Las Cruces – Sherry Robinson, of Albuquerque, won first place for overall excellence in the 2013 New Mexico Press Women Communications Contest. The award for overall excellence goes to the entrant with the highest point score for achievement in individual categories.

Margaret Cheasebro, of Aztec, won second place, and Leota Harriman, of Edgewood, won third.

In first place for overall excellence by organization, also determined by points, is The Independent, of Edgewood. New Mexico In Depth, an online news site, won second. Rio Grande Books took third.

Awards were presented April 27 at the annual NMPW conference in Las Cruces.

The NMPW contest is the broadest of any media competition and includes print (writing, editing, design), photography, radio, television, electronic communications, advertising, public relations, speech, and books.

Nonmembers may enter, and the organization welcomes men as members. First-place entries go on to competition with the National Federation of Press Women.

Here are the winners in individual categories:

News story, newspaper: 2^nd place, Lindsey Anderson, Las Cruces Sun-News.

Continuing coverage or unfolding news: 2^nd place, Leota Harriman and Ellen Burgess, The Independent; 3^rd place, Mary Alice Murphy, Silver City, Grant County News Beat.

Investigative Reporting: 1^st place, Sherry Robinson, Gallup Independent; 3^rd place, Laura Paskus, New Mexico In Depth.

Enterprise Reporting: 1^st place, Diane Schmidt, Gallup Independent; 2^nd and 3^rd place, Lindsey Anderson, New Mexico in Depth.

Special Series: 1^st place, Heath Haussamen, Trip Jennings, Deborah Busemeyer, Diana Alba Soular, Robert Nott, New Mexico in Depth; 2^nd place, Bud Russo, Las Cruces, Southwest Senior.

Editorial/ Opinion, newspaper: 1^st and 2^nd place, Leota Harriman, The Independent.

Editorial/ Opinion, online publication: 1^st place, Heath Haussamen, New Mexico In Depth; 2^nd place, Trip Jennings, New Mexico n Depth.

Feature story, newspaper: 1^st place, Peter St. Cyr, Santa Fe Reporter; 3^rd place, Sharon Steely, Taos News.

Feature story, magazine: 1^st and 2^nd place, Lyn Bleiler-Strong, Taos, Santa Fe Trend Art & Architecture Magazine; 3^rd place, Claudette Sutton, Santa Fe, Tumbleweeds; honorable mention, Loretta Hall, USA Today Special Edition NASA’s Future in Space; honorable mention, Jessica Savage, Las Cruces magazine.

Feature story in an online publication: 1^st place, Loretta Hall, RocketSTEM; 2^nd place, Benito Aragon, New Mexico Mercury; 2^nd place, V. B. Price, New Mexico Mercury; 3^rd place, Chris Burroughs, CNM.

Personality profile: 1^st place, Peter St. Cyr, Santa Fe Reporter; 2^nd place, Sherry Robinson, UNM Mirage; 3^rd place, Margaret Cheasebro, Majestic Living; honorable mention, Daniella Wiedel, Las Cruces Sun-News.

Specialty articles, agriculture: 1^st place, Bud Russo, Las Cruces, Southwest Senior.

Specialty articles, arts and entertainment: 1^st place, Margaret Cheasebro, Majestic Living.

Specialty articles, business: 1^st place, Sherry Robinson, Gallup Independent.

Specialty articles, education: 1^st place, Margaret Cheasebro; 2^nd place, Majestic Living; Chris Burroughs, CNM.

Specialty articles, environmental: 1^st place, Margaret Cheasebro, Majestic Living.

Specialty articles, history: 1^st place, Sherry Robinson, Wild West and New Mexico News Services; 2^nd place, Bud Russo, Southwest Senior; 3^rd place, Jerry Ueckert, The Independent.

Specialty articles, science or technology: 2nd place, Karen Wentworth, UNM.

Specialty articles, sports: 1^st place, Margaret Cheasebro, Majestic Living and Four Corners Sports.

Specialty articles, travel: 1^st place, Bud Russo, Southwest Senior.

Columns, humorous: honorable mention, Wendel Sloan, Portales News Tribune.

Columns, general: 1^st place, Claudette Sutton, Santa Fe, Tumbleweeds.

Columns, informational: 3^rd place, Sherri Burr, Albuquerque, Southwest Sage.

Columns, personal opinion: 1^st place, Merilee Dannemann, Albuquerque, New Mexico News Services; 2^nd and 3^rd place, Sherry Robinson, New Mexico News Services; honorable mention, Diane Schmidt.

Headlines: 1^st place, Claudette Sutton, Steve Harrington, Shirl Harrington, Tumbleweeds.

Sections or Supplements: 1^st place, Leota Harriman, The Independent.

Publications regularly edited by entrant: 1^st place, Melissa Stroud, Sandia Prep; 2^nd place, Claudette Sutton, Tumbleweeds; 3^rd place, Ruth Friesen, Wagon Tracks; and honorable mention, Spanish Traces.

Single photograph, news or feature photo: 1^st place, Julie Carter; 2^nd place, Marjorie Fiske, The Independent; 3^rd place, Roger Holden; honorable mention; Leota Harriman – all of The Independent.

Single photograph, sports: 1^st place, Carlton Kenway; 2^nd place, Brenda Tapia – both of The Independent.

Single photograph, general photo: 1^st place, Carlton Kenway, The Independent; 2^nd and 3^rd place, Ruth Friesen, Spanish Traces.

Photo essay: 1^st place, Andi Murphy, New Mexico In Depth; 2^nd place, Mary Alice Murphy, Grant County News Beat.

On-the-scene report, radio: 1^st place, Laura Paskus, KUNM.

Interview, radio or television: 1^st and 3^rd place, Leora Zeitlin, KRGW; 2^nd place, Sherri Burr, UPublic TV.

Talk Show, radio or television: 1^st place, Gail Rubin, Toginet; 2^nd place, Sherri Burr, UPublic TV.

Writing for the Web: 1^st place, Wendel Sloan, ENMU

Website editing: 1^st place, Karen Wentworth, Carolyn Gonzales, Steve Carr, Mara Kerkez, UNM; 2^nd place, Wendel Sloan, ENMU, and Mary Alice Murphy, The Grant County Beat; 3^rd place, Angela Plusquellic, LCF Research website for the New Mexico Health Information Collaborative.

Blogs, nonprofit, government, or educational: 1^st place, Mariah Nissen, Lorena Hughes Stephanie Nakleh.

Blogs, personal: 1^st place, Merilee Dannemann; 2^nd place, Mandi Kane; 3^rd place, Lauren Camp.

Advertising campaigns built around one subject (print, online, or combination): 2^nd place, Sharon Steely, UNM.

Advertising posters, billboards, and banners: 2^nd place, Sharon Steely, UNM

Radio advertising: 2^nd place, Wendel Sloan, ENMU

Marketing program or campaign for new or existing service or product: 2^nd place, Scott Alley, New Mexico State Fair.

Speech: 1^st place, Loretta Hall, “Pre-OSHA Space Research in New Mexico,” New Mexico Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers.

Novels: 1^st place, Elaine Hampton, Solar Noon; 2^nd place, Anne Hillerman, Spider Woman’s Daughter.

Nonfiction books, biography or autobiography: 1^st place, Elaine Hampton, Anay’s Will to Learn; 2^nd place, Gale O’Brien, Transformation; 3^rd place, Elizabeth Raby, Ransomed Voices.

Nonfiction books, history: 1^st place, Sherry Robinson, I Fought a Good Fight: A History of the Lipan Apaches; 2^nd place, Don Bullis, Unsolved; 3^rd place, Gary Herron, Duke City Diamonds; honorable mention, Richard Melzer and John Taylor, Murdery, Mystery and Mayhem in the Rio Abajo.

Nonfiction books, general: 1^st place, Janet Yagoda Shagam, An Unintended Journey; 2^nd place, Sally Ooms, Finding Home; 3^rd place, Gary Herron, Duke City Diamonds; honorable mention, Paul Rhetts, Voices of New Mexico, Too.

Young-adult books, nonfiction: 3^rd place, Sharleen Daugherty, Young Voices of Silver City.

Short Stories, collection: 1^st place, Paul Rhetts, Voices of New Mexico, Too; 3^rd place, Sharleen Daugherty, Young Voices of Silver City.

Creative Verse, single poem: 1^st place, Lauren Camp; 3^rd place and honorable mention, Ruth Friesen.

Creative Verse, book of poetry: 1^st place, Lauren Camp, The Dailiness; 2^nd place, Robyn Hunt, The Shape of Caught Water.

Essay, chapter, or section in a book: 2^nd place, Sherri Burr, “Lunch with Max Evans” in SWW Anthology.