Jim Vance Wins Washington Blade’s Best of Gay D.C. Award

Former NBC4 news anchor Jim Vance wins the Washington Blade’s Best of Gay D.C. Award for best local television personality.

"The NBC4 news anchor became entrenched in D.C. culture just as much as 'the Godfather of Go-Go' Chuck Brown, former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry and radio DJ Russ Parr, who all join Vance on Ben’s Chili Bowl mural wall," the Blade wrote.

Vance, 75, who died from cancer in July, worked at NBC4 for more than 40 years. He started reporting for WRC-TV in 1969 and moved to the anchor desk in 1972. Vance covered stories from the attempted assassination of former President Ronald Reagan to the 1977 Hanafi Siege and 9/11.

During his journalism career, Vance earned several local Emmy awards, the Board of Governor’s Award and was inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame in 2007.

Before Channel 4, Vance was a reporter for the Philadelphia Independent newspaper and WHAT-AM radio station.

As the region’s longest-serving television news anchor, Vance’s face was added to the mural alongside Ben’s Chili Bowl in June.

About 3,5000 nominations and 20,000 votes were cast in 100 categories for the 16th annual Best of Gay D.C. Awards. Categories included people, community, dining, nightlife and media.