Staff with and contributors to the Sequim Gazette took home some hardware — virtually — from the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association’s 2020 Better Newspaper Contest, with awards announced at an online ceremony on Oct. 9.
The Gazette staffers were among those honored as professionals recognized top industry work at Washington non-daily and small daily newspapers at the association’s annual convention, held online Oct. 8-10 in lieu of WNPA’s traditional, in-person annual convention.
The Sequim Gazette, a Sound Publishing newspaper, is in Group 2 among WNPA’s four circulation groups.
Some of Group 2 includes the Methow Valley News, Anacortes American, Chinook Observer (Long Beach), Daily Record (Ellensburg), Sunnyside Sun, Skamania County Pioneer, and Statesman Examiner (Colville) newspapers.
Contest
The contest considered writing, design, photography, advertising and web content from newspapers statewide between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2020, and special sections between June 1, 2019 and May 31, 2020.
The New York Press Association judged this year’s WNPA contest, with submissions totaling 887 news pieces, 247 photos, 133 advertisements, 93 special sections and 20 digital/web submissions from 51 participating newspapers.
Advertising-Ad design
Harmony Liebert, Raquee Rivera
• Second place, Color Advertisement-Smaller Than Half Page (“Sequim Food Bank”)
Special Sections
Shawna Dixon/Laura Foster
• Second place, Lifestyle/Culture Sections (“Tribes Today,” “Living on the Peninsula, Fall 2019”)
Writing
Conor Dowley
• First place, Crime/Courts Story (“Sequim man with Down syndrome arrested,” Dec. 4, 2019)
• Third place, Business Feature Story (“Tsunami bats crafting excellence,” May 15, 2019)
• Third place, Personality Profile-Long (“Budke took a long road to running Boys & Girls Clubs,” Jan. 1 2020)
Matthew Nash
• Second place, Personality Profile-Short (“Sequim acrobat seeks Miss Washington Junior Pre-Teen title,” (Aug. 28, 2019)
• Second place, News of the weird (“Sequim woman finds ‘Price is Right’ twice” (July 24, 2019)
• Third place, Business News Story (“Businesses take sides on MAT clinic discussion,” Sept. 18, 2019)
• Third place, Social Issues Story, (“A mother and grandmother’s love,” April 24, 2019)
Michael Dashiell
• First place, Election Story (“Fire District 3 candidates talk call load, staff funding,” Oct. 30, 2020)
• First place, Sports News Story (“Wolves race to state 2A championship,” May 29, 2019)
• Second place, Sports Personality (“In it for the long run,” Oct. 16, 2019)
• Third place, Sportswriter of the Year
• Third place, Government Story (“Citizens seek answer from board, extension of Neal’s contract,” April 24, 2019)
Photography
Bob Lampert (contributor)
• Second place, Color Scenic Photo (“Ear today …” Oct. 23, 2019)
Matthew Nash
• Second place, B/W Feature/Portrait/Pictorial Photo (“Rooster rides in style,” Aug. 7, 2019)
• Second place, Color Sports Action Photo (“See you next fall,” Aug. 21, 2019)
Michael Dashiell
• Second place, Color Feature Photo (“School spirit on parade,” May 15, 2019)
• Third place, Color Scenic Photo (“Creek seeks a name,” Dec. 4, 2019)
Design, web content
Michael Dashiell
• First place, Front Page Design (“Sequim Shuts Down,” March 18, 2020).
Awards also were given to several other Sound Publishing newspapers, including the Bainbridge Island Review and North Kitsap Herald.
