2019 ONPA Annual Contest Winners
George A. Smallsreed, Jr. Photographer of the Year (Small Market)
1st – Jessica Phelps/Newark Advocate
2nd – Bill Lackey/Springfield News-Sun
3rd – Erin Caldwell/Sandusky
George A. Smallsreed, Jr. Photographer of the Year (Large Market)
1st – Meg Vogel/The Cincinnati Enquirer
2nd – Lisa DeJong/The Plain Dealer
3rd – Joshua A. Bickel/The Columbus Dispatch
Award of Excellence – Albert Cesare/The Cincinnati Enquirer
Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year Award
1st – Gaelen Morse/Ohio University
2nd – Madeleine Hordinski/Ohio University
Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship
1st – Madeleine Hordinski/Ohio University
2nd – Alexandria Skowronski/Ohio University
James R. Gordon Ohio Understanding Award
1st – Erin Burk, Ohio University, “Serenity Grove”
Best of Show
Jessica Phelps/Newark Advocate, “A Farm Story”
Monthly Clip Contest Photographer of the Year
1st – Kyle Robertson, Columbus Dispatch
2nd – Jeremy Wadsworth, The Blade
3rd – Rebecca Benson, The Blade
Staff of the Year (Large Market)
1st – The Cincinnati Enquirer
2nd – The Columbus Dispatch
3rd – The Blade
Staff of the Year (Small Market)
1st – Newark Advocate
2nd – ThisWeek Community News
Feature
1st – Jeremy Wadsworth/The Blade, “Bounce House”
2nd – Meg Vogel/The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Adoption Day”
3rd – Jessica Phelps/Newark Advocate, “Barn Basketball”
Award of Excellence – Fred Squillante/The Columbus Dispatch, “Hungry Soldier”
Award of Excellence – Joshua A. Bickel/The Columbus Dispatch, “The Corrigan House”
Award of Excellence – Rebecca Benson/The Blade, “Water Slide”
Feature Picture Story
1st – Jessica Phelps/Newark Advocate, “A Farm Story”
2nd – Gaelen Morse/Ohio University, “Farming is Life”
3rd – Albert Cesare, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Finding Home”
Award of Excellence – Joshua A. Bickel/The Columbus Dispatch, “Nurse Beka”
Award of Excellence – Matthew Hatcher/Freelance, “Ukraine’s Forgotten War”
General News
1st – Bill Lackey/Springfield News-Sun, “Fudge Funeral”
2nd – Rebecca Benson/The Blade, “Clifford Murphy Funeral “
3rd – Jessica Phelps/Newark Advocate, “After the Flood”
Award of Excellence – Jeff Lange/Akron Beacon Journal, “Begging for Mercy”
Award of Excellence – Kyle Robertson/The Columbus Dispatch, “Sullivant”
Award of Excellence – Kareem Elgazzar/The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Todd Portune Tribute”
Issue Illustration
1st – Lorrie Cecil/ThisWeek Community News, “Opioid Crisis”
News Picture Story
1st – Kurt Steiss/The Blade, “Dayton Shooting”
2nd – Lisa DeJong/The Plain Dealer, “Borderwall”
3rd – Meg Vogel/The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Brookville”
Award of Excellence- Albert Cesare/The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Mass Shooting Dayton”
Pictorial
1st – Andy Morrison/The Blade, “Shalom Cemetery”
2nd – Amy E. Voigt/The Blade, “Kitty in the Window”
3rd – Albert Cesare/The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Fog”
Award of Excellence – Andy Morrison/The Blade, “Lake Erie Algae”
Award of Excellence – Jeremy Wadsworth/The Blade, “Bridges”
Portrait Personality
1st – Meg Vogel/The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Ballet Moves”
2nd – Kyle Robertson/The Columbus Dispatch, “Grad”
3rd – Fred Squillante/Columbus Dispatch, “I Look Beautiful Bald”
Award of Excellence – Lisa DeJong/The Plain Dealer, “Come Home”
Award of Excellence – Matthew Hatcher/Freelance, “Kikita”
Award of Excellence – Andy Morrison/The Blade, “Sheriff Held”
Award of Excellence – Meg Vogel/The Cincinnati Enquirer, “LeRon”
Product Illustration
1st – Kyle Robertson/The Columbus Dispatch, “Pork”
2nd – Meagan Deanne/Ohio University, “Sweet Corn”
3rd – Albert Cesare/The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Over Easy”
Award of Excellence – Albert Cesare/The Cincinnati Enquirer, “The Works”
Award of Excellence – Meg Vogel/The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Ripple Wine Bar”
Ron Kuntz Sports Photographer of the Year
1st – Kyle Roberston/The Columbus Dispatch
2nd – Joshua A. Bickel/The Columbus Dispatch
3rd – Adam Cairns/The Columbus Dispatch
Award of Excellence – Kurt Steiss/The Blade
Sports Action
1st – Gaelen Morse/Ohio University, “Powerlift”
2nd – Erik Schelkun/Elsestar Images, “Shot On Goal”
3rd – Andy Morrison/The Blade, “Rude”
Award of Excellence – Alex Conrath/ThisWeek Community News, “Jumping in the Pile”
Award of Excellence – Kurt Steiss/The Blade, “Eye Light”
Sports Feature
1st – Meg Vogel/The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Keeping Composure”
2nd – Kurt Steiss/The Blade, “Teddy Bear Toss”
3rd – Andy Morrison/The Blade, “Bull Rider”
Award of Excellence – Sam Greene/The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Amir vs. The Pirates”
Award of Excellence – Kyle Robertson/The Columbus Dispatch, “Praying”
Award of Excellence – Brooke LaValley, “Kenyon Cheerleaders”
Award of Excellence – Meagan Deanne/Ohio University, “Water Toss”
Sports Picture Story
1st – Jeff Lange/Akron Beacon Journal, “Athlete With Autism”
2nd – Joshua A. Bickel/The Columbus Dispatch, “Garrett’s Big Lift”
3rd – Kareem Elgazzar/The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Marty Brennaman’s Last Day”
Award of Excellence – Kyle Robertson/The Columbus Dispatch, “Pelotonia”
Award of Excellence – Adam Cairns/The Columbus Dispatch, “March Madness”
Spot News
1st – Matthew Hatcher/Freelance, “Tornado”
2nd – Lori King/The Blade, “Rollover”
3rd – Erin Caldwell/Sandusky Register, “Another Drowning”
Award of Excellence – Andy Morrison/The Blade, “Over the Rainbow”
Award of Excellence – Albert Cesare/The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Dayton Tornado”
Award of Excellence – Matthew Hatcher/Freelance, “Ruins of Trotwood”
Team Picture Story
1st – The Columbus Dispatch, “Memorial Tournament”
2nd – The Columbus Dispatch, “Tiger Woods”
Multimedia Photographer of the Year
1st – Meg Vogel, The Cincinnati Enquirer
2nd – Courtney Hergesheimer, The Columbus Dispatch
Audio Slideshow
1st – Brooke LaValley, “Whole and Holy”
Feature Video
1st – Meg Vogel, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Equal Parts Magical and Empowering”
2nd – Courtney Hergesheimer, The Columbus Dispatch, “Prison Tap”
3rd – Brooke LaValley, “Market Street Hardware”
News Video
1st – Sam Greene, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Dispatcher Recalls Fifth Third Shooting”
Sports Video
1st – Meg Vogel, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Xavier’s Unlikely Point Guard: Sister Rose Ann Fleming”
Documentary Video
1st – Meg Vogel, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Ten Years After Fort Hood”
2nd – Liz Dufour, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Women Come Forward About Sex Trafficking”
3rd – Courtney Hergesheimer, The Columbus Dispatch, “Fracking in Belmont County”
Still contest judges
Marcia Prouse is visuals and storytelling coach at The Tennessean in Nashville, working with photojournalists in six Gannett newspapers across Tennessee and writers in the Nashville newsroom.
She was part of two picture editing teams – at the Detroit Free Press and Orange County Register – that edited two Pulitzer Prizes in photography and five finalists.
Ryan Garza is an Emmy award-winning photojournalist was born and raised in the city of Flint, MI and covered his hometown for over a decade as a staff photographer at The Flint Journal before joining the Detroit Free Press.
Garza won the Edward R. Murrow award for his work documenting the Flint Water Crisis and was named Michigan Press Photographer of the Year in 2012.
Max Gersh is a photojournalist and visual leader at the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Previously, he helped lead visual departments in newsrooms in Illinois, Indiana and Florida.
Max is a native of Louisville, Ky.
Online and multimedia entries were judged by Megan Farmer, a visual journalist at KUOW, an NPR-affillate station in Seattle, and Sarah Hoffman, a science and environment video producer at KCTS 9, Seattle’s PBS affiliate.
Photographers of the Year
Click on the year to view contest results
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