The North Carolina Press Association gave 60 awards to The News & Observer and The Herald-Sun. Both papers won first place in General Excellence.
People say that The News & Observer is one of the state’s biggest journals. Thursday in Raleigh, the awards for news, sports, and photos were given out, along with some special awards for public service.
There were 37 awards for The N&O and 23 wins for The Herald-Sun.
Two awards were given to The News & Observer and its sister paper, The Charlotte Observer, for independent reporting. The two papers also won the Media and the Law Awards of Excellence.
The newspapers’ work from March 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024 was used to judge them.
There were a lot of different types of coverage that won first prizes at the N&O. These included breaking news from the General Assembly, photography, and sports reports.
The staff also got a number of awards for outstanding work, including:
Duke University/Green-Rossiter Award for Distinguished Newspaper Work in Higher Education Reporting: Korie Dean
▪ Henry Lee Weathers Freedom of Information Award: Staff
▪ Media and the Law Awards of Excellence: Tyler Dukes and Ryan Oehrli of The Charlotte Observer
▪ Public Service Award: Virginia Bridges
Here is a look at the awards.
The News & Observer
First Place
▪ Staff , Henry Lee Weathers Freedom of Information Award, Legislative secrecy , a series of stories about changes in the Open Records Law.
▪ Virginia Bridges , Public Service Award, Police payouts
▪ Korie Dean , Duke University/Green-Rossiter Award for Distinguished Newspaper Work in Higher Education Reporting, Higher education reporting
▪ Kyle Ingram and Dan Kane , Breaking News Coverage, NC lawmakers would be able to keep more records secret with new provision in state budget
▪ Kristen Johnson , General News Reporting, After 23 years, wrongfully convicted man is freed in NC with aid from Duke Law students
▪ Anna Roman , News Feature Writing, ‘You’ll remember me.’ In Raleigh, a vigil to honor those who died while homeless
▪ Drew Jackson , Feature Writing, The barbecue bubble: How Lexington became synonymous with a distinctive NC flavor and These 64 barbecue joints helped define North Carolina ‘cue. They may reshape its future.
▪ Drew Jackson , Ledes
▪ Andrew Carter , Sports News Reporting, NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson cast decisive ACC expansion vote but won’t say why
▪ Andrew Carter , Sports Feature Writing, The resurrection of the North Wilkesboro Speedway — and the larger hope it represents
▪ Andrew Carter , Sports Enterprise Reporting, Big League peanuts: North Carolina’s essential role in feeding the American pastime
▪ Andrew Carter , Sports Columns, An ode to Tuesdays in Greensboro , and the ACC tournament’s weirdest, quirkiest day; Even as Tez Walker’s moment arrived at UNC , his fight again proved NCAA’s hypocrisy, futility; After resounding start to ACC Tournament , UNC appears serious about being serious
▪ Kaitlin McKeown , Feature Photography, A day to take to the water
Second Place
▪ Staff , Use of Social Media, News & Observer TikTok
▪ Teddy Rosenbluth , Beat News Reporting, North Carolina’s abortion ban
▪ Danielle Battaglia , Election/Political Reporting, NC’s Sen. Ted Budd witnessed ‘capacity for evil’ during trip to Middle East
▪ Josh Shaffer , Ledes
▪ Josh Shaffer , Lighter Columns, Karaoke in a bait shop? This NC small town with a big heart tackles life with laid-back fun; Why the Village People’s cowboy , a Raleigh native, will never tire of ‘Y.M.C.A.’; Planes with cocaine , Playboy bunnies and Pablo Escobar: NC town’s wild brush with fame
▪ Richard Stradling , Religion & Faith Reporting, Three former NC Symphony musicians sue orchestra over COVID-19 vaccine mandate
▪ Jadyn Watson-Fisher , Sports News Reporting, NC State football adds honorary coach , helping 12-year-old Florida girl live a dream
▪ Robert Willett and Mike Homan , Photo Page or Essay, Decision Day looms for Jarin Stephenson
▪ Ethan Hyman , Sports Feature Photography, Victory Day
▪ Robert Willett , Spot Photography, UNC campus shooting
▪ Robert Willett , Video, UNC’s Erin Matson chronicles her first season as head coach
Third Place
▪ Staff , Breaking News Coverage, Breaking news coverage of fatal shooting at UNC-Chapel Hill
▪ Staff, Sports Coverage, News & Observer Sports Coverage entry
▪ Staff, Special Section, 2023: The Stories We’ll Remember
▪ Virginia Bridges , Investigative Reporting, Police payouts
▪ Richard Stradling , Beat News Reporting, She admired NCDOT memorial to workers killed on the job , then noticed something missing
▪ Brian Gordon , Business Writing, Red Hat at 30
▪ Anna Roman , City/County Government Reporting, Series of stories about an extremist religious group booking the Raleigh Convention Center
▪ Kimberly Cataudella Tutuska , Feature Writing, Is NC the epicenter of competitive gingerbread? Local ‘gingerfriends’ make the case
▪ Kimberly Cataudella Tutuska , Religion & Faith Reporting, Holi 2023: How and why it’s celebrated , plus color throw events in the Triangle
▪ Susan Merriam , Multimedia Project, Tracking the shifting boundaries of NC Department of Insurance regional districts
The Herald-Sun
First Place
▪ Tammy Grubb , General News Reporting, What happened to missing Virginia woman? Family searches NC interstate for answers.
▪ Mary Helen Moore , Kimberly Cataudella Tutuska, Josh Shaffer, Breaking News Coverage, Series of stories about Durham Public Schools closures amid protests
▪ Danielle Battaglia , News Enterprise Reporting, These Marines drank Camp Lejeune’s poison. The road to justice is long
▪ Chantal Allam , Business Writing, Defying gentrification: Carrboro home built by freed slaves in 1879 remains in family
▪ Mary Helen Moore, City/County Government Reporting, Garbage sits on curb Wednesday as Durham city workers ‘stand our ground’
▪ Avi Bajpai , Election/Political Reporting, Two strategies for expanding ‘Democratic brand’ on display in race for NC attorney general
▪ Brian Gordon , Arts and Entertainment Reporting, Meet the new curator at the Duke art museum. It isn’t human.
▪ Mary Helen Moore , News Feature Writing, ‘Durham just has a spirit about it’: Black women share how they came to lead city
▪ Shelby Swanson , Sports Feature Writing, From NIL to social evolution , women in sports now have more control of their own style
▪ Chip Alexander , Sports News Reporting, UNC wide receiver Tez Walker denied eligibility by NCAA for 2023 season
Second Place
▪ Staff, Breaking News Coverage, Breaking news coverage of second campus lockdown at UNC-Chapel Hill in 16 days
▪ Korie Dean , News Enterprise Reporting, Some diversity efforts are ending or pausing after UNC System banned ‘compelled speech’
▪ Kristen Johnson , News Feature Writing, ‘To keep our footprint’: Family is on a mission to protect NC ancestors’ graves
▪ Adam Wagner , Beat Feature Reporting, There may be fewer than 1,000 of this NC bird left . What it will take to save it.
▪ Richard Stradling, Beat News Reporting, No state historical marker includes a key phrase in NC history. That will soon change.
▪ Mary Helen Moore , Business Writing, 10 years ago, NC lawmakers forced Durham to annex 751 South . It’s finally happening.
▪ Mary Helen Moore , Education Reporting, Series of stories about Durham Public Schools pay issues
▪ Ethan Hyman, Sports Photography, Kicking for Control
▪ Madison Hricik, Sports Enterprise Reporting, Growing the Game: Community interaction, team success vital to increased participation
▪ Steve Wiseman , Sports News Reporting, Duke football coach Mike Elko leaving to become Texas A&M head coach, sources confirm
Third Place
▪ Aaron Sánchez-Guerra , Beat News Reporting, Armed robberies, carjackings target Hispanic women in Durham. Are police doing enough?
▪ Aaron Sánchez-Guerra and Adam Wagner , News Enterprise Reporting, A worker died on an NC farm on a very hot day . What happened before he passed out?
The News & Observer and Charlotte Observer Joint Award
▪ Tyler Dukes of The N&O and Ryan Oehrli of The Charlotte Observer,first place, Media and the Law Awards of Excellence, Digital injustice
▪ Ames Alexander of The Charlotte Observer and David Raynor of The N&O, second place, investigative reporting. Burdened After Death: NC’s Medical Examiner’s Officer in Crisis.