Golden Dukes
2017 Golden Dukes Winners Announced!
TPM is pleased to announce the winners of the 11th Annual Golden Duke Awards recognizing the year’s best purveyors of public corruption, outlandish behavior, The Crazy, and general nonsense in this fine nation’s political arena. The awards are named in honor of former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, the poster boy of the wacky modern scandal (for now, at least).
Our celebrity judges—Susie Bright, Katherine Krueger, Simon Maloy, KT Nelson and Erin Ryan—waded through the muck of all 34 finalists in seven categories, and selected the winners.
Check out the lucky nominees and reader/staff suggestions that selected them here. And now, drum roll please, the winners:
The 2017 Golden Dukes Awards Nominees Are Here!
In recognition of a truly landmark year of stunning scandals and betrayals of the public trust, it’s time to unveil TPM’s nominees for the 11th Annual Golden Dukes!
These awards are named in honor of former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, whose enormous bribery schemes made him the poster boy for modern scandal (well, for now). Every year, we select the most outrageous moments of corruption and general dipshittery in this fine nation’s political arena to see who has raised the bar for utter shamelessness.
Last year, we said 2016 would make Duke proud. This year, he may have actually found his heroes. Read More
Announcing The 2017 Golden Dukes!
One of the wildest, weirdest dumpster fires of a year ever to hit Washington, D.C. is coming to an end, and we’re bidding it farewell with TPM’s 11th annual Golden Duke Awards.
As you know, each year TPM celebrates the nation’s top promoters of all that is crazy, corrupt, and shameless in public life by awarding The Dukes, named in honor of Congressman-turned-convicted felon and inmate Randy “Duke” Cunningham. We’re hoping readers can point us to 2017’s worst (best) offenders. Sarcasm encouraged.
Nominations should be submitted no later than Tuesday, December 12. To get a sense of what we’re looking for, check out last year’s winners here.
This year’s categories are:
1. Best Scandal — General Interest
2. Best Scandal — Local Venue
3. Meritorious Achievement in The Crazy
4. Most Heartwarming On-The-Record Quote From A Trump Associate
5. Literary Achievement in 140 Characters (or Instagram) By A Public Official
6. Best Shameless Cartoon Villain Move By An Administration Official
7. Best Moment From A Press Conference
Email talk (at) talkingpointsmemo.com with your nominations, identifying the person you’re recommending and making your case in no more than 250 words for why he or she is worthy of a prestigious Golden Duke. Only real, specific individuals are eligible—no parties, issues, groups, amorphous concepts, etc.
We’ll announce the nominees on Thursday, December 14 and send the list off to our panel of judges. The lucky winners will be named on Saturday, December 30.
Be in touch!
2016 Golden Duke Awards Winners Announced!
TPM is pleased to announce the winners of the Tenth Annual Golden Duke Awards recognizing the year’s best purveyors of public corruption, outlandish behavior, The Crazy, nonsense and all relevant betrayals of the public trust. The awards are named in honor of former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, who epitomizes the iconic modern scandal.
Our celebrity judges—Susie Bright & Jon Bailiff, Megan Carpentier, Jeb Lund, Simon Maloy & Charles P. Pierce—waded their way through all 32 finalists in seven categories, and selected the winners.
Check out the lucky nominees and the reader emails that selected them here. And now, without further ado, the winners:
Your 2016 Golden Dukes Nominees
TPM is pleased to announce the nominees for the Tenth Annual Golden Dukes Awards, celebrating the most surreal scandals in politics, absurd behavior and dubious claims that we all had the misfortune of witnessing in 2016.
Announcing The Golden Dukes 2016!
A year as unprecedented, jaw-droppingly ridiculous and frequently horrifying as 2016 has only one proper close: TPM’s 10th annual Golden Duke Awards.
As you know, each year TPM’s toasts outlandish behavior, great feats in public corruption and abuses of the public trust and other outstanding representatives of The Crazy by awarding The Dukes, named in honor of Congressman-turned-convicted felon and inmate Randy “Duke” Cunningham. We’re seeking for your input for Dukes nominations: of all the corrupt, absurd, twisted happenings this year, what stood out to you, bigly?
Nominees For Ninth Annual Golden Dukes Award Announced!!
TPM is pleased to announce that we will be awarding our Ninth Annual Golden Dukes on December 31st, in recognition of the year’s best purveyors of public corruption, outlandish behavior and The Crazy.
The awards are named in honor of former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, who epitomizes the iconic modern scandal. Each year we single out those practitioners of scandal who through their own unmatched bumbling, shameless behavior, criminality or mere derp have set new standards for public corruption, betrayal of the public trust and general ridiculousness.
And now for the esteemed judges and proud nominees…
We’re now accepting nominations for Golden Dukes! Now is your chance to submit ideas for, in Josh Marshall’s words, “the year’s best purveyors of public corruption, outlandish behavior and The Crazy.” More info here.
It’s Time, People (Golden Dukes Edition)
Okay folks, it’s time!
Time to send in your nominations for the 9th Annual – yes 9th, Good Lord! – Golden Duke Awards. It’s not the holiday season without the Golden Duke Awards, TPM’s annual homage to the year’s best purveyors of public corruption, outlandish behavior and The Crazy. (The awards are named in honor of Congressman-turned-inmate-turned-ex-con Randy “Duke” Cunningham. See the letter Cunningham sent one-time TPM reporter Ryan Reilly back in 2011. Yes, we’ve been doing this so long, Duke Cunningham isn’t even in jail anymore.)
How do you participate?