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The Tidewater News earned the Virginia Press Association(VPA) 2023 Grand Sweepstakes award for overall excellence in the VPA’s Non-Daily 2 category at the annual awards banquet in Charlottesville on May 4. This is the newspaper’s fifth consecutive year of being named best in the Non-Daily 2 category.

The Tidewater News also earned the 2023 Advertising Sweepstakes, the 11th time the newspaper has won this award. 

The newspaper won over 30 awards in the news and advertising contest for entries published between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2023. 

The banquet, an annual statewide gathering of journalists and advertising professionals, was held at The Omni Charlottesville Hotel in Charlottesville.

The newspaper competes in the VPA’s Non-Daily 2 category against other newspapers throughout the state, with paid print circulation between 1,600 and 3,999.

The awards were judged by journalists and advertising professionals from Missouri.

Advertising Director Mitzi Lusk took home first-place honors in five categories, including digital and small space ads. Lusk also won nine second and third-place awards.

Staff reporter Titus Mohler earned first place in Headline Writing and Picture Story or Essay, as well as two third-place finishes. 

Designer Loretta Lomax swept the Entertainment advertising category, placing first, second, and third. Overall, Lomax took home 12 awards. 

The Tidewater News also swept first, second, and third place in the Digital Advertising category, with Lusk taking first and second place and Lomax placing third.

Below is a list of the winning entries.

First Place

Automotive	First Place	Mitzi Lusk
Digital Advertising	First Place	Mitzi Lusk
Entertainment	First Place	Loretta Lomax
Food and Drug	First Place	Loretta Lomax
Headline Writing	First Place	Titus Mohler
Lifestyles	First Place	Mitzi Lusk
Page Design	First Place	Loretta Lomax
Picture Story or Essay	First Place	Titus Mohler
Real Estate	First Place	Mitzi Lusk
Small Space Ads	First Place	Mitzi Lusk
Special Sections (standalone section non-slick cover)	First Place	Loretta Lomax
Sports Pages	First Place	Loretta Lomax

 

Second Place

Digital Advertising	Second Place	Mitzi Lusk
Education, Churches, and Organizations	Second Place	Mitzi Lusk
Entertainment	Second Place	Loretta Lomax
Food and Drug	Second Place	Mitzi Lusk
Front Page	Second Place	Loretta Lomax
General Make-Up	Second Place	Loretta Lomax
Home and Garden	Second Place	Mitzi Lusk
Lifestyles	Second Place	Mitzi Lusk
Multiple Advertisers and Themed Pages	Second Place	Mitzi Lusk
Professional Services (excluding medical/healthcare)	Second Place	Mitzi Lusk
Small Space Ads	Second Place	Michelle Gray
Special Sections (standalone section non-slick cover)	Second Place	Loretta Lomax

 

Third Place

Digital Advertising	Third Place	Loretta Lomax
Education, Churches, and Organizations	Third Place	Loretta Lomax
Entertainment	Third Place	Loretta Lomax
Government Writing	Third Place	Titus Mohler
Home and Garden	Third Place	Mitzi Lusk
Professional Services (excluding medical/healthcare)	Third Place	Mitzi Lusk