For the past 20 years, Niki D’Andrea’s dedicated herself to reporting and writing on a variety of topics, ranging from popular music and contemporary art to designer drugs and private prisons, along with profiles of interesting people from all walks of life.
For more than seven years, D’Andrea was on the editorial staff of the Phoenix New Times, producing award-winning features, along with her popular nightlife column, “Niki at Nite.” D’Andrea’s writing has also appeared in publication including Spin, Revolver, and Echo magazines.
D’Andrea continues to write for various publications, including her own arts and culture blog, “The Phoenix Edge.” She is currently Managing Editor of PHOENIX magazine, where she contributes stories ranging from features to history pieces to in-depth explorations of current news topics.
“D’Andrea brings cutting-edge pop culture from the fringe to the forefront in readable, well-researched features.”
– Robert MacInnis| Houston Chronicle
“D’Andrea writes with a seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of music and shows good instinct for choosing telling quotes. She seasons her stories with great details.”
– Lisa Gutierrez | Kansas City Star
“Fun anecdotes…keep the reader reading…fine linear narrative.”
– Sheila Toomey | Anchorage Daily News
2004:
-Arizona Press Club Award, Personality Profile, 2nd place, “Everybody Loves Chico”
2005:
-Arizona Press Club Award, Features Beat Reporting (music), 3rd place
-National Association of Black Journalists Salute to Excellence Award for “Everybody Loves Chico”
2006:
-Arizona Press Club Award, Music Criticism, 2nd place for the Niki at Nite column “Lip Service”
2007:
-Arizona Press Club Award, Arts Writing or Criticism, 3rd place for the Niki at Nite column “Beyond Blonde”
2008:
-Selected for inclusion in the anthology Best Music Writing 2008 (Da Capo Press) for the music feature “Bad Habits”
2009:
-Arizona Press Club Award, Music Blogging, 1st place (with Martin Cizmar, Stephen Chilton, and Jonathan McNamara) for Up on the Sun
-Arizona Press Club Award, Arts Reporting, 3rd place, “Desert Chills,” “Native Rasta,” and “Viva La Razabilly”
2010:
-Arizona Press Club Award, Environmental/Science Reporting, 3rd place, “High Science”
-Arizona Press Club Award, Personality Profile, honorable mention, “Over the Rainbow”
-Arizona Press Club Award, Arts Reporting, 2nd place
2011:
-Phoenix Music Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award in Music Journalism