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 articles – Reviews (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