Hoover Sun wins 7 first-place APA awards

By STAFF

The Hoover Sun captured seven first-place awards at the Alabama Press Association’s 2023 Media Awards competition this year, which culminated with a banquet at the Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach on June 24.

The paper won first place in the Freedom of Information/First Amendment competition, which recognizes excellence in reporting that highlights the importance of a free press and open government.

Jon Anderson, editor for the Hoover Sun, in November wrote about the removal of videos of Hoover City Council meetings from the city’s YouTube channel after 60 days and a decision to quit recording the public comment portion of the meeting.

Anderson also won first place in the news feature category for a September story about the retirement of Prince of Peace Catholic Church Pastor John Fallon, and Sports Editor Kyle Parmley won first place in the single-event sports story category, for a story about the Hoover Lady Bucs basketball team winning a second consecutive state championship in March 2022.

Photo Editor Erin Nelson won first place in the news photo category, for photos of workers building sidewalks in the city, and first place in sports photos, for a picture of the Lady Bucs celebrating their second consecutive basketball championship.

Nelson and page designer Ted Perry won first place for a photo essay from The World Games softball competition at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in July 2022. Nelson took the photos, and Perry created the design for the photo page.

Perry also won first place in graphics and illustrations for a creative illustration that went with the story about the changes in the City of

Hoover’s YouTube video policies.

In addition to the seven first-place awards, the Hoover Sun also had one second-place finish and six third-place awards in the 2023 competition, which involved work published in 2022. The Hoover Sun competes in the Alabama Press Association’s Division E, which includes associate member newspapers and free circulation products.

Starnes Media publications, which in 2022 included the Hoover Sun, Vestavia Voice, 280 Living, The Homewood Star, Iron City Ink, Village Living and Cahaba Sun, won a total of 69 awards in this year’s APA competition.

The Vestavia Voice won the General Excellence

Award and Advertising Sweepstakes Award (the two top awards) for Division E. Starnes Media papers came home from Orange Beach with another 29 first-place awards, 21 second-place awards and 17 third-place awards.

The Redstone Rocket, a newspaper in Huntsville, won second place in the General Excellence category in Division E, while The Birmingham Times won third place. The Redstone Rocket also won second place in the Advertising Sweepstakes category.

The Alabama Press Association has four other divisions that are divided based on their number of paid subscribers.

Other first-place winners in the General

Excellence category were The Anniston Star, The Outlook (in Alexander City), Shelby County Reporter and The Observer (in Opelika). Other Advertising Sweepstakes winners were The Fort Payne Times-Journal, Shelby County Reporter and The Wetumpka Herald.

Here’s a complete list of awards won by the Hoover Sun this year:

First Place

► Freedom of Information/First Amendment: “Hoover council at odds over changes in video recordings” by Jon Anderson

► Best News Feature Story Coverage: “Making all feel welcome: The Rev. John Fallon Retires” by Jon Anderson

► Best Sports Single Event Story: “Lady Bucs repeat as Class 7A state champs” by Kyle Parmley

► Best News Photo: “Sidewalks part of Hoover capital projects” by Erin Nelson

► Best Sports Photo: “Hoover girls basketball win Class 7A state final” by Erin Nelson

► Best Photo Essay: “The World Games Softball” by Erin Nelson and Ted Perry

► Best Use of Graphics or Illustrations: “Transparency” by Ted Perry

2ND PLACE

► Sports Photo: “Doused in beer at The World Games” by Erin Nelson

3RD PLACE

► Sports Coverage: By Kyle Parmley and Erin Nelson

► Layout and Design: By Melanie Viering, Ted Perry

► Feature Photo: “Nicole Stokes takes over at Deer Valley Elementary” by Erin Nelson

► Photo Essay: “A Day of Remembrance” by Erin Nelson and Ted Perry

► Headline: “Hoover painter makes big splash with tiny art” by Jon Anderson

► Use of Social Media: “Hoover’s Most Eligible Bachelor and Bachelorette” by Jon Anderson