For the second time in as many years, staff at the Sequim Gazette took home some hardware — virtually — from the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association’s Better Newspaper Contest.
The 2021 BNC awards were announced at an online ceremony on Oct. 8, as professionals recognized top industry work at Washington non-daily and small daily newspapers at the association’s annual convention, held online in lieu of WNPA’s traditional, in-person annual convention.
The Gazette, a Sound Publishing newspaper, earned second place in general excellence in WNPA’s Group 2 among WNPA’s four circulation groups. Some of Group 2 includes the Methow Valley News, Anacortes America, Mercer Island Reporter, Chinook Observer (Long Beach), Northwest Asian Weekly, Port Orchard Independent, Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber and Statesman Examiner (Colville) newspapers.
The contest considered writing, design, photography, advertising and web content from newspapers statewide between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021, and special sections between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021.
The Kentucky Press Association judged this year’s WNPA contest, with submissions totaling 980 news pieces, 163 photos, 177 advertisements, 63 special sections and 17 digital/web submissions from 51 participating newspapers.
Sequim Gazette’s 2021 BNC honors include:
Advertising/Ad design
John Jaeger, Lindsay Smithburg
• Second place, Single Advertiser-Smaller Than Half Page (“Port Townsend Vineyards”)
Harmony Liebert/Molly Omann
• Second place, Single Advertiser-Half Page or Larger (“New Dungeness Nursery”)
• Third place, Branding Advertisement (“Paragon Dermatology”)
Molly Omann, Lara Stanton
• Second place, Ad Campaign (“Lodge Chiropractic”)
Special Sections
Drew Herman, Raquee Rivera
• First place, Tourism (“Olympic Peninsula Visitor’s Guide”)
The Olympic Peninsula Visitor’s Guide took first place in the Special Sections-Tourism division of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association’s 2021 Better Newspaper Contest.
Conor Dowley, Mary Field
• Second place, Event/Festival (“Giving Tuesday”)
Writing
Matthew Nash
• First place, Arts Story or Feature (“A study in ceramics,” Sept. 9, 2020)
• Second place, News Story-Long (“Court ruling goes in favor of MAT clinic,” Feb. 17, 2021)
Matthew Nash’s “A study in ceramics” (Sept. 9, 2020) earned a first place in the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association’s 2021 Better Newspaper Contest.
• Second place, Education Story (“SHS Class of 2019: Strength in unity, community,” April 29, 2020)
• Second place, Government Story (“Sequim mayor draws national spotlight,” Feb. 3, 2021)
• Third place, Comprehensive Coverage (Sequim’s MAT clinic)
Michael Dashiell
• Second place, Sports News Story (“School closure ends spring prep seasons,” May 13, 2020)
• Second place, COVID-19 coverage (“Siblings make face masks for health care workers,” April 22, 2020)
• Second place, Business Feature Story (“Kendall dies at age 99,” Sept. 23, 2020)
• Second place, Arts Story or Feature (“Music without filters,” July 29, 2020)
• Third place, Arts Story or Feature (“Sequim author releases ‘A Work in Progress’,” July 8, 2020)
Photography
Matthew Nash
• First place, B/W Feature, Portrait or Pictorial Photo (“BLM Protest, June 10, 2020)
• Third place, Color Portrait Photo (“’Masked’ Revolution,” Aug. 12, 2020)
Michael Dashiell
• Second place, Photo Essay (“Wreaths Across America,” Dec. 23, 2020)
Design, web content
Michael Dashiell
• First place, Front Page Design (Dec. 9, 2020)
• Second place, Front Page Design (Oct. 28, 2020)
• Third place, Editorial Pages (Groups I-IV)
