The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette took home the award for General Excellence among the state’s larger newspapers for the second year in a row, among eight other first-place citations at the Arkansas Press Association’s 2025 Better Newspaper Editorial Awards.
Reporters Tom Murphy and Matt Byrne won in the larger newspapers and online media category for sports news story with “Razorbacks’ head coach fired.”
Editorial Page Editor David Barham topped the editorial column category for larger newspapers with “Not chicken feed.”
Senior Editor Rex Nelson’s “Too many sad, angry souls” won in the news and political column category for larger newspapers.
Columnist Steve Straessle took top honors in the general interest column category for larger newspapers with “The German kid.”
Columnist John Brummett was a first-place finalist for columnist of the year among larger newspapers.
A pair of photographers garnered first-place awards for larger newspapers — Colin Murphey was victorious in the single feature photo category for “Partly Sunny,” while Thomas Metthe won in the single sports action photo category with “Top Hogs.”
Page Designer Sarah Smythe, Assistant News Editor Michael Hoge and News Editor Heather Kersten shared first place for front page design among larger newspapers, with the announcement containing a screenshot of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s March 16, 2025 layout, which included coverage of the deadly tornadoes in 14 state counties.
Ainsley Platt of the Arkansas Advocate in Little Rock won the Meredith Oakley Award, which recognizes the use of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act in reporting.
The Photo of the Year award went to the Nashville News-Leader’s John Balch for his photo, “Long Day at the Fair.”
Andrew Bagley of the Helena World won the Ernie Deane-Brenda Blagg Columnist of the Year award.
Members of the Missouri Press Association chose the winners from 1,280 entries.
The following is the list of first-place winners in each category and division:
News Story
NEWSPAPERS LESS THAN 1,200: Pacesetting Times, Horseshoe Bend, Karen Sherrell — Fire takes out heart of community
SMALLER NEWSPAPERS: Eureka Springs Times-Echo, Rick Harvey and Scott Loftis — Hospital commission moves toward hiring CEO
MEDIUM NEWSPAPERS: The Sentinel-Record, Hot Springs James Leigh — Floodwaters cause damage
LARGER NEWSPAPERS: Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Fayetteville Grace Hurt, Gael Langdon and Ed McKinnon — Building community while rebuilding homes
ONLINE MEDIA AND MAGAZINE: Arkansas Money & Politics, Little Rock, Alex Hardgrave — Saving the Sparta
Feature Story
NEWSPAPERS LESS THAN 1,200: The Waldron News, Brittany Maine — Ashlynn Free steps into her calling
SMALLER NEWSPAPERS: Pocahontas Star Herald, Jenny Tyson — Jason Hampton, Randolph County’s weatherman
MEDIUM NEWSPAPERS: The Sentinel-Record, Hot Springs, David Showers — Philadelphia transplant brings philanthropy
LARGER NEWSPAPERS: Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Fayetteville, Dustin Staggs — Greg Geizentanner
ONLINE MEDIA AND MAGAZINE: AY Magazine, Little Rock, Mak Millard — Southern Hearts Rescue
Arkansas Freedom of Information Reporting
NEWSPAPERS LESS THAN 1,200 AND SMALLER NEWSPAPERS: The White County Citizen, Searcy, Greg Geary — DWI arrest
MEDIUM NEWSPAPERS: The Leader, Jacksonville, Jonathan Feldman — Bayou Meto Pedo
LARGER NEWSPAPERS AND ONLINE MEDIA: Arkansas Advocate, Little Rock, Ainsley Platt — Fix for aging Arkansas prison wastewater plant years behind schedule
Investigative Series
SMALLER NEWSPAPERS: Pocahontas Star Herald, Jenny Tyson — Bank employee accused of stealing $240K
MEDIUM NEWSPAPERS: The Leader, Jacksonville, Rick Kron — Willow Bend
LARGER NEWSPAPERS AND ONLINE MEDIA: Mountain Home Observer Chris Fulton — Power, Politics, and Public Accountability
Beat Reporter
NEWSPAPERS LESS THAN 1,200: The Waldron News, John Mackey
SMALLER NEWSPAPERS: The White County Citizen, Searcy, Greg Geary
MEDIUM NEWSPAPERS: The Leader, Jacksonville, Rick Kron
LARGER NEWSPAPERS: River Valley Democrat-Gazette, Fort Smith, Shane Monaco
ONLINE MEDIA AND MAGAZINE: Arkansas Advocate, Little Rock, Antoinette Grajeda
Sports News Story
NEWSPAPERS LESS THAN 1,200: Carroll County News, Berryville, Scott Loftis — Bobcats pick perfect time to play best game
SMALLER NEWSPAPERS: The White County Citizen, Searcy, Jason King — Lady Wildcats win regional title
MEDIUM NEWSPAPERS: Log Cabin Democrat, Conway, Mark Buffalo — Lockdown victory
LARGER NEWSPAPERS AND ONLINE MEDIA: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock, Tom Murphy and Matt Byrne — Razorbacks’ head coach fired
Sports Feature Story
NEWSPAPERS LESS THAN 1,200: Pea Ridge Times, Annette Beard — Pedaling for fun and confidence
SMALLER NEWSPAPERS: Herald-Leader, Siloam Springs, Kayla Rupp — Twin girl bull riders make history
MEDIUM NEWSPAPERS: The Sentinel-Record, Hot Springs, Patrick Geans — Bishop Allen brings All-Arkansas Vegas gold back to Troy
LARGER NEWSPAPERS: River Valley Democrat-Gazette, Fort Smith, Leland Barclay — All in the Family: Burtons leave lasting impact on athletics at Mansfield
ONLINE MEDIA AND MAGAZINE: AY Magazine, Little Rock, Doug Crise — Arkansas Hockey
Business Story
NEWSPAPERS LESS THAN 1,200: Clay County Courier, Corning, Jenny Tyson — Gigi’s restaurant brings family, flavor and community together
SMALLER NEWSPAPERS: Spring River Chronicle, Hardy, Tammy Curtis — Love of fitness
MEDIUM NEWSPAPERS: Paragould Press, Michael Wilkey — Local farmers gather in Brookland
LARGER NEWSPAPERS: Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Fayetteville, Grace Hurt — Businesses aim to weather construction
ONLINE MEDIA AND MAGAZINE: AY Magazine, Little Rock, Mark Carter — White Sands of Arkansas
Education Story
NEWSPAPERS LESS THAN 1,200: The Helena World, Staff — On school report cards, Barton leads way
SMALLER NEWSPAPERS: The White County Citizen, Searcy, Greg Geary — Robotics teams up to challenge
MEDIUM AND LARGER NEWSPAPERS: The Sentinel-Record, Hot Springs, Brandon Smith — Nehus dismissed
ONLINE MEDIA AND MAGAZINE: Arkansas Advocate, Little Rock, Antoinette Grajeda — Education coverage
Health-Medical Story
NEWSPAPERS LESS THAN 1,200: Clay County Courier, Corning, Jenny Tyson — Paige Catt’s journey through breast cancer
SMALLER NEWSPAPERS: Pocahontas Star Herald, Jenny Tyson — Jessica Dillon’s story of faith, family and fierce determination
MEDIUM NEWSPAPERS: The Sentinel-Record, Hot Springs, James Leigh — NPMC adult psych unit
LARGER NEWSPAPERS: Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Fayetteville, Gael Langdon, Edward McKinnon and Doug Thompson — Five years since COVID-19
ONLINE MEDIA AND MAGAZINE: AY Magazine, Little Rock, Dwain Hebda — The Healer
Freelance Recognition
NEWSPAPERS LESS THAN 1,200: Pacesetting Times, Horseshoe Bend, Bell Harber — Stop the stigma
SMALLER NEWSPAPERS: The White County Citizen, Searcy, Tracy Whitaker — Parole denied for killer of teen in 1995
MEDIUM NEWSPAPERS: Log Cabin Democrat, Conway, Tammy Keith — Legislative Audit to investigate school district
ONLINE MEDIA AND MAGAZINE: AY Magazine, Little Rock, Dwain Hebda — The Lifer
Sports Column
NEWSPAPERS LESS THAN 1,200: The Helena World, Andrew Bagley — Time for new athletic director at CHS
SMALLER AND MEDIUM NEWSPAPERS: The Leader, Jacksonville, Rick Kron — Quit prancing
LARGER NEWSPAPERS AND ONLINE MEDIA: Premiere, Paragould, Richard Brummett — Get rich with Richard Brummett
Editorial Column
NEWSPAPERS LESS THAN 1,200: The Helena World, Andrew Bagley — Recent outage shows need for faster movement on water
SMALLER NEWSPAPERS: The White County Citizen, Searcy, Steve Watts — Illegal doesn’t make it right
MEDIUM NEWSPAPERS: The Leader, Jacksonville, Jonathan Feldman — Like KKK
LARGER NEWSPAPERS: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock, David Barham — Not chicken feed
ONLINE MEDIA AND MAGAZINE: AY Magazine, Little Rock, Doug Crise — Can You Hear Me Now?
News and Political Column
NEWSPAPERS LESS THAN 1,200: The Helena World, Andrew Bagley — I still have hope
SMALLER NEWSPAPERS: The White County Citizen, Searcy, Steve Watts — Not sobering enough
MEDIUM NEWSPAPERS: The Leader, Jacksonville, Rick Kron — Tax vote
LARGER NEWSPAPERS: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock, Rex Nelson — Too many sad, angry souls
General Interest Column
NEWSPAPERS LESS THAN 1,200: Newton County Times, Jasper, Jeff Brasel — We listened with our eyes
SMALLER NEWSPAPERS: The White County Citizen, Searcy, Steve Watts — The spring(s) of the wildflower
MEDIUM NEWSPAPERS: Stone County Leader, Mountain View, Shelley Smith — Life in ‘bubble’ too exclusive
LARGER NEWSPAPERS: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock, Steve Straessle — The German kid
ONLINE MEDIA AND MAGAZINE: AY Magazine, Little Rock, Heather Baker — What happened – 4 years later
Humorous Column
NEWSPAPERS LESS THAN 1,200 AND SMALLER NEWSPAPERS: The White County Citizen, Searcy, Steve Watts — ‘You’re old, dude’
MEDIUM NEWSPAPERS: Harrison Daily Times, Jeff Brasel — Grandkids can brighten other people’s day
LARGER NEWSPAPERS: Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Fayetteville, Gwen Rockwood — Rise of the Machines
ONLINE MEDIA AND MAGAZINE: AY Magazine, Little Rock, Mark Carter — See Lumberjack, Be Lumberjack
Columnist of the Year Finalists
NEWSPAPERS LESS THAN 1,200: The Helena World, Andrew Bagley
SMALLER NEWSPAPERS: The White County Citizen, Searcy, Steve Watts
MEDIUM NEWSPAPERS: Paragould Press, Steve Gillespie
LARGER NEWSPAPERS: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock, John Brummett
Single News Photo
NEWSPAPERS LESS THAN 1,200: Carroll County News, Berryville, Scott Loftis — Ex-employees reiterate claims of bullying
SMALLER NEWSPAPERS: Times-Herald, Forrest City, Hilary J. Trickey — Storm damage- Building collapses
MEDIUM NEWSPAPERS: Stone County Leader, Mountain View, Lori Freeze — Tornado rips county
LARGER NEWSPAPERS: Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Fayetteville, Andy Shupe — Pushing a car in the snow
Single Feature Photo
NEWSPAPERS LESS THAN 1,200: Pacesetting Times, Horseshoe Bend, Donell Russell — Picture perfect
SMALLER NEWSPAPERS: Nashville News-Leader, John Balch — Long day at the county fair
MEDIUM NEWSPAPERS: The Leader, Jacksonville, David Scolli — Rodeo fire lasso
LARGER NEWSPAPERS: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock, Colin Murphey — Partly sunny
Single Sports Action Photo
NEWSPAPERS LESS THAN 1,200: Carroll County News, Berryville, Charles Chappell — Berryville wrestlers start season strong
SMALLER NEWSPAPERS: Times-Herald, Forrest City, Brodie Johnson — Missed tackle
MEDIUM NEWSPAPERS: Log Cabin Democrat, Conway, Mark Buffalo — Another comeback for Vilonia
LARGER NEWSPAPERS: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock, Thomas Metthe — Top Hogs
Single Sports Feature Photo
NEWSPAPERS LESS THAN 1,200: Carroll County News, Berryville, Charles Chappell — Lady Bobcats reach regional
SMALLER NEWSPAPERS: The White County Citizen, Searcy, Greg Geary — No smooth ride
MEDIUM NEWSPAPERS: The Leader, Jacksonville, David Scolli — Purple football team
LARGER NEWSPAPERS: Jonesboro Sun, Kevin Turbeville — Riverside wins baseball title
Picture Page/Photo Essay
NEWSPAPERS LESS THAN 1,200: Carroll County News, Berryville, Scott Loftis — Snow Days in Carroll County
SMALLER NEWSPAPERS: Eureka Springs Times-Echo, Scott Loftis and Samantha Jones — Zombie Crawl 2025
MEDIUM NEWSPAPERS: The Leader, Jacksonville, David Scolli — Wrestling — Bring the Hammer
LARGER NEWSPAPERS AND ONLINE MEDIA: Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Fayetteville, Charlie Kaijo, Flip Putthoff and Caleb Grieger — Rodeo of the Ozarks
2026 APA Photo of the Year
Nashville News-Leader, Nashville, John Balch, Long Day at the Fair
Front Page Design
NEWSPAPERS LESS THAN 1,200: Carroll County News, Berryville, Scott Loftis
SMALLER NEWSPAPERS: Eureka Springs Times-Echo, Scott Loftis
MEDIUM NEWSPAPERS: Harrison Daily Times, Staff
LARGER NEWSPAPERS: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock, Sarah Smythe, Michael Hoge and Heather Kersten
Graphic Design Portfolio
NEWSPAPERS LESS THAN 1,200: Carroll County News, Berryville — Scott Loftis
SMALLER NEWSPAPERS: Spring River Chronicle, Hardy — Tammy Curtis
LARGER NEWSPAPERS: Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Fayetteville — Annika Kaijo
Headline Writing
NEWSPAPERS LESS THAN 1,200: Carroll County News, Berryville, Scott Loftis — ES schools bring home straight A’s in state testing
SMALLER NEWSPAPERS: Spring River Chronicle, Hardy, Tammy Curtis — At Long Last
MEDIUM NEWSPAPERS: The Saline Courier, Benton, Destin Davis — Buc-ee the Beaver Burrows
LARGER NEWSPAPERS: Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Fayetteville, Greg Harton — Grift that keeps giving
ONLINE MEDIA AND MAGAZINE: AY Magazine, Little Rock, Dwain Hebda — Laughing Matters
Digital Presence and Audience Engagement
SMALLER AND MEDIUM NEWSPAPERS: The Sentinel-Record, Hot Springs, Anna-Claire Butler and James Leigh
LARGER NEWSPAPERS AND ONLINE MEDIA: Pine Bluff Commercial, Staff
Meredith Oakley Award
Ainsley Platt, Arkansas Advocate, Little Rock
Ernie Deane-Brenda Blagg Columnist of the Year
Andrew Bagley, The Helena World
The I.F. Stone Award Winner
Rick Kron, The Leader, Jacksonville
CFINR Award of Excellence
FINALIST: Mountain Home Observer, Chris Fulton — The 29 Warnings That Didn’t Matter
General Excellence:
NEWSPAPERS LESS THAN 1,200: tied between Carroll County News, Berryville and The Helena World
SMALLER NEWSPAPERS: The White County Citizen, Searcy
MEDIUM NEWSPAPERS: The Leader, Jacksonville
LARGER NEWSPAPERS: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock
ONLINE MEDIA AND MAGAZINE: AY Magazine, Little Rock
