TULSA, OKLAHOMA – The 109-year-old Tulsa Press Club, one of the oldest press clubs in the United States, is proud to announce the winners of the 2015 Great Plains Journalism Awards, which annually recognize the best newspaper and magazine journalism in eight states: Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota.
Judy Woodruff, co-anchor and managing editor of PBS “NewsHour,” received the Distinguished Lectureship Award, and gave the keynote lunch address at the April 13 event. The top 10 overall winners were:
* Great Plains Newspaper of the Year (More than 75,000): Omaha World-Herald
* Great Plains Newspaper of the Year (Fewer than 75,000): Wichita Eagle
* Great Plains Magazine of the Year: Sauce Magazine of St. Louis
* Great Plains Website of the Year: TulsaKids Magazine
* Great Plains Designer of the Year: Tim Parks of the Omaha World-Herald
* Great Plains Writer of the Year: Cary Aspinwall of the Tulsa World
* Great Plains Newspaper Photographer of the Year: Mike Simons of the Tulsa World
* Great Plains Magazine Photographer of the Year: Shane Bevel, freelancer
* Great Plains Magazine Writer of the Year: Jeannette Cooperman of St. Louis Magazine
* Great Plains Student Newspaper of the Year: The Collegian at the University of Tulsa
In all, winners and finalists were announced in 69 categories, which were judged by the following professionals: Charles Apple, Victoria (Texas) Advocate; Sharon Bloyd-Peshkin, Columbia College Chicago; Jennifer Brown, The Denver Post; Kelly Brown, Bryan-College Station Eagle; Addie Broyles, Austin American-Statesman; Maria Carrillo, Houston Chronicle; Sharon Chapman, Austin American-Statesman; Lane DeGregory, Tampa Bay Times; Matthew Dolan, The Wall Street Journal; Lisa Falkenberg, Houston Chronicle; Diana Fuentes, San Antonio Express-News; Aileen Gallagher, Syracuse University; James Gregg, Austin American-Statesman; Mito Habe-Evans, NPR; Sandy Hingston, Philadelphia Magazine; Debbie Hiott, Austin American-Statesman; Rodney Ho, Atlanta Journal Constitution; Tom Johanningmeier, Fort Worth Star-Telegram; Sean Kennedy, The Virginian-Pilot; Ben Kesling, The Wall Street Journal; Louise Kiernan, Northwestern University; Erik Lukens, The Oregonian; Ben Montgomery, Tampa Bay Times; Joel Odom, The Oregonian; Josh Penrod, Minneapolis StarTribune; Jenni Pinkley, Minneapolis StarTribune; Winthrop Quigley, Albuquerque Journal; Monica Rohr, Houston Chronicle; Monica Richardson, Atlanta Journal Constitution; Zach Ryall, Austin American-Statesman; Derek Simmons, Minneapolis StarTribune; Tina Smithers (freelance); Scott Strazzante, San Francisco Chronicle; Anne Tallent, The Baltimore Sun; and Jennifer Thomas, St. Paul Pioneer Press.
> Winners were announced in the following Newspaper writing and design categories:
• News package: The Des Moines Register (Sharyn Jackson, Christopher Gannon and Donnelle Eller)
• Project/investigative reporting: Oklahoma Watch and The Oklahoman (Warren Vieth, Jaclyn Cosgrove, Phillip O’Connor and Andrew Knittle)
• General news reporting: Oklahoma Watch and The Oklahoman (Warren Vieth, Jaclyn Cosgrove, Phillip O’Connor and Andrew Knittle)
• Narrative story/series: Omaha World-Herald (Erin Grace)
• Beat reporting: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Chelsea Boozer)
• Feature writing: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Stephen Deere)
• Business reporting: The Oklahoman (Brianna Bailey)
• Business feature: The Des Moines Register (Victor Epstein and Bryon Houlgrave)
• Sports reporting: Omaha World-Herald (Dick Chatelain)
• Sports feature: The Oklahoman (Jenni Carlson)
• Sports column: Omaha World-Herald (Tom Shatel)
• Review: Omaha World-Herald (Sarah Baker Hensen)
• Food: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Daniel Neman)
• Entertainment feature: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Cheree Franco)
• Specialty feature: Kansas City Star (Sarah Gish, Jennifer Hack, David Eulitt, Tasha Fabela-Jonas, Sarah Morris, Paula Southerland, Elaine Garrison, Katty Delux, Emilia Vonn and Mary Schulte)
• Special section: Omaha World-Herald (Staff)
• News page design: Omaha World-Herald (Tammy Yttri)
• Feature page design: Omaha World-Herald (Amy Cavenaile)
• Sports page design: Omaha World-Herald (Tim Parks)
• Graphic/Illustration: Omaha World-Herald (Dave Croy)
• Editorial cartoon: Tulsa World (Bruce Plante)
• Editorial portfolio: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Tony Messenger)
• Personal column portfolio: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Tony Messenger)
• Headline portfolio: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Jeff Krupsaw)
> Winners were announced in the following Magazine writing and design categories:
• News writing: St. Louis Magazine (William Powell)
• Feature writing: Arkansas Life (Nick Hunt, Katie Bridges, Jordan Hickey and Kelley Lane)
• Profile writing: Arkansas Life (Jordan Hickey, Katie Bridges and Kelley Lane)
• Column writing: St. Louis Magazine (Ray Hartmann)
• Page design: ALIVE Magazine (Elizabeth Tucker, Kelly Hamilton, Attilio D’Agostino, David Hsia, Jennifer Dulin-Wiley, Christopher Reilly, Wesley Law and Adam Bertels)
• Magazine cover: Omaha Magazine (John Gawley, Paul Lukes and Ben Lueders)
> Winners were announced in the following Multimedia/web categories, which were open to newspapers, magazines, television, radio and websites):
• Spot news video: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Staff)
• General news video: Tulsa World (James Gibbard)
• Feature video: Tulsa World (John Clanton)
• Sports video: The Des Moines Register (Charlie Litchfield)
• Multimedia project or series: The Oklahoman (Jason Kersey, Berry Tramel, Damon Fontenot, Tim Money and Richard Hall)
• Best website page design: The Oklahoman (Staff)
• Best overall website design: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (WholeHogSports)
• News blog writing: The Oklahoman (Richard Hall)
• Entertainment/specialty blog: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Philip Martin)
• Sports blog: The Oklahoman (Anthony Slater, Darnell Mayberry and Erik Horne)
• Web special section: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Cathy Frye, Rick McFarland, Chad Day, Tim Hicks, Jasen Burkett, Melody Ralls, Stephen Thornton, Kirk Montgomery, David Bailey, Yavonda Chase and Mary Alston)
> Winners were announced in the following Newspaper photography categories:
• Photo illustration: Tulsa World (Christopher Smith)
• General news: Associated Press (Sue Ogrocki)
• Spot news: Tulsa World (Michael Wyke)
• News photography, multiple: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Benjamin Krain, Rick McFarland, Melissa Sue Gerrits, Staton Briedenthal)
• Feature photography, single: Omaha World Herald (Matt Miller)
• Feature photography, multiple: Tulsa World (Mike Simons)
• Sports action: Tulsa World (Christopher Smith)
• Sports feature: The Oklahoman (Sarah Phipps)
• Portrait: Tulsa World (Christopher Smith)
> Winners were announced in the following Magazine photography categories:
• Magazine portrait: Sunflower Magazine (Kenny Ibsen, Penny Brockman and Luke Townsend)
• Magazine photo illustration: TulsaPeople (Michelle Pollard)
• Magazine photography, multiple: St. Louis Magazine (Jerry Tovo)
• Magazine photography, feature: Kansas! (Doug Stremel, Katy Ibsen, Shelly Bryant, Jennifer Haugh and Andrea Etzel)
> Winners were announced in the following college student categories (* indicates winner received a $1,250 scholarship):
• Student Photographer of the Year (*): Austin St. John, The Oracle, Oral Roberts University
• Student Editor in Chief of the Year (*): Blayklee Buchanan, The Oklahoma Daily, University of Oklahoma
• Student Designer of the Year (*): Adrianna Doyal, Sooner Yearbook, the University of Oklahoma
• Student Writer of the Year (*): Kassie McClung, The Collegian, the University of Tulsa
• Student Website of the Year: The Baker Orange, Baker University (Baldwin City, Kansas)
All work was published in 2014.