#NSNC16 Annual Contest
Judges have completed their task and chosen the finalists of the 2016 Annual Column Contest of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists.
They’ve also ranked them, but that’s a secret until the June 25 Awards Banquet of the 40th annual NSNC Conference, June 24-26 at the Hotel Angeleno in Los Angeles. Finalists and honorable mention recipients (all listed below, alphabetically) are heartily invited to spend the weekend with us; details below.
Each contestant submitted three columns or blog/multimedia posts published in calendar year 2015. First place in each category will receive $300, second place $200 and third place $100, in addition to certificates suitable for framing. Category judges could select one or more contestants, or none, for honorable mention. Those writers receive certificates. The rules for this year’s contest may answer other questions.
Contest A – General Interest – Over 50,000 Circulation
- Frank Harris, III, Hartford (Connecticut) Courant
- Mary Mitchell, Chicago Sun-Times
- Ronnie Polaneczky, Philadelphia Daily News
Honorable Mention
- Patricia Bunin, San Gabriel Valley (California) Tribune, Pasadena (California) Star-News, Whittier (California) Daily News
- Christy Heitger-Ewing, Cabin Living Magazine
Contest B – Humor – Over 50,000 Circulation
- Bill Bender & David Gambacorta, Philadelphia Daily News
- Leah Eskin, Chicago Tribune
- Eric Heyl, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Contest C – General Interest – Under 50,000 Circulation
- Rebecca Sabky, The Valley News, West Lebanon, New Hampshire
- Ken Tingley, The Post-Star, Glens Falls, New York
- Gary Yordon, Tallahassee (Florida) Democrat
Contest D – Humor – Under 50,000 Circulation
- Sarah Smiley, Bangor (Maine) Daily News
- Janine Talbot, Journal Tribune, Biddeford, Maine
- Brian Thompson, St. Augustine (Florida) Record
Honorable Mention
- Michael Picarella, Acorn Newspapers, Valencia, California
- Giles Snyder, The Journal, Martinsburg, West Virginia
Contest E – Online, Blog, Multimedia – Over 100,000 Unique Visitors
- Susan Antilla, TheStreet.com, New York City
- Mohamad Bazzi, Reuters.com, New York City
- John Schumann, NPR.org, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Honorable Mention
- Mary Curtis, Roll Call, WashingtonPost.com, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Jill Lawrence, U.S News & World Report, USAToday.com/opinion, Washington, D.C.
Contest F – Online, Blog, Multimedia – Under 100,000 Unique Visitors
- Chandra Bozelko, Prison Diaries, Orange, Connecticut
- Renee Davis Brame, Pop Depravity, Memphis, Tennessee
- Judith Clarke, Dementia Isn’t Funny, Blacksburg, Virginia
Honorable Mention
- Ann Hedreen, therestlessnest, Seattle
- Cary Vaughn, The Reluctant Cat Owner’s Journal, Memphis, Tennessee
- Erica Washington, House of Perpetual Distraction, Lawndale, California
• • •
Registration for the June 24-26 conference is at tinyurl.com/nsnc16la. Finalists even if they do not (yet) belong to NSNC are eligible for the member discount. The convention is based at the Hotel Angeleno. Make room reservations at tinyurl.com/NatlSocietyNewspaperColumnists. There’s a limited number of rooms at our special nightly rate of $169.
