The National Society of Newspaper Columnists sponsors an annual contest for published columnists. A glance through these previous winners reveals a number of familiar, prominent names. More information on the contest is posted at among these articles. Each year, below, indicates the year the prizes were presented; the columns were published the previous year. Disclaimer: As the profession has changed and the NSNC itself has evolved, the contest categories and rules have updated as well. Honorable mentions are awarded at judges’ discretion.
2024 Winners (for work done in 2023)
Social Justice
3rd Naomi Ishisaka, The Seattle Times
2nd Suzette Hackney, USA TODAY
1st Amelia Robinson, Columbus Dispatch
Crisis Commentary
Honorable Mention Clay Wirestone, Kansas Reflector
3rd Daysi Calavia-Robertson, Advance Local’s The Star-Ledger and NJ.com
2nd Derrick Z. Jackson, MSNBC and The Root
1st Trudy Rubin, The Philadelphia Inquirer
Lifestyles
Honorable Mention Burton Cole, The Vindicator & Tribune Chronicle
Honorable Mention Peter Merkl, Corpus Christi Caller-Times
3rd Karie Angell Luc, Chronicle Illinois
2nd Jeff Lowenfels, Anchorage Daily News
1st Marcy O’Brien, Warren Times Observer
Sports
3rd Dale Bowman, Chicago Sun-Times
2nd Derrick Z. Jackson, The Root
1st Jason Gay, The Wall Street Journal
Humor Online
3rd Rebecca Regnier, AAA’s Club Alliance & RebeccaRegnier.com
2nd Amanda Jaffe, Age of Enlightenment
1st Dave Jaffe, Sleeping Between Giants
Humor Print
Honorable Mention Jerry Zezima, Tribune News Service
Honorable Mention Jase Graves, Kilgore News Herald
3rd Dorothy Rosby, DorothyRosby.com
2nd Jason Gay, The Wall Street Journal
1st Mark Gauert, South Florida Sun Sentinel, City & Shore
General Online
Honorable Mention Derrick Z. Jackson, The Root & Union of Concerned Scientists
Honorable Mention Chitra Ragavan, SWAAY and ChitraRagavan.com
3rd Daniela Gitlin, DanielaGitlin.com, Always Happy to Spout Off
2nd Meredith Cummings, MeredithCummings.com
1st Mary Kay Jordan Fleming, Authory.com/marykayfleming
General Print
Honorable Mention Randi Marshall, Newsday
Honorable Mention Harry Siegel, The New York Daily News
Honorable Mention Rabbi Rose Lyn Jacob, Culpeper Star-Exponent
3rd Pauline Nevins, Auburn Journal
2nd Dale Bowman, Chicago Sun-Times1st Christine Heinrichs, San Luis Obispo Tribune
2023 Winners (for work done in 2022)
General (Print)
FIRST PLACE: Renée Schafer Horton, Arizona Daily Star
SECOND PLACE: Dave Lieber, The Dallas Morning News
THIRD PLACE: John W. Fountain, Chicago Sun-Times
HONORABLE MENTION: Zachary Clifton, The Louisville Courier-Journal
General (Online)
FIRST PLACE: Mary C. Curtis, Roll Call
SECOND PLACE: Max McCoy, Kansas Reflector
THIRD PLACE (TIE): Bonnie Jean Feldkamp, Creators Syndicate & Meredith Cummings, Woman of a Certain Rage
Humor (Print)
FIRST PLACE: Burton Cole, Tribune Chronicle
SECOND PLACE: Tracey O’Shaughnessy, Republican-American
THIRD PLACE: Jerry Zezima, Tribune News Service
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Callum Borchers, The Wall Street Journal & Rob Perez, Cook County News Herald
Humor (Online)
FIRST PLACE: Beverly Potter, bevpotter.substack.com
SECOND PLACE: Mary Kay Jordan Fleming, Brevity & Next Tribe
THIRD PLACE: Denise Thiery, Levity & Brevity
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Tracy Brady, Weekly Humorist & Festival of Need & Lee Gaitan, leegaitan.com
Sports
FIRST PLACE: Rick Morrissey, Chicago Sun-Times
SECOND PLACE: Neil Steinberg, Chicago Sun-Times
THIRD PLACE: Derrick Z. Jackson, American Prospect Magazine
Lifestyles
FIRST PLACE: Amanda Beam, News and Tribune & Neil Steinberg, Chicago Sun-Times
SECOND PLACE: Janie Emaus, AARP-The Ethel
THIRD PLACE: Lisa Murtha, Cincinnati Magazine
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Meredith Cummings, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette & Bonnie Jean Feldkamp, Creators Syndicate
Crisis Commentary
FIRST PLACE: Norberto Santana Jr., Voice of Orange County
SECOND PLACE: Gordon Hopkins, Fairbury Journal-News
THIRD PLACE: Rini Jeffers, The Chronicle-Telegram & The Medina Gazette
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Mary C. Curtis, Roll Call & Dave Lieber, The Dallas Morning News
Social Justice
FIRST PLACE: Naomi Ishisaka, The Seattle Times
SECOND PLACE: John W. Fountain & Samantha Latson, Chicago Crusader
THIRD PLACE: Bonnie Jean Feldkamp, The Louisville Courier-Journal
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Suzette Hackney, USA Today & Norberto Santana Jr., Voice of Orange County
Editorial Cartoon
FIRST PLACE: Sage Stossel, The Boston Globe
HONORABLE MENTION: Dan McConnell & Paul Lander, Humor Outcasts
2022 Winners (for works published in 2021)
2021 Winners (for works publised in 2020)
2020 Winners
2019 Winners
2018 Winners
CATEGORY A: General Interest, Print publications over 50,000 circulation
First Place: Mike Newall, Philadelphia Media
Second Place: Rick Telander, Chicago Sun Times
Third Place: Markos Kounalakis, MarkosKounalakis.com
Honorable Mentions
Amanda Beam, The Courier Journal
Rob Cuthbert, Freelance Journalist
CATEGORY B: General Interest, print publications under 50,000 circulation
First Place: Malcolm Gibson, Galveston Daily News
Second Place: Rebecca Regnier, Monroe Evening News
Third Place: Amanda Beam,News and Tribune
Honorable Mention
Ken Tingley, The Post Star
CATEGORY C: General Interest, online, blog and multimedia columns – Over 100,000 monthly unique visitors
First Place: Richard Parker, Dallas Morning News
Second Place: Shannon Shelton Miller, ShannonSheltonMiller.com
Third Place: Helen Ubinas, Philadelphia Daily News
Honorable Mentions:
Rob Cuthbert, USA Today, NY Times, NY Daily News
Louis Profeta, LinkedIn
CATEGORY D: General Interest, online, blog and multimedia columns under 100,000 monthly unique visitors
First Place: Derrick Z. Jackson, Union for Concerned Scientists and ESPN’s The Undefeated
Second Place: Sheri Saretsky, Mothering Marriage and Menopause
Third Place: Chandra Bozelko, The Prison Diaries
Honorable Mentions:
David Cay Johnston, DCReport.org
Annette Januzzi Wick, AnnetteJanuzziWick.com
CATEGORY E: Humor – print publications over 50,000 circulation
First Place: Joyce J. Wadler, New York Times
Second Place: Leah Eskin, The Chicago Tribune
Third Place: Curtis Honeycutt, GateHouse Media
Honorable Mentions
Dana Milbank, The Washington Post
Saralee Perel, Cape Cod Times
CATEGORY F: Humor – print publications under 50,000 circulation
First Place: Lisa Smith Molinari, Stars and Stripes
Second Place: Kathy Eliscu, Maine Today
Third Place: Paul Lander, Humor Times
CATEGORY G: Humor – online, blog and multimedia columns over 50,000 monthly unique visitors
First Place: Debra Klein, The Boston Globe
Second Place: Russell Frank, StateCollege.com
Third Place: Jason Graves, Kilgore News Herald
CATEGORY H: Humor – online, blog and multimedia columns Under 50,000 monthly unique visitors
First Place: Dave Jaffe, Blog, Sleeping Between Giants
Second Place: Kathryn Mayer, KathrynMayer.com
Third Place: Tracy Beckerman, Mahopac News
Honorable Mentions:
Elaine Ambrose, ElaineAmbrose.com
Lori Duff, Lori Duff Writes
2017 Winners
Category A: General Interest, print, over 50,000 circulation
First Place: Helen Ubinas, Philadelphia Daily News
Second Place: Mike Newall, Philadelphia Media Network
Third Place: Jesse Rifkin, Boxoffice Magazine, USA Today, LA Times
Category B: Humor, print, over 50,000 circulation
First Place: Irv Erdos, San Diego Union Tribune
Second Place: Leah Eskin, Chicago Tribune
Third Place: Scott Maxwell, Orlando Sentinel
Honorable Mentions
Theodore Decker, The Columbus Dispatch
Joyce Wadler, New York Times
Betsy Bitner, Albany Times Union
Category C: General Interest, print under 50,000 circulation
First Place: Steve Damish, The Enterprise
Second Place: Rini Jeffers, The Chronicle-Telegram
Third Place: Gary Yordon, Tallahasee Democrat
Honorable Mentions:
Jeff Katz, STYLE Weekly
Kevin McKeever, The Stamford Advocate
Ken Tingley, The Post-Star
Category D: Humor, print under 50,0000 circulation
First Place: Jessica Leigh Lebos, Connect Savannah
Second Place: Teresa Santoski, The Telegraph
Third Place: Judy Epstein, Blank Slate Media
Category E: General Interest, Online, Blog, Multimedia Over 100,000 unique visitors
First Place: Glenn Greenwald, The Intercept
Second Place: Timothy L. O’Brien, Bloomberg
Third Place: Susan Antilla, TheStreet
Honorable Mentions
Jill Lawrence, USA TODAY
Mohamad Bazzi, Reuters
Category F: General Interest, Online, Blog, Multimedia, Under 100,000 unique visitors
First Place: Lee Gaitan, The Bounce Back Blog
Second Place: Paul Willcott, Adirondack Daily Enterprise
Third Place: Molly Stevens, Blog: Shallow Reflections
Honorable Mentions:
Nancy Colasurdo, Blog: Unfettered Expression
Christine Wolf, “ChicagoNow”, Riding The Waves
Category G: Humor – Online, Blog and Multimedia Columns Over 50,000 Monthly Unique Visitors
First Place: Dawn Weber, The Huffington Post
Second Place: Elaine Ambrose, The Huffington Post
Third Place: Lisa Sugarman, Marblehead (MA) Reporter
Category H: Humor – Online, Blog and Multimedia Columns Under 50,000 Monthly Unique Visitors
First Place: David Jaffe, Blog, Sleeping Between Giants
Second Place: Jason Graves, Blog, What’s Wrong with Daddy?
Third Place: Norine Dworkin-McDaniel, Blog, The Science of Parenthood
Honorable Mention:
Stephanie Lewis, Blog, Once Upon Your Prime
2016 Winners
Contest A. General Interest (Print – Newspapers — Over 50,000 circulation)
First Place – Ronnie Polaneczky, Philadelphia Daily News
Second Place – Mary Mitchell, Chicago Sun-Times
Third Place – Frank Harris III, Hartford Courant
Honorable Mention – Christy Heitger-Ewing, Cabin Living Magazine
Honorable Mention – Patricia Bunin, Los Angeles Newspaper Group
Contest B. Humor (Print – Newspapers — Over 50,000 circulation)
First Place – Eric Heyl, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Second Place – Leah Eskin, The Chicago Tribune
Third Place – Bill Bender and David Gambacorta, Philadelphia Daily News
Contest C. General Interest (Print – Newspapers — Under 50,000 circulation)
First Place – Ken Tingley, The Post-Star
Second Place – Gary Yordon, The Zachary Group
Third Place -Rebecca Sabky, The Valley News
Contest D. Humor (Print – Newspapers — Under 50,000 circulation)
First Place – Sarah Smiley, Bangor Daily News
Second Place – Brian Thompson, The St. Augustine Record
Third Place – Janine Talbot, Journal Tribune
Honorable Mention – Giles Snyder, The Journal, Martinsburg, West Virginia
Honorable Mention – Michael Picarella, The Acorn Newspapers
Contest E. Online, Blog, and Multimedia Columns (
Over 100,000 Monthly Unique Visitors)
First Place – Mohamad Bazzi, Reuters
Second Place – Susan Antilla, TheStreet
Third Place – John Schumann, NPR
Honorable Mention – Mary C. Curtis, Roll Call
Honorable Mention – Jill Lawrence, U.S. News & World Report
Contest F. Online, Blog, and Multimedia Columns
(Under 100,000 Monthly Unique Visitors)
First Place – Chandra Bozelko, Prison-Diaries
Second Place – Judith Clarke, Dementia Isn’t Funny
Third Place – Renee Davis Brame, PopDepravity.com
Honorable Mention – Erica Washington, HouseOfPerpetualDistraction.com
Honorable Mention – Cary Vaughn, The Reluctant Cat Owner’s Journal
Honorable Mention – Ann Hedreen, TheRestlessNest.wordpress.com
2015 Winners
Contest A – General Interest – Over 50,000 Circulation
- Dave Lieber and Marina Trahan Martinez, The Dallas Morning News
- Bob Dyer, Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal
- James Haught, The Charleston (West Virginia) Gazette
Honorable Mention
- Gendy Alimurung, LA Weekly
- Leslie Handler, Huffington Post, WHYY Newsworks, The Philadelphia Inquirer
- Eric Heyl, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Contest B – Humor – Over 50,000 Circulation
- Betsy Bitner, Times Union, Albany, New York
- Irv Erdos, San Diego Union-Tribune, UTSanDiego.com
- Bob Dyer, Akron Beacon Journal
Contest C – General Interest – Under 50,000 Circulation
- Amanda Beam, News and Tribune, Jeffersonville, Indiana
- Terri Barnes, Stars and Stripes
- Mark Epstein, St. Helena (California) Star
Honorable Mention
- Jacqueline Goldschneider, Northern Valley Suburbanite, New Jersey
- Saralee Perel, Cape Cod Times, Hyannis, Massachusetts
- Ken Tingley, The Post-Star, Glens Falls, New York
Contest D – Humor – Under 50,000 Circulation
- Roger Simon, Politico
- Jerry Zezima, The Stamford (Connecticut) Advocate
- Michelle Hauser, Kingston (Ontario) Whig-Standard
Contest E – Online, Blog, Multimedia – Over 100,000 Unique Visitors
- Michael Daly, The Daily Beast
- David Cay Johnston, Al Jazeera America
- Jill Lawrence, The National Memo
Honorable Mention
- Mary Curtis, The Washington Post’s She the People
- Derrick Jackson, The Boston Globe
Contest F – Online, Blog, Multimedia – Under 100,000 Unique Visitors
- Jennifer Munro, Straight-No-Chaser Mom
- Paul Lander, Humor Times
- Carol Michel, May Dreams Gardens
2014 Winners
Category A. General Interest (print) over 50,000 circulation
1. Ken Dixon, Connecticut Post, Bridgeport
2. Alfred P. Doblin, The Record, Bergen County, New Jersey
3. James Haught, The Charleston (West Virginia) Gazette
B. Humor (print) over 50,000 circulation
1. Dan Zevin, The New York Times
2. Greg Schwem, Tribune Content Agency
3. Steve Young, The Philadelphia Inquirer
C. General Interest (print) under 50,000 circulation
1. Eve Samples, Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers, Florida
2. Ginger Truitt, Lebanon (Indiana) Reporter
3. Maryanne Reed, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, West Virginia
Honorable Mention
John Breunig, The (Stamford) Advocate and Greenwich Time, Connecticut; Judith Marks-White, Westport (Connecticut) News; and Kenneth Tingley, The Post Star, Glens Falls, N.Y. (All judges have discretion on whether to select honorable mention recipients.)
D. Humor (print) under 50,000 circulation
1. Jerry Zezima, The Advocate, Stamford, Connecticut
2. Laura Rafaty, The St. Helena (California) Star
3. Cappy Hall Rearick, The Low Country Sun, Charleston, South Carolina
E. Online, Blog and Multimedia columns with over 100,000 monthly unique visitors
1. Mary C. Curtis, The Washington Post
2. Gendy Alimurung, LA Weekly
3. Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
F. Online, Blog and Multimedia under 100,000 monthly unique visitors
1. Darcy Perdu, So Then Stories
2. Kelli Wheeler, Momservations
3. Meryl Baer, Six Decades and Counting
2013 Winners
Category A. General Interest (print) over 50,000 circulation
- Tom Rademacher, The Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press
- Dave Lieber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
- Rick Telander, Chicago Sun-Times
- Honorable Mention — Katie Harrington, The State News, Michigan State University, Marney Rich Keenan, The Detroit News, and Phil Reisman, The Journal News, Westchester, N.Y.
B. Humor (print) over 50,000 circulation
- Bob Dyer, Akron Beacon Journal
- Brian O’Connor, The Detroit News
- Samantha Bennett, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
- Honorable Mentions — Tracy Beckerman, Gatehouse Media, and Jim Shea, Hartford (Conn.) Courant
C. General Interest (print) under 50,000 circulation
- Kevin McKeever, The Advocate, Stamford, Conn.
- Telly Halkias, The Portland (Maine) Daily Sun
- Amanda Beam, News and Tribune, Jefferson, Ind.
- Honorable Mentions — Jeff Girod, Inland Empire Weekly, Corona, Calif., and Harriet P. Gross, TexasJewishPost.com
D. Humor (print) under 50,000 circulation
- Laura Rafaty, St. Helena (Calif.) Star
- Beth Bartlett, Lovely County Citizen, Eureka Springs, Ark.
- Ginger Truitt, The Lebanon (Ind.) Reporter
- Honorable Mention — Tiffany Roach, Akers Media Group
E. Online, Blog and Multimedia columns with over 100,000 monthly unique visitors
- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
- Richard Parker, The New York Times
- John Avlon, The Daily Beast
- Honorable Mentions — David Cay Johnston, Reuters, and James Kirkchick, New York Daily News
F. Online, Blog and Multimedia under 100,000 monthly unique visitors
- Suzette Standring, The Patriot Ledger (Mass.)
- Lisa Molinari, The Meat and Potatoes of Life
- Mike Farley, Farley In Writing
2012 Winners
Category A. General Interest (print) over 50,000 circulation
- Gendy Alimurung, LA Weekly
- Dave Lieber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
- Derrick Z. Jackson, The Boston Globe
- Honorable mentions: Mike Kelly, The Record, Bergen County, N.J., and Jim Schutze, Dallas Observer.
B. Humor (print) over 50,000 circulation
- Samantha Bennett, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
- Alice Laussade, Dallas Observer
- Kathy Eliscu, Maine Women, Portland
C. General Interest (print) under 50,000 circulation
- Eve Samples, The Stuart (Fla) News
- Ken Tingley, The Post-Star, Glens Falls, N.Y.
- Saralee Perel, Cape Cod (Mass.) Times
- Honorable mentions: Walt Brasch, Shamokin (Pa.) News-Item, and Mary Phelan, The Howard County (Md.) Times.
D. Humor (print) under 50,000 circulation
- Laura Rafaty, St.Helena (Calif.) Star
- Jerry Zezima, Stamford (Conn.) Advocate
- Saralee Perel, Cape Cod (Mass.) Times
E. Online, Blog and Multimedia columns with over 100,000 monthly unique visitors
- John Avlon, The Daily Beast
- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
- Roger Simon, Politico
- Honorable mentions: Mary C. Curtis, Washington Post contributor, and Russell Frank, StateCollege.com.
F. Online, Blog and Multimedia under 100,000 monthly unique visitors
- Mike Farley, Farley in Writing
- Ivy Eisenberg, Schmeightschmatchers
- Amy White, Waiting for Merlot
2011 Winners
General Interest (newspapers over 50,000 circulation)
- 1st: Mike Kelly, The Record, Bergen County, N.J.
- 2nd: Joel Brinkley, Tribune Media Services
- 3rd: Mike Argento, York (Pa.) Daily Record
- Honorable Mention, Helen Ubinas, Hartford (Conn.) Courant
Humor (newspapers over 50,000 circulation)
- 1st: Bill Ervolino, The Record, Bergen County, N.J.
- 2nd: Eric Heyl, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
- 3rd: Mark Woods, The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville
- Honorable Mention, Anne Palumbo, Brighton-Pittsford (N.Y.) Post
General Interest (newspapers under 50,000 circulation)
- 1st: Trisha Blanchet, The Sun, Lowell, Mass.
- 2d: Jennifer Graham, Mansfield (Ohio) News Journal
- 3rd: Ken Tingley, The Post-Star, Glens Falls, N.Y.
- Honorable Mention, Mary Robbins Phelan, The Howard County (Md.) Times
- Honorable Mention, Lynn Rebuck, Lititz (Pa.) Record Express
Humor (newspapers under 50,000 circulation)
- 1st: Steve Symanovich, San Francisco Business Times
- 2nd: John Philipp, Sausalito (Calif.) Marinscope
- 3rd: Dawn Weber, Buckeye Lake (Ohio) Beacon
- Honorable Mention, Pat Detmer, Newcastle (Wash.) News
Online, Blog and Multimedia (over 100,000 unique monthly visitors)
- 1st: Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
- 2nd: John Avlon, The Daily Beast
- 3rd: Mary Curtis, Politics Daily
Online, Blog and Multimedia (under 100,000 unique monthly visitors)
- 1st: Jeff Brown, Master of None
- 2nd: Russell Frank, StateCollege.com
- 3rd: Tracy Beckerman, Self-Syndicated
2010 Winners
General Interest (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Tom Rademacher, Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press
- 2nd: Norris Burkes, Gannett News Service
- 3rd: Peg McEntee, Salt Lake Tribune
- Honorable Mention: Stu Bykofsky, Philadelphia Daily News
Humor (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Stu Bykofsky, Philadelphia Daily News
- 2nd: Samantha Bennett, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
- 3rd: Charles Memminger, Honolulu Advertiser
- Honorable Mentions: Terry Marotta, self-syndicated; and Jim Shea, Hartford (Conn.) Courant
General Interest (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Sarah Fenske, Phoenix New Times
- 2nd: Patricia Calhoun, Westword, Denver
- 3rd: Leanne Libby, Corpus Christi (Texas) Caller-Times
- Honorable Mention: Ed Grisamore, Telegraph, Macon, Ga.
Humor (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Jeff Girod, Inland Empire Weekly, Corona, Calif.
- 2nd: Karen Rinehart, Independent Tribune, Kannapolis, N.C.
- 3rd: Mark O’Brien, Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal
- Honorable Mentions: Trisha Blanchet, Sun, Lowell, Mass.; and Bill Nash, Ventura County (Calif.) Star
Online Columns
- 1st: Donna Terek, Detroit News
- 2nd: Russell Frank, StateCollege.com, State College, Pa.
- 3rd: Joel Schwartzberg, Star-Ledger, Newark, N.J.
Blog Columns
- 1st: Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
- 2nd: Mary Curtis, AOL PoliticsDaily.com
- 3rd: Joanne Salemink, sandwichmomonwry.blogspot.com
- Honorable Mentions: John Boston, thebostonreport.net; and Maggie Van Ostrand, huffingtonpost.com and texasescapes.com
Herb Caen Memorial Award (notes/items)
- 1st: Michael McIntyre, Plain Dealer, Cleveland
- 2nd: Smiley Anders, Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.
- 3rd: Bob Dyer, Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal
- Honorable Mentions: Ed Addeo, Marinscope Newspapers, Marin County, Calif.; and Russ Lemmon, Vero Beach (Fla.) Press Journal
2009 Winners
General Interest (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Tom Rademacher, Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press
- 2nd: Mary Curtis, Charlotte (N.C.) Observer/Washington Post
- 3rd: Rick Green, Hartford (Conn.) Courant
- Honorable Mention: Dave Lieber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Humor (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Katy St. Clair, SF Weekly, San Francisco
- 2nd: Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star
- 3rd: Samantha Bennett, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
General Interest (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Sam Cook, News-Press, Fort Myers, Fla.
- 2nd: Adam McCune, New Hampshire Union Leader
- 3rd: Ken Tingley, Post-Star, Glens Falls, N.Y.
- Honorable Mention: Chuck Strouse, Miami New Times
Humor (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: John Boston, Signal, Santa Clarita, CA
- 2nd: Elyse Wanshel, Miami New Times
- 3rd: Trisha Blanchet, Sun, Lowell, Mass
Online Columns
- 1st: Kelli Wheeler, sacmomsclub.com, Sacramento Bee (co-writer Jen Hall joined in accepting the award)
- 2nd: Joel Schwartzberg, Star-Ledger, Newark, N.J.
- 3rd: Judy Gruen, Aish.com, Los Angeles
- Honorable Mentions: Walter Brasch, American Reporter, Bloomsburg, Pa.; Lloyd Garver, cbsnews.com, Pacific Palisades, Calif.; Ben Pollock, benpollock.com/brick, Fayetteville, Ark.
Blog Columns
- 1st: Patricia Coakley, singleforareason.com, Franklin, Mass.
- 2nd: Stephen Lemons, phoenixnewtimes.com
- 3rd: Will Bunch, Philadelphia Daily News
- Honorable Mentions: Joel Schwartzberg, Huffington Post; Roy Edroso, Village Voice
Herb Caen Memorial Award (notes/items)
- 1st: Mark Lane, Daytona Beach (Fla.) News-Journal
- 2nd: Dave Lieber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
- 3rd: Bob Dyer, Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal
- Honorable Mentions: Smiley Anders, Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.; Russ Lemmon, Vero Beach (Fla.) Press Journal
2008 Winners
General Interest (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Susan Campbell, Hartford (Conn.) Courant
- 2nd: David Giffels, Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal
- 3rd: Bob Dyer, Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal
- Honorable Mention: Ronnie Polaneczky, Philadelphia Daily News
Humor (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Lynn Yaeger, Village Voice
- 2nd: Bill Ervolino, Record, northern New Jersey
- 3rd: Brian O’Connor, Detroit News
- Honorable Mentions: Elmer Smith, Philadelphia Daily News; Daniel Rubin, Philadelphia Inquirer
General Interest (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Cindy Lange-Kubick, Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star
- 2nd: Bob Welch, Register-Guard, Eugene, Ore.
- 3rd: James Smart, Intercounty Newspaper Group, Philadelphia
- Honorable Mention: John Hourihan, Connecticut Post
Humor (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Robert Simpson, Polk County Post, Mena, Ark.
- 2nd: Saralee Perel, Cape Cod Times, Hyannis, Mass.
- 3rd: Mary Bufe, Webster-Kirkwood Times, Webster Groves, Mo.
Online Columns
- 1st: Alan Paul, Wall Street Journal
- 2nd: Joel Schwartzberg, Star-Ledger, Newark, N.J.
- 3rd: Robert Gilbert, Gilbert Communications, Maryville, Tenn.
Herb Caen Memorial Award (notes/items)
- 1st: Edmund Newton, New Times (Broward), Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
- 2nd: Smiley Anders, Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.
- 3rd: Russ Lemmon, Vero Beach (Fla.) Press Journal
2007 Winners
General Interest (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Bill Johnson, Denver Rocky Mountain News
- 2nd: Tina Griego, Denver Rocky Mountain News/Denver Post
- 3rd: Jonathan Nicholas, Oregonian, Portland
- Honorable Mention: Sheena McFarland, Salt Lake Tribune
Humor (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Brian O’Connor, Detroit News
- 2nd: Mike Harden, Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch
- 3rd: Eric Heyl, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
- Honorable Mention: Susan Nielsen, Oregonian, Portland
General Interest (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Alfred Doblin, Herald News, northern New Jersey
- 2nd: Bob Welch, Register-Guard, Eugene, Ore.
- 3rd: Cindy Lange-Kubick, Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star
- Honorable Mentions: Charles Memminger, Honolulu Star-Bulletin; Ken Dixon, Connecticut Post
Humor (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Richard Connelly, Houston Press
- 2nd: Erin Alberty, Saginaw (Mich.) News
- 3rd: Raymond Reid, Kernersville (N.C.) News
- Honorable Mention: Michael Gallagher, Ellensburg (Wash.) Daily Record
Online Columns
- 1st: Glenda Wolin, MySA.com, San Antonio Express-News
- 2nd: Joseph White, WSJ.com, Wall Street Journal
- 3rd: Terri Cullen, WSJ.com, Wall Street Journal
Herb Caen Memorial Award (notes/items)
- 1st: Russ Lemmon, Toledo (Ohio) Blade
- 2nd: Smiley Anders, Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.
- 3rd: Will Harper, East Bay Express
2006 Winners
General Interest (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Bob Welch, Register-Guard, Eugene, Ore.
- 2nd: Dennis Roddy, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
- 3rd: Ernesto Portillo Jr., Arizona Daily Star, Tucson
- Honorable Mentions: Steve Duin, Oregonian, Portland; Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star; Bill Johnson, Denver Rocky Mountain News
Humor (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: W. Bruce Cameron, Denver Rocky Mountain News
- 2nd: Jason Love, Ventura County (Calif.) Star
- 3rd: Dennis Roddy, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
- Honorable Mention: Lindor Reynolds, Winnipeg Free Press
General Interest (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Kate Fratti, Bucks County (Pa.) Courier Times
- 2nd: John Young, Waco (Texas) Tribune-Herald
- 3rd: Mike Deupree, Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette
- Honorable Mention: Chris Coursey, Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, Calif.
Humor (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Steve Symanovich, San Francisco Business Times
- 2nd: Debra Garfinkle, Aliso Viejo (Calif.) News
- 3rd: Jerry Zezima, Stamford (Conn.) Advocate
- Honorable Mention: Matt James, Fresno (Calif.) Bee
Online Columns
- 1st: Benjamin Brewer, Wall Street Journal Online
- 2nd: Carl Bialik, Wall Street Journal Online
- 3rd: Sally Allen, NewsOK.com, Oklahoman, Oklahoma City
Herb Caen Memorial Award (notes/items)
- 1st: Smiley Anders, Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.
- 2nd: Mark O’Brien, Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal
- 3rd: Linda Caillouet, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock
2005 Winners
General Interest (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Jeff Zaslow, Wall Street Journal
- 2nd: Tina Griego, Denver Rocky Mountain News
- 3rd: Sally Kalson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
- Honorable Mention: Sharon Begley, Wall Street Journal
Humor (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Susan Nielsen, Oregonian, Portland
- 2nd: Jim Shea, Hartford (Conn.) Courant
- 3rd: Andrea Peyser, New York Post
- Honorable Mentions: Sureva Towler, Denver Post; Jason Love, Ventura County (Calif.) Star
General Interest (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Bob Norman, New Times (Broward), Palm Beach, Fla.
- 2nd: Michael Murphy, Patriot Ledger, Quincy, Mass.
- 3rd: Susan Hess, Hood River (Ore.) News
- Honorable Mention: Paul Silva, Beach Reporter, Manhattan Beach, Calif.
Humor (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Raymond Reid, Kernersville (N.C.) News
- 2nd: John Young, Waco (Texas) Tribune-Herald
- 3rd: Saralee Perel, Cape Cod Times, Hyannis, Mass.
- Honorable Mentions: Garret Mathews, Evansville (Ind.) Courier & Press; Courtney Hambright, New Times (Broward), Palm Beach, Fla.
Online Columns
- 1st: Mark Morford, San Francisco Chronicle
- 2nd: Dan Froomkin, Washington Post
- 3rd: Terri Cullen, Wall Street Journal
- Honorable Mentions: Carol Lloyd, San Francisco Chronicle; and Sally Allen, Oklahoman, Oklahoma City
Herb Caen Memorial Award (notes/items)
- 1st: Smiley Anders, Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.
- 2nd: D.F. Oliveria, Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
- 3rd: Dan Gross, Philadelphia Daily News
- Honorable Mention: Catherine Bigelow, San Francisco Chronicle
2004 Winners
General Interest (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Mike Kelly, Record, Hackensack, N.J.
- 2nd: Tina Griego, Denver Rocky Mountain News
- 3rd: Robert Jamieson, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
- Honorable Mention: Mike Harden, Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch
Humor (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Jon Carroll, San Francisco Chronicle
- 2nd: Mark Lane, Daytona Beach (Fla.) News-Journal
- 3rd: Susan Nielsen, Oregonian, Portland
- Honorable Mentions: Dan Bernstein, Press-Enterprise, Riverside, Calif.; Bill Nash, Ventura County (Calif.) Star
General Interest (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Doug Robinson, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
- 2nd: Tony Messenger, Columbia, Mo., Daily Tribune
- 3rd: Norris Burkes, Florida Today
Humor (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Charles Memminger, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
- 2nd: Tom Hill, Valley News, White River Junction, Vt.
- 3rd: Melissa Baumann, Navy Times
- Honorable Mentions: Bob Welch, Register-Guard, Eugene, Ore.; Gary Sandy, Woodland, Calif., Daily Democrat
Online Columns
- 1st: Tim Hanrahan and Jason Fry, Wall Street Journal, WSJ.com
- 2nd: Tom Regan, Christian Science Monitor, CSMonitor.com
- 3rd: Cynthia L. Webb, Washington Post, WashingtonPost.com
- Honorable Mention: Sheila Lennon, Providence (R.I.) Journal, ProJo.com
Herb Caen Memorial Award (notes/items)
- 1st: Smiley Anders, Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.
- 2nd: Doug Robarchek, Charlotte (N.C.) Observer
- 3rd: Paul Rubin and Patti Epler, Phoenix New Times
- Honorable Mentions: Stu Bykofsky, Philadelphia Daily News; Mike Deupree, Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette
2003 Winners
General Interest (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Jeff Zaslow, Wall Street Journal
- 2nd: Eric Lacitis, Seattle Times
- 3rd: Margie Boule, Oregonian, Portland
- Honorable Mentions: Kathleen Parker, Orlando Sentinel; Frank Cerabino, Palm Beach Post
Humor (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: W. Bruce Cameron, Denver Rocky Mountain News
- 2nd: Doug Robarchek, Charlotte (N.C.) Observer
- 3rd: Chris Neely, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
- Honorable Mentions: Margery Eliscu, Maine Sunday Telegram; Rick Horowitz, syndicated
General Interest (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Karin Vingle, Sunday Gazette-Mail, Charleston, W.V.
- 2nd: Jeff German, Las Vegas Sun
- 3rd: Peggy Treiber, Morning News, Springdale, Ark.
- Honorable Mentions: Terry Bibo, Peoria (Ill.) Journal Star; Bob Welch, Register-Guard, Eugene, Ore.
Humor (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: John Young, Waco (Texas) Tribune-Herald
- 2nd: Tom Hill, Valley News, White River Junction, Vt.
- 3rd: Scott Hamilton Wood, Lumina News, Baileyville, Maine
- Honorable Mentions: David Allen, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Claremont, Calif.; Mike Argento, York (Pa.) Daily Record; Joe Livernois, Monterey County Herald, Salinas, Calif.; Steven Slosberg, Day, New London, Conn.
Online Columns
- 1st: Mark Morford, SFGate.com
- 2nd: Jeremy Dauber, CSMonitor.com
- 3rd: Julia Smillie Carey, STLtoday.com
- Honorable Mention: Alan Drooz, SignOnSanDiego.com
Herb Caen Memorial Award (notes/items)
- 1st: Tim Goodman, San Francisco Chronicle
- 2nd: D.F. Oliveria, Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
- 3rd: Bill Tammeus, Kansas City Star
- Honorable Mention: David Zinman, Horry Independent, Conway, S.C.
2002 Winners
General Interest (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Nat Hentoff, Village Voice
- 2nd: Jill Stewart, New Times, Los Angeles
- 3rd: S. Renee Mitchell, Oregonian, Portland
Humor (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Joe Blundo, Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch
- 2nd: Jim Shea, Hartford (Conn.) Courant
- 3rd: Bill Ervolino, Record, Hackensack, N.J.
General Interest (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: David Chartrand, Olathe (Kansas) Daily News
- 2nd: Mike Argento, York (Pa.) Daily Record
- 3rd: Denise Kusel, New Mexican, Santa Fe
- Honorable Mention: Charles Trentelman, Standard-Examiner, Ogden, Utah; Bob Welch, Register-Guard, Eugene, Ore.
Humor (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Michael Miller, South Florida Business Journal
- 2nd: Michael Gallagher, Ellensburg (Wash.) Daily Record
- 3rd: Marty Levine, In Pittsburgh Weekly
Online Columns
- 1st: Suz Redfearn, Baltimore City Paper
- 2nd: Julia Smillie Carey, St. Louis-Post Dispatch
- (No third place award)
Herb Caen Memorial Award (notes/items)
- 1st: Howie Stalwick, Coeur d’Alene (Idaho) Press
- 2nd: Diane Bell, San Diego Union-Tribune
- 3rd: Stu Bykofsky, Philadelphia Daily News
2001 Winners
General Interest (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Jill Stewart, New Times, Los Angeles
- 2nd: John L. Smith, Las Vegas Review-Journal
- 3rd: Robert L. Wolke, Washington Post
Humor (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Gene Collier, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
- 2nd: Bill Ervolino, Record, Hackensack, N.J.
- 3rd: Eric Heyl, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
- Honorable Mention: Jim Shea, Hartford (Conn.) Courant
Business (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Robert Trigaux, St. Petersburg Times
- 2nd: Charles A. Jaffe, Boston Globe
- 3rd: Froma Harrop, Providence (R.I.) Journal
- Honorable Mention: Kathleen Gallagher, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Sports (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Steve Campbell, Albany (N.Y.) Times Union
- 2nd: Chuck Culpepper, Oregonian, Portland
- 3rd: Jenni Carlson, Daily Oklahoman, Oklahoma City
General Interest (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Charles Trentelman, Standard-Examiner, Ogden, Utah
- 2nd: Mike Deupree, Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette
- 3rd: Rosemary Harris, Gazette, Colorado Springs
- Honorable Mention: Issac Bailey, Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Humor (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Bob Welch, Register-Guard, Eugene, Ore.
- 2nd: Leslie Gray Streeter, York (Pa.) Dispatch
- 3rd: Ken Brown, Telegraph Herald, Dubuque, Iowa
- Honorable Mentions: John Gladden, Gazette, Medina, Ohio; Ronnie Virgets, Gambit Weekly, New Orleans
Business (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Maury Thompson, Post-Star, Glens Falls, N.Y.
- 2nd: Walter Brasch, Spectrum Features Syndicate
- 3rd: Michael Lewis, Miami Today
Sports (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Ron Pollack, Pro Football Weekly
- 2nd: Jay Price, Staten Island (N.Y.) Advance
- 3rd: Cal Powell, Northwest Florida Daily News; Doug Robinson, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
- Honorable Mentions: John Boston, Signal, Valencia, Calif.; Lynn Zinser, Gazette, Colorado Springs; Peter Chianca, North Shore Sunday, Danvers, Mass.; Ralph Routon, Gazette, Colorado Springs
Online Columns
- 1st: Suz Redfearn, Baltimore City Paper
- 2nd: Susan Karlin, Reuters America, Los Angeles
- (No third place award)
Herb Caen Memorial Award (notes/items)
- 1st: L.T. Anderson, Charleston, W.V., Daily Mail
- 2nd: Paul Rolly and JoAnn Wells, Salt Lake Tribune
- 3rd: D.F. Oliveria, Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
- Honorable Mention: Stu Bykofsky, Philadelphia Daily News
2000 Winners
General Interest (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Sue Shellenbarger, Wall Street Journal
- 2nd: Kate Gurnett, Albany (N.Y.) Times Union
- 3rd: Sean Kirst, Syracuse Newspapers
- Honorable Mention: Mary Barker, Monterey County (Calif.) Herald
Humor (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Dennis Roddy, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
- 2nd: Andrea Peyser, New York Post
- 3rd: Bill Tammeus, Kansas City Star
General Interest (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Don Surber, Charleston (W.V.) Daily Mail
- 2nd: Walter Jowers, Nashville Scene
- 3rd: Laura Putre, Cleveland Scene
- Honorable Mentions: Judy Johnson, Times of Acadiana, Lafayette, La.; John P. Young, Waco (Texas) Tribune
Humor (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: John Boston, Signal, Newhall, Calif.
- 2nd: Charles Trentelman, Standard-Examiner, Ogden, Utah
- 3rd: David Chartrand, Sun, Olathe, Kansas
- Honorable Mention: Max Rizley Jr., Texas City Sun; Ronnie Virgets, Gambit, New Orleans
Online Columns
- 1st: Scott Bremner, GoErie.com, Erie, Pa.
- 2nd: Dave Lieber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
- 3rd: “Bernie the Cockroach,” San Francisco Examiner
- Honorable Mention: Jim Kevlin, Pottsville (Pa.) Republican and Evening Herald
Herb Caen Memorial Award (notes/items)
- 1st: Walter M. Brasch, Spectrum Features Syndicate, Espy, Pa.
- 2nd: David Zinman, Horry (S.C.) Independent
- 3rd: Mike Deupree, Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette
1999 Winners
General Interest (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Tony Norman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
- 2nd: Donald Kaul, Des Moines (Iowa) Register
- 3rd: John Grogan, Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
- Honorable Mentions: Regina Brett, Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal; Paul Turner, Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
Humor (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Rick Shefchik, St. Paul Pioneer Press
- 2nd: Rick Steelhammer, Charleston (W.V.) Gazette
- 3rd: Bill Tammeus, Kansas City Star
- Honorable Mentions: Joe Blundo, Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch; Andrea Peyser, New York Post
General Interest (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Garret Mathews, Evansville (Ind.) Courier
- 2nd: Paul McPolin, Staten Island (N.Y.) Advance
- 3rd: Herb Benham, Bakersfield Californian
- Honorable Mentions: Nancy Nall, News-Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Ind.; John Carberry, Batavia (N.Y.) Daily News; Rob Zaleski, Capital Times, Madison, Wis.
Humor (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Nancy Nall, News-Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Ind.
- 2nd: Joe Livernois, Monterey County (Calif.) Herald
- 3rd: Marty Levine, In Pittsburgh Weekly
- Honorable Mention: Debbie Farmer, syndicated, Antioch, Calif.
Herb Caen Memorial Award (notes/items)
- 1st: D.F. Oliveria, Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
- 2nd: Laurel Wellman, San Francisco Weekly
- 3rd: John McCaslin, Washington (D.C.) Times
- Honorable Mentions: Jose Lambiet, Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Leah Garchik, San Francisco Chronicle
1998 Winners
General Interest (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Lindor Reynolds, Winnipeg Free Press
- 2nd: Michelle Malkin, Seattle Times
- 3rd: Adair Lara, San Francisco Chronicle
Humor (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: James Schembari, New York Times
- 2nd: Steve Clark, Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch
- 3rd: Garret Mathews, Evansville (Ind.) Courier
General Interest (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Mike Argento, York (Pa.) Daily Record
- 2nd: John Carberry, Batavia (N.Y.) Daily News
- 3rd: Mike Deupree, Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette
- Honorable Mentions: Melinda Ruley, Independent Weekly, Durham, N.C.; Elizabeth Trever Buchinger, Pensacola (Fla.) News-Journal
Humor (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: David McFarland, Pensacola (Fla.) News-Journal
- 2nd: P.S. Wall, syndicated
- 3rd: Charles Memminger, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
- Honorable Mention: Jimmy Tomlin, High Point (N.C.) Enterprise
Herb Caen Memorial Award (notes/items)
- 1st: David Zinman, Horry (S.C.) Independent
- 2nd: Felix Winternitz, Cincinnati CityBeat
- 3rd: Diane Bell, San Diego Union-Tribune
- Honorable Mentions: Toby McDaniel, State Journal-Register, Springfield, Ill.; D.F. Oliveria, Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
1997 Winners
General Interest (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Barbara T. Roessner, Hartford (Conn.) Courant
- 2nd: Tom Rademacher, Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press
- 3rd: Roberta deBoer, Toledo (Ohio) Blade
- Honorable Mention: Laurie Roberts, Arizona Republic
Humor (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Dan Bernstein, Press-Enterprise, Riverside, Calif.
- 2nd: Mark Lane, Daytona Beach (Fla.) News-Journal
- 3rd: Adair Lara, San Francisco Chronicle
- Honorable Mentions: John Grogan, Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Tom Rademacher, Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press; Jennifer Dziura, Virginia Beach high school student
General Interest (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Allan R. Andrews, Pacific Stars and Stripes
- 2nd: John Hutchinson, San Francisco Flier
- 3rd: Kim Gorman, St. Joseph (Mo.) News-Press
- Honorable Mention: John Marren, Olean (N.Y.) Times Herald
Humor (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: P.S. Wall, Crain Communications
- 2nd: Ken Dixon, Connecticut Post
- 3rd: Steven Slosberg, Day, New London, Conn.
- Honorable Mention: Dan Postrel, Salem (Ore.) Statesman Journal
Notes/Items
- 1st: Smiley Anders, Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.
- 2nd: Lorrie Lynch, USA Weekend
- 3rd: Felix Winternitz, Cincinnati CityBeat
- Honorable Mention: Paul Facinelli, Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria, Ohio
1996 Winners
General Interest (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: William H. Rentschler, freelancer, Chicago
- 2nd: Charles Levendosky, Star-Tribune, Casper, Wyo.
- 3rd: Bob Hill, Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky.
- Honorable Mentions: James Schembari, New York Times; Suzanne Fields, Washington (D.C.) Times
Humor (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Regina Brett, Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal
- 2nd: Andrea Peyser, New York Post
- 3rd: Bob Hill, Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky.
- Honorable Mentions: Madeleine Begun Kane, self-syndicated, Bayside, N.Y.; Steve Clark, Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch
General Interest (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Jeff McMahon, New Times, San Luis Obispo, Calif.
- 2nd: Juliet Wittman, Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo.
- 3rd: Karen Gulbranson, Soundings, Norfolk, Va.
- Honorable Mentions: Virginia Dean, Bankers News, Washington, D.C.; Silke Tudor, SF Weekly, San Francisco
Humor (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Pat Craig, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif.
- 2nd: Charles Memminger, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
- 3rd: Ruth Ann Baker, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
- Honorable Mentions: Jane C. Musala, Beaver County (Pa.) Times; John P. Young, Waco (Texas) Tribune; Bret Kofford, Imperial Valley Press, El Centro, Calif.
Notes/Items
- 1st: Paul Facinelli, Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria, Ohio
- 2nd: Walter M. Brasch, Spectrum Features Syndicate, Espy, Pa.
- 3rd: Diane Ketcham, New York Times
- Honorable Mentions: Jill Hamilton, Ann Arbor (Mich.) News; Bob Dyer, Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal
1995 Winners
General Interest (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Kathy Barberich, Fresno (Calif.) Bee
- 2nd: Jim Kershner, Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
- 3rd: Jeff Rivers, Hartford (Conn.) Courant
- Honorable Mentions: Lucille S. deView, Orange County (Calif.) Register; Mark Lane, Daytona Beach (Fla.) News-Journal; Terry Marotta, Ravenscroft Press, Massachusetts
Humor (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Melissa Balmain, Orange County (Calif.) Register
- 2nd: Roger Simon, Sun, Baltimore
- 3rd: Margery Eliscu, Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland
- Honorable Mentions: Doug Clark, Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.; Steve Clark, Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch
General Interest (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Dave Lieber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
- 2nd: Jeff McMahon, New Times, San Luis Obispo, Calif.
- 3rd: Charles Memminger, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
- Honorable Mention: Walter M. Brasch, Spectrum Features Syndicate, Espy, Pa.
Humor (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Karen Gulbranson, Write Way Communications, Virginia Beach
- 2nd: Phil Smith, Times Union, Warsaw, Ind.
- 3rd: Doug Kim, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif.
- Honorable Mention: Charles Memminger, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Notes/Items
- 1st: Kate Nelson, Albuquerque (N.M.) Tribune
- 2nd: Walter M. Brasch, Spectrum Features Syndicate, Espy, Pa.
- 3rd: Paul Facinelli, Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria, Ohio
1994 Winners
General Interest (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Jonathan Nicholas, Oregonian, Portland
- 2nd: Diane Ketcham, New York Times
- 3rd: Jeff Rivers, Hartford (Conn.) Courant
- Honorable Mention: Joe Mullich, Mullich Communications, Norristown, Pa.
Humor (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Diane Aprile, Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky.
- 2nd: Jim Kershner, Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
- 3rd: David Grimes, Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune
- Honorable Mentions: Jonathan Nicholas, Oregonian, Portland; Rosemary Parrillo, Courier-Post, Cherry Hill, N.J.
General Interest (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Rose Post, Salisbury (N.C.) Post
- 2nd: Ken Dixon, Connecticut Post
- 3rd: Tim Chitwood, Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer
- Honorable Mentions: George Hesselberg, Wisconsin State Journal, Madison; Steve Kloehn, Bangor (Maine) Daily News; Adrienne T. Washington, Washington (D.C.) Times
Humor (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Joe Pisani, Greenwich (Conn.) Time
- 2nd: Stan Sinberg, Marin (Calif.) Independent Journal
- 3rd: Bill Campbell, Northwest Florida Daily News, Fort Walton Beach
- Honorable Mention: Jane C. Musala, Beaver County (Pa.) Times
Notes/Items
- 1st: Mike Deupree, Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette
- 2nd: Smiley Anders, Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.
- 3rd: Sam Venable, Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel
1993 Winners
General Interest (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Susan M. Barbieri, Orlando Sentinel
- 2nd: Diane Ketcham, New York Times
- 3rd: Kevin Simpson, Denver Post
Humor (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Jeffrey Zaslow, Chicago Sun-Times
- 2nd: Joe Urschel, USA Today
- 3rd: Colin McEnroe, Hartford (Conn.) Courant
- Honorable Mention: Bruce Taylor Seeman, Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk
General Interest (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Juliet Wittman, Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo.
- 2nd: George Hesselberg, Wisconsin State Journal, Madison
- 3rd: Joe Pisani, Greenwich (Conn.) Time
- Honorable Mention: Clayton Hardiman, Muskegon (Mich.) Chronicle
Humor (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Charles Memminger, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
- 2nd: Tom Dalton, Daily Evening Item, Lynn, Mass.
- 3rd: Mike Deupree, Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette
- Honorable Mention: Garret Mathews, Evansville (Ind.) Courier
Notes/Items
- 1st: Leah Garchik, San Francisco Chronicle
- 2nd: Kate Nelson, Albuquerque (N.M.) Tribune
- 3rd: D.F. Oliveria, Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
- Honorable Mention: Rick Bonino, Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
1992 Winners
General Interest (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Curtis Austin, Dallas Times Herald
- 2nd: Doug Clark, Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
- 3rd: Judith Newmark, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
- Honorable Mentions: Bill McClellan, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Susan Campbell, Hartford (Conn.) Courant; C.R. Roberts, Morning News Tribune, Tacoma, Wash.
Humor (newspapers over 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Tony Gabriele, Daily Press, Newport News, Va.
- 2nd: Jim Kershner, Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
- 3rd: E.J. Montini, Arizona Republic
- Honorable Mentions: Rosemary Parrillo, Courier-Post, Cherry Hill, N.J.; Dan Bernstein, Press-Enterprise, Riverside, Calif.
General Interest (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Suzanne Fields, Washington (D.C.) Times
- 2nd: Lynn Bartels, Albuquerque (N.M.) Tribune
- 3rd: Steven Slosberg, Day, New London, Conn.
Humor (newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
- 1st: Steven Slosberg, Day, New London, Conn.
- 2nd: Jane C. Musala, Beaver County (Pa.) Times
- 3rd: Nancy Nall, News-Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Ind.
Notes/Items
- 1st: Bill Tammeus, Kansas City Star
- 2nd: Diane Ketcham, New York Times
- 3rd: Mike Deupree, Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette
- Honorable Mention: Kate Nelson, Albuquerque (N.M.) Tribune
1991 Winners
General Interest (newspapers over 75,000 circulation)
- 1st: Amy Pagnozzi, New York Post
- 2nd: Carol Mueller, St. Paul Pioneer Press
- 3rd: Rick Anderson, Seattle Times
- Honorable Mentions: Tom Dennis, Duluth (Minn.) News Tribune; and Dan Rodricks, Evening Sun, Baltimore
Humor (newspapers over 75,000 circulation)
- 1st: Doug Robarchek, Charlotte (N.C.) Observer
- 2nd: Bob Morris, Orlando Sentinel
- 3rd: Jim Kershner, Spokesman-Review/Spokane Chronicle, Spokane, Wash.
- Honorable Mentions: Erik Lacitis, Seattle Times; Peter Leo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; and Colin McEnroe, Hartford (Conn.) Courant
General Interest (newspapers under 75,000 circulation)
- 1st: Clayton Hardiman, Muskegon (Mich.) Chronicle
- 2nd: Pat Brockenborough, Paducah (Ky.) Sun
- 3rd: Charles Levendosky, Star Tribune, Casper, Wyo.
- Honorable Mentions: Peter Genovese, Central Jersey Home News; Kathryn Hutson, Daily Tribune, Royal Oak, Mich.; and Mary Ann Lindley, Tallahassee (Fla.) Democrat
Humor (newspapers under 75,000 circulation)
- 1st: Lynn Bartels, Albuquerque (N.M.) Tribune
- 2nd: Jerry Zezima, Advocate, Stamford, Conn.
- 3rd: Mike Henderson, Herald, Everett, Wash.
Notes/Items
- 1st: Doug Robarchek, Charlotte (N.C.) Observer
- 2nd: Mike Deupree, Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette
- 3rd: Frank DiGiacomo and Timothy McDarrah, New York Post
1990 Winners
General Interest (newspapers over 65,000 circulation)
- 1st: Rick Horowitz, Creators Syndicate
- 2nd: Elise T. Chisolm, Sun, Baltimore
- 3rd: Jim Kershner, Spokesman-Review/Spokane Chronicle, Spokane, Wash.
- Honorable Mentions: Wiley Hall III, Sun, Baltimore; and Roger Simon, Sun, Baltimore
Humor (newspapers over 65,000 circulation)
- 1st: Jonathan Nicholas, Oregonian, Portland
- 2nd: Dale McFeatters, Scripps Howard News Service
- 3rd: Tony Gabriele, Daily Press/Times-Herald, Newport News, Va.
- Honorable Mentions: Rick Horowitz, Creators Syndicate; Leola Floren, Daily Tribune, Royal Oak, Mich.
General Interest (newspapers under 65,000 circulation)
- 1st: Marsha McCabe, Standard-Times, New Bedford, Mass.
- 2nd: Steven Slosberg, Day, New London, Conn.
- 3rd: Nancy Schlessinger, Times-Advocate, Escondido, Calif.
- Honorable Mentions: Tommy Stevenson, Tuscaloosa (Ala.) News; and Nancy Nall, News-Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Ind.
Humor (newspapers under 65,000 circulation)
- 1st: Bill Harlan, Rapid City (S.D.) Journal
- 2nd: Joe Miller, Dallas Business Journal
- 3rd: Andrew Heller, Saginaw (Mich.) News
- Honorable Mentions: Joe Karius, Rapid City (S.D.) Journal; Barbara Naness, Staten Island (N.Y.) Register; and Garret Mathews, Evansville (Ind.) Courier
Notes/Items
- 1st: John Elvin, Washington (D.C.) Times
- 2nd: Lawrence Maddry, Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk
- 3rd: Mary Ann Lindley, Tallahassee (Fla.) Democrat
- Honorable Mentions: Diane Ketcham, New York Times; and Jonathan Nicholas, Oregonian, Portland
1989 Winners – not available in the NSNC archives
1988 Winners
General Interest (newspapers over 65,000 circulation)
- 1st: Ralph Seeley, News Tribune, Tacoma, Wash.
- 2nd: Barbara Green, Richmond (Va.) News Leader
- 3rd: Bill Brower, Blade, Toledo, Ohio
- Honorable Mention: Denis Horgan, Hartford (Conn.) Courant
Humor (newspapers over 65,000 circulation)
- 1st: Sam Lowe, Phoenix Gazette
- 2nd: Sam Venable, Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel
- 3rd: Tom Hritz, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
- Honorable Mentions: Martha Gross, News/Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; and Robert R. Haggart, Post-Standard, Syracuse, N.Y.
General Interest (newspapers under 65,000 circulation)
- 1st: Nancy Nall, News-Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Ind.
- 2nd: Mitch Mendelson, Birmingham (Ala.) Post-Herald
- 3rd: Ralph Martin, Knickerbocker News, Albany, N.Y.
Humor (newspapers under 65,000 circulation)
- 1st: Dan Ehl, Newton (Iowa) Daily News
- 2nd: Jim Kershner, Valley Daily News, Kent, Wash.
- 3rd: Byron Smialek, Observer-Reporter, Washington, Pa.
Notes/Items
- 1st: Diane Ketcham, New York Times
- 2nd: Paul Harasim, Houston Post
- 3rd: Glenn Scott, Modesto (Calif.) Bee
1987 Winners – not available in the NSNC archives
1986 Winners
General Interest (newspapers over 65,000 circulation)
- 1st: Mike Harden, Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch
- 2nd: Dick Dougherty, Times-Union, Rochester, N.Y.
- 3rd: Jill Porter, Philadelphia Daily News
- Honorable Mentions: Ron Bianchi, Arizona Spirit, Phoenix; Gary Galloway, Gary (Ind.) Post-Tribune; and Lawrence Wade, Washington (D.C.) Times
Humor (newspapers over 65,000 circulation)
- 1st: Gordon Dillow, Los Angeles Herald Examiner
- 2nd: Bob Hill, Louisville (Ky.) Times
- 3rd: Roger Simon, Sun, Baltimore
- Honorable Mentions: Robert Chipkin, Springfield (Mass.) Republican; and John Windrow, Stars and Stripes
General Interest (newspapers under 65,000 circulation)
- 1st: Michael Doll, Sun-Bulletin, Binghamton, N.Y.
- 2nd: Marsha McCabe, Standard-Times, New Bedford, Mass.
- 3rd: Roger Clawson, Billings (Mont.) Gazette
- Honorable Mention: Thom Loverro, Howard County Sun, Ellicott City, Md.
Humor (newspapers under 65,000 circulation)
- 1st: Sid McKeen, Worcester (Mass.) Telegram
- 2nd: John Phipps, Saginaw (Mich.) News
- 3rd: Jeff O’Brien, Daily American, Somerset, Pa.
- Honorable Mentions: Jim DeFilippi, Burlington (Vt.) Free Press; Howard Hall, Bradenton (Fla.) Herald; and Jim Stasiowski, Columbian, Vancouver, Wash.
“Bits and Pieces”
- 1st: Smiley Anders, Morning Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.
- 2nd: Jack Willey, Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch
- 3rd: Barney Fowler, Times Union, Albany, N.Y.
1985 and Earlier Winners – not available in the NSNC archives
Winners and finalists of the NSNC Column Contest from missing years will be posted as their documentation is found. We welcome further hard information; please send via the NSNC online Contact Form. Research: Archivist Dave Astor.
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