Chicago Magazine announces 2015 Chicagoans of the Year

CHICAGO, Nov. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Chance the Rapper, a South Side native who is shaking up the national music scene, is among five people honored as Chicagoans of the Year by Chicago magazine in the December issue. The son of Ken Bennett, deputy chief of staff in Mayor Emanuel's office, the 22-year-old Chance has headlined some of the nation's largest music festivals, including Pitchfork and Lollapalooza, while being featured in songs by such titans as Madonna and Justin Bieber. Chance talks in depth with Chicago about how fatherhood has changed him (he has a new baby girl), how he has committed himself to helping the youth of the city, and how he has created a new business model for musicians in the Internet age by releasing songs for free and resisting signing with a label.

The 2015 class of Chicagoans of the Year also includes Stacey Ratner, a literacy advocate; William Beiersdorf, who is providing much-needed resources to war veterans; Sally Hazelgrove, who is trying to knock out youth violence with a boxing club she started; and Prerna Mona Khanna, a globetrotting emergency-care doctor.

Remember Winnetka's most famous big-screen family, the McCallisters – especially the resourceful son who got left behind? The December issue of Chicago features Holy Cow, Home Alone is 25!, an oral history of one of the most beloved Christmas comedies ever made as told by James Hughes, son of the original author himself. To this day, filmmakers remain astounded at the worldwide reach of the "little movie" that first captured their imagination on the page. Shot around the North Shore, far from the reaches of Hollywood studios, Home Alone defied everyone's prerelease expectations, becoming the highest-grossing live-action comedy ever made. To celebrate the film's anniversary and its place in the holiday-movie canon, some of the key cast and crew have reunited to go home again.

From booze to books, blankets and baubles, Chicago's Holiday Gift Guide features 43 fabulous presents for everyone on your list this holiday season organized by price point. Bonus: They're all made or designed right here in Chicago!

Also included in the December issue of Chicago magazine:

• Culture: 48 Great Things to Do This Winter – Ward off the winter blues with the cream of the culture crop, including films, books and TV shows to consumer Chicago-bred culture without having to leave your couch.
• Holidays: The New New Year's – What to know about Chi-Town Rising, the city's first outdoor New Year's Eve extravaganza.   
• Spike Lee Sounds Off – The outspoken director talks Chi-Raq, violence in the city, and how the major tried – and failed – to "bully" him in his first in-depth interview about the film.

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About Chicago magazine
The nation's largest city monthly, Chicago magazine produces both award-winning, in-depth journalism and authoritative coverage of food, culture, and other lifestyle issues. Together with its website Chicagomag.com, Chicago spurs intelligent conversations about the city's influencers, zeitgeist-defining trends, and civic controversies through award-winning, in-depth journalism available across all platforms. Chicago magazine is published by Tribune Publishing and is part of the Chicago Tribune Media Group portfolio of product offerings. In 2015, Chicago was awarded the John Bartlow Martin Award for Best Public Service in Journalism in a U.S. Magazine and the Sigma Delta Chi Award for Best Investigative Reporting in a City or Regional Magazine by the Society of Professional Journalists.

About Chicago Tribune Media Group
Chicago Tribune Media Group is a diversified media and marketing solutions company that reaches 4.9 million people each month across all platforms. CTMG's robust portfolio of media solutions includes the Pulitzer Prize-winning Chicago Tribune, and a collection of niche and digital offerings including RedEye, Hoy, Chicago magazine, Naperville Magazine, The Mash, Blue Sky Innovation, chicagotribune.com, chicagonow.com and metromix.com. As the region's leading voice, CTMG also extends into the suburbs of Chicago through popular titles including TribLocal, The Beacon-News, The Courier-News, Lake County News-Sun, Naperville Sun, Post-Tribune in Northwest Indiana, Daily Southtown, and 32 Pioneer Press weekly newspapers.

SOURCE Chicago magazine

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