HAMILTON –The Hamilton Spectator swept the 2015 Ontario Newspaper Awards on Saturday night, claiming 12 of the night’s 37 awards, including the prestigious Journalist of the Year and Photojournalist of the Year awards.
The Windsor Star took home five award
s, and the Guelph Mercury and Waterloo Record four. The Welland Tribune, Kingston Whig-Standard and Brantford Expositor each got two. The Sudbury Star, St. Catharines Standard, Chatham Daily News, Niagara Falls Review, Stratford Beacon-Herald and Northumberland Today eachtook home one award.
“I am always proud of my profession, but never more so than on this night when we see the quality and passion in the work we honour,” said award Chairman Howard Elliott.
The Spectator’s Steve Buist, an investigative reporter, was named Journalist of the Year for the second year in a row.
John Rennison of the Hamilton Spectator won the Richard Sutton Award to become Photojournalist of the Year.
The 61stannual awards were presented Saturday night at a gala event at the Sheraton Hotel in Hamilton attended by about 250 journalists, editors, photographers, publishers and sponsors.
Open to 32 daily newspapers across the province, the Ontario Newspaper Awards are supported by a number of sponsors including Labatt, Tim Hortons, the Council of Ontario Universities, Colleges Ontario, the Ontario College of Trades, the Ontario Professional Firefighters Association and Collio Estate Wines.
Here is the full list of 2015 winners and finalists:
Martha Blackburn Award for Journalist of the Year
Winner: Steve Buist, Hamilton Spectator
Finalist: Teri Pecoskie, Hamilton Spectator
Finalist: Paul Schliesmann, Kingston Whig-Standard
Richard Sutton Award for Photojournalist of the Year
Winner: John Rennison,Hamilton Spectator
Finalist: David Bebee, Waterloo Region Record
Finalist: Derek Ruttan, London Free Press
Municipal Affairs Reporting (under 25,000 circulation)
Winner: May Warren, Guelph Mercury
Finalist: Barbara Simpson, Sarnia Observer
Finalist: Laura Stricker, Sudbury Star
Design and Graphics (over 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Tania Praeg, Waterloo Region Record
Finalist: Diane Shantz, Waterloo Region Record
Finalist: Juanita Sims, London Free Press
Social Media
Winner: Dan Dakin, Welland Tribune
Finalist: Josh Brown, Waterloo Region Record
Finalist: Jon Willing, Ottawa Sun
James Bruce Award for Arts & Entertainment Writing
Winner: Jim Moodie, Sudbury Star
Finalist: Jeff Hicks, Waterloo Region Record
Finalist: John Law, Niagara Falls Review
Jack Bowman Memorial Award for Spot News Photography (under 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Pete Fisher, Northumberland Today
Finalist: Luke Hendry, Belleville Intelligencer
Finalist: Tony Saxon, Guelph Mercury
Municipal Affairs Reporting (over 25,000 circulation)
Winner: SteveBuist, Hamilton Spectator
Finalist: Donald McArthur and Dylan Kristy, Windsor Star
Finalist: Anne Jarvis, Windsor Star
Spot News Reporting (over 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Rosie-Ann Grover, Tom Hogue, Emma Reilly, Nicole O’Reilly, Mark McNeil: Hamilton Spectator
Finalist: Jennifer O’Brien, Jane Sims, John Miner, Dale Carruthers and Randy Richmond: London Free Press
Finalist: Nicole O’Reilly and Molly Hayes:Hamilton Spectator
Tony Fredo Memorial Award for Feature Writing (under 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Paul Schliesmann, Kingston Whig-Standard
Finalist: Barbara Simpson, Sarnia Observer
Finalist: Diana Martin, Chatham Daily News
Multi-media Journalism
Winner: Teri Pecoskie, Hamilton Spectator
Finalist: Rob Massey, Guelph Mercury
Finalist: Mark McNeil, Hamilton Spectator
Spot News Photography (over 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Scott Gardner, Hamilton Spectator
Finalist:DaxMelmer, Windsor Star
Finalist: Tony Caldwell, Ottawa Sun
John E. Motz Memorial Award
Design and Graphics (under 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Tania Praeg, Guelph Mercury
Finalist: Brad Demers, St. Catharines Standard
Finalist: Dave Ashton, Belleville Intelligencer
Online Multimedia Special Project
Winner: Carolyn Thompson, Tyler Brownbridge, Donald McArthur and Dylan Kristy: Windsor Star
Finalist: Teri Pecoskie, Hamilton Spectator
Finalist: Waterloo Region Record
Education Reporting
Winner: Teri Pecoskie, Hamilton Spectator
Finalist: Don Fraser, St. Catharines Standard
Finalist: Jon Wells, Hamilton Spectator
C.B. Schmidt Award for Novice Reporting (over 25,000 circulation)
Winner: SairaPeesker, Hamilton Spectator
Finalist: Dani-Elle Dube, Ottawa Sun
Finalist: Samantha Beattie, Hamilton Spectator
K.J. Strachan Award for Editorial, Opinion and Analysis (under 25,000 circulation)
Winner: John Law, Niagara Falls Review
Finalist: Hugo Rodrigues, Cornwall Standard Freeholder
Finalist: Dave Dawson, Orillia Packet and Times
Editorial, Opinion and Analysis (over 25,000 circulation)
Winner: John Roe, Waterloo Regional Record
Finalist: Karen Hall, Windsor Star
Finalist: Anne Jarvis, Windsor Star
Walter J. Blackburn Award for Sports Photography (under 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Brian Thompson, Brantford Expositor
Finalist: Gino Donato, Sudbury Star
Finalist: Rob Massey, Guelph Mercury
Spot News Reporting (under 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Dan Dakin, Welland Tribune
Finalist: Jim Moodie, Sudbury Star
Finalist: Greg Furminger, Welland Tribune
Feature Photography (under 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Mike Beitz, Stratford Beacon Herald
Finalist: Luke Hendry, Belleville Intelligencer
Finalist: Emily Mountney-Lessard, Belleville Intelligencer
Gene Florcyk Memorial Award for Sports Writing (over 25,000 circulation)
Winne: Grant LaFleche, St. Catharines Standard
Finalist: Josh Brown, Waterloo Region Record
Finalist: Drew Edwards, Hamilton Spectator
General News Feature
Winner:Susan Gamble, Brantford Expositor
Finalist: SusanClairmont, Hamilton Spectator
Finalist:Trevor Wilhelm, Windsor Star
Green Environment Writing
Winner: Rob O’Flanagan, Guelph Mercury
Finalist: Craig Pearson, Windsor Star
Finalist: Chris Seto, Guelph Mercury
Larry N. Smith Award for Novice Reporting (under 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Alex Migdal, Guelph Mercury
Finalist: May Warren, Guelph Mercury
Business Writing
Winner: Steve Buist, Hamilton Spectator
Finalist: Steve Arnold, Hamilton Spectator
Finalist: Joanna Frketich, Hamilton Spectator
K.A. (Sandy) Baird Award for Humour Writing
Winner: Joel Rubinoff, Waterloo Region Record
Finalist: Drew Edwards, Guelph Mercury
Finalist: Michelle Hauser, Kingston Whig-Standard
Investigative/Enterprise Reporting
Winner: SteveBuist, Hamilton Spectator
Finalist: Jon Wells, Hamilton Spectator
Finalist: Joanna Frketich, Hamilton Spectator
Robert J. Hanley Award for Sports Writing (under 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Patrick Kennedy, Kingston Whig-Standard
Finalist: Rob Massey, Guelph Mercury
Finalist: Grant LaFleche, St. Catharines Standard
Health News & Lifestyle Reporting
Winner: Steve Buist, Hamilton Spectator
Finalist: Catherine Thompson, Waterloo Region Record
Finalist: Joanna Frketich, Hamilton Spectator
Del Bell Memorial Award for Feature Writing (over 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Greg Mercer, Waterloo Region Record
Finalist: Joel Rubinoff, Waterloo Region Record
Finalist: Molly Hayes, Hamilton Spectator
Feature Photography (over 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Tyler Brownbridge, Windsor Star
Finalist: DaxMelmer, Windsor Star
Finalist: David Bebee, Waterloo Region Record
Online Photography
Winner: Dan Janisse, Windsor Star
Finalist: Derek Ruttan, London Free Press
Finalist: Jason Kryk, Windsor Star
Joan May Memorial Award for Column Writing
Winner: Anne Jarvis, Windsor Star
Finalist: Susan Clairmont, Hamilton Spectator
Finalist: Steve Milton, Hamilton Spectator
Walter J. Blackburn Award
Sports Photography (over 25,000 circulation)
Winner: Cathie Coward, Hamilton Spectator
Finalist: Kaz Novak, Hamilton Spectator
Finalist: Derek Ruttan, London Free Pres
Online Video Production
Winner: TylerBrownbridge, Windsor Star
Finalist: Mathew McCarthy, Waterloo Region Record
Finalist: Chris Seto, Guelph Mercury
Student Journalist of the Year
Winner: Dan Taekema, The Chatham Daily News
Finalist: Luke Galati, Ryerson University/Nikkei Voice
Finalist: Shaun Garrity, St. Clair College/The Converged Citizen
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