Star wins 32 state newspaper awards, including journalist and photographer of the year

The Arizona Daily Star won 32 journalism awards in the Arizona Newspapers Association’s 2019 contest, including first place in general excellence in the largest-newspapers category.

Perla Trevizo was named Arizona Journalist of the Year for her work as the Star’s border and immigration reporter, and the Star’s Kelly Presnell was honored as Arizona Photographer of the Year for the second year in a row.

The awards were announced Sept. 28, with Newspaper of the Year honors — calculated from awards won in advertising as well as journalism categories — going to the Navajo Times for non-daily and the Herald/Review for daily.

Kelly Presnell, Photographer of the Year portfolio — Traffic on 6th street speeds by the Goddess of Agave mural on the old Tucson Warehouse & Transfer Co., and the current home of Benjamin Supply, in this award-winning photo from Star photographer Kelly Presnell.
photos by Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star

The Star’s other honors in the ANA’s 2019 Better Newspapers Contest were:

First places, staff:

Reporting and newswriting excellence.

Page design excellence.

Editorial page excellence.

Supplement or magazine.

Newspaper website (Tucson.com).

First places, individuals:

Best team, sport or sports beat coverage, Norma Gonzalez (Pima football).

Best sports column, Greg Hansen (“Arizona superfan”).

Best column, analysis or commentary: David Fitzsimmons (“Monastery-turned-sanctuary truly extraordinary”).

Best column, feature or criticism, David Fitzsimmons (“Y.O.T.O. backs youths’ dreams, despite homelessness”).

Best multimedia storytelling, Perla Trevizo (“Passports to the American Dream,” reported from Guatemala).

Best feature photograph, Mike Christy (“Cloud walk”).

Best feature photo layout or photo story, Kelly Presnell (“New border dynamic presents quandary no wall can solve”).

Second places, individuals:

Best headline, Dave Ord (assorted headlines).

Best news story, Caitlin Schmidt (“4 suspect ID’d here after tests on shelved rape kits.”)

Best team, sport or sports beat coverage, Caitlin Schmidt (“Athletes investigated at the UA”).

Enterprise reporting, Emily Bregel (“Evictions: No roof, no relief”).

Best column, analysis or commentary, Tim Steller (“The Chomsky outrage”).

Best column, feature or criticism, Greg Hansen (“A miracle and a young man named Brian saved my son’s life”).

Online coverage of breaking news, Caitlin Schmidt and Shaq Davis (“Local man indicted in killing of Tucson girls”).

Best news photograph, Kelly Presnell (“Vigil for murdered student”).

Best sports photograph, Kelly Presnell (“Looming clouds”).

Best feature photograph, Mamta Popat (“Late snow”).

Third places, individuals:

Best news story, Caitlin Schmidt and Shaq Davis (“Inmate, 36, indicted in deaths of two girls”).

Best feature story, Perla Trevizo (with Fernanda Echavarri of Latino USA), (“30 days to be a family”).

Best column, analysis or commentary, Sarah Garrecht Gassen (“Growing Pima County”).

Best column, feature or criticism, David Fitzsimmons (“What good cops do”).

Best multimedia storytelling, Perla Trevizo (“Shifting trends: How do you secure the border when migrants are just turning themselves in?”).

Best sports photograph, Kelly Presnell (“Timeout!”).

Best feature photograph, Mamta Popat (“Brain surprise”).

Advertising contest

Also, in the Arizona Newspapers Association’s 2019 Excellence in Advertising Contest, the Star received four awards including first place in general excellence; first place in most effective use of small space, Alexis Walters; first place for best animated online ad, Jay Walsh; and third place for best color ad, Alexis Walters.