The Birmingham Times
The Birmingham Times Media Group won 12 awards in the 2024 Alabama Press Association (APA) Media Awards, 6 for first place including Best Local Education Coverage, Best Local News Coverage and Best Business Story.
This year, 56 publications submitted 1,770 entries in the annual contest. The Hoosier State Press Association membership judged the entries. First place awards were presented Saturday in conjunction with the 2024 APA Summer Convention banquet held at the Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach.
In addition to top awards in the local education and news categories, the Times won first place for Best Use of Photographs/Editorial Content; Best Photo Essay; and Best Special Section-Newsprint for Black History.
The Times also won 5 second place awards and a third for General Excellence.
“I am so proud of the product we deliver to this community each week and it is nice when others recognize the work that we do,” said Samuel P. Martin, president and publisher of the BTMG.
The first place for Best Business Story went to Ryan Michaels for his report on Birmingham businessman Shegun Otulana and the second-place award for Best Feature went to Javacia Harris Bowser for her profile of legendary radio personality Shelley Stewart.
The Times also won a first place award in the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Messenger Awards in mid-June for Best Special Edition for the Black History Month edition; second place for General Excellence and third place for Best Layout and Design
Here’s a closer look at the winning BT categories in the APA contests:
Best Local Education Coverage
1st Place: The Birmingham Times, by staff
2nd Place: Hoover Sun
3rd Place: 280 Living
Best Local News Coverage
1st Place: The Birmingham Times
2nd Place: 280 Living
3rd Place: The Redstone Rocket (Huntsville)
Best Business Story or Column
1st Place – The Birmingham Times – Shegun Otulana and The Joy of Building (Ryan Michaels)
2nd Place – Hoover Sun Hoover real estate spotlight (Jon Anderson)
3rd Place – Hoover Sweet Elegance: Award-winnoing bakery expands to Ross Bride (Jon Anderson)
Best Use of Photographs/Editorial Content
1st Place: The Birmingham Times
2nd Place: The Redstone Rocket (Huntsville)
Best Photo Essay
1st Place: Birmingham Times for Works of Art (Staff)
2nd Place: 280 Living Birmingham
Celebrating the 2023 Grads (Erin Nelson Sweeney)
3rd Place: The Redstone Rocket (Huntsville)
Best Special Section – Newsprint
1st Place: The Birmingham Times for “Black History from Science to Sports” by staff
2nd Place: The Redstone Rocket (Huntsville) for “Breast Cancer Awareness” by staff
3rd Place – The Alabama Baptist for Aging Well (Staff)
Best Layout And Design
1st Place: Hoover Sun
2nd Place: Birmingham Times
3rd Place: The Redstone Rocket (Huntsville)
Best Use of Graphics and Illustrations
1st Place: The Alabama Baptist
Taking Care (Lauren Grim)
2nd Place: Birmingham Times
Black History Month (Kacy Sesser-Dorne)
3rd Place: The Alabama Baptist
5 Ways Pastors Can Help Families Navigate (Lauren Grim)
Best News Photo
1st Place: The Trussville Tribune
Moody Environmental Landfill Fire (Ron Burkett)
2nd Place: Birmingham Times
Mother’s Love (Joe Songer)
3rd Place: The Alabama Baptist
5 Ways Pastors Can Help Families Navigate (Lauren Grim)
Best Feature Story Coverage
1st Place: Hoover Sun Food For Our Journey: Nonprofit fills gaps to nourish stomachs, spirits, souls (Jon Anderson)
2nd Place: The Birmingham Times (Shelley Stewart: Legacy and Lessons of ‘The Voice’) Javacia Harris Bowser
3rd Place: The Redstone Rocket (Huntsville) Newspaper Photo leads to love affair, family (Rebecca Sallee)
Best Feature Photo
1st Place: The Trussville Tribune
Moody environmental landfill (Ron Burkett)
2nd Place: The Birmingham Times
Coping with grief (Joe Songer)
3rd – The Homewood Star’
Ukrainian Soldier Rehab (Erin Nelson Sweeney)
General Excellence
1st Place: The Redstone Rocket (Huntsville)
2nd Place: Hoover Sun
3rd Place: The Birmingham Times
Updated at 12:25 p.m. on 7/1/2024.
