WATERLOO Claire B
rownell and Tyler Brownbridge of the Windsor Star took home the top two prizes Saturday at the annual Ontario Newspaper Awards dinner.
Brownell won the Martha Blackburn Award as journalist of the year for a series of stories about population decline, urban blight, poor municipal planning and lost dreams in Windsor. Judges said her work demonstrated “outstanding local reporting, backed up by intelligent data and told with insightful writing.”
Brownell’s entry also won in the category of municipal affairs reporting (newspapers over 25,000 circulation).
Brownbridge won the Richard Sutton Award as photojournalist of the year. He won the sports photography category (over 25,000 circulation) and was a finalist in the online photography category.
The Windsor Star had the most winners, with eight. The Hamilton Spectator had seven winners and 14 finalists for a competition-leading 21 nominations.
This is the 59th year the awards have been presented. Open to 32 daily newspapers across the province, the awards are supported by a number of sponsors: Tim Hortons, Accenture, Cision, Ford, the Toronto Star, the Real Estate Council of Ontario, Colleges Ontario, the Council of Ontario Universities and Mohawk College.
The full list of winners and finalists:
Martha Blackburn Award Journalist of the Year
Winner: Claire Brownell, Windsor Star. Finalists: Rosie-Ann Grover, Kristen Calis and Jessica Cunha, Hamilton Spectator/Metroland Media Special Project; Chip Martin, London Free Press.
Richard Sutton Award Photojournalist of the Year
Winner: Tyler Brownbridge, Windsor Star. Finalists: David Bebee, Waterloo Region Record; Nick Brancaccio, Windsor Star
Student Journalist of the Year
Winner: Vidya Kauri, Ryerson University. FINALIST: Ryan Bowman, Conestoga College.
Larry N. Smith Award Novice Reporting (under 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Laura Stricker, Sudbury Star. Finalists: Rachel Psutka, Guelph Mercury; Matt Day, Niagara Falls Review.
C.B. Schmidt Award Novice Reporting (over 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Beatrice Fantoni, Windsor Star. Finalists: Molly Hayes, Hamilton Spectator; Amy Kenny, Hamilton Spectator
Spot News Reporting (under, 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Corey Larocque, Niagara Falls Review. Finalists: Margarita Poliakov, Sudbury Star; Matt Day, Niagara Falls Review.
Spot News Reporting (over 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Hamilton Spectator news team. Finalists: Waterloo Region Record news team; Sarah Sacheli, Windsor Star.
Robert J. Hanley Award Sports Writing (under 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Mike Davies, Peterborough Examiner. Finalists: Brian Smiley, Brantford Expositor; Rob Massey, Guelph Mercury.
Robert J. Hanley Award Sports Writing (over 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Dave Waddell, Windsor Star. Finalists: Greg Mercer, Waterloo Region Record; Patrick Maloney, London Free Press.
Tony Fredo Memorial Award Feature Writing (under 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Grant Lafleche, St. Catharines Standard. Finalists: Jim Moodie, Sudbury Star; Patrick Kennedy, Kingston Whig-Standard.
Del Bell Memorial Award Feature Writing (over 25,000 circulation):
Winner: Susan Clairmont, Hamilton Spectator. Finalists: Joanna Frketich, Hamilton Spectator; Joel Rubinoff, Waterloo Region Record.
Business Writing
Winner: Trevor Wilhelm, Windsor Star. Finalists: Debora Van Brenk, London Free Press; Steve Arnold, Hamilton Spectator.
Green Environment Writing
Winner: Jon Wells, Hamilton Spectator. Finalists: Carol Mulligan, Sudbury Star; Matthew Van Dongen, Hamilton Spectator.
K.J. Strachan Award Editorial, Opinion and Analysis (under 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Derek Shelly, Kingston Whig Standard. Finalists: Andrea DeMeer, Woodstock Sentinel Review; Tara Klager, Guelph Mercury.
Editorial, Opinion and Analysis (over 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Randy Richmond, London Free Press. Finalists: Steve Buist, Hamilton Spectator; Jane Sims, London Free Press.
Investigative/Enterprise Reporting
Winner: Chip Martin, London Free Press. Finalists: Steve Buist, Hamilton Spectator; Claire Brownell, Windsor Star.
Municipal Affairs (under 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Cathy Dobson, Sarnia Observer. Finalists: Scott Tracey, Guelph Mercury; Ray Spiteri, Niagara Falls Review.
Education Reporting
Winner: Rosie-Ann Grover, Kristen Calis and Jessica Cunha, Hamilton Spectator/Metroland Media Special Project. Finalists: Teri Pecoskie, Hamilton Spectator; Shawn Jeffords, St. Catharines Standard.
Online Multimedia Special Project
Winner: Barry Gray, Dean Tweed and Mark McNeil, Hamilton Spectator. Finalists: London Free Press news team; Niagara Falls Review news team.
General News Feature
Winner: Molly Hayes, Hamilton Spectator. Finalists: Jeff Outhit, Waterloo Region Record; Debora Van Brenk, London Free Press.
Joan May Memorial Award Column Writing
Winner: Patrick Kennedy, Kingston Whig-Standard. Finalists: Paul Benedetti, Hamilton Spectator; Anne Jarvis, Windsor Star.
Health News & Lifestyle Reporting
Winner: Grant LaFleche and Erica Bajer, St. Catharines Standard. Finalists: Joanna Frketich, Hamilton Spectator; Jonathan Sher, London Free Press.
James Bruce Award Arts & Entertainment Writing
Winner: Joel Rubinoff, Waterloo Region Record. Finalists: John Law, Niagara Falls Review; Amy Kenny, Hamilton Spectator.
K.A. (Sandy) Baird Award Humour Writing
Winner: Nicole MacIntyre, Hamilton Spectator. Finalists: Tom Mills, Sault Star; Chuck Brown, Guelph Mercury.
Online Photography
Winner: Jason Kryk, Windsor Star. Finalists: Robert Wilson, Waterloo Region Record; Tyler Brownbridge, Windsor Star.
Municipal Affairs (over 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Claire Brownell, Windsor Star. Finalists: Doug Schmidt, Windsor Star; Jeff Outhit, Waterloo Region Record.
Multimedia Journalism
Winner: Kristie Pearce, Windsor Star. Finalists: Sarnia Observer news team; Chris Seto, Guelph Mercury.
Social Media
Winner: Hugo Rodrigues, Brantford Expositor. Finalists: Josh Brown, Waterloo Region Record; Dan Dakin, Niagara Falls Review and St. Catharines Standard.
Jack Bowman Memorial Award Spot News Photography (under 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Mark Wanzel, Barrie Examiner. FINALISTs: Bob Tymczyszyn, St. Catharines Standard; Scott Wishart, Stratford Beacon Herald.
John E. Motz Memorial Award Design and Graphics (over 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Dean Tweed, Hamilton Spectator. Finalists: Neil Ballantyne and Tania Praeg, Waterloo Region Record; John Bullock, Hamilton Spectator.
Spot News Photography (over 25,000 circulation)
Winner: David Bebee, Waterloo Region Record. Finalists: Nick Brancaccio, Windsor Star; Peter Lee, Waterloo Region Record.
Feature Photography (over 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Craig Glover, London Free Press. Finalists: Derek Ruttan, London Free Press; Janek Lowe, Waterloo Region Record.
John E. Motz Memorial Award Design and Graphics (under 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Sherri Lavigne, Sault Star. Finalists: Tania Praeg, Guelph Mercury; Gord Howard, St. Catharines Standard.
Walter J. Blackburn Award Sports Photography (over 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Tyler Brownbridge, Windsor Star. Finalists: Derek Ruttan, London Free Press; Dax Melmer, Windsor Star.
Walter J. Blackburn Award Sports Photography (under 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Bob Tymczyszyn, St. Catharines Standard. Finalists: Tony Saxon, Guelph Mercury; Gino Donato, Sudbury Star.
Feature Photography (under 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Luke Hendry, Belleville Intelligencer. Finalists: Bob Tymczyszyn, St. Catharines Standard; Brian Thompson, Brantford Expositor.
Online Video Production
Winner: Mathew McCarthy, Waterloo Region Record. Finalists: Janek Lowe, Waterloo Region Record; Barry Gray, Hamilton Spectator..
