The Tulsa Press Club is proud to announce the 2018 Great Plains Journalism Awards winners.
The Great Plains Journalism Awards is a regional contest honoring print, web, TV and magazine journalists for outstanding stories, photography and design. The eight-state competition includes Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Omar Villafranca, correspondent with CBS News in its Southern Bureau, received the Distinguished Lecturer Award and gave the keynote lunch address at the May 4 event at the Mayo Hotel. The top nine overall winners are:
Great Plains Newspaper of the Year: Tulsa World
Great Plains Magazine of the Year: Omaha Magazine
Great Plains Website of the Year: Omaha World-Herald
Great Plains Designer of the Year: Tim Parks, Omaha World-Herald
Great Plains Newspaper Writer of the Year: Josh Dulaney, The Oklahoman
Great Plains Newspaper Photographer/Portfolio of the Year: Sarah Hoffman, Omaha World-Herald
Great Plains Magazine Photographer/Portfolio of the Year: Liz Painter, 605 Magazine
Great Plains Magazine Writer of the Year: Wyndham Wyeth, Arkansas Life
Great Plains Student Newspaper of the Year: The University Daily Kansan
More than 600 entries were received this year, with winners and finalists named in 72 professional and student categories. Four student journalists were awarded $1,500 scholarships named after former Tulsa Press Club president and ONEOK executive Dan Harrison.
Thank you to our 2018 sponsors: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, Cherokee Nation Businesses, ONEOK, Hillcrest HealthCare System, ONE Gas, Trust Company of Oklahoma, Tulsa World Media Company, Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Langdon Publishing, Tulsa Community College and the Mayo Hotel.
Below is a list of the 2018 Great Plains Journalism Awards winners and finalists by publication.
Flip through the official book here.
605 Magazine
Great Plains Magazine Photographer/Portfolio of the Year: Liz Painter
Liz Painter, finalist
Alana Snyder, finalist
John Snyder, finalist
Kyle Determan, finalist
Taylor Hanson, finalist
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Review: Philip Martin
General News Photography: Mitchell Pe Masilun
Entertainment Feature: Philip Martin, John Deering
Food: Kelly Brant
Online Feature Writing: Emma Pettit
Specialty Feature: Celia Storey, Michael Storey
Editorial Portfolio: David Barham
Best Website Design-Overall: Arkansas Online Staff
Staff, finalist
Tommy Metthe, finalist
Ben Krain, finalist
Emma Pettit, finalist
Gavin, Lesnick, finalist
Arkansas Online Staff, finalist
John Deering, finalist
Hunter Field, finalist
Amanda Claire Curcio, finalist
Jillian Kremer, finalist
Kirk Montgomery, finalist
Stephen Thornton, finalist
Eric Harrison, finalist
Brandon Riddle, finalist
Sean Clancy, finalist
Frank Fellone, finalist
Lisa Hammersly, finalist
Sandra Tyler, finalist
Eric Besson, finalist
Arkansas Life
John David Pittman, finalist
Magazine Photography-Multiple: Arshia Khan
Great Plains Magazine Writer of the Year: Wyndham Wyeth
Magazine Feature Writing: Jordan Hickey
Magazine Column Writing: Seth Eli Barlow
Rett Peek, finalist
David Priest, finalist
Katie Bridges, finalist
Emma Devine, finalist
Jordan Hickey, finalist
Arshia Khan, finalist
Whydham Wyeth, finalist
Johnny Sain, finalist
Wesley Hitt, finalist
The Curbside Chronicle
Magazine Portrait: Joshua Officer
Whitley O’Connor, finalist
Quit Nguyen, finalist
The Daily Republic
Portrait: Matt Gade
Feature Photography-Single: Matt Gade
Matt Gade, finalist
The Frontier
Online General News: Clifton Adcock
Dylan Goforth, finalist
Clifton Adcock, finalist
Global Sisters Report
Dawn Araujo-Hawkins, finalist
KFOR Channel 4
Spot News Video: Marc Dillard, Jon Slater
KTUL Channel 8
Maureen Wurtz, finalist
Andrejs Dabars, finalist
Bryan Clemmer, finalist
Land Line Magazine
John Bendel, finalist
Tyson Fisher, finalist
Lincoln Journal Star
Journal Star Staff, finalist
Cindy Lange-Kubick, finalist
Peter Salter, finalist
Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Special Section: Staff
Oklahoma Humanities Magazine
Viet Thanh Nguyen, finalist
Carla Walker, finalist
Oklahoma Humanities, finalist
Oklahoma Watch
Business Reporting: Warren Vieth
Jennifer Palmer, finalist
Trevor Brown, finalist
Mollie Bryant, finalist
The Oklahoman
Sports Action Photography: Sarah Phipps
Sports News Photography: Jim Beckel
Sports Column: Berry Tramel
Sports Blog: Berry Tramel
Great Plains Newspaper Writer of the Year: Josh Dulaney
General News Reporting: Brianna Bailey, Jaclyn Cosgrove
Best Website Design-Project: Richard Hall
Staff, finalist
Bryan Terry, finalist
Sarah Phipps, finalist
Todd Pendleton, finalist
The Oklahoman, finalist
Chris Landsberger, finalist
Carla Hinton, finalist
Richard Hall, finalist
Josh Dulaney, finalist
Tim Money, finalist
Adam Kemp, finalist
Jenni Carlson, finalist
NewsOK.com, finalist
Doug Hoke, finalist
Omaha Magazine
Magazine Photography-Feature: Bill Sitzmann
Magazine Specialty Photo: Bill Sitzmann
Magazine Cover: Bill Sitzmann, Matt Wieczorek
Multimedia Graphic-Project or Series: Otis Twelve, Joe Pankowski
Great Plains Magazine of the Year: Staff
Bill Sitzmann, finalist
Thomas Sanchez, finalist
Doug Meigs, finalist
Matt Wieczorek, finalist
Christopher Marshall, finalist
Otis Twelve, finalist
Omaha World-Herald
Headline Portfolio: Haylee Pearl
Sports Video: Brendan Sullivan
Beat Reporting: Erin Duffy, Joe Dejka
Sports Page Design: Tim Parks
Great Plains Designer of Year: Tim Parks
News Page Design: Jessica Thompson
Graphics/Illustration: Matt Haney
Online Project: Staff
Sports Feature: Dirk Chatelain
Feature Video: Brendan Sullivan
Great Plains Newspaper Photographer/Portfolio of the Year: Sarah Hoffman
Feature Photography-Multiple: Sarah Hoffman
Sports Reporting: Dirk Chatelain
Great Plains Website of the Year: Staff
Narrative Story/Series: Henry Cordes
Feature Writing: Matthew Hansen, Sarah Baker Hansen
Rich Mills, finalist
Chris Christen, finalist
Heidi Thorson, finalist
Heather & Jameson, finalist
Jessica Luna, finalist
Kali Rahder, finalist
Micah Mertes, finalist
James Kellerman, finalist
Jessica Thompson, finalist
Chris Machian, finalist
Dirk Chatelain, finalist
Megan Farmer, finalist
Barbara Soderlin, finalist
Matthew Hansen, finalist
Michael O’Connor, finalist
Aaron Sanderford, finalist
Tim Sacco, finalist
Todd Cooper, finalist
Betsie Freeman, finalist
Sarah Hoffman, finalist
Katie Myrick Parks, finalist
Michael Boehnlein, finalist
Staff, finalist
Sam McKewon, finalist
Henry Cordes, finalist
Ryan Soderlin, finalist
Jeff Koterba, finalist
Steve Jordon, finalist
Paige Yowell, finalist
Sauce Magazine
Magazine Page Design: Meera Nagarajan
Carmen Troesser, finalist
St. Louis Business Journal
Business Feature: Steph Kukuljan
Jacob Kim, finalist
Katlyn Keller, finalist
Steph Kukuljan, finalist
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Project/Investigative Reporting: Kevin McDermott, Jack Suntrup, Kurt Erickson
Personal Column Portfolio: Tony Messenger
Wade Wilson, finalist
Dan Martin, finalist
Benjamin Hochman, finalist
Sunflower Publishing
Amanda Nagengast, finalist
Bill Stephens, finalist
Kevin Anderson, finalist
Katie Moore, finalist
Nathan Pettengill, finalist
Janni Leiste, finalist
Brian Goodman, finalist
Kelly Gibson, finalist
Jason Dailey, finalist
Amber Fraley, finalist
Tulsa Kids Magazine
Entertainment/Specialty Blog: Diane Kondos
News Blog Writing: Betty Casey
Tara Rittler, finalist
The Tulsa Voice
Feature Page Design: Madeline Crawford
Best Website Design-Single Page: Madeline Crawford, Maxx Crawford
Angela Evans, finalist
Tulsa World
General News Video: Mike Simons
News Photography-Multiple: Mike Simons
Sports Feature Photography: Ian Maule
Great Plains Newspaper of the Year: Staff
Editorial Cartoon: Bruce Plante
News Package: Staff
Cody Stavenhagen, finalist
Ian Maule, finalist
Mark Cooper, finalist
Staff, finalist
Tim Stanley, finalist
Mike Simons, finalist
Stephen Pingry, finalist
Kyle Margerum, finalist
Jessie Wardarski, finalist
Andrea Eger Canfield, finalist
Wayne Greene, finalist
Michael Smith, finalist
Jimmie Tramel, finalist
Jessica Rodrigo, finalist
Tulsa World Magazine
Magazine News Writing: Debbie Jackson, Jimmie Tramel, Randy Krehbiel, Jason Collington, Michael Overall
Magazine Profile Writing: Ginnie Graham
Jimmie Tramel, finalist
Staff, finalist
Michael Overall, finalist
Michelle Pollard, finalist
STUDENT CATEGORIES
The Collegian – University of Tulsa
Kayleigh Thesenvitz, finalist
Hannah Kloppenburg, finalist
Michaela Flonard, finalist
The Connection – Tulsa Community College
Zach Redwood, finalist
Monique Moore, finalist
The LU Gazette – Langston Univeristy
Specialty Photo: Brittni Logan
Kansas State Collegian – Kansas State University
Dan Harrison Memorial Student Photographer of the Year: Cooper Kinley
Cooper Kinley, finalist
Emily Lenk, finalist
Kansas State University Athletics Communcations – Kansas State University
Cooper Kinley, finalist
The O’Colly – Oklahoma State University
Dan Herrison Memorial Student Website of the Year: O’Colly Staff
Dan Harrison Memorial Student Broadcaster of the Year: Katelyn Fuller
Bullet Broadcast Staff, finalist
Devin Wilber, finalist
O’Colly Staff, finalist
The Oklahoma Daily – University of Oklahoma
Caitlyn Epes, finalist
The University Daily Kansan – University of Kansas
Dan Harrison Memorial Student Broadcaster of the Year: Mallory Houser
Dan Harrison Memorial Student Editor-in-Chief of the Year: Conner Mitchell
Dan Harrison Memorial Student Writer of the Year: Darby VanHoutan
Dan Harrison Memorial Student Newspaper of the Year: Lara Korte, Conner Mitchell
Lara Korte, finalist
Christian Hardy, finalist
Conner Mitchell, finalist
Missy Minear, finalist