ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - The New Mexico Press Association recognized the best of New Mexico’s newspaper writing, photography and advertising at the Better Newspaper Contest Banquet on Saturday.
The organization handed out 261 awards to newspapers in four divisions: Weekly II - for weekly newspapers with a circulation below 5,000; Weekly I - for weekly newspapers with a circulation above 5,000; Daily II - for daily newspapers with a circulation below 11,000; and Daily I - for newspapers with a circulation above 11,000.
A newspaper from each division is awarded for General Excellence. This year’s winners are: The Santa Fe New Mexican, Daily I; The Farmington Daily Times, Daily II; The Taos News, Weekly I; and El Defensor Chieftain in Socorro, Weekly II.
The contest drew 1,126 entries from 29 newspapers around the state. It was judged by the Maryland, Delaware and D.C. Press Association. Entries were judged for excellence in 38 categories.
The New Mexico Associated Press Member of the Year, which is given for outstanding cooperation, went to the Las Cruces Sun-News.
The awards were handed out at the NMPA 110th Annual Convention.
___
Weekly - Best Rate Card or Marketing Kit
2nd Place - Will Avery, Taos News
1st Place - Karin Eberhardt, Taos News
Judge’s Comment: Graphics with data very engaging. This rate card is like a design on reddit’s “cool guides” subreddit. Very well designed.
Daily - Best Rate Card or Marketing Kit
2nd Place - Byron Hughey, Albuquerque Journal
1st Place - Aric Loomis, Roswell Daily Record
Judge’s Comment: This WOW’d me! So well designed and thought out. Colors are bright and engaging, so well themed with the area
___
Weekly Division 2 - Auto Advertisement
1st Place - Trina Thomas, Ruidoso News
Judge’s Comment: Compelling, balanced, and pleasing to the eye.
Weekly Division 1 - Auto Advertisement
2nd Place - Will Avery, Taos News
1st Place - Will Avery, Taos News
Judge’s Comments: Most eye catching and compelling artwork. Something very appealing about it!
Daily 2 - Auto Advertisement
2nd Place - Ethan Lewis, Eastern New Mexico News
1st Place - Sandra Martinez, Roswell Daily Record
Judge’s Comment: Cool artwork. We like what you did with the prices and the UFO logo is cool.
Daily 1 - Auto Advertisement
2nd Place - Bernadette Montano, Gallup Independent
1st Place - Rick Artiaga, Santa Fe New Mexican
Judge’s Comment: Gorgeous artwork. The cars pop out on the page. Love the hot air balloons, nod to the Albuquerque Balloon Festival. Sometimes, less is more!
___
Weekly 2 - Real Estate Advertising
2nd Place - Trina Thomas, Ruidoso News
1st Place - Trina Thomas, Ruidoso News
Judge’s Comment: Great showcase of the properties inside and out. Love the black and gold.
Weekly 1 - Real Estate Advertising
2nd Place - Will Avery, Taos News
1st Place - Karin Eberhhardt, Taos News
Judge’s Comment: Compelling, simple.
Daily 2 - Real Estate Advertising
2nd Place - Mary Morgan, Roswell Daily Record
1st Place - Marty Williamson, Eastern New Mexico News
Judge’s Comment: Appealing to the eye. Simple, clean lines, consistent, goes perfectly with the article on the page.
Daily 1 - Real Estate Advertising
2nd Place - Joan Scholl, Santa Fe New Mexican
1st Place - Monica Schwartz, Albuquerque Journal
Judge’s Comment: Oh that sunset! Awesome photography of the property and great use of the space to show off that house.
___
Weekly 2 - Retail Advertisement
2nd Place - Maria Sanchez, Las Vegas Optic
1st Place - Trina Thomas, Ruidoso News
Judge’s Comment: This ad is deceptively simple. Very nice.
Weekly 1 - Retail Advertisement
2nd Place - Lori Montoya, Rio Grande SUN
1st Place - Karin Eberhardt, Taos News
Judge’s Comment: Ads from this paper were all good, but this one stood out for it’s simple and clean design.
Daily 2 - Retail Advertisement
2nd Place - Ethan Lewis, Eastern New Mexico News
1st Place - Desiree Delgado, Silver City Daily Press
Judge’s Comment: Nice use of the art. Designer really pulled out the stops on this one.
Daily 1 - Retail Advertisement
2nd Place - Bernadette Montano, Gallup Independent
1st Place - Rick Artiaga, Santa Fe New Mexican
Judge’s Comment: Floating figures in an ad are close to being cliche. Still, this ad is heads above others in the category in its willingness to “think outside the box.”
___
Weekly 2 - Classified Ad Section
1st Place - Leota Harriman, The Independent
Judge’s Comment: Headers easy to read. Classified sections easy to navigate.
Weekly 1 - Classified Ad Section
2nd Place - Mayra Aldaz, Rio Grande SUN
1st Place - Mary Chavez, Agnes Hernandez, Shirley Mondragon, Taos News
Judge’s Comment: Great house ad for selling cars, full color display ads for recruitment look amazing. Easy to read and navigate section to section.
Daily 2 - Classified Ad Section
2nd Place - Roswell Daily Record Staff, Roswell Daily Record
1st Place - Debbie Seibel, Desiree Delgado, Mikey Torrez, Silver City Daily Press
Judge’s Comment: Easy to read, well designed headers with color. Easy to navigate the classified section. Well spaced to show separation of ads. Layout of the page is nice with display ads on the sides and liners going from top to bottom of the page.
Daily 1 - Classified Ad Section
2nd Place - Classifieds Team, Santa Fe New Mexican,
1st Place - APC - Classifieds and Creative Services, Albuquerque Journal
Judge’s Comment: Wow, what a thriving classified section! Must have an engaged audience with this volume of ads. Color logos in the recruitment ads are a nice touch. Recruitment display ads are well designed and plentiful.
___
Weekly 2 - Community/Newspaper Event Advertisement
2nd Place - Maria Sanchez, Las Vegas Optic
1st Place - Trina Thomas, Ruidoso News
Judge’s Comment: Good use of color and images. Looks like a fun event.
Weekly 1 - Community/Newspaper Event Advertisement
2nd Place - Will Avery, Taos News
1st Place - Karin Eberhardt, Taos News
Judge’s Comment: Great use of negative space, plus a cute dog. How can you go wrong?
Daily 2 - Community/Newspaper Event Advertisement
2nd Place - Manny Gonzalez, Roswell Daily Record
1st Place - Nickolas Seibel, Silver City Daily Press
Judge’s Comment: The ad is well done, but it’s the message that resonates.
Daily 1 - Community/Newspaper Event Advertisement
2nd Place - Byron Hughey, Albuquerque Journal
1st Place - Joan Scholl, Santa Fe New Mexican
Judge’s Comment: Nice campaign, good ads.
___
Weekly 2 -Shared/Signature Page
2nd Place - Trina Thomas, Ruidoso News
1st Place - Trina Thomas, Ruidoso News
Judge’s Comment: Good layout, lots of color in the ads.
Weekly 1 - Shared/Signature Page
2nd Place - Will Avery, Taos News
1st Place - Will Avery, Taos News
Judge’s Comment:
Daily 2 - Shared/Signature Page
2nd Place - Franki Baca, Eastern New Mexico News
1st Place - Roswell Daily Record Staff, Roswell Daily Record
Judge’s Comment: Good layout, very colorful. Good mix of editorial and advertising.
Daily 1 - Shared/Signature Page
2nd Place - Classified Advertising Department, Santa Fe New Mexican
1st Place - Bernadette Montano, Gallup Independent
Judge’s Comment: This is a great idea for pages for Homecoming pages. Good art to go along with the advertising, great layout.
___
Weekly 2 - Supplements or Special Sections
2nd Place - Leota Harriman, The Independent
1st Place - Staff, Las Vegas Optic
Judge’s Comment: This publication does exactly what it’s supposed to do, gives the reader a clear picture of the area from the past to the present and gives them reasons to come visit. Love the staff picks.
Weekly 1 - Supplements or Special Sections
2nd Place - Taos News Staff, Taos News
1st Place - Tracy Roy, Cary Howard, Las Cruces Bulletin
Judge’s Comment: This publication has anything and everything you would want to know about the area’s legislature. There is lots of information, great layout. The profiles and art help make it a lot more than just a list of names and offices. Well done.
Daily 2 - Supplements or Special Sections
2nd Place - JT Keith, Toby Martinez and Aric Loomis, Roswell Daily Record
1st Place - The Staff of the Farmington Daily Times,
Judge’s Comment: Use of graphics helps complement the well written stories. This publication looks at all aspects of the issues facing the county. Great art as well.
Daily 1 - Supplements or Special Sections
2nd Place - Deborah Villa and Patricia West-Barker, Santa Fe New Mexican
1st Place - Staff, Albuquerque Journal
Judge’s Comment: This publication offers an in depth look at the film and television industry in the state. It is laid out well with in depth stories and good art. A great publication all the way around.
___
Weekly - Web Ad
2nd Place - Karin Eberhardt, Taos News
1st Place - Will Avery, Taos News
Judge’s Comment: Small ad, yet it says a lot.
Daily - Web Ad
2nd Place - Ethan Lewis, Eastern New Mexico News
1st Place - Joan Scholl, Santa Fe New Mexican
Judge’s Comment: Nice use of color and good combination with static images and gifs to bring home a point.
___
Weekly - Best Breaking News, Digital
2nd Place - Clara Garcia, Valencia County News-Bulletin
1st Place - Taos News editorial team, Taos News
Judge’s Comment: This is an impressive, dogged performance. To get this news out, without Internet service, required amazing determination and resourcefulness. Great job!
Daily - Best Breaking News, Digital
2nd Place - Adrian Hedden, Carlsbad Current-Argus
1st Place - Megan Petersen, Hannah Grover, Farmington Daily Times
Judge’s Comment: This is an impressive performance by a small staff. Excellent use of a first-person source and good use of social media updates from official offices.
___
Weekly - Best Web Site
2nd Place - Staff, Valencia County News-Bulletin
1st Place - Yvonne Pesquera, Taos News
Judge’s Comment: This website is easy to navigate and contains a wealth of information and resources. Excellent use of photography.
Daily - Best Web Site
2nd Place - The Staff of the Farmington Daily Times, Farmington Daily Times
1st Place - Jessica Onsurez, Carlsbad Current-Argus
Judge’s Comment: This is an attractive website, easy to navigate and filled with strong content and resources.
___
Information Graphic - Open
2nd Place - Brian Barker, Will Webber, James Barron, Santa Fe New Mexican
1st Place - Kristina Dunham, Brian Barker, Henry Lopez, Santa Fe New Mexican
Judge’s Comment: Easy to read and comprehend when it comes to data speed breakdown
___
Editorial Cartoon - Open
2nd Place - Ricardo Caté, Santa Fe New Mexican
1st Place - John Trever, Albuquerque Journal
Judge’s Comment: Such a universal way of showing how things have changed for children today.
___
Weekly - Best Headline
2nd Place - Scott Turner, El Defensor Chieftain
1st Place - Argen Marie Duncan, Rio Rancho Observer
Judge’s Comment: The headline is concise and clever, and it complements the photo well. It does seem like the headline is what the dog is thinking.
Daily - Best Headline
2nd Place - Barry Heifner, Gallup Independent
1st Place - Brian Barker, Santa Fe New Mexican
Judge’s Comment: This headline effectively communicates the major weight of the election results, while incorporating more than just one race. Plus, it’s punchy and rolls off the tongue.
___
Weekly 2 - Review
1st Place - Wally Gordon, The Independent
Judge’s Comment: Definitely piqued my interest. However, this is a win by default (only one entry in category).
Weekly 1 - Review
2nd Place - Mike Cook, Las Cruces Bulletin
1st Place - Elva Osterreich, Las Cruces Bulletin
Judge’s Comment: Interesting look at styles of 2 artists, although a longer piece would be nice.
Daily 1 - Review
2nd Place - Molly Boyle, Santa Fe New Mexican
1st Place - James M. Keller, Santa Fe New Mexican
Judge’s Comment: Writer reviewed many elements of the show. Good writing. Prompted me to start searching for the songs on YouTube!
___
Weekly 2 - Obituary News
2nd Place - Dianne L Stallings, Ruidoso News
1st Place - Leota Harriman, The Independent
Judge’s Comment: Harriman can spot a good anecdote with the best of them. The orphanage tale elevates an interesting life story to a remarkable one.
Weekly 1 - Obituary News
2nd Place - Julia Dendinger, Valencia County News-Bulletin
1st Place - Staci Matlock, Taos News
Judge’s Comment: Matlock writes with compassion and authority — without verging into hagiography. Well-chosen details and quotes push the narrative forward adeptly. Great job!
Daily 2 - Obituary News
2nd Place - Benjamin Fisher, Silver City Daily Press
1st Place - Benjamin Fisher, Silver City Daily Press
Judge’s Comment: From the lede to the last sentence, the love of craft permeates this piece. An obit that’s full of heart, particularly about such a public person, is hard to pull off. But you wouldn’t know it from reading this.
Daily 1 - Obituary News
2nd Place - Maddy Hayden, Albuquerque Journal
1st Place - Robert Nott, Santa Fe New Mexican
Judge’s Comment: A daunting task indeed, writing the final word about a man who wrote so many splendid words. But this piece rises to the challenge over and over again — all the way through to its final, lasting image.
___
Weekly 1 - Sports Columns
2nd Place - Richard Coltharp, Las Cruces Bulletin
1st Place - Richard Coltharp, Las Cruces Bulletin
Judge’s Comment: Chalk this up to “luck” … fun read about the coach’s return.
Daily 2 - Sports Columns
2nd Place - Rob Langrell, Eastern New Mexico News
1st Place - Kevin Wilson, Eastern New Mexico News
Judge’s Comment: Complicated, yes, but no doubt this led to some scoreboard watching.
Daily 1 - Sports Columns
2nd Place - Geoff Grammer, Albuquerque Journal
1st Place - Jason Groves, Las Cruces Sun-News
Judge’s Comment: Groves is asking the right questions. Good column, likely one that evoked others to weigh in.
___
Weekly II - Education Writing
2nd Place - Scott Turner, El Defensor Chieftain
1st Place - Scott Turner, El Defensor Chieftain
Judge’s Comment: Well written piece explaining the potential benefits of a four-day school week.
Weekly I - Education Writing
2nd Place - Deborah Fox, Valencia County News-Bulletin
1st Place - Jesse Moya, Taos News
Judge’s Comment: Well reported with lots of sources. Also serves as an important reminder to students and parents about the issues with airlift guns.
Daily II - Education Writing
2nd Place - Noel Lyn Smith, Farmington Daily Times
1st Place - Lisa Dunlap, Roswell Daily Record
Judge’s Comment: A good look at dual enrollment programs.
Daily I - Education Writing
2nd Place - Jessica Dyer, Albuquerque Journal
1st Place - Robert Nott, Santa Fe New Mexican
Judge’s Comment: A great look at how detrimental it can be when politics shape school curriculum.
___
Weekly II - Environmental or Agriculture Writing
2nd Place - Scott Turner, El Defensor Chieftain
1st Place - Scott Turner, El Defensor Chieftain
Judge’s Comment: Interwoven with voices from farmers and agency experts, the story examines the impact of a drying river on local wildlife and the farming business. With a powerful headline and striking photographs to illustrate the situation, the story puts an environmental issue faced by many communities across the country at the forefront of all of our minds.
Weekly I - Environmental or Agriculture Writing
2nd Place - Deborah Fox, Valencia County News-Bulletin
1st Place - Cody Hooks, Taos News
Judge’s Comment: The story explains a complex issue - how to manage the bighorn population - with clear language and solid data. It is well written and solidly reported.
Daily II - Environmental or Agriculture Writing
2nd Place - Adrian Hedden, Carlsbad Current-Argus
1st Place - Adrian Hedden, Lisa Dunlap, Carlsbad Current-Argus
Judge’s Comment: Well paced and masterfully written, the story tells the impact of a tiny pest on a $180 million industry. Interwoven with voices from pecan farmers and agricultural experts, the story explores the nuances and complexities of the issue at large. And it ends with a quote that suggests the problem doesn’t end here. A wonderful read throughout and a worthy winner.
Daily I - Environmental or Agriculture Writing
2nd Place - Daniel J. Chacón, Santa Fe New Mexican
1st Place - Rebecca Moss, Santa Fe New Mexican
Judge’s Comment: Superbly written and well researched, the story details the state’s longterm water contamination and its crumbling infrastructure that have had long, lasting impacts on generations of local residents. Informative, nuanced and poignant at times, this story exemplifies journalism at its best for environmental justice.
___
Weekly II - Business Writing
2nd Place - John Larson, El Defensor Chieftain
1st Place - Algernon D’Ammassa, Deming Headlight
Judge’s Comment: This is a textbook local business story - looking at the ground-level impact of the Trump administration’s tariffs. It provides the right mix of local reaction and the bigger picture. Nicely done.
Weekly I - Business Writing
2nd Place - Amanda Martinez and Austin Fisher, Rio Grande SUN
1st Place - John Miller, Taos News
Judge’s Comment: A good overview of the state of one Main Street. The writer got a lot of voices to discuss the good and the bad and provided some context with history. Nicely done.
Daily II - Business Writing
2nd Place - Adrian Hedden, Carlsbad Current-Argus
1st Place - Benjamin Fisher, Silver City Daily Press
Judge’s Comment: This is a nice mix of business profile weaved in with local government news. Very good explanation as to what the company does as well.
Daily I - Business Writing
2nd Place - Ellen Marks, Albuquerque Journal
1st Place - Thom Cole, Santa Fe New Mexican
Judge’s Comment: It’s hard enough for a reporter to look back a month, let alone a decade. But this provides a comprehensive look at the “lost decade” in a way that’s easy to understand as well as with analysis and what it means going forward. Well done.
___
Weekly II - Editorials
2nd Place - Jason W. Brooks, Las Vegas Optic
1st Place - Leota Harriman, The Independent
Judge’s Comment: Good job reminding readers of the importance of journalism.
Weekly I - Editorials
2nd Place - Clara Garcia, Valencia County News-Bulletin
1st Place - Robert Trapp, Rio Grande SUN
Judge’s Comment: This editorial is a detailed, step-by-step indictment of the mayor’s parting shot to taxpayers. Kudos to you for doing the research and laying out to readers, in painstaking clarity, where she went wrong. The final paragraph is great.
Daily II - Editorials
2nd Place - Nickolas Seibel, Dean Thompson, Christine Steele, Silver City Daily Press
1st Place - David Stevens, Robert Langrell, Eastern New Mexico News
Judge’s Comment: A textbook example of how to use a strong, forceful editorial to hold accountable those in power.
Daily I - Editorials
2nd Place - D’Val Westphal, Albuquerque Journal
1st Place - Mark Oswald, Albuquerque Journal
Judge’s Comment: A well-reasoned, thoughtful take on an unusual controversy.
___
Weekly II - Columns
2nd Place - Algernon D’Ammassa, Deming Headlight
1st Place - Jason W. Brooks, Las Vegas Optic
Judge’s Comment: The author takes a local angle on an important national story and suggests solutions to a problem. New Mexico is affected by international trade and he suggests ways to move into the future instead of clinging to the past — a column bound to get people thinking and maybe acting.
Weekly I - Columns
2nd Place - Richard Coltharp, Las Cruces Bulletin
1st Place - Mercy López-Acosta, KAFB Nucleus
Judge’s Comment: It’s not easy being a journalist. The author tells the public that it’s not all glamour and certainly not something you get rich on. While the Annapolis shooting went to extremes, those of us who toil in this business go through constant harassment. She personalizes it but in a human way.
Daily II - Columns
2nd Place - Kevin Wilson, Eastern New Mexico News
1st Place - David Stevens, Eastern New Mexico News
Judge’s Comment: A very poignant, timely column that captures the grief of a community.
Daily I - Columns
2nd Place - Joline Gutierrez Krueger, Albuquerque Journal
1st Place - Maddy Hayden, Albuquerque Journal
Judge’s Comment: The column does a great job capturing the emotion of watching the eclipse, and the crisp but descriptive writing style keeps the reader engaged.
___
Weekly II - General News Photo
2nd Place - Dianne L Stallings, Ruidoso News
1st Place - Dianne L Stallings, Ruidoso News
Judge’s Comment: Great moment with expressive subject!
Weekly I - General News Photo
2nd Place - Jesse Moya, Taos News
1st Place - Anthony Albidrez, Las Cruces Bulletin
Judge’s Comment: Eye-catching moment of natural phenomena.
Daily II - General News Photo
2nd Place - Jamie Cushman, Eastern New Mexico News
1st Place - Tony Bullocks, Eastern New Mexico News
Judge’s Comment: This photo hits me like a punch in the stomach, because of the blank expression on Jessica Thron’s face.
Daily I - General News Photo
2nd Place - Robin Zielinski, Las Cruces Sun-News
1st Place - Luis Sanchez Saturno, Santa Fe New Mexican
Judge’s Comment: Great color contrast and use of slow shutter speed.
___
Weekly II - Sports Photo
2nd Place - Jonathan Miller, El Defensor Chieftain
1st Place - Jonathan Miller, El Defensor Chieftain
Judge’s Comment: Captures a nice attempt at a bicycle kick, something you don’t often get to see.
Weekly I - Sports Photo
2nd Place - Dylan Bida, Rio Grande SUN
1st Place - Morgan Timms, Taos News
Judge’s Comment: Interesting angle on the bull, sharply captures the most exciting part of the show, person falling off has a funny face that’s expressive.
Daily II - Sports Photo
2nd Place - Toby Martinez, Roswell Daily Record
1st Place - Jon Austria, Farmington Daily Times
Judge’s Comment: Great celebration, love seeing the action in the dog pile. Clearly a huge win.
Daily I - Sports Photo
2nd Place - Jim Thompson, Albuquerque Journal
1st Place - Jim Thompson, Albuquerque Journal
Judge’s Comment: Not often you see such a bright smile during an event like hurdling, made even better by the caption notifying us that she won.
___
Weekly I - Feature Photo
2nd Place - Jonathan Miller, El Defensor Chieftain
1st Place - Cayla Nimmo, Gallup Sun
Judge’s Comment: There is great emotion in this photo.
Weekly II - Feature Photo
2nd Place - Morgan Timms, Taos News
1st Place - Morgan Timms, Taos News
Judge’s Comment: Great moment and expression. Good use of shallow depth of field to isolate subject from background.
Daily II - Feature Photo
2nd Place - C.P. Thompson, Silver City Daily Press
1st Place - Tony Bullocks, Eastern New Mexico News
Judge’s Comment: Great emotion from a wacky school scenario.
Daily I - Feature Photo
2nd Place - Roberto Rosales, Albuquerque Journal
1st Place - Luis Sanchez Saturno, Santa Fe New Mexican
Judge’s Comment: A photo you’d only be able to see thanks to the photographer, great framing, love the lighting and having the silhouetted person makes this a fantastic image.
___
Weekly II - Photo Series
2nd Place - Maria Sanchez, Theresa Wesner, Las Vegas Optic
1st Place - Dave Kavanaugh, Las Vegas Optic
Judge’s Comment: These photos tell a great story about the team’s success and the passion of its fans and community.
Weekly I - Photo Series
2nd Place - Gary Herron, Rio Rancho Observer
1st Place - Rick Romancito, Taos News
Judge’s Comment: Nice job capturing the solemn nature of the event, and doing so with a great sense of place.
Daily II - Photo Series
2nd Place - Jon Austria, Farmington Daily Times
1st Place - Tony Bullocks, Eastern New Mexico News
Judge’s Comment: This was well deserving of a first-place win. The photos showed the fear and confusion of the day.
Daily I - Photo Series
2nd Place - Gabriela Campos, Santa Fe New Mexican
1st Place - Roberto Rosales, Albuquerque Journal
Judge’s Comment: No filter is needed for sure for this beautiful essay of Cuba. This photographer not only used Cuba’s beauty as the palette but even in the black and white picture used texture in the scenery.
___
Weekly II - Sports Writing
2nd Place - Boderra Joe, Gallup Sun
1st Place - Jonathan Miller, El Defensor Chieftain
Judge’s Comment: Nice story about a father and a son and sports. Good job!
Weekly I - Sports Writing
2nd Place - Marty Racine, Las Cruces Bulletin
1st Place - John Miller, Taos News
Judge’s Comment: The writer showed an incredible level of storytelling here, transporting the reader into the vehicle when the wreck that begins this story goes down. Great writing.
Daily II - Sports Writing
2nd Place - Peter Stein, Eastern New Mexico News
1st Place - Brienne Green, Artesia Daily Press
Judge’s Comment: This a game story but so much more. It gives the reader a sense of the history and tradition of this storied program and its importance to the community. The top of the piece paints that bigger picture artfully and the writer moves on smoothly to pick up game details without burying the reader in statistics. The story is nicely written throughout and ends with a perfect quote.
Daily I - Sports Writing
2nd Place - Alan Arthur, Gallup Independent
1st Place - Will Webber, Santa Fe New Mexican
Judge’s Comment: Incredible story about recovery. Writer does a great job at hooking the reader early.
___
Weekly II - News Writing
2nd Place - Leota Harriman, The Independent
1st Place - Dianne L Stallings, Ruidoso News
Judge’s Comment: Well-written and balances various viewpoints about what sounds to be an important fixture in the community. Presents a good feel for the priorities of the residents.
Weekly I - News Writing
2nd Place - Austin Fisher, Rio Grande SUN
1st Place - Wheeler Cowperthwaite, Rio Grande SUN
Judge’s Comment: Solid reporting on a long-term concerns about a police officer’s alleged excessive force. Even just looking at this as a stand-alone story, it’s well done.
Daily II - News Writing
2nd Place - Christine Steele, Silver City Daily Press
1st Place - Benjamin Fisher, Jennifer C. Olson, Silver City Daily Press
Judge’s Comment: Good news writing starts with a good story to tell, and then telling it well. “A Hundred million dollar find” in the Silver City Press is exactly that. A woman dies, two antique dealers find this painting on a door of her house, and after research, they realize it is a multi-million dollar work stolen from a university art museum 33 years ago. The story and the writing keeps a reader going as the mystery unravels. The sidebar about the couple who lived in the house leaves you hanging a bit.
Daily I - News Writing
2nd Place - Jeff Tucker and Kelly Farrell, Hobbs News Sun
1st Place - Dana Martinez, Gallup Independent
Judge’s Comment: I kept thinking that there is no way a story about Route 66 should win the news writing category. There were many, many strong entries but this one stood out as a compelling read about an icon of the West.
___
Weekly II - Breaking News
2nd Place - Jason W. Brooks, Las Vegas Optic
1st Place - Dianne L Stallings, Ruidoso News
Judge’s Comment: You cannot make up the headline where a barbecue restaurant named Can’t Stop Smokin’ is engulfed in fire. With colorful quotes and rich details, the concise story is worthy of the first place
Weekly I - Breaking News
2nd Place - Elva Osterreich, Las Cruces Bulletin
1st Place - Clara Garcia, Valencia County News-Bulletin
Judge’s Comment: The story began with a family’s journey through a weekend storm that included rich details and colorful quotes. The story then moved on to include informative information about the fallout of the storm and its impact on the locals, all backed up with detailed descriptions and data. Compassionate, concise and informative, the story is no doubt worthy of the first place.
Daily II - Breaking News
2nd Place - Hannah Grover, Farmington Daily Times
1st Place - Benjamin Fisher, Jennifer C. Olson, Silver City Daily Press
Judge’s Comment: Love it. Fisher and Olson spin two compelling, complementary tales about a missing — and now found — piece of valuable artwork. It could be the start of a screenplay. But don’t change jobs just yet. New Mexico needs you!
Daily I - Breaking News
2nd Place - Sami Edge, Santa Fe New Mexican
1st Place - Katy Barnitz, Elise Kaplan, Albuquerque Journal
Judge’s Comment: Excellent, clear reporting on a complex case with little lead time. Reporter skillfully recounted how new information in the case differed from previous statements, and how investigators uncovered evidence to point in a new direction.
___
Weekly II- Feature Writing
2nd Place - Dianne L Stallings, Ruidoso News
1st Place - Pam Bonner, Ruidoso News
Judge’s Comment: Great story. Good to read story on underrepresented community.
Weekly I - Feature Writing
2nd Place - Clara Garcia, Valencia County News-Bulletin
1st Place - Stephen Montoya, Rio Rancho Observer
Judge’s Comment: Awesome and insightful. Well done.
Daily II - Feature Writing
2nd Place - Adrian Hedden, Carlsbad Current-Argus
1st Place - David Grieder, Eastern New Mexico News
Judge’s Comment: Stands out above all others - reporting on those who are often forgotten. Well written and well resourced feature that is compassionate in its reporting by knowing when to let people speak for themselves without any interference from the reporter. Simply brilliant.
Daily I -Feature Writing
2nd Place - Phaedra Haywood, Santa Fe New Mexican
1st Place - Elayne Lowe, Santa Fe New Mexican
Judge’s Comment: Greater use of voice to put the reader in the ring with Mr. Grant. Focused writing keyed into the man, his struggles and dreams. Impressive storytelling all around. The first entry I read, and it proved to be the bar that other entries couldn’t top.
___
Weekly II - Series or Continuing Coverage
2nd Place - Leota Harriman, The Independent
1st Place - Dianne L Stallings, Ruidoso News
Judge’s Comment: Very visual story. Most reviews of books do not draw me in. This one did. I enjoyed reading it.
Weekly I - Series or Continuing Coverage
2nd Place - Julia Dendinger, Valencia County News-Bulletin
1st Place - Austin Fisher, Rio Grande SUN
Judge’s Comment: A quote at the end of the story speaks volumes: “He is fearful of two things: the Rio Grande SUN and an audit.” This was just one example (of several by the SUN in this category) of journalists sinking their teeth into news and refusing to let go. Good beat reporting and diligence helped unpeel the layers, exposing the possible embezzlement of thousands of dollars. Keep up the good work.
Daily II - Series or Continuing Coverage
2nd Place - Jacqueline Devine, Alamogordo Daily News
1st Place - Staff, Eastern New Mexico News
Judge’s Comment: The lead story in this series is simply the most compelling read of everything I’ve read in this category. The accompanying photo, the terse and well-written story bring home a tragedy in a unique and extremely touching way. The rest of the stories in this continuing coverage are equally compelling
Daily I - Series or Continuing Coverage
2nd Place - Martin Salazar, Albuquerque Journal
1st Place - Elise Kaplan, Matthew Reisen and staff, Albuquerque Journal
Judge’s Comment: I’m giving this first place because the paper stayed on a story that wasn’t easy and it appears to have led to policy changes. There are a bunch of good continued coverages, but I simply liked this one the best.
___
Weekly II - Investigative Reporting
1st Place - Scott Turner, John Larson, El Defensor Chieftain
Judge’s Comment: Nice series on an important issue.
Weekly I - Investigative Reporting
2nd Place - Amanda Martinez, Rio Grande SUN
1st Place - John Miller, Taos News
Judge’s Comment: It’s not every week a weekly newspaper expend the resources to put together such a package. The reporters, photographers and editors used their time well putting together something that serves the community. Good job!
Daily II - Investigative Reporting
2nd Place - Josh Kellogg and Hannah Grover, Farmington Daily Times
1st Place - Christine Steele, Benjamin Fisher, Silver City Daily Press
Judge’s Comment: A local lake run by the state is filled with trash. Not an earth-shaking story, except for the dogged reporting by Christine Steele of Silver City Press. The situation was so bad, including syringes, broken beer bottles, dirty diapers and burnt shipping pallets. Residents united to clean the lake — including state troopers in scuba gear. They were the only state officials who seemed to care. The state had a contract with a private company to clean up the lake. The company was supposed to submit invoices. There were no invoices. Why were there no invoices? Why did the state renew a contract when there was no sign the work was actually being done? At least five state officials refused to talk to Steele about the lake and the contract. Over months, she kept calling, kept submitting records requests, kept pushing. She was doing her job; the state officials weren’t.
Daily I - Investigative Reporting
2nd Place - Thom Cole, Santa Fe New Mexican
1st Place - Ed Williams, Searchlight New Mexico
Judge’s Comment: This piece more than the others really took upon itself the call to “investigate” an issue in your state. And what an important issue. This is really good, solid work.
___
Weekly II- Design and Typography
2nd Place - Leota Harriman, The Independent
1st Place - Scott Turner, El Defensor Chieftain
Judge’s Comment: Excellent design, typography and use of color without overdoing it. Good job!
Weekly I - Design and Typography
2nd Place - Taos News staff, The Taos News
1st Place - Staff, Las Cruces Bulletin
Judge’s Comment: Clean, crisp design, up to date typography, excellent reproduction. Nice job!
Daily II - Design and Typography
2nd Place - Staff, Eastern New Mexico News
1st Place - Staff, Alamogordo Daily News
Judge’s Comment: Great color photo reproduction, uneven b&w, but clean design, attractive typography and strong layout make this newspaper a winner.
Daily I- Design and Typography
2nd Place - Staff, Santa Fe New Mexican
1st Place - Staff, Albuquerque Journal
Judge’s Comment: Wonderful design, excellent typography, superior photo reproduction and use of color! The Journal’s approach even to section heds is clearly “the news comes first.” Wow!
___
Weekly II - Best Sports Coverage
2nd Place - Ger Demarest, The Independent
1st Place - Dave Kavanaugh, Las Vegas Optic
Judge’s Comment: Good mix. Nice photos. Clean layout.
Weekly I - Best Sports Coverage
2nd Place - Gary Herron, Rio Rancho Observer
1st Place - Valencia County News-Bulletin
Daily II - Best Sports Coverage
2nd Place - Brienne Green, Artesia Daily Press
1st Place - Staff, Eastern New Mexico News
Judge’s Comment: A nice mix on the type and presentation of stories. Good layout.
Daily I - Best Sports Coverage
2nd Place - Jason Groves, Mark Rudi, Las Cruces Sun-News
1st Place - James Barron, Santa Fe New Mexican
Judge’s Comment: Very good stories, great boxing photo. Presentation is strong and clean. Solid writing.
___
Weekly II - Best News Coverage
2nd Place - Jason W. Brooks, Las Vegas Optic
1st Place - Scott Turner, John Larson, El Defensor Chieftain
Judge’s Comment: I’m a sucker for a good front page and both examples provided do a good job of drawing the reader in. The information inside seems to be a wide selection that would of interest to large number of readers.
Weekly I - Best News Coverage
2nd Place - Staff, Valencia County News-Bulletin
1st Place - Jennifer Garcia, Rio Grande SUN
Judge’s Comment: This is a newspaper that clearly understands its role in the community and goes about doing it without blinking. The stories are relevant, reported well and sharply written. Truly a credit to its community.
Daily II - Best News Coverage
2nd Place - Staff, Eastern New Mexico News
1st Place - The Staff of the Farmington Daily Times, Farmington Daily Times
Judge’s Comment: Big pictures, good variety of stories and quality layout catches the eye.
Daily I - Best News Coverage
2nd Place - News Staff, Albuquerque Journal
1st Place - Las Cruces Sun-News staff, Las Cruces Sun-News
Judge’s Comment: The paper did a good job covering multiple angles of a single story. The overall layout was easiest to read.
___
Weekly - Public Service
1st Place - The Taos News Editorial Team, The Taos News
Judge’s Comment: Comprehensive. Across multiple media to engage the widest range of voters. Encourages citizens to vote first, then shares paper’s recommendations. Election results were easily accessible on front page via pictures under name plate and then summary of results in a scannable box at the bottom.
Daily - Public Service
1st Place - Elise Kaplan, Matthew Reisen and staff, Albuquerque Journal
Judge’s Comment: The little girl’s story at the center of this story is heartbreaking. Kudos to the reporters for pulling all of the threads and affecting change. It would have been easy to write about the criminal proceedings and leave it at that. But this series gave a voice to the voiceless and hopefully will prevent another child from going through the same ordeal. Bravo.
___
Weekly - Sunshine Award
1st Place - Amanda Martinez, Rio Grande SUN
Daily - Sunshine Award
2nd Place - Geoff Grammer, Jessica Dyer, Albuquerque Journal
1st Place - Hannah Grover, Farmington Daily Times
Judge’s Comment: Well done. Good to shine a light on Open Meetings Act violations.
___
Weekly II - General Excellence
1st Place - Staff, El Defensor Chieftain
Weekly I - General Excellence
1st Place - Taos News staff, Taos News
Daily II - General Excellence
1st Place - Farmington Daily Times Staff, Farmington Daily Times
Daily I - General Excellence
1st Place - Staff, Santa Fe New Mexican
___
Compiled by the New Mexico Press Association.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.