COLUMBUS — The Blade won 10 awards on April 3, including best photographer, in the annual Ohio Associated Press Media Editors newspaper competition.
Competing in the top division of newspapers in the state of Ohio, The Blade’s Rebecca Benson was named the winner in the Best Photographer category. “Great variety of images with a wonderful range of emotion and moments with a few dashes of humor for a good mix,” a judge wrote of Ms. Benson’s work.
The Blade’s second-place finishes included Best Digital Presence for toledoblade.com. “For a smaller market compared to Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, Blade readers get a lot of bang for the buck from this hard-working staff,” a judge wrote.
The Blade also won second-place awards in multiple other categories:
- Best Daily Sports Section
- Best Digital Project for “Under Fire” by graphic artist Joe Landsberger and former Blade staff writer Kaitlin Durbin
- Best Graphics Artist, Mr. Landsberger
- Best Headline Writer Bill Piotrowski. “Solid mix and collection of various headline styles,” a judge wrote noting one headline, “Homers quiet the Sounds.”
- Best Full Page Design by Sarah Baird
The Blade also won third-place honors in the categories of:
- Best Illustration or Informational Graphic for “Under Fire Shooting Map” by Mr. Landsberger. “Tons of data constructed in very [well] thought out presentation,” a judge wrote.
- Best Special Sports Section for “All Eyes on Toledo, Solheim Cup”.
- Best Sports Photo by Ms. Benson for “Walleye fans mocked.” “Kudos to the photographer for capturing what was most likely a fleeting moment and to be alert to not only the action on the ice, but the fan’s reaction too,” a judge wrote. “A very funny photo.”
All awards were for work done in 2021.