WATERLOO (CP) – The Hamilton Spectator swept the Ontario Newspaper Awards on Saturday night, collecting eight awards, including the prestigious Journalist of the Year award.
The Windsor Star netted six awards, including the equally high-profile Photojournalist of the Year award.
The Guelph Mercury and Waterloo Region Record each went home with three awards, while the London Free Press, Sarnia Observer, Woodstock Sentinel-Review and Brandford Expositor each picked up two.
The Ottawa Sun, Owen Sound Sun Times, Chatham Daily News, Orillia Packet and Times, Simcoe Reformer and Sault Star each received one award.
ONA chairman Howard Elliott said he was pleased to note the awards have gained stability after a few years of uncertainty as a result of the hit the newspaper industry took during the global economic recession.
“This year marks the emergence of the Ontario Newspaper Awards from a period of uncertainty to one of justified optimism,” he said.
“The recession and newspaper economic issues hit the awards as they did many sectors, but thanks to a strong growing base of non newspaper sponsors Canada’s oldest newspaper awards move forward with optimism and a renewed sense of purpose that reflects the strength of newspapers as Canada’s most trusted source of information. We honour the work of community-based journalism, the lifeblood of our industry and a cornerstone of our democratic society.”
Steve Buist, of the Hamilton Spectator, was named Journalist of the Year. As the main reporter on the Spectator’s ground-breaking “Code Red” project, Buist was commended for putting a human face on the statistics that showed an enormous gap in the health of the people of Hamilton, depending on where they lived within the community.
The judges commented that “Code Red is a significant piece of work, both for the complexity of its analysis and for the detailed reporting on the human toll of poverty.”
“The impact of poverty is an under-covered political issue in Canada. At a time when newspapers everywhere are facing challenges, the Spectator and Buist have done what all newspapers should still strive for: uncovering a significant story that raises serious questions for politicians, educators and everyone in the community.”
The Windsor Star’s Tyler Brownbridge was named Photojournalist of the Year for a portfolio the judge said “was full of images that made excellent use of light with strong composition and content.”
“Brownbridge delivers an amazingly touching photo time after time.”
The awards were handed out in Waterloo, Ont., at a gala attended by more than 250 journalists, managing editors, publishers and sponsors.
There were hundreds of entries for 34 categories.
A complete list of finalists:
Martha Blackburn Award for Journalist of the Year: Steve Buist, The Hamilton Spectator
Photojournalist of the Year: Tyler Brownbridge, Windsor Star
Online Multi-Media Special Project: Hamilton Spectator, “The James Street Project”
Enterprise/Investigative Reporting: Jon Wells, Hamilton Spectator
Multimedia Journalism: Elliot Ferguson, Woodstock Sentinel-Review
Online Video Production: Doug Hempstead, Ottawa Sun
Online photography: Bill Henry, Owen Sound Sun Times
Spot News (over 25,000 circulation): London Free Press team
Spot News Reporting (under 25,000 circulation): Sarnia Observer team, Tara Jeffrey, Tyler Kula, Cathy Dobson and Shawn Jeffords
Spot News Photography (over 25,000 circulation): Dan Janisse, Windsor Star
Spot News Photography (under 25,000 circulation): Diana Martin, Chatham Daily News
Green Environment Writing sponsored by Ontario Power Authority: Jonathan Sher, London Free Press
Arts and Entertainment Writing: Jon Wells, Hamilton Spectator
Sports Writing (over 25,000 circulation): Steve Milton, Hamilton Spectator
Sports Photography (under 25,000 circulation): Tony Saxon, Guelph Mercury
Robert J. Hanley Awards Sports Writing (under 25,000 circulation): Cory Smith, Woodstock Sentinel-Review
Municipal Affairs Reporting (over 25,000 circulation): Jeff Outhit, Waterloo Region Record
Municipal Affairs Reporting (under 25,000 circulation): George Mathewson and Shawn Jeffords, Sarnia Observer
Editorials, Opinion and Analysis (over 25,000 circulation): Chris Vander Doelen, Windsor Star
Editorials, Opinion and Analysis (under 25,000 circulation): Tara Klager, Guelph Mercury
Columnists: Susan Clairmont, Hamilton Spectator
News Feature Writing: Jon Wells, Hamilton Spectator
Business Writing: Ellen van Wagingen, Windsor Star
Feature Writing (over 25,000 circulation): Steve Buist, Hamilton Spectator
Feature Writing (under 25,000 circulation): Teviah Moro, Orillia Packet and Times
K.A. (Sandy) Baird Award for Humour Writing: Chuck Brown, Guelph Mercury
Sports Photography (over 25,000 circulation): Mathew McCarthy, Waterloo Region Record
Feature Photography (over 25,000 circulation): Jason Kryk, Windsor Star
Feature Photography (under 25,000 circulation): Brian Thompson, Brantford Expositor
Novice Reporting (over 25,000 circulation): Frances Willick, Windsor Star
Novice Reporting (under 25,000 circulation): Barbara Simpson, Simcoe Reformer
Design and Graphics, (over 25,000 circulation): Brad Needham, Waterloo Region Record
Design and Graphics (under 25,000 circulation): Sherri Lavigne, Sault Star
Layout: Brantford Expositor.
