NNPAF 2024 Messenger Awards Scholarship Winners
AWARDS OVERVIEW
In an effort to be more contemporary yet honor our legacy of great publishers, the NNPA Fund Messenger Awards (24) are divided into SIX divisions that include FOUR categories:
EQUITY
Health – Emory O. Jackson Award
First Place: Atlanta Voice
Second Place: Houston Forward Times
Third Place: St. Louis American
Education – Frank L. Stanley Award
First Place: Washington Informer
Second Place: The Observer Newspapers
Third Place: Michigan Chronicle
Social & Criminal Justice – Ida B. Wells Award
First Place: The Observer Newspapers
Second Place: The New York Amsterdam News
Third Place: Houston Forward Times
Environment – Wilbert L. Holloway Award
First Place: The New York Amsterdam News
Second Place: Atlanta Voice
Third Place: Final Call
PERSPECTIVE
Faith & Religion Award
First Place: Minnesota Spokesman Recorder
Second Place: Atlanta Voice
Third Place: The Observer Newspapers
Business Award
First Place: The New York Amsterdam News
Second Place: Houston Forward Times
Third Place: New Pittsburgh Courier
Editorial & Opinion – Robert S. Abbott Award
First Place: Houston Forward Times
Second Place: Final Call
Third Place: St. Louis American
Original Photography Use Award
First Place: The Observer Newspapers
Second Place: Atlanta Voice
Third Place: Michigan Chronicle
CULTURE
Entertainment – Armstrong Ellington Award
First Place: St. Louis American
Second Place: Michigan Chronicle
Third Place: Houston Forward Times
Sports – Don King Award
First Place: The Baltimore Times
Second Place: Texas Metro News
Third Place: Houston Forward Times
Youth & Children Award
First Place: Afro American Newspaper (Baltimore)
Second Place: St. Louis American
Third Place: Houston Defender
Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle – Ada S. Franklin Award
First Place: Atlanta Voice
Second Place: The Philadelphia Tribune
Third Place: St. Louis American
CREATIVE
Special Edition – Leon W. Washington Award
First Place: Birmingham Times
Second Place: St. Louis American
Third Place: Seattle Medium
Original Advertising Campaign – E. Washington Rhodes Award
First Place: The Baltimore Times
Second Place: St. Louis American
Third Place: Atlanta Voice
Layout & Design (Tabloid) – Robert L. Vann Award
First Place: The New York Amsterdam News
Second Place: Houston Forward Times
Third Place: New Pittsburgh Courier
Layout & Design (Broadsheet) – Robert L. Vann Award
First Place: St. Louis American
Second Place: New Pittsburg Courier
Third Place: Insight News
DIGITAL
Website Excellence – A. Philip Randolph Award
First Place: Houston Defender
Second Place: Michigan Chronicle
Third Place: Insight News
Facebook Campaign Award
First Place: Michigan Chronicle
Second Place: St. Louis American
Third Place: Houston Defender
Instagram Campaign Award
First Place: The Observer Newspapers
Second Place: The New York Amsterdam News
Third Place: St. Louis American
Video Campaign Award
First Place: Houston Forward Times
Second Place: Houston Defender
Third Place: Afro American Newspaper (Baltimore)
AUDIENCE
Community Service – Carl Murphy Award
First Place: Houston Defender
Second Place: LA Sentinel
Third Place: Seattle Medium
Audience Engagement – W.A. Scott II Award
Newspaper Excellence – John H. Sengstacke Award
First Place: St. Louis American
Second Place: Birmingham Times
Third Place: The Philadelphia Tribune
Newsletter Excellence Award
First Place: Insight News
Second Place: New Pittsburgh Courier
Third Place: Texas Metro News
PINNACLE – JOHN RUSSWURM AWARD
Awarded to the Newspaper with the highest cumulative score.
St. Louis American
Publisher of the Year
Joy Bramble, Baltimore Times
Rules & Eligibility
Only NNPA Members, who have paid 2022 dues and are in full membership compliance, are eligible to enter the NNPA Fund Messenger Awards 2022. NNPA dues must be paid prior to submitting entries. This year there are NO designated months. Instead, we want your BEST work within the calendar year of 2021.
Each newspaper is allowed ONLY ONE ENTRY per category. Submission of more than one entry in any category will result in the disqualification of all entries in that category for your specific newspaper. Failure to comply with ALL submission requirements as outlined will cause rejection of entries.
JUDGING SPECIFICATIONS
Judges will rate each entry on a scale of 1 – 10 (highest rating 10). The publications with the highest rating will receive a First, Second and Third Place award.
ARTICLES: Judging will be on the overall importance and significance of the story, the impact of headlines and lead; thoroughness of reporting, sentence, and paragraph structure.
SECTIONS: Judging will be based on story selection, content relevance, layout, pictures, and a variety of local coverage.
OPINION | CAMPAIGNS: Judging will be based on clarity of thought, community interest, style, and relevance.
LAYOUT & DESIGN: Judging will be based on use of type – headline, body copy, etc; use of images – photos, graphics, etc; and overall layout and design quality.
DIGITAL: Judging will be based on the clarity of the message, ease of navigation, quality of the content, use of graphics, and relevance to the community.
COMMUNITY IMPACT: Judging will be based on the importance of the community issue, audience interaction, and ability to affect change.
ENTRY SPECIFICATIONS
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Each newspaper is allowed ONLY ONE ENTRY per category. Submission of more than one entry in any category will result in the disqualification of all entries in that category for your specific newspaper. Failure to comply with ALL submission requirements as outlined will cause rejection of entries.
UPLOAD ARTICLE PDFs, FULL PUBLICATION PDFs, SCREENSHOTS OF DIGITAL ENTRIES & URL WEB LINKS. WHOLE editions are submitted ONLY in CREATIVITY DIVISION: Special Edition, Best Layout & Design Tabloid, Best Layout & Design Broadsheet, and Newspaper Excellence. ONE PAGE DESCRIPTION of 200 words or less is required for these categories: Original Advertising Campaign, Community Engagement, Community Service, Website Excellence, Newsletter Excellence, Facebook Campaign, Instagram Campaign, and Video Campaign. |
MESSENGER AWARD HELPLINE:
Call Cody @ 360-427-6300
EMAIL QUESTIONS ABOUT:
Membership Dues to Okena (202-903-8580) membership@nnpa.org
Messenger Awards to Taylor Thomas messenger@nnpafund.org.
The Black Press is the trusted source for Black America and serves as the primary information delivery system of Black institutions like the NAACP, the Urban League, United Negro College Fund, Congressional Black Caucus, Black Churches, and more. The NNPAF mission is to build the Business, Human, Community and Future capacity of the Black Press.