sykes and Tony Larkin in Steve Yockey’s “Octopus” at Actor’s Express.

BEST LOCAL PLAYWRIGHT

Steve Yockey

THE LOWDOWN: “I tend to write about fidelity, about sex and desire, about people on the cusp of a realization they don’t necessarily want or welcome,” Steve Yockey told SP’s Bert Osborne earlier this year. And it seems Atlantans are connecting with his chosen themes, as exhibited in works such as “Skin” and “Sleepy” (at Dad’s Garage) and “Octopus” (recently staged at Actor’s Express). Yockey currently splits his time between Atlanta and New York, where he’s pursuing an MFA in dramatic writing at NYU.
THE RUNNER-UP: Topher Payne

Courtesy of the Alliance Theatre
Susan Booth

BEST DIRECTOR

Susan Booth

THE LOWDOWN: As artistic director of the Alliance Theatre, Booth has helped the theater grow and evolve, but she still manages to find time to take the helm of shows there as well. Her production of this season’s “Doubt,” a Tony-award-winning show that presented the riveting story of a woman seeking the truth and dealing with an unsettling event, is particularly notable.
THE RUNNER-UP: Kate Warner (Dad’s Garage)