Birmingham Times Wins Top National Awards in Education Reporting; Photography

The Birmingham Times

In a year marking the 196th anniversary of the “Black Press of America,” The Birmingham Times Media Group (BTMG) won three national awards last week at the National Newspaper Publisher Association’s (NNPA) annual convention in Nashville, Tenn.

NNPA represents more than 200 Black-owned newspapers across the nation.

The NNPA Messenger Awards honor work published in 2022 and the Times won first place awards for Education reporting by Nicole S. Daniel on Maranathan Academy’s focus on at-risk students and Original Photography Use. The Times also won an award for General Excellence (Third Place).

Those awards come less than a week after the Times won four first place awards in the 2023 Alabama Press Association (APA) Media Awards, for Best In-Depth News Coverage; Best Local News Coverage; Best Newspaper Website and Best Layout and Design and a third place in General Excellence.

“These acknowledgements are not about awards, but the recognition that our team is making an impact in the community we serve, and others see it,” said Sam P. Martin, president and publisher of the BTMG.

Here are the NNPA awards:

Original Photography Use

1^st Place: Birmingham Times, Summerfest, Food and Fun

2^nd Place: St. Louis American, School Shooting

3^rd Place: Atlanta Voice, Election Central: The People Have Spoken

Frank L. Stanley Award Education

1^st Place: Birmingham Times, Maranathan Academy Still Serves Critical Need, (Nicole S. Daniel)

2^nd Place: Washington Informer, Group Challenges Colleges to Better Accommodate Student Parents

3^rd Place: Houston Defender, Black Families Choosing Homeschooling

Newspaper Excellence John H. Sengstacke Award

1^st Place: The Sacramento Observer

2^nd Place: Houston Defender

3^rd Place: Birmingham Times