Richmond magazine won top honors at the Virginia Press Association’s annual awards banquet, held Saturday, May 6, at the Hilton Richmond Hotel & Spa in Short Pump, including grand sweepstakes, news sweepstakes and advertising sweepstakes for overall excellence in the specialty publication category. This is the third consecutive year the magazine has swept the sweepstakes awards in its category, which comprises magazines and targeted or niche publications. The VPA News & Advertising Contest is one of the largest news competitions in the country, with entries judged by journalists and advertising professionals from another state.
Richmond musician Lonnie Liston Smith Jr. (Photo by Zaid Hamid)
Freelance photographer Zaid Hamid received best in show in the specialty photography category for his portrait of Lonnie Liston Smith, with judges commenting, “Hamid does an excellent job of framing the subject with the piano.” Freelance graphic designer Sarah Barton’s best in show winner in the specialty advertising category was said to be a “spectacular use of art,” while former News Editor Scott Bass’ “Smoke Screen,” the best in show winner for specialty writing, was cited as “well-written, deeply researched, and boldly presented.”
The magazine’s staff and freelance contributors won 44 additional awards. Graphic Designer Phong Nguyen won nine individual and team awards for his work on Richmond magazine’s advertising pages, while Creative Director Justin Vaughan was cited seven times for layout and design, including a first-place award for the magazine’s cover design. Food Editor Eileen Mellon won four awards, including two firsts for “The Way of the Future” and the team project “Spirited Away” with Bird Cox, Stephanie Ganz and Genevelyn Steele. Art Directors Heather Palmateer and Rachel Lee and Senior Photographer Jay Paul won first-place awards for individual and team efforts, as did freelance contributors Sarah Barton, Dale Brumfield, Zaid Hamid, Davy Jones, Caroline Martin and Joey Wharton.
See the complete list of awards below.
NEWS
Arts Writing: First Place, Davy Jones, “Cosmic Traveler”; Second Place, Greg Weatherford, “The Real Thing”
Business and Financial Writing: First Place, Eileen Mellon, “The Way of the Future”
Column or Commentary Writing: Third Place, Eileen Mellon, “‘Love, Mom,’” “’Tis the Season,” “The Almighty Dollar”
Combination Picture and Story: First Place, Justin Vaughan, Adam Ewing, Joey Wharton, Jay Paul, Greg Weatherford, “The Real Thing”
Design and Presentation: First Place, Justin Vaughan, Rachel Lee, Heather Palmateer, Phong Nguyen, Sarah Barton, Richmond magazine
Education Writing (Open): First Place, Scott Bass, “Breaking Clouds,” “Ready to Rise,”“Under Construction”
Feature Photo: First Place, Joey Wharton, “The Real Thing”
Feature Story Writing (Open): First Place, Dale Brumfield, “The Unbroken”
Feature Writing Portfolio: Second Place, Scott Bass, “Returning Fire,” “Smoke Screen,” “Out of Room”
Food Writing: First Place, Eileen Mellon, Bird Cox, Stephanie Ganz, Genevelyn Steele, “Spirited Away”; Second Place, Eileen Mellon, Bird Cox, Stephanie Ganz, Genevelyn Steele, “Have Your Cake”
Front Page or Front Cover: First Place, Justin Vaughan, Richmond magazine
General News Photo: First Place, Jay Paul, “Rounding Home?”
General News Writing: First Place, Scott Bass, “Where There’s Smoke,” “Stoking the Flames,” “Change of Venue”
Headline Writing: Second Place, Tharon Giddens, “Hello, Crewel World!,” “Find Your Grail,”“Skirting’s the Issue”
Health, Science and Environmental Writing (Open): Third Place, Tharon Giddens, “Angry World,” “Find Your Grail,” “Renewed Hope”
Illustrations: Second Place, Jim Callahan, Justin Vaughan, “Comics the Richmond Way”
Informational Graphics: Second Place, Justin Vaughan, “Counting Change”
Leisure, Lifestyle or Home Writing: Third Place, Paula Peters Chambers, Laura Anders Lee, Jessica Ronky Haddad, “Gifts They Won’t Forget”
Online Slideshow or Gallery: Second Place, Jay Paul, Mandy Loy, 2022 in Photos
Page Design: First Place, Heather Palmateer, Heather Palmateer Page Design
Personality or Portrait Photo: First Place, Zaid Hamid, “Cosmic Traveler”; Second Place, Adam Ewing, “The Real Thing”
Pictorial Photo: Second Place, Adam Ewing, “Spirited Away”; Third Place, Caroline Martin, “Wild in the City”
Picture Story or Essay: First Place, Caroline Martin, “Wild in the City”; Second Place, Monica Escamilla, “A Fresh Start”
Public Affairs Writing: First Place, Scott Bass, “Smoke Screen”; Third Place, Don Harrison, “A Bridge to Somewhere”
Special Sections or Special Editions: First Place, Justin Vaughan, Rachel Lee, Heather Palmateer, Phong Nguyen, Sarah Barton, Sourcebook 2022
Sports Feature Photo: First Place, Caroline Martin, “Wild in the City,” Climbing
ADVERTISING
Entertainment: First Place, Sarah Barton, Dog's Day Inn
Food and Drug: First Place, Sarah Barton, Deep Run Roadhouse
Member Self-Promotion: First Place, Rachel Lee, Website Redesign
Multiple Advertisers and Themed Pages: Third Place, Phong Nguyen, November Gift Guide
Professional Services (excluding medical/healthcare): First Place, Phong Nguyen, Historic Polegreen; Third Place, Phong Nguyen, ProCentral Welcome Inc.
Professional Services (medical and healthcare-related only): Second Place, Phong Nguyen, Carytown Optical
Real Estate: First Place, Phong Nguyen, Sarah Barton, Prodigy
Slick Publications: Third Place, Phong Nguyen, Craft + Design
Special Sections: First Place, Phong Nguyen, Spring/Summer RVA Traveler; Third Place, Sarah Barton, Fall Home Show
Specialty Pages or Sections: First Place, Justin Vaughan, Lauren Baldwin, Eat & Drink
