2022 award winners

Newspapers with an assessed weekly circulation of less than 75,000.

ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT REPORTING

First place: David Wilcox, The (Auburn) Citizen, "The Saddest Thing': Beloved Auburn Musician Dies After COVID-19 Diagnosis"

Judges’ comments: A touching, in-depth tribute to musician Richard "Dick" Howard. The intimate details provided by family, through photos and video against the utter blind spot from how Mr. Howard died (suddenly, alone and away from loved ones, in a nursing home, from COVID) is striking. Readers were drawn in and deeply touched. Well done.

BUSINESS WRITING

First place: Chris McKenna, The (Middletown) Times Herald-Record, "From Prison to Pot Hub: How Warwick Turned a Closed prison into a Business Campus"

Judges’ comments: A very comprehensive look at a 19th Century correctional facility's transformation to a hub of small business (craft beers, etc.) and youth sports/weddings/corporate retreats. Weaving in statistics of inmate population trends made for an interesting context. Visuals were also excellent. Great job.

Second place: David Winzelberg, Long Island Business News, "Opt-out Fallout"

Judges’ comments: This was a numbers-driven look at the frontline reception after legalization of cannabis. The piece was comprehensive, looking to other states, union reps, statistics, and business owners to reconcile the dream of jobs with the reality of communities that choose to opt out of these establishments in their own back yards. It's a look into an industry that readers likely don't often get. Great job.

COLUMN

First place: Jeremy Boyer, The (Auburn) Citizen

Judges’ comments: The writer is a man of feelings and one who knows the emotions of others. One column presented his strongest feelings and admiration for a boss he admired and was admired by others. A second column noted his reaction to the 9/11 and why current people today should be aware of what people are thinking of it. His comment in the third column is worthy noting and touches a touchy subject—the need of public figures to withhold public information. While not everyone would agree with him, his columns are written well and easily understood.

Second place: Michael Turton, The Highlands Current

Judges’ comments: The column is funny, full of unusual wisdom, and a good laugh or two—or three. Clearly, the columns are fun and get your attention. Truly enjoyed them, and even learned a few things. Under the humor some interesting information was presented about the council and even about art.

DIGITAL PRESENCE

First place: The (Auburn) Citizen

EDITORIAL WRITING

First place: Mark Mahoney, The Daily Gazette, "Speaking for the little people -- editorials that watch out for everyday New Yorkers"

Judges’ comments: While promoting yourself as speaking for the little people, you are writing for both little people and not-so-little. Editorials are covering worthwhile topics, are well written and easily understood. Commendations for more reaching of a wide variety of people and in a way that your opinions are clearly understood. Points are well researched and opinions presented well. Good work.

Second place: Todd R. McAdam, Cortland Standard, "COVID"

Judges’ comments: Wow! Three editorials that make sense, have points made, and leave suggestions of things to be done. Editorials of this type are not being written as they once were. You did it and are to be commended for it.

ENTERPRISE REPORTING

First place: Chris Potter, The (Hornell) Evening Tribune, "NY County Grapples with Hidden Costs of Animal Abuse"

Judges’ comments: An original topic. Good visuals and a good angle.

Second place: John Cropley, Shenandoah Briere and Ashley Onyon, The Daily Gazette, "When Waters Raged -- 10 Years Later, Remembering the Devastation of Irene and Lee"

Judges’ comments: Compelling graphics made this entry stand above all but one.

FEATURE OR SPORTS FULL PAGE DESIGN

First place: John Thorpe, The Daily Gazette, "Two Decades On -- America's Collective Grief Lingers on Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks"

Second place: Justin Ritzel and Brandon Neasman, The (Auburn) Citizen, "All-stars"

FEATURE PHOTO

First place: Valerie Puma, Cortland Standard, "Good Clean Fun in Moravia"

Judges’ comments: Very good catching of the moment, angle, etc.

Second place: Ross Corsair, The Highlands Current, "Watch Out!"

Judges’ comments: Nice moment in time of a small child.

FEATURE STORY

First place: Katelyn Cordero, Poughkeepsie Journal, "Kendra and Diamond"

Judges’ comments: A very touching story that gave remarkable insight into some of the difficulties people face today- with or without a pandemic.

Second place: Jeff Murray, (Elmira) Star-Gazette, "Elmira Woman Who Died of COVID was Secret Millionaire"

Judges’ comments: The background information and people interviewed really flesh out the story of this unassuming, but remarkable, woman.

HEADLINE WRITING

First place: Michael Turton, The Highlands Current, "The Long and Winding Code"

Judges’ comments: Very nicely done with a clear reference to a generationally popular song as well as fitting the story to a T.

Second place: David Wilcox, The (Auburn) Citizen, "Tensions High at Skaneateles Meeting on Marijuana"

Judges’ comments: This is a good.

INVESTIGATIVE + WATCHDOG REPORTING

First place: Kelly Rocheleau, The (Auburn) Citizen, "Cayuga Sheriff's Lieutenant Claims AG Investigated District Attorney; DA Calls it 'Dirty Politics'"

LIVE SPORTS COVERAGE

First place: The Daily Gazette, "Brown Era Comes to a Close"

Judges’ comments: Nice job tracking down multiple former players and local contacts to include in coaching story. Good reporting.

Second place: The (Auburn) Citizen, "Covering Two Championships at Same Time"

Judges’ comments: Great hustle by writer/photographer Justin Ritzel to cover two sectional title games on the same day. The bonus was contacting a softball head coach by phone while she within hours of giving birth.

NEWSPAPER OF DISTINCTION

First place: The (Auburn) Citizen

Judges’ comments: An engaging, fulfilling editorial page: editorial, cartoon, letters, columns! Good story mix, in-depth and essential; features, sports, personalities all included. Very good photography. Excellent local staff reporting/writing.

Second place: The Highlands Current

Judges’ comments: Exceptional writing, good photos, lots of letters, interesting features, modest classifieds, well-presented legal notices, comprehensive stories with depth and multiple sourcing, nice sports section. The newspaper projects its community interests and intensity, from criminals, to food recipes, to art, to government decisions affecting readers: it's all there. Fresh, open layout, too!

PHOTO STORY OR ONLINE GALLERY

First place: Kevin Rivoli, The (Auburn) Citizen, "Cayuga County Begins Vaccine Clinics for Children"

Judges’ comments: As a group of photos, it showed what the story was a about.

Second place: Patrick Oehler, Poughkeepsie Journal, "Learning Curve"

PODCAST

First place: Robert Harding, The (Auburn) Citizen, "Covering COVID"

PUBLIC SERVICE

First place: Robert Harding, The (Auburn) Citizen, "COVID-19 Coverage"

Judges’ comments: Very in-depth coverage. He laid out the facts on the topic which seems to attract much misinformation.

Second place: Gregory Bacon, (Dunkirk) Observer, "Good, Bad and Ugly of Recycling"

Judges’ comments: Good coverage, explaining some of the things consumers could not be aware of.

SPORTS COLUMN

First place: Mike MacAdam, The Daily Gazette

Judges’ comments: Powerful and lively column writing, leaving the readers emotionally connected to the subject content. Nice work with the U Albany women's coach and the first-person road race. Well done.

Second place: Justin Ritzel, The (Auburn) Citizen

Judges’ comments: Terrific writing and reporting on the Moravia announcer Cal Morehouse. Good take on the HS football games.

SPORTS PHOTO

First place: Skip Pearlman, The Highlands Current, "Out at Third"

Judges’ comments: Nice capturing of the action.

Second place: Kevin Rivoli, The (Auburn) Citizen, "Halftime Speech"

SPORTS STORY

First place: Andrew Legare, (Elmira) Star-Gazette, "How Ernie Davis' Best Friend Spread the 'Express' Legend"

Judges’ comments: Powerful feature story on the relationship between Ernie Davis and his best friend. Really well done, and tugs at one's emotions. The visuals really complement this storytelling so well. Five stars!

Second place: Justin Ritzel, The (Auburn) Citizen, "Silver Season: Auburn Football Coach Moskov Looks Back on Career Ahead of Year 25"

Judges’ comments: Justin Ritzel's descriptive writing makes this story on a longtime football coach a winner. The writer does a nice job tracing the Auburn coach's career to the start and then folding it in with the 25th year.

SPOT NEWS PHOTO

First place: Todd R. McAdam, Cortland Standard, "Fire Strikes in Cortland"

Judges’ comments: Well composed.

SPOT NEWS COVERAGE

First place: Gregory Bacon, (Dunkirk) Observer, "North County Man Behind Bars for Sexual Assault of Children"

Judges’ comments: A good, solid reporting of a breaking news press conference. This article hit all the bases.

Second place: Chip Rowe, Leonard Sparks and Michael Turton, The Highlands Current, "Fall of Afghanistan"

Judges’ comments: This was great reporting. Good stuff.

VIDEO

First place: Kevin Rivoli, The (Auburn) Citizen, "Bill Moore Returns Home"

Judges’ comments: VERY good snippet of a person's life affected by covid, and well produced via the mixing of video, stills, music and narrative overlay.

Newspapers with an assessed weekly circulation of 75,000 to 249,999.

ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT REPORTING

First place: Chris Baker, The (Syracuse) Post-Standard, "A Police Escort, 2 Private Jets and a Last-minute Miracle: Inside the Mad Dash to Get the Foo Fighters to Syracuse"

Judges’ comments: Such a brilliant story! The insight and the quotes were perfect.

Second place: Robin Caudell, (Plattsburgh) Press-Republican, "Starstruck"

Judges’ comments: It was a great interview that drew terrific background information. Well done.

BUSINESS WRITING

First place: Rick Moriarty, The (Syracuse) Post-Standard, "What's the Destiny of Syracuse's Mega-mall?"

Judges’ comments: A tremendous amount of research went in to making this the first-place choice. Very good explanation of what happens when a business this size is so far in debt.

Second place: Chris Potter, (Binghamton) Press & Sun-Bulletin, "How Endicott's Industrial Past impacts its Economic Future"

Judges’ comments: Well written entry that does a great job explaining opposing viewpoints as well as the impact of this property on the entire community.

COLUMN

First place: David Wilson, The (White Plains) Journal News

Judges’ comments: All three pieces make you appreciate the financial commitment to local news coverage being made by the White Plains Journal News.

Second place: David Haas, The (Syracuse) Post-Standard, "Beyond the Front Door"

Judges’ comments: The china in the basement -- great depth on the history of the community. The writing was good and hope the column continues to develop.

DIGITAL PRESENCE

First place: The (Syracuse) Post-Standard, "Syracuse.com"

Judges’ comments: Read a lot of newspapers, and this entry was on a par with the best seen.

DIGITAL STORYTELLING

First place: Douglass Dowty, N. Scott Trimble and Lauren Long, The (Syracuse) Post-Standard, "Police Lies, A Botched Investigation and a Homicide Confession: 'I'm going to jail for something I didn't do'"

Judges’ comments: This was an excellent use of digital tools to tell a more complete story than you'd have been able to read in the newspaper or watch on TV.

EDITORIAL WRITING

First place: Marie Morelli, The (Syracuse) Post-Standard

ENTERPRISE REPORTING

First place: Asher Stockler, Diana Dombrowski and Lana Belamy, The (White Plains) Journal News, "Gangs Next Door"

Judges’ comments: This is an outstanding series. The statistics, personal stories, proposed solutions and excellent graphics combined to make this an obvious first choice. This is the kind of enterprising story good reporters wish they had time to do. Kudos to management for giving their staff the time to produce this.

Second place: James T. Mulder and Michelle Breidenbach, The (Syracuse) Post-Standard, "Horrors at Syracuse's Worst Nursing Home"

Judges’ comments: Good, thorough reporting on a disturbing story. The residents' stories- and those of their relatives- give real texture to the bare facts.

FEATURE PHOTO

First place: Frank Becerra Jr., The (White Plains) Journal News, "Solar Eclipse"

Judges’ comments: The photo was well composed and properly exposed with detail.

Second place: Scott Schild, The (Syracuse) Post-Standard, "Vaccine Mandate"

Judges’ comments: Nice attempt at documenting the other side of the vaccine question.

FEATURE OR SPORTS FULL PAGE DESIGN

First place: Ben Rowe, (Plattsburgh) Press-Republican, "COVID in the North Country"

FEATURE STORY

First place: Emily Barnes, (Binghamton) Press & Sun-Bulletin, "Mother Shares Her Veteran Son's Story"

Judges’ comments: Best written story of a very impressive field of entries. Good art also helps make this the top pick.

Second place: Teri Weaver, The (Syracuse) Post-Standard, "The Life-saving Race to Put Shots in Arms"

Judges’ comments: A good story, well told.

HEADLINE WRITING

First place: Michelle Breidenbach and Tim Knauss, The (Syracuse) Post-Standard, "Stimulus Fattens Some CNY Restaurants While Others Go Hungry"

INVESTIGATIVE + WATCHDOG REPORTING

First place: Douglas Dowty, The (Syracuse) Post-Standard, "Police Lies, A Botched Investigation and a Homicide Confession"

Judges’ comments: This was a good, investigative piece that examined each aspect of the case and found the flaws of the investigation. From the interviews with the district attorney, to the other case, involving Jeffrey Deskovic, the reporter really did his research. The final product shows the reader how flawed the system can be — and how easy it is for a person to go to jail for something they didn't do, when police are in a hurry to find the "bad guy.".

Second place: Tim Knauss, The (Syracuse) Post-Standard, "The Real Covid Death Toll at Nursing Homes; the Staggering Heartache in NY"

Judges’ comments: We all heard the numbers of COVID-related deaths occurring in New York nursing homes during the beginning of the pandemic, but apparently, we really had no idea how bad it was. The reporter did an outstanding job of reporting on the facts, but also in putting a face on some of the COVID deaths that occurred in the nursing home setting. Not only did he help us understand what the families went through, but he also exposed the severely undercounted demographic — something former governor Cuomo was apparently trying to hide.

PHOTO STORY OR ONLINE GALLERY

First place: Frank Becerra Jr., The (White Plains) Journal News, "Danbury Mall Shooting"

Judges’ comments: Capturing the details of a chaotic scene is done well with this entry using both stills and video capture.

Second place: Dennis Nett, The (Syracuse) Post-Standard, "More Than a Game"

Judges’ comments: Excellent story backed up with fine photography.

PUBLIC SERVICE

First place: (Plattsburgh) Press-Republican, "The Border on Lockdown: Coverage of the Canadian Border Restrictions"

Judges’ comments: This is excellent coverage! Unless you live near the Canadian border, Americans probably didn't think much about the border closing during the beginning stages of the COVID pandemic. McKenzie DeLisle's coverage shows us just how impactful closing the border was on some U.S. businesses. This series was very well done in illustrating the struggles of those businesses.

Second place: Marnie Eisenstadt, The (Syracuse) Post-Standard, "Cops Fail Tenants on Illegal Evictions"

Judges’ comments: Great coverage! This report was interesting and informative, while serving as a public service announcement. The reporter really dug in to get at the heart of the issue.

NEWSPAPER OF DISTINCTION

First place: The (Syracuse) Post-Standard

Judges’ comments: Outstanding local reporting, layout/visual presentation, photos and advertising, from retail to institutional during this pandemic year!

SPORTS COLUMN

First place: Brent Axe, The (Syracuse) Post-Standard

Judges’ comments: Strongly written and well-reported columns on Syracuse lacrosse and women's basketball. Good work.

Second place: (Binghamton) Press & Sun-Bulletin, Kevin Stevens

Judges’ comments: Kevin does a good job describing the oddities of a pandemic that moved high school football to snowed-out fields and a golf tournament with restricted spectator counts. Nice job.

SPORTS PHOTO

First place: Dennis Nett, The (Syracuse) Post-Standard, "Eye on the Prize"

Judges’ comments: Great sports image, capturing the moment. Sharp, good exposure. You can feel his pain.

Second place: Scott Schild, The (Syracuse) Post-Standard, "Future Prospect"

Judges’ comments: A departure from standard action photos. Great expression on the young boy's face. Captures his interest in the game.

SPORTS STORY

First place: Nate Mink, The (Syracuse) Post-Standard, "Each Day is a Gift"

Judges’ comments: Nate Mink's touching story on former Syracuse football player Jim DaRin is very well done. An emotional feature story on a guy who lost his athletic career in an industrial accident, but now clings to life the way that all of us should. Nate did a great job of getting the details and getting out of the way to let the story tell the story in a very strong way. Nice job also in getting the old photos to help complement the writing.

Second place: Chris Carlson, The (Syracuse) Post-Standard, "Middle-school Rookies Take a Chance on Baseball, and Learn More"

Judges’ comments: Nice story on the connections between the coaches and players on a middle school baseball team, and a season in which these kids are learning about a game and learning about life at the same time. Really nice writing and reporting and descriptions.

SPOT NEWS COVERAGE

First place: Douglas Dowty, Patrick Lohmann and Chris Libonati, The (Syracuse) Post-Standard, "A Brutal Death in a Celebrity's Apartment Building"

Judges’ comments: Way to go! Though tragic because of the murder that occurred, what a way to get a scoop. This is what journalism is all about: Following the leads. You never know what you'll discover when you listen to people. Great job!

Second place: Cara Chapman, (Plattsburgh) Press-Republican, "Owens Trump set Table for Unrest"

Judges’ comments: Good job in overall reporting. This is definitely an incident that's divided politicians and the general public.

SPOT NEWS PHOTO

First place: Peter Carr, The (White Plains) Journal News, "Legacy of Valor"

Judges’ comments: The reality of losing a fellow firefighter and its emotional impact is delivered in this image and related story.

Second place: Katrina Tulloch, The (Syracuse) Post-Standard, "Overturned Conviction"

Judges’ comments: Excellent image capturing emotions between father and son.

VIDEO

First place: Katrina Tulloch, The (Syracuse) Post-Standard, "How Anthony Broadwater Spent 40 Years Wrongly Convicted of Raping Alice Sebold"

Judges’ comments: The marriage of current video with historical stills created a solid then to now piece. Good job.

Second place: Seth Harrison, The (White Plains) Journal News, "Yonkers Woman has Seen Two Brothers Murdered in the City"

Judges’ comments: Having the subject tell most of the story was refreshing with intermix of B-roll.

Newspapers with an assessed weekly circulation of 250,000 to 999,999.

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT REPORTING

First place: C.J. Lais, (Albany) Times Union, "Past, Present and Future all Part of a Locally Booming Film Output”

Judges’ comments: Nice article on local film production and a bit of history mixed in with reports from a current series being filmed in the city of Troy. Lots to like: the historical details and pertinent descriptions of current show production, heat issues and costumes, locals involved in filming and how these have improved some aspects of the city with renovations for filming.

BUSINESS WRITING

First place: Jonathan Epstein, The Buffalo News, "The Booming Housing Market, and How it has Unnerved Buyers and Reshaped Habits"

Judges’ comments: Jonathan D. Epstein takes readers on a guided tour of Buffalo’s booming housing market, explaining in clear, readable prose the forces driving it. The numbers are all here, as one might expect, but so are the people affected by them: the buyers and would-be buyers; the brokers and agents, and the remodelers and builders. Their perspectives inform and elevate the series. You can practically feel the pain and smell the sawdust.

Second place: David Robinson, The Buffalo News, "Buffalo Niagara Economy During the Pandemic and How it has Affected Workers, Wages and Businesses"

Judges’ comments: David Robinson performs a great public service by tearing apart the complex factors behind the Buffalo Niagara region’s slow economic recovery from the pandemic, and the preexisting conditions that have contributed to it. Thoroughly reported and straightforwardly written, the series takes a tough topic and renders it user-friendly. The economy explained; no mean feat.

COLUMN

First place: Rod Watson, The Buffalo News, "Racism, Literature, Gender and Comfort Zones"

Judges’ comments: As an urban affairs columnist focusing on issues affecting people of color and the disadvantaged, Rod Watson escorts rather than shoves readers out of their comfort zones. He does it so assuredly it’s easy to miss just how dazzling a high-wire act this is. Provocative without being preachy, illuminating without becoming pedantic, he doesn’t hesitate to call people out for all manner of biases, himself included. For all that, Watson’s writing is a pleasure to read as he goes about his business, building case after even-handed case. Strong evidence indeed that comfort zones are overrated.

Second place: Sean Kirst, The Buffalo News, "In a World Crowded with Invective, Calmly Illuminating the Humanity of Others"

Judges’ comments: Sean Kirst writes with insight and heart about folks we don’t often hear about: sons honoring their father, an early victim of COVID, with a road trip revisiting his passions; a young man overwhelmed by pandemic struggles who receives a life-changing break from an anonymous source; a Black lawyer in Buffalo for whom the violent Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol echoes that of another mob a century ago in Tulsa, from which his family narrowly escaped with their lives. All are richly detailed portraits of ordinary people ennobled by extraordinary circumstances.

DIGITAL PRESENCE

First place: (Albany) Times Union

EDITORIAL WRITING

First place: Jay Jochnowitz, (Albany) Times Union

Judges’ comments: Two excellent editorials, one on Rep. Elise Stefanik's support for Donald Trump stolen election lying, the other on the moral failure of the Catholic Diocese of Albany to restore the pensions of former hospital employees.

Second place: Akum Norder, (Albany) Times Union

Judges’ comments: A solid and understandable editorial favoring an initiative by the Albany County Land Bank to help low income residents purchase homes.

ENTERPRISE REPORTING

First place: Kyle Lawson, Staten Island Advance, "Gangs of Staten Island"

Judges’ comments: Excellent, excellent, excellent. This series on the new gang landscape on Staten Island is so thorough, detailed, and important. Each "chapter" had a clear focus and brought readers through the complex and challenging web of gang violence. Throughout, it always felt local. Great use of images too. Amazing work.

Second place: Matt Spina, The Buffalo News, "Misuse of Law Enforcement Power has Uncovered the Limits of Police Agencies to Hold Their Own Accountable"

Judges’ comments: This series from Matt Spina series demonstrates all the elements of breakthrough journalism. Persistence, depth, detail, context, and impact. This series effectively unearthed a wide-spread corruption and disfunction in the county's correction and police operations.

FEATURE OR SPORTS FULL PAGE DESIGN

First place: The Buffalo News, "Breakthrough Season"

Second place: The Buffalo News, "Gusto Guide to Summer"

FEATURE PHOTO

First place: Lori Van Buren, (Albany) Times Union, "Hummingbird"

Judges’ comments: Wonderful image. Short offers a beautiful contrast. Very lovely.

Second place: Paul Buckowski, (Albany) Times Union, "Cow Wash"

Judges’ comments: Who wouldn't smile after viewing this image. Should we all be so lucky to feel such joy. Great image.

FEATURE STORY

First place: Claire Regan, Staten Island Advance, “Richard Prideaux, a 1960s Force for Racial Equality on Staten Island, Dies”

Judges’ comments: Wonderful job telling the legacy this fine man left behind!

Second place: Leigh Hornbeck, (Albany) Times Union, "Troy Boudoir Photographer Aims for Self-empowerment"

Judges’ comments: Great story and visuals.

HEADLINE WRITING

First place: Tim Blydenburgh, (Albany) Times Union, "A Message in No Bottles"

Judges’ comments: This headline was perfect for this article's topic; great job.

Second place: Gregory Dayton, (Albany) Times Union, "Blend of the Day: Incognito Grande"

Judges’ comments: Loved this short, straight to the point, headline - which also reflects the story very well.

INVESTIGATIVE + WATCHDOG REPORTING

First place: The Buffalo News, "Buffalo's Mayoral Election: a Four-term Incumbent Loses to – then Beats – a Democratic Socialist"

Second place: Kyle Lawson, Staten Island Advance, "Gangs of Staten Island"

LIVE SPORTS COVERAGE

First place: Mike Harrington and Lance Lysowski, The Buffalo News, "Sabres Star Jack Eichel Traded to Vegas"

Judges’ comments: Great job on a big hockey story in Buffalo: the move of Jack Eichel to Vegas after months, and years, of heartache and frustration and for awhile, good times. Nice touch on the column, sidebar on the incoming Sabres and categorized highlights of Eichel's time in Buffalo. Together, the reporting resulted in good details.

Second place: The Buffalo News, "AFC Championship Game, Bills vs Chiefs"

Judges’ comments: Nicely coordinated package on the Bills' AFC title game drama in Kansas City. All the pieces were there. Really enjoyed Maki Becker's piece on the Bills' early morning arrival at the airport. The story did a great job describing the arrival and emotions of Bills fans.

NEWS FULL PAGE DESIGN

First place: Terry Lew, The Buffalo News

Judges’ comments: Good juxtaposition of the disgraced governor walking off the stage — sometimes you have to break the rules — and his successor offering a new era for New York. Page 1 design as big as the day’s news.

Second place: Gregory Dayton, (Albany) Times Union

Judges’ comments: Big news. Big photo. Go big on the page. The headline is evocative. The photo stretching across Page 1 supplies the drama.

NEWSPAPER OF DISTINCTION

First place: (Albany) Times Union

Judges’ comments: A grand newspaper at home in the New York capital. In-depth stories focus on relevant issues; the depth is astounding! Strong editorial/perspective pages—editorials with leadership qualities! Graphically appealing throughout. Amazing advertising support considering the pandemic climate!

PHOTO STORY OR ONLINE GALLERY

First place: (Albany) Times Union, “Protestors Removed”

Judges’ comments: Good variety of subject matter.

Second place: Will Waldron, (Albany) Times Union, "Solar Eclipse"

Judges’ comments: Nice photos and liked the shot of the rear of the camera.

PODCAST

First place: Jessica Marshall, (Albany) Times Union, "The Eagle"

PUBLIC SERVICE

First place: Giavanni Alves and Jason Paderon, Staten Island Advance, "Subsidized Housing Crisis"

Judges’ comments: A great effort. Both reporting and photography were outstanding.

Second place: Kristin Dalton, Staten Island Advance, "The COVID Vaccine"

Judges’ comments: A great effort. Both reporting and photography were outstanding.

SPORTS COLUMN

First place: Sean Kirst, The Buffalo News

Judges’ comments: Sean Kurst's writes about people. His columns transcend sports. The people Kurst write about with empathy and skill can be found not on the field, the rink, or the diamond, but at the intersection of sports and everyday life. That is his sweet spot: sports and jubilation; sports and loss, sports and the human heart.

Second place: Joyce Bassett, (Albany) Times Union

Judges’ comments: Joyce Bassett uses her platform to write about inclusion, or the lack thereof: the shoddy coverage the Golf Channel gives female players, and a women’s collegiate soccer team’s support of the LGBTQ community after the suicide of its goalie’s sister is linked to conversion therapy by the Catholic Church. Bassett deserves recognition not because she’s a rarity, but because hers is brave, passionate voice that deserves to be heard.

SPORTS PHOTO

First place: Lori Van Buren, (Albany) Times Union, "Crunch Time"

Judges’ comments: Nice frame incorporating action, emotion and - of course, snow! Action is a challenge, but the photographer clearly stepped up!

Second place: Lori Van Buren, (Albany) Times Union, "Winners"

Judges’ comments: Strong image that sums up the emotion of the moment from a great perspective!

SPORTS STORY

First place: Jason Wolf, The Buffalo News, "He had no memories of it whatsoever': How Chuck Crist's Family Discovered he had CTE"

Judges’ comments: A poignant reminder of the tragic impact of CTE on the athletes who slowly lose themselves, and the sense of powerlessness that victimizes their loved ones as well. It hangs like a dark cloud over football.

Second place: Jay Skurski, The Buffalo News, "Sir Charles, Canelo and Sean McDermott, “Bills Coach Stays Himself Even Amid the Spotlight"

Judges’ comments: Interesting exploration of the mind and tendencies of the coach who once again made the Bills competitive.

SPOT NEWS COVERAGE

First place: Staten Island Advance, "Hurricane Ida"

Judges’ comments: A totally comprehensive & impressive reporting collage on the hurricane. When conditions were unsafe to be out, staff used social media to their advantage, cobbling together thorough, telling reports from social media. Then, when flood waters receded and was safe, staff hit the streets in-person for impressive coverage: from awesome photos to stories of relevance - impact on immigrants; politicos reactions; stories of individuals; comparing to past hurricanes and tossing in some elements of solutions journalism. Loved all of this; even had a Facebook live video, too. Very well done by the staff in getting real people's stories; offering links and info for help; and also telling the story of this devastating storm.

Second place: (Albany) Times Union, "Police Push Back"

Judges’ comments: Nice work on this story and incident; which is atop of the issues of social justice in today's America. The hurricane coverage was hard to beat; but this was well done and admirable. Thank you.

SPOT NEWS PHOTO

First place: Derek Gee, The Buffalo News, "A Rescue Crew's Daring Mission at Niagara Falls"

Judges’ comments: This image easily conveys the essence of the story, from the limpness of the body, the coat flying away, the waves... it's a true spot news photo.

Second place: Paul Buckowski, (Albany) Times Union, "Chauvin Verdict"

Judges’ comments: This image captured the mixture of emotions towards the verdict from the strong center focal point to the expressionless bystanders.

VIDEO

First place: Mark Gaughan and Geoff Nason, The Buffalo News, "PlayAction"

Judges’ comments: This is a great example of a perfect fit between format and subject. This video format is perfect. The editing style is perfect for its subject (sports, specifically football). Matt Gaughan - has a perfect style and expertise for this video format. Simply excellent. The sports community in Buffalo is lucky ...

Newspapers with an assessed weekly circulation above 1 million.

ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT REPORTING

First place: Rafer Guzman, (Melville) Newsday, “50th Anniversary of Marvin Gaye’s ‘What's Going On’“

Judges’ comments: Incredible job digging into all of the details of this album and providing informational sidebars!

Second place: Dan Bubbeo, (Melville) Newsday, "Curtain Up: How Live Theater Returned to LI"

Judges’ comments: Wow, such an in-depth and well done behind the scenes look at what it took to bring theater back to LI!

BUSINESS WRITING

First place: Sarina Trangle, (Melville) Newsday, "Rent Relief"

Judges’ comments: The type of reporting that literally changes lives of the readers. A highly informative reading investment!

Second place: Tory N. Parrish, (Melville) Newsday, "Shoplifting on the Rise"

Judges’ comments: Nothing short of a bullhorn of things-to-come that are now here! Great in-depth reporting!

COLUMN

First place: Scott Vogel, (Melville) Newsday

Judges’ comments: Who could read about the fish sandwiches and not find it interesting? A nice column on El Monfongo and was enhanced by the Asian foods review. Asian foods and the review make you hungry.

DIGITAL PRESENCE

First place: (Melville) Newsday, “FeedMe Food Coverage”

Judges comments: Nice piece, well done, well produced, good upside humor, etc.

ENTERPRISE REPORTING

First place: (Melville) Newsday, "Policing on LI"

Judges’ comments: This is how newspapers stay in business in the digital age!

Second place: Gabrielle Fonrouge, New York Post, "The Rikers Island Crisis Exposed

Judges’ comments: Reporting like this installs public confidence in news and journalism!

FEATURE PHOTO

First place: Alejandra Villa Loarca, (Melville) Newsday, "Playground"

Judges’ comments: Appreciate the photographer's eagerness for angle! “A” for effort!

Second place: Thomas A. Ferrara, (Melville) Newsday, "Tani's Game"

Judges’ comments: A lovely environmental portrait that tells the little guy's story even without words!

FEATURE STORY

First place: Meghan Giannotta and Rachel Weiss, (Melville) Newsday, "Working Dogs of Long Island"

Judges’ comments: Such a fantastic look at the cutest and hardest working dogs of the Island! The mix of photos, video and copy was perfect -- a true multimedia feature.

Second place: Scott Vogel, (Melville) Newsday, "Inside El Mofongo, LI's Top-rated Restaurant on Yelp"

Judges’ comments: Great work highlighting these charming business owners and make you want to venture out there. Not sure what was more of a draw: the prospect of sampling all the food or engaging with Martha's charm!

HEADLINE WRITING

First place: Barry Gross, New York Post, "The Hate Pretender"

Judges’ comments: Well done; fit the story as well as the subsequent guilty verdict for Mr. Smollett.

Second place: New York Post, "Raging Bill$"

Judges’ comments: Loved this one. Great work all around.

INVESTIGATIVE + WATCHDOG REPORTING

First place: (Melville) Newsday, "Policing on LI"

Judges’ comments: Top notch deep investigative reporting! This IS WATCH DOG journalism!

Second place: Josh Kosman, New York Post, "How Subway Treats Franchisees"

Judges’ comments: Great reporting revealing crude rules and regulations upon business owners.

PHOTO STORY OR ONLINE GALLERY

First place: Thomas A. Ferrara, (Melville) Newsday, "Pandemic Proms"

Judges comments: Nice different look at how life goes on under Covid.

Second place: Thomas A. Ferrara, (Melville) Newsday, "Into the Night"

PUBLIC SERVICE

First place: (Melville) Newsday, "Policing on LI"

Judges’ comments: Very well done stories.

SPORTS PHOTO

First place: J. Conrad Williams Jr., (Melville) Newsday, "Morning Workout"

Second place: J. Conrad Williams Jr., (Melville) Newsday, "Catching a Wave"

SPOT NEWS PHOTO

First place: Steve Pfost, (Melville) Newsday, "Father and Son Reunion"

Judges’ comments: Excellent capturing of an emotional moment between father and son.

Second place: J. Conrad Williams Jr., (Melville) Newsday, "A Hero's Farewell"

Judges’ comments: Very good finding the reflections in the sunglasses.

VIDEO

First place: Scott Vogel, Chris Ware and Susan Yale, (Melville) Newsday, "The Story Behind Shuga Pie in Babylon"

Judges’ comments: This story of Shuga Pie Shop was truly best told with video. Interestingly, it ended up being an intimate look at wedding cake bakers-turned-sugar pie makers while also offering a great look into a business pivot (COVID) and it showed the food writer at Newsday is more than willing to get up at 3 a.m. to get a story. Loved it.