ORANGE BEACH − The Montgomery Advertiser has won 14 awards from the Alabama Press Association for its 2023 news coverage, including best spot news story and best spot news photograph.
The APA Media Awards drew 1,770 entries from 56 publications across the state and was judged by members of the Hoosier State Press Association in Indiana. The Advertiser competed in a category that included Alabama's largest media outlets.
The paper's coverage of a mass shooting at a teen's birthday party and the tragedy's continuing impact on the community won three awards. Judges praised the approach to "a tough, heartbreaking story."
Montgomery Advertiser APA Media Awards
- Best spot news story, “Dadeville shooting” by Alex Gladden and Marty Roney
- Best spot news story, second place for “The execution of James Barber” by Marty Roney
- Best news feature story, “Loss of ferry leaves town isolated” by Hadley Hitson
- Best news feature story, second place for “Dadeville shooting and aftermath” by staff
- Best photo essay, “Packers Bend” by Jake Crandall
- Best spot news photo for “Bloody sidewalk” by Jake Crandall
- Best spot news photo, second place for “Selma survivor” by Mickey Welsh
- Best sports photo, second place for “Softball slide” by Mickey Welsh
- Best in-depth news coverage, third place for “Aging and caregiving in Alabama” by Hadley Hitson
- Best feature photo, second place for “Apache flyover” by Jake Crandall
- Best feature photo, third place for “Graduation wave” by Jake Crandall
- Best news photo, second place for “Ferry family” by Jake Crandall
- Best news photo, third place for “Drag march” by Mickey Welsh
- First Amendment Award, second place for “LGBTQ library book ban” by Hadley Hitson
The Advertiser's sister paper, the Tuscaloosa News, also won 14 awards including overall photo of the year by Gary Cosby Jr.
Cosby's winning photo features the University of Alabama's women's wheelchair team celebrating a championship last March. Judges praised the emotion captured by the image. "You can feel the joy and pride in these girls," judges said.
Cosby also won individual awards for best news photo, best features photo and best sports photo, as well as two other awards for column writing.
Tuscaloosa News APA Media Awards
- Photo of the year, “UA adapted athletics championship” by Gary Cosby Jr.
- Best feature photo, “Tuscaloosa gauntlet” by Gary Cosby Jr.
- Best news photo, “Alice Marie Johnson celebrates freedom” by Gary Cosby Jr.
- Best sports photo, “UA adapted athletics championship” by Gary Cosby Jr.
- Best sports photo, third place “Terrion Arnold pass breakup” by Gary Cosby Jr.
- Best sports in-depth story, second place for “Darius Miles shooting investigation” by Nick Kelly
- Best sports single event story, second place for “Inside fourth and 31” by Nick Kelly
- Best local sports column, second place for “Wrong answer for Nate Oats” by Chase Goodbread
- Best business story, third place “UA baseball softball tournaments bring in more than $2M” by Ken Roberts
- Best feature story, third place “Did Taylor Swift attend a prom in Tuscaloosa? You bet” by Jasmine Hollie
- Best humorous column, third place “How squirrels thrive on UA campus” by Gary Cosby Jr.
- Best editorial column or commentary, second place “Opinion columns” by Gary Cosby Jr.
- Best spot news photo, third place “Hale County tornado damage” by Gary Cosby Jr.
- Best headline, second place “Why will the Tuscaloosa Chick-fil-A cross the road? To get to the other side” by Ken Roberts
The awards were presented Saturday during the APA's summer convention in Orange Beach.
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