Toast to the Winners Award Ceremony honors NNA 2013 newspaper contest winners

Sep 14, 2013

Toast to the Winners Award Ceremony honors NNA 2013 newspaper contest winners

PHOENIX, AZ—The National Newspaper Association honored winners of its 2013 contests at the “Toast to the Winners” award ceremony and reception, Sept. 14, at the Arizona Grand Resort in Phoenix, AZ.

Representatives from 35 winning newspapers were in attendance at the award ceremony and were recognized for receiving a total of 201 awards. The award ceremony was sponsored by Southern Lithoplate. Immediate Past President Merle Baranczyk was on hand to congratulate the winners, as was Bill Bowman, president and founder of Kidsville News!, a literacy and educational newspaper based in Fayetteville, NC, that sponsored the association’s Newspaper And Education contest. Roy Eaton, past president of the National Newspaper Association, announced the winners. Contest and Awards Committee Chair Jeff Farren, and president/publisher of Kendall County Record Newspapers in Yorkville, IL, served as the master of ceremonies for the award ceremony, which capped a successful convention program.

Winners from three contests were recognized at this ceremony:

Better Newspaper Advertising Contest

In 2004, NNA introduced the Better Newspaper Advertising Contest to recognize the importance of advertising in community newspapers as well as the creativity and quality that goes into these ads. This contest highlights and rewards the efforts of newspaper advertising representatives and graphic designers. The contest runs concurrently with NNA’s Better Newspaper Contest. The 2013 Better Newspaper Advertising Contest received 375 entries this year from member newspapers; 115 were selected as winners.

Better Newspaper Contest

Many state associations have better newspaper contests to recognize the outstanding work by papers in their states. NNA’s Better Newspaper Contest is the premiere national competition recognizing the best in community journalism. The general excellence division of the Better Newspaper Contest honors community newspapers that are considered the best of the best by their peers and are awarded this prestigious award for overall excellence. The 2013 Better Newspaper Contest received 1,777 entries, representing member newspapers in 40 states. Of these entries, 437 were selected as winners.

Newspaper And Education contest

In 2003, the National Newspaper Association initiated a Best of Newspaper In Education contest to recognize the excellent effort made by many community newspapers to engage young readers. In an effort to recognize both traditional and non-traditional newspaper and education programs the contest was redesigned last year and named the Newspaper And Education contest. Kidsville News!, a literary and educational newspaper based in Fayetteville, NC, sponsored the contest. First place winners received $100 along with an award certificate. A total of 10 awards were won by eight newspapers in eight states.

Judges biographies and PDFs of winners, including judges’ comments, are posted online on the contest pages at nnaweb.org. The slideshow featuring winners from all contests, and a special PDF featuring a selection of winning entries, will soon become available online at nnaweb.org. Photos from the award ceremony will soon be posted on the site.

Established in 1885, the National Newspaper Association is the voice of America’s community newspapers and the largest newspaper association in the country. The nation’s community papers inform, educate and entertain nearly 150 million readers every week.