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If you navigated directly to this post without going to Fiend’s homepage, go check out Rich Proulx’s post about the 2/23 ORCA Awards livestream. There’s a trailer!
There’s something special about the 14th ORCAS.
Sure, we added five new awards (did someone say cryptics?) Yeah, the ballot contains 15 categories comprised of 124 nominations from 59 different outlets. But, this year, you can solve these spectacular ORCA-nominated puzzles in our first-ever puzzle pack!
All funds raised support The Trevor Project, a suicide hotline for LGBTQ+ youth. Although suicide rates for LGBTQ+ youth are surging (39% seriously considered suicide in 2024), HHS terminated its contract for FY2026.
The puzzle pack includes 76 ORCA-nominated puzzles from 44 outlets plus five original puzzles from the Constructor of the Year nominees. Along with the puzzle pack, donors will receive early access to the ORCAS ballot, which will be posted publicly on February 3.
To make a donation and receive the puzzle pack and digital files, click here. (For questions, email [email protected] with “help” in the subject line.)
Join us for the ORCA awards on Monday, February 23 at 6 pm PT / 9 pm ET. Co-hosts David Kwong and Ophira Eisenberg will be live at https://www.youtube.com/@orcaawards along with T Campbell, Aimee Lucido, Laura Braunstein, Katie Grogg, Christina Iverson, Ben Tausig, Stella Zawistowski, Andy Kravis, Brad Wilber, Mangesh Ghogre, Peter Collins, Kim Vu, Rafael Musa, Lynn Lempel, and more.
Do you want to know just how good it’s going to be? Check out this sneak preview.