This morning finds me standing tall and proud, alongside my former co-workers at the News Leader in Staunton, Virginia.
Last night brought FOUR new 1st place awards for me as well as a 2nd and two 3rd place wins for me for a total of SEVEN!
These awards come from this year’s Virginia Press Association’s annual banquet in Norfolk on April 7, 2019.
The News Leader scored a total of 20 awards with an incredible grand total of 13 first place awards.
Together, the points of all of our combined wins were enough to earn the News Leader the state News Sweepstakes for their daily division, tied with the Northern Virginia Daily.
Winning that award is rare and says something about the team at the News Leader of which I am proud to say I was a part.
Join me in congratulating my fellow News Leader friends who also won awards at the event: Laura Peters, Patrick Hite, Monique Calello, Jeff Schwaner (whom I also share one of my awards with), and Julia Fair.
Here are my award winning entries …
1st Place : D1 – Picture Story Or Essay
(Photos by Mike Tripp / The News Leader)
” Charlottesville, a year after “
Photos from throughout the day marked the one-year anniversary of the deadly 2017 protests in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Judge Comments : The sheer quantity of these photos shows the varying emotions and expressions that took place during the anniversary. Excellent job finding subjects doing different things and finding unique angles to tell the story.
1st Place : D1 – Sports Feature Photo
” Water on the Brain “
Robert E. Lee’s Marcos Sasia cools off with a blast of water from his water bottle during an officials’ timeout on the field. R.E. Lee defeated George Mason, 3-0, to win the Region 2B boys soccer championship during a game played in Staunton on Friday, June 1, 2018.
(Photo by Mike Tripp / The News Leader)
Judge Comments : Well-lit and evocative. Captures the moment perfectly.
1st Place : D1 – Personality or Portrait Photo
” The Witch’s Walk “
Willow Kelly, a witch and Sufi, hand moves in a prescribed pattern after reaching the heart of her labyrinth, outside her Staunton residence on October 19, 2018. “I have a very complex spell (intention or affirmation if you prefer) that I do in the labyrinth,” she says. “My movements are an embodiment of both sending those energies out into the world as well as calling them into myself there is a sustainable flow of energy moving our and coming in.”
(Photo by Mike Tripp / The News Leader)
Judge Comments : This was the one image in the category that we felt connected to the subject; her gesture and expression convey something about her belief. Blown highlights were distracting, but the leaf pattern is interesting, and ultimately the moment won us over.
1st Place : D1 – Video
” These immigrant children risked all to seek asylum in America “
Poems and mural tell stories of migrant children who make a perilous journey alone toward a dream of freedom in the United States.
(Video by Mike Tripp & Jeff Schwaner / The News Leader)
Photographer’s Note: Jeff is a heck of a content coach and writer at the News Leader. Well, one day he came to me with this idea for a video project … and the rest was history.
Judge Comments : A thoughtful way to share the story of these kids journey here that was really well done.
2nd Place : D1 – Feature Photo
“Making Music in the Rain”
Members of Shelburne Middle School’s band joins Robert E. Lee’s marching band on the field for a rainy performance of the national anthem before the start of a football game played in Staunton on Friday, Oct. 26. 2018.
(Photo by Mike Tripp / The News Leader)
Judge Comments : Great structure and framing, with the football team see in the back. Very well composed.
3rd Place : D1 – General News Photo
” Love Is Love “
Jay Cropper and Chris Stover, both students at Mary Baldwin University, share a moment while at the Staunton Pride festival in downtown Staunton on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018.
(Photo by Mike Tripp / The News Leader)
Judge Comments : Lovely private moment at a public event. This shares much more emotion than an overall.
3rd Place : D1 – Sports News Photo
” Heads up, Heads Down “
Fort Defiance’s Cole Sligh is brought down on his head while trying to run the ball during a football game played in Lexington on Friday, Sept. 21, 2018.
(Photo by Mike Tripp / The News Leader)
Judge Comments : A well-timed capture of a quirky play.
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