RICHMOND
On Saturday evening, staff members of The Tidewater News attended the Virginia Press Association Awards Banquet in Richmond, where they once again received the association’s highest award. The VPA started giving out the Grand Sweepstakes award three years ago, and The Tidewater News has walked away with the top prize in their circulation class, Non-Daily 1, each time.

“We really take pride in our work and strive to produce excellent content for our readers,” said publisher Tony Clark. “To have those efforts validated by our peers in this wonderful profession is incredibly gratifying.”

The paper also took home its third-consecutive Advertising Sweepstakes in the Non-Daily 1 category.

“Winning the VPA awards is always an honor,” page designer Retta Lomax said. “I work with a wonderful group of people that are like family to me and we work hard all year long to produce the best resource for quality news and advertising. I am so very proud to be a part of The Tidewater News.”

Sweepstakes awards are given to a publication based on its cumulative point totals in various categories, earning three points for each first-place award; two points for each second-place award; and one point for each third-place award. To qualify for a grand sweepstakes award, a publication must win at least one award in each of the two major components — news and advertising. The newspaper narrowly missed sweeping the top three prizes, placing second in the News Sweepstakes and missing the top spot by only three points.

“I’m extremely proud of the staff at The Tidewater News for bringing home the Grand Sweepstakes for the third-consecutive year. It’s an honor to work with such great talent at the editorial level, and it brings great enjoyment to see the amazing work done by our graphic and advertising departments on a daily basis,” sports editor and staff writer Andrew Lind said. “Personally, it’s a great feeling to be recognized by my peers in the industry. I couldn’t be more thankful or appreciative of the people who have supported me and pushed me to be a better journalist.

“However, there is still room for me — and this newspaper — to get better, and I hope we continue to strive to bring the best possible content to Western Tidewater’s front door,” Lind added.

Awards given out in the news category were:

• Staff – second place, multimedia news report;

• Staff – third place, best website;

• Cain Madden – second place, breaking news photo;

• Andrew Lind – first place, photo-illustration;

• Loretta Lomax, staff – first place, editorial pages;

• Loretta Lomax – third place, lifestyle or entertainment pages;

• Cain Madden – first place, page design;

• Staff – third place, special sections or special editions;

• Cain Madden – first place, education writing;

• Andrew Lind – first place, feature story writing;

• Andrew Lind – third place, feature series or continuing story;

• Andrew Lind – first place, feature series or continuing story;

• Andrew Lind – health, science and environmental writing;

• Andrew Lind – third place, sports writing portfolio; and

• Cain Madden – first place, sports writing portfolio

Awards given out in the advertising category were:

• Loretta Lomax – first place, entertainment;

• Loretta Lomax – first place, small space ads;

• Loretta Lomax – third place, small space ads;

• Loretta Lomax, Ryan Outlaw – third place, multiple advertisers and themed pages;

• Ryan Outlaw – first place, home and garden;

• Ryan Outlaw – first place, food & drug;

• Ryan Outlaw – first place, automotive;

• Ryan Outlaw – first place, real estate;

• Ryan Outlaw – first place, online advertising;

• Ryan Outlaw – first place, single-sheet inserts, wraps, flexis, adhesive notes;

• Ryan Outlaw – second place, entertainment;

• Ryan Outlaw – second place, automotive;

• Ryan Outlaw – second place, multiple advertisers and themed pages;

• Ryan Outlaw – third place, home and garden;

• Ryan Outlaw – third place, fashion and personal care;

• Ryan Outlaw – third place, entertainment;

• Ryan Outlaw – third place, automotive;

• Ryan Outlaw – third place, real estate; and

• Ryan Outlaw – first place, slick publications.