News & Observer and Herald-Sun staff members win 45 NC Press Association awards

Jessica Banov
·5 min read

The News & Observer and The Herald-Sun newspapers won 45 awards from the North Carolina Press Association, including top awards in news, sports and photography.

The News & Observer is judged among the state’s largest newspapers. The awards, along with additional special awards for General Excellence and Public Service, were presented Aug. 24 in Raleigh.

The News & Observer won 32 awards, including third place for General Excellence for the newspaper and third place General Excellence for its website, newsobserver.com.

The Herald-Sun received 13 awards, including second place General Excellence.

The News & Observer shares four awards with its sister paper, The Charlotte Observer, for investigative projects.

The newspaper was judged for work published from March 1, 2022 to March 4, 2023.

The newspaper’s staff received first place awards for its breaking news coverage of the mass shooting in Raleigh’s Hedingham neighborhood in October; for sports coverage; for special section; and for best use of photos. The Herald-Sun received a first place award for sports coverage.

The staff also earned several special recognition awards:

▪ Photojournalist Ethan Hyman earned the award for Hugh Morton Photographer of the Year, which honors a photographer’s body of work and is considered the NCPA’s most prestigious award in photography.

▪ Danielle Battaglia and Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan received the Henry Lee Weathers Freedom of Information Award for using public records to hold public officials accountable.

The casket of Raleigh Police Officer Gabriel Torres is brought into Cross Assembly Church in Raleigh, N.C. during his funeral Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022. Officer Torres was killed in a mass shooting Oct. 13.
The casket of Raleigh Police Officer Gabriel Torres is brought into Cross Assembly Church in Raleigh, N.C. during his funeral Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022. Officer Torres was killed in a mass shooting Oct. 13.

Here’s a look at the awards.

The News & Observer

First Place

▪ Staff, Breaking News Coverage, Raleigh mass shooting in Hedingham neighborhood

▪ Staff, Use of photographs

▪ Staff, Sports coverage

▪ Staff, Special section, UNC Men’s Basketball, 2021-22 season

▪ Ethan Hyman, Hugh Morton Photographer of the Year

▪ Danielle Battaglia and Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan, Henry Lee Weathers Freedom of Information Award

▪ Josh Shaffer, Serious columns: Defying the Teardown Trend: this house has been in her family almost 150 years; Who killed Bonnie Neighbors? New book casts doubt on homeless man blamed in 1972 case; Farewell to Carol Sloane, who was a staple at Raleigh’s Frog and Nightgown

▪ Martha Quillin, Ledes: Green Book exhibit; Backyard farms; James Thompson remembrance

▪ Kaitlin McKeown, Photo Page or essay, Women and Children First: Single Mother struggles to find housing for her family

Sheba Everett walks inside as autumn foliage reflects in the front door of her Durham, N.C. home on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022. Everett, who for two years has rented the house where she lives with her five daughters, received an eviction letter after the Eno River Association planned to transfer the land to the state park system.
Sheba Everett walks inside as autumn foliage reflects in the front door of her Durham, N.C. home on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022. Everett, who for two years has rented the house where she lives with her five daughters, received an eviction letter after the Eno River Association planned to transfer the land to the state park system.

Second Place

▪ Staff, Email newsletter, Under the Dome politics newsletter

▪ T. Keung Hui, Education Reporting, NC students fell behind during the pandemic. How quickly can they regain lost ground?

▪ Brian Gordon, Business Writing, Is your employer monitoring your computer? NC workers, companies grapple with practice

▪ Steve Wiseman and Andrew Carter, Sports News Reporting, Duke volleyball players heckled

▪ Luke DeCock, Sports columns: Game that should’ve been all that’s right about college sports becomes all that’s wrong; Tar Heels end Coach K’s legendary career — and the UNC-Duke rivalry as we knew it; Get a new hobby. Adopt a pet. Live a little. Anything’s better than watching Panthers

▪ Richard Stradling, Arts and Entertainment Reporting, NC Museum of Art unveils new works and a new approach and Reimagining the NC Museum of Art meant moving every piece of art — except this one

▪ Drew Jackson, Feature writing, The State of Barbecue

▪ Drew Jackson, Ledes: Ricky Moore Tar Heel of the Year profile; State of Barbecue; Triangle’s Best Doughnut

People rush to attempt to aid the victim, a young member of a dance troupe, after she was struck by a truck pulling a float of other dancers during the Raleigh Christmas Parade, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2022.
People rush to attempt to aid the victim, a young member of a dance troupe, after she was struck by a truck pulling a float of other dancers during the Raleigh Christmas Parade, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2022.

▪ Ethan Hyman, Spot photography, Raleigh Christmas Parade tragedy

▪ Robert Willett, Sports photography, Flying helmet

▪ Laura Brache, Drew Hill, Paola Perez, Use of social media through Instagram and TikTok

East Forsyth’s K.J. Wright (18) loses his helmet as he stops Rolesville’s Rory Jones (8) in the second quarter on Friday, August 26. 2022 at Roseville High School in Rolesville, N.C.
East Forsyth’s K.J. Wright (18) loses his helmet as he stops Rolesville’s Rory Jones (8) in the second quarter on Friday, August 26. 2022 at Roseville High School in Rolesville, N.C.

Third Place

▪ Staff, General Excellence among the state’s largest daily newspapers.

▪ Staff, General Excellence for the website

▪ Adam Wagner and Will Doran, Election and Political Reporting, How Duke Energy uses campaign money to influence legislation in North Carolina and Tracking the many ways Duke Energy pays to influence politics, in NC and nationwide

▪ Kayla Guo, Religion & Faith Reporting, Un-United Methodists (Series of stories on fracture within Methodist church on LGBTQ issues)

▪ T. Keung Hui, Education Reporting, The bus stop blues: How driver shortages are creating uncertainty for NC families

▪ Dan Kane, Josh Shaffer and Will Doran, City & County Government Reporting, Half a million dollars, dozens of cars can’t be found in NC town taken over by the state; NC town missing $430,000 after hiring finance director with prior bankruptcy, tax liens; and Embezzling $500,000 brings four-year prison sentence for Spring Lake finance director

▪ Kaitlin McKeown, Video, Family creates a sense of home while staying at hotel

▪ Robert Willett, Spot photography, A mother’s embrace

Sonya Williams, the mother of Darryl Williams, embraces Zayvien Williams, Darryl Williams’ brother, after laying a bouquet of flowers at a memorial on Rocky Quarry Road near were Darryl Williams died after being tased by the Raleigh Police Department on Thursday, February 16. 2023 in Raleigh, N.C.
Sonya Williams, the mother of Darryl Williams, embraces Zayvien Williams, Darryl Williams’ brother, after laying a bouquet of flowers at a memorial on Rocky Quarry Road near were Darryl Williams died after being tased by the Raleigh Police Department on Thursday, February 16. 2023 in Raleigh, N.C.

The News & Observer and Charlotte Observer Joint Awards

Second Place

▪ Ames Alexander, Sara Coello, Tyler Dukes, Religion and Faith Reporting, NC pastors among those on secret list of Southern Baptist leaders accused of sex abuse

▪ Gavin Off, Adam Wagner, Ames Alexander, Investigative Reporting, “Big Poultry in North Carolina,” an investigation by The Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer.

Third Place

▪ Payton Guion, Tyler Dukes, Gordon Rago, Investigative Reporting, “Security for Sale,” an investigation by The Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer.

▪ Staff, Illustration/Photo Illustration/Print or interactive graphics, Security for Sale graphics

Police gather at the Aldi on New Bern Avenue in Raleigh, Thursday evening, Oct. 13, 2022.
Police gather at the Aldi on New Bern Avenue in Raleigh, Thursday evening, Oct. 13, 2022.

The Herald-Sun

First Place

▪ Staff, Sports Coverage

▪ Staff, Appearance and Design

▪ Tammy Grubb, News Enterprise Reporting, Series of stories about a fatal crash that left a Virginia woman missing

▪ Steve Wiseman, Sports Feature Writing, How Duke DT Ja’Mion Franklin saved father’s life and is now supporting sick mother

▪ Kaitlin McKeown, Video, Pet ducks delight downtown Raleigh visitors

▪ Ethan Hyman, Spot photography, Officers respond to mass shooting

▪ Ethan Hyman, General News photography, Honoring a fallen officer

▪ Ethan Hyman, Feature photography, Storms lead to rainbow

After storms pass, a rainbow appears over downtown Raleigh, N.C., as seen from the Boylan Avenue bridge Friday, May 27, 2022.
After storms pass, a rainbow appears over downtown Raleigh, N.C., as seen from the Boylan Avenue bridge Friday, May 27, 2022.

Second Place

▪ General Excellence among the state’s small to mid-size daily papers.

▪ Andrew Carter, Sports Feature Writing, Last ride of the ‘Pony Express’: Keeping alive the memory of Hillside’s 1966 basketball team

▪ Mary Helen Moore, Election/Political Reporting, There’s only one contested local race in Durham this November. Here’s who’s running.

▪ Tammy Grubb, Education Reporting, Jewish parents decry antisemitic vandalism, threats reported at NC middle school

Third Place

▪ Laura Brache, News Feature Writing, Durham Housing Authority to name new building after former tenant it once evicted

N.C. State’s Jack Clark (5) takes a hard fall after dunking the ball during N.C. State’s 90-74 victory over Wake Forest at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023. Clark left the court after the fall and returned with his arm in a sling.
N.C. State’s Jack Clark (5) takes a hard fall after dunking the ball during N.C. State’s 90-74 victory over Wake Forest at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023. Clark left the court after the fall and returned with his arm in a sling.