By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Managing Editor

ORANGE BEACH – For the 17th year in a row, the Shelby County Reporter won the Alabama Press Association’s biggest award of the year at this year’s APA Media Awards banquet held on Saturday night, June 24 at Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach.

Competing in Division C alongside the largest weekly publications in the state, the Reporter won General Excellence for the 17th year in a row.

In addition to winning the top overall award in the division, Shelby County Newspapers, Inc. had several other highlights at this year’s APA Convention, winning the Ad Sweepstakes category for the second year in a row, Magazine of the Year for the second year in a row, Photo of the Year for the first time in the 17-year run and Ad of the Year.

SCNI totaled 56 top-three finishes in the editorial contest, 28 in the advertising category and 16 in the magazine contest, setting a new historic mark in each with a total of 100 top-three finishes in this year’s contest.

The Shelby County Reporter editorial team was responsible for 18 total wins as well as this year’s Photo of the Year, while they totaled 38 other finishes inside the top three.

As for the advertising team, they put together nine wins this year as well as the Ad of the Year, while they totaled an additional 18 finishes inside the top 10.

And for the second year in a row, Vestavia Hills Magazine was named the Magazine of the Year in the magazine portion of the contest. That was part of six wins for SCNI magazines this year, which includes Vestavia Hills, Hoover’s Magazine, Homewood Life, Shelby Living and Mountain Brook Magazine. There were an additional 10 wins for SCNI magazines at this year’s banquet. 

Each year, Shelby County Newspapers, Inc. is responsible for those five magazines as well as the Shelby County Reporter, Alabaster Reporter and Pelham Reporter in addition to Helena – The Magazine and the digital 280 Reporter.

This year, 58 publications submitted 1,920 entries in the editorial contest, 28 publications submitted 555 entries in the advertising contest and 16 publications submitted 330 entries in the magazine contest. The North Carolina Press Association judged all work and determined the top three finishers in each category.

Shelby County Newspapers, Inc. received the following awards: 

Editorial Contest (56)

-First place in General Excellence

-First place and photo of the year by Jeremy Raines for Pelham football photo

-First place in the Best News Feature Story Coverage for “Tracking an ongoing issue” by Meg Herndon

-First place in the Best Sports Feature Story category for “Best Day Ever” by Alec Etheredge

-First place in the Best Niche Publication Newsprint or Glossy category for “Football Magazine” by Alec Etheredge

-First place in the Best Public Service category for “Chelsea school system vote” by Emily Sparacino and Alec Etheredge

-First place in the Best Spot News category for “A Close Call” by Alec Etheredge

-First place in the Best Use of Photographs/Editorial Content category by Connor Bucy and Jamie Dawkins

-First place in the Best Layout and Design category by Connor Bucy and Jamie Dawkins

-First place in the Best Editorial Column or Commentary category for “Sharon Yeager’s Impact was endless” by Alec Etheredge

-First place in the Beat Feature Photo category for “Bull Riding” by Keith McCoy

-First place for Best News Photo for “A close call” by Alec Etheredge

-First place in the Best Editorial Page or Section category by staff

-First place in the Best Lifestyle/Family Pages category by staff

-First place in the Online Breaking News Coverage category for “Helena double homicide” by Michelle Love and Alec Etheredge

-First place in the Best Use of Social Media category for “Instagram Reels” by staff

-First place in the Best Use of Video (Shorter than 2 minutes) category for “Peyton Grillo sinks 3-pointer” by Alec Etheredge

-First place in the Best Community Event category for “Election Forums” by Keith McCoy

-Second place in the Best Sports Coverage category by Alec Etheredge

-Second place in the Best Sports Feature Story category for “Looking forward” by Alec Etheredge

-Second place in the Best Spot News category for “Helena police investigating double homicide” by Michelle Love

-Second place in the Best Editorial category for “Hitting too close to home” by Alec Etheredge

-Second place in the Best Human Interest Column for “Braxton’s special purpose” by Alec Etheredge

-Second place in the Best Editorial Column or Commentary category for “Decision needs transparency” by Alec Etheredge

-Second place in the Best Sports Single Event Story category for “Best Day Ever” by Alec Etheredge

-Second place in the Best Sports News In-Depth Coverage category for “World Games Coverage” by staff

-Second place in the Best Local News Coverage category by staff

-Second place in the Best Local Sports Column category for “The importance of autism awareness” by Alec Etheredge

-Second place in the Best Feature Photo category for “Jake Crooks” by Keith McCoy

-Second place in the Best News Photo category for “Melting their hearts: Puppies on ice” by Dawn Harrison

-Second place in the Best Local Education Coverage category by staff

-Second place in the Best Photo Essay category for “Unbelieva-Bull” by Keith McCoy

-Second place in the Creative Use of Multimedia category for “Thompson state championship video” by Alec Etheredge

-Second place in the Online Breaking News Coverage category for “Saint Stephens Episcopal shooting” by Alec Etheredge and Emily Sparacino.

-Second place in the Best Use of Social Media category for “Instagram Photos” by staff

-Second place in the Best Podcast Series category for “Shelby County Facebook Live Pregame Show” by Alec Etheredge

-Second place in the Best Use of Video (Shorter than 2 minutes) category for “Monster Walk” by Meg Herndon

-Second place in the Best Production and Printing category

-Second place in the Best Newspaper Website category

-Third place in the Best News Feature Story Coverage category for “Community unites to honor Chayse Jones” by Alec Etheredge

-Third place in the Best Editorial category for “Facing fears is about more than ourselves” by Alec Etheredge

-Third place in the Best Editorial Column or Commentary category for “Chelsea needs a school system” by Alec Etheredge

-Third place in the Best Sports Photo category for “Brady Dunn gets horizontal on dunk” by Keith McCoy

-Third place in the Best Local Education Coverage category by staff

-Third place in the Best Use of Graphics or Illustrations category for “Changing directions” by Connor Bucy

-Third place in the Best Headline category for “A real go ‘Gitter’” by Alec Etheredge

-Third place in the Best Special Section Newsprint category for “Thompson football” by Alec Etheredge

-Third place in the Best Niche Publication Newsprint or Glossy category for “Profile” by Staff

-Third place in the Creative Use of Multimedia category for “Crumbl opening video” by Alec Etheredge

-Third place in the Best Use of Social Media category for “Shelby County Facebook Live Pregame show” by Alec Etheredge

-Third place in the Best Podcast Series category for “The Shelby County Football Show” by Alec Etheredge

-Third place in the Best Use of Video (Shorter than 2 minutes) category for “Thompson Vestavia quarterfinal recap” by Alec Etheredge

-Third place in the Best Use of Video (Longer than 2 minutes) category for “Thompson wins fourth championship in a row by Alec Etheredge

-Third place in the Best Community Event category for “Soccer Media Days” by staff

-Third place in the First Amendment Award category for “Briarwood principal firing” by Alec Etheredge

Advertising Contest (28)

-Ad of the Year for “Ace Hardware Help Wanted” by Vee Romero

-First place in the Advertising Sweepstakes Award category

-First place in the Best Innovative Online Advertising – Single Ad category for “Buck Creek Family Dental Back to School” by staff

-First place in the Best Presentation of Online Advertising category

-First place in the Best Use of Humor category for “Lawn Mower for Sale” by Vee Romero

-First place in the Best Signature Page category for “Thompson” by staff

-First place in the Best Classified Display Ad category for “Lawn Mower for sale” by Vee Romero

-First place in the Best Original/Creative Idea category for “Compact Brain” by staff

-First place in the Best Regularly Scheduled Special Section – Newsprint or Glossy for “Graduation” by staff

-First place in the Best Single Ad over ½ page black and white category for “CPAPA Plus” by staff

-Second place in the Online Revenue Builder category for “Digital Subscriptions” by Meg Herndon

-Second place in the Best Single Ad over ½ page black and white category for “Pelham Palooza” by staff

-Second place in the Best Innovative Online Advertising – Single Ad category for “Home Plate Cooking Stop Worrying About Dinner” by Staff

-Second place in the Best Niche Publication category for “Visitor’s Guide” by staff

-Second place in the Best Classified Display Ad category for “Birmingham Water Works career fair” by staff

-Second place in the Best Advertising Campaign for “Coosa Valley MRI” by staff

-Second place in Best One Time Special Section – Newsprint or Glossy for “Profile” by staff

-Second place in the Best Classified Page or Section category for the Shelby County Reporter by staff

-Second place in the Best Regularly Scheduled Special Section – Newsprint or Glossy for “Football Magazine” by staff

-Third place in the Best Single Ad over ½ page black and white category for “Chamber Small Business” by staff

-Third place in the Online Revenue Builder category for “Shelby County Reporter Daily Email” by staff

-Third place in the Best Innovative Online Advertising – Single Ad category for “Buck Creek Family Dental Of” by Staff

-Third place in the Best Use of Humor category for “Vulcan Mosquito” by staff

-Third place in the Best Niche Publication category for “Profile” by staff

-Third place in the Best Signature Page category for “Veterans Day” by staff

-Third place in the Best Classified Display Ad category for “Ace Hardware” by staff

-Third place in the Best One Time Special Section – Newsprint or Glossy category for “Thompson” by staff

-Third place in the Best Single Ad ½ page and under black and white category for “Bolton Headstone” by staff

Magazine Contest (16)

-First place in Magazine of the Year for Vestavia Hills Magazine

-First place in the Best Single Feature Story category for “Meet Two-Lap Cap” by Rick Lewis and Evelyn Adams in Mountain Brook Magazine

-First place in the Best Photo Essay category for “The Cutting Edge” by staff in Homewood Life Magazine

-First place in the Best Single Ad category for “Mantooth Interiors” by staff in Vestavia Hills Magazine

-First place in the Best Culinary Feature category for “Hometown Flavors” by Elizabeth Sturgeon and Keith McCoy in Vestavia Hills Magazine

-First place in the Best Column category for “Classic Crescent City” by Christiana Roussel in Vestavia Hills Magazine

-Second place in the Best Business Feature category for “Evoking Emotion” by Michelle Love and Blair Ramsey in Vestavia Hills Magazine

-Second place in the Best Photo Essay category for “The Force is Strong” by staff in Vestavia Hills Magazine

-Second place in the Best Overall Design category for Vestavia Hills Magazine

-Second place in the Best Culinary Feature category for “Pinks ‘N Sweets” by Madoline Markham and Mary Fehr in Vestavia Hills Magazine

-Second place in the Best Column category for “Chattanooga Like a Loca” by Christiana Roussel in Vestavia Hills Magazine

-Third place in the Best Photo Essay category for “Spark of an idea” by Lauren H. Dowdle and Blair Ramsey in Vestavia Hills Magazine

-Third place in the Best Single Photograph category for “The Cutting Edge” by staff in Homewood Life Magazine

-Third place in the Best Advertising Campaign or Series category for “Village Drug Co.” by staff

-Third place in the Best Travel Feature category for “Chattanooga Like a Local” by Christiana Roussel in Vestavia Hills Magazine

-Third place in the Best Culinary Feature category for “Pour Forth” by Elizabeth Sturgeon and Blair Ramsey in Vestavia Hills Magazine