The winners of the 2016 New Mexico Press Women Communications Contest have been announced.

Fifty-three contestants took home nearly 140 certificates honoring their work from the previous year. There are 64 separate media categories in which participants can enter.
A highlight of the contest is the Awards of Excellence, given to writers and organizations who make major contributions to their communities through their work. The Award of Excellence is based on a weighted scale: the more entries in a media category, the more points the winners earn. For example, a first place in a category with three entries earns four points. That same first place in a category with ten entries earns five points. Writers entering multiple categories stand the better chance of winning an Award of Excellence.
This year, The Awards of Excellence went to:
Nicolás Cabrera — First Place
Margaret Cheasebro — Second Place
Colleen Keane — Third Place
Peter St. Cyr — Honorable Mention
The top organizations were:
Majestic Living, Farmington — First Place
Frontera NorteSur, NMSU, Las Cruces — Second Place
Navajo Times, Window Rock, AZ — Third Place
Rio Grande Books, Albuquerque — Honorable Mention
Santa Fe Reporter, Santa Fe — Honorable Mention
Download the winners list: NMPW 2016 Contest Winners with city (PDF)

Congratulations to the 2016 NMPW contest winners!

The 2016 NMPW Communications Contest is in the books! With 170 entries in 56 categories, 50 entries were awarded first place and qualified to move on the NFPW contest. Congratulations to all the winners and finalists.
Thanks to our Communications Contest Committee: Marissa Bond, Bud Russo, and Tracy Roy for all their hard work in making this year’s contest a reality. Thanks, also, to our judges around the country for supporting our contest. We couldn’t do it without you! Of course, we appreciate everyone who entered the contest and hope that you’ll save up your best work of 2016 to enter in next year’s contest.
Download the winners list: NMPW 2016 Contest Winners with City (PDF)
(Corrected 4/26/2016)

18 First-Place National Awards for New Mexico Press Women in National Federation of Press Women Contest, 43 awards total

by Diane J. Schmidt, 2015 Excellence in Communications Contest Chair

     The National Federation of Press Women Excellence in Communications Contest results have just been announced and the New Mexico Press Women state affiliate has won 43 Awards: 18 First-Place Awards, 11 Second-Place, 7 Third-Place and 7 Honorable Mentions. Twenty-five states submitted 405 first-place entries. New Mexico submitted 64 entries of their state’s 65 first-place winners. Award announcements are going out by email to each individual from NFPW this week, and the results are listed below. Certificates will be mailed out in September following the national conference in Alaska.

     Highlights of the New Mexico wins include first place author awards: to Norma Libman for her adult novel, “Lonely River Village”; to Janie Chodosh for her young-adult novel “Death Spiral, A Faith Flores Mystery”; and to Daniel Gibson and Kitty Leaken for their biography of Native American artist “Kevin Red Star.” Hats off to Winter Ross, for her short story, “Orienting Heaven” and to Nicolas Cabrera for his single poem, “La Yerbabuena.”

     Salutes to print reporters for their hard-won first place awards, notably to Peter St. Cyr for two first place wins, for his news story “Ticket to Nowhere” on immigrants being scammed, and for his investigative reporting piece “Rx Test” on the potency of medical marijuana products being sold. Congratulations to reporter Lindsey Anderson for her coverage of the most difficult subject, child abuse. Hats off to Mary Alice Murphy for winning first-place in the 500 word personality profile category for “A determined and dedicated 4-Her does not let injury deter her.” Acclaim to Albuquerque Journal’s long-time “Sage” editor Carolyn Flynn, and to Donna Olmstead on another difficult topic, addiction, with “Recovery Road.” Marissa Bond walks away with top awards for her writing, Claudette Sutton garners two first place awards, one for columns and another for the book trailer for her award-winning book “Farewell, Aleppo.” Ellen Berkovitch snags another first-place for her website Adobe Airstream, with a mysterious-sounding pod piece – I just love that title “Blue Curry on Tourism and sitelines,” and a really big win for Tara Lumpkin’s website, “Voices for BioDiversity” won first for websites, and TV awards to Kathleen McCleery and Megan Kamerick for their quality productions. You all make New Mexico look good for all of us!

     2015 New Mexico Press Women Communications Chair Diane Schmidt says “Congratulations to everyone! this is a real honor to be recognized among your colleagues.” Award announcements are going out by email to each individual from NFPW this week. Certificates will be mailed out in September following the national conference being held this year in Alaska, where Anne Hillerman will be representing New Mexico as this year’s New Mexico Communicator of Achievement.

     For your convenience download press release or formatted excel listings by category, name, placement, entry titles. Here is the complete list of NFPW contest winners.

     Here are the awards won by New Mexico authors in the 2015 National Federation of Press Women Contest as follows:

Place Name Entry Title Category
First Peter St. Cyr “Ticket to Nowhere” News story – Print-base newspaper 01A – Santa Fe Reporter
First Peter St. Cyr “Rx Test” Investigative reporting 03x – Santa Fe Reporter
First Lindsey Anderson “Child Abuse Series” Enterprise reporting 04x – New Mexico InDepth/Las Cruces News-Sun
First Mary Murphy “A determined 4-Her does not let injury deter her” Personality profile – 500 words 09A – Grant County Beat
First Marissa Bond “A Tuna Christmas” “Holiday Cheer” Specialty articlesReviews (personal opinion must be expressed) 10O
First Claudette Sutton “Tokens of Love” “Writing Dad” Columns – General 11B
First Carolyn Flynn “Sage Magazine” Publications regularly edited by entrant – Newspaper 15A – Albuquerque Journal
First Kathleen McCleery “Jet Fuel Leak” Prepared report (news, features, sports,opinion) Television 22B – PBS News Hour
First Kathleen McCleery “A New Mexico Town Confronts Immigration Crisis” Special programming – Television 23B – PBS News Hour
First Megan Kamerick “Interview with Valerie Plame” Interview (radio or television) 24x for KNME-TV – New Mexico in Focus
First Tara Lumpkin “Voices for Biodiversity” Web site edited or managed by entrant – Nonprofit, 28A
First Ellen Berkovitch “Blue Curry on Tourism – and Sitelines” Podcasts 29x- Adobe Airstream
First Claudette Sutton “Farewell, Aleppo” (Book Trailer) Videos for website – Special-interest 32C
First Norma Libman “Lonely River Village” Novels for adult readers 56x Rio Granata Press
First Kitty Leaken and Daniel Gibson “Kevin Red Star” Nonfiction books for adult readers – Biography 57A – Gibbs Smith Publisher
First Janie Chodosh “Death Spiral, A Faith Flores Science Mystery” Young-adult books – Fiction 59A – The Poisoned Pencil Publisher
First Winter Ross “Orienting Heaven” Short stories – Single story 60A
First Nicolas Cabrera “La Yerbabuena” Creative verse – Single poem 61A
Second New Mexico News Port staff of 13 UNM undergraduates* UNM New Mexico NewsPort State Election Campaign Coverage Continuing coverage (adult category) 02x
Second Donna Olmstead “Recovery Road” on addiction – Special series 05x Albuquerque Journal
Second Margaret Cheasebro “Meditating Among Trees” Editorial/Opinion – Magazine, newsletter, non-newspaper print publications 07B
Second Ariana Kramer “Presidential Hopeful?” “Act of Kindness” Specialty articles – Arts and entertainment 10C Taos News
Second Sherri Burr Arts Talk: Max Evans and a Few Friends Talk Show (radio or television) 25x
Second Marguerite Kearns “Book on Suffrage Martyr” “New film” Blogs – Nonprofit 30A
Second Marguerite Kearns “‘Spirit of 1776’: A suffragette anthem” Videos for website – Nonprofit 32A
Second Angela Plusquellic Advertising Campaign “NMHC” Advertising campaigns 34x
Second Kyle Lord, Michael Warren, Kate Nash “Treasurer candidates hit the long road” Writing – News – College 52A
Second Donald Levering “The Water Leveling With Us” Creative verse – Book of poetry 61B Red Mountain Press
Second Kathleen Dexter “Commit” Screenplay 62x
Third Colleen Keane “After the Guns Have Been Laid Down” News story – Online publication – New Media Street News 01C
Third Karen Wentworth “Reading the history of the Chiricahua Apaches in what they left behind; Lifelong activist donates collection to UNM Center for Southwest Research” Specialty articles – History 10J
Third Karen Wentworth “Researchers discover catalytic converter breakthrough” “UNM startup to prove it can protect crops from the desert locust” Specialty articles – Science or technology 10P
Third Claudette Sutton “Tumbleweeds Magazine for Santa Fe Families” Publications regularly edited by entrant – Magazine 15B
Third Isabel Gonzalez, Kate Nash “Land commissioner living the wild life” Writing – Features – College 52B
Third Dede Feldman “Inside the New Mexico Senate: Boots, Suits and Citizens” Nonfiction books for adults – General nonfiction 57F
Third Diane Schmidt “What Chanting A Prayer Might Just Do for You” in “Music: Carrier of Intention” Essay in a book 63x
HM Dianne Layden “Alleged Hate Crimes at Nosh Deli in Albuquerque” News story – Magazine, newsletter, non-newspaper 01B
HM Marissa Bond “A century and counting” “Mesilla home offers many stories to owner” Specialty articles – Home (interior décor, furniture, arch) 10L
HM Lyn Bleiler-Strong “Highest Peak Retreat” “Lift – From one pioneer to another” Specialty articles – Sports 10R
HM Mary Murphy “About Grant County Beat” Writing for the web 27x
HM Ellen Berkovitch Web site edited or managed by entrant – Corporate or for-profit 28B – “Adobe Airstream”
HM Merilee Dannemann “Triple-Spaced Again” Blogs – Personal 30C
HM Natalie Reid “Those Good Gertrudes” Book edited by entrant 64x – John Hopkins University Press

*Congratulations to the 13 UNM undergraduates and their instructor:

Liam Cary-Eaves

Micaela Eldridge-Lane

Kyle Lord

Jessi Mace

Michael Warren

Kendra Williams

Aaron Anglin

Priscilla Banuelos

Moriah Carty

Marcus Jaramillo

J.R. Oppenheim

Jillian Roach

Kate Nash, Instructor

 

Reflections from our Ghost Ranch conference

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I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at the scenic Ghost Ranch, where I received two awards for my writing and the Doris Gregory Memorial Scholarship. I met inspiring people, attended intriguing workshops, and enjoyed vegan cuisine (my favorite dish was the tofu taco option at lunch on Saturday). I’m very grateful I had the opportunity to be at the conference, where I formed connections with many wonderful women and men and learned how to strengthen my writing skills. I look forward to keeping in touch with everyone!

Best,
Desiree M. Cooper
Eastern New Mexico University