NPPA Honors, Awards, Presented At Convergence '08 In Louisville
LOUISVILLE, KY (May 31, 2008) – The National Press Photographers Association's Honors & Recognitions Committee tonight presented awards to the top winners of the 2008 Best Of Photojournalism photography, television, Web, and editing contests, as well as recognizing those individuals who have supported NPPA and who have assisted photojournalism, and photojournalists, and who have contributed to the betterment of our profession during the past year.
The awards and honors were presented Saturday night during a dinner at the conclusion of NPPA's Convergence '08 seminar at the Downtown Marriott hotel in Louisville, KY.
Steve Sweitzer and Sharon Levy Freed were presented with the 2008 Joseph A. Sprague Memorial Award, Chip Maury was given the Joseph Costa Award, and Michele McNally of The New York Times will receive the Jim Gordon Editor of the Year Award.
Winners in NPPA’s 2008 Best Of Photojournalism contest, judged in March at The Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg, FL, and at Ohio University in Athens, OH, also picked up their awards for still photography, picture editing, television photography and editing, and Web presentations.
NPPA past president Alicia Wagner Calzada, of San Antonio, TX, was chair of this year’s Honors & Recognitions Committee.
Established in 1949, the Joseph A. Sprague Memorial Award is presented to not more than two individuals each year and it is granted only if achievement is, in the opinion of the committee, of a sufficiently high standard. It is NPPA's highest honor. The Sprague Award may be given to a working photojournalist who advances, elevates, or attains unusual recognition for the profession of photojournalism by conduct, initiative, leadership, skill, and devotion to duty; or to a non-photojournalist whose unusual service or achievements have been beneficial to photojournalism, or for an outstanding technology advance in equipment or processes.
Sprague was a press technical representative for Graflex Corp., Rochester, NY. The firm manufactured Graflex and Speed and Crown Graphic cameras and flash units. Sprague is credited with the design of the Big Bertha, Magic Eye, and Combat Camera, and dozens of refinements to the Speed Graphic. He died in 1947.
Maury was recognized with the Joseph Costa Award for his history of teaching and mentoring photographers since his start as a Navy photographer who twice won the military POY title, and for being a regular contributor to workshops that help hundreds of photojournalists, even in retirement, including the Eddie Adams Workshop, the military photographer of the year contest, the Military Photo Workshop, and the Syracuse Weekend Workshop. Maury is retired from the Indianapolis Star where he worked after the Providence Journal and the U.S. Navy. The Joseph Costa Award, established in 1954, is given to an individual for their outstanding initiative, leadership and service in advancing the goals of NPPA in the tradition of Joseph Costa, the founder of NPPA, its first president and chairman of the board. Costa died in 1988.
McNally, the assistant managing editor for photography for The New York Times, this year was picked to receive the Jim Gordon Editor of the Year Award. The honor is given to "the editor of an outstanding newspaper, magazine, video, movie, Web site, book, or other publication or broadcast that supports and promotes strong photojournalism, and the best use of photography, and whose individual dedication and efforts have moved photojournalism's standards forward while also advancing the best interests of all photographers." McNally's consistent efforts and high standards have led the caliber of photography and multimedia photojournalism produced by the Times to exceptional levels, and has brought picture use in print in the Times to a new all-time best.
The Clifton C. Edom Award was given to Bob Lynn, retired assistant managing editor for photography for The Virginian-Pilot. The award recognizes an individual in the tradition of Cliff Edom to inspire and motivate members of the photojournalism community to reach new heights. Edom taught at the University of Missouri for 29 years, founded the Missouri Photo Workshop six decades ago, and is credited with coining the term "photo-journalism." Lynn was recognized with the honor for leading hundreds of seminars, inspiring thousands of photographers, editor, and managers, and donating thousands of hours to photojournalism and students.
The Kenneth P. McLaughlin Award of Merit was awarded this year to Harry Walker and Howard Finberg. The award is given to those rendering continuing outstanding service in the interest of news photography, whether or not they are members of the profession. McLaughlin was the third president of NPPA and a photographer for the San Francisco Chronicle until his death in 1952.
The John Durniak Mentor Citation was given to Jim McKnight, retired from the Associated Press. The honor is awarded to an individual who has served as an outstanding mentor, either to a specific individual or to photojournalism in general. McKnight mentored hundreds of photojournalists during his more than 30 years with AP, and has worked to encourage others to be mentors as well.
The Robin F. Garland Education Award was given to Kevin Moloney of the University of Colorado for his outstanding service as a photojournalism educator. The Garland award is named after a picture editor and war correspondent for the Saturday Evening Post who joined Graflex Inc. as a technical representative to the press after World War II. The school has neither a photojournalism major or minor, but Moloney has created many award-winning photojournalists from his two elective photo courses for years while showing a passion for teaching and visual storytelling.
The J. Winton Lemen Award was given to Rich Beckman, who is the the John S. and James L. Knight Chair in Visual Journalism in the School of Communication at the University of Miami. Beckman retired from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill last June after a decade of teaching photojournalism. At UNC, Beckman became one of the early leaders in teaching multimedia photojournalism and digital storytelling. Lemen was a charter member of the NPPA. After a distinguished photographic career, he established the photo press markets division of the Eastman Kodak company.
The Samuel Mellor Award was given this year to Merry Murray, a television photojournalist for KSNW-TV in Wichita, KS, who is contest chair for NPPA's TV Quarterly Contest and who at one time served as Region 7 director, for her efforts to inspire both television and still photojournalists and her dedication to NPPA.
The NPPA Outstanding Publication Award was given to Michael Patrick, editor of SixShooters for Region 6, for the Region's Web site, which makes beautiful use of photography, has sponsors, and is loaded with contest results and news.
NPPA's Humanitarian Award was given this year to Jim Foster of KNTV-TV in Oakland, CA, and to Stars & Stripes reporter Steve Mraz. Foster came upon a severe, multiple-car auto accident on his way to work in the San Francisco Bay Area and played a key role in saving the life of a critically injured young girl in September, 2007. Mraz provided aid and comfort to U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Daniel T. Morris, 19, in Iraq's Anbar Province after a pipe bomb attack at a security checkpoint Valentine's Day in 2007. Morris later died from his wounds.
The Morris Berman Citation was awarded to Joe Elbert, the former assistant managing editor for photography for The Washington Post. The Berman Citation is given to an individual for special contributions advancing the interests of photojournalism. Elbert is being honored this year for his tireless efforts and dedication to the search committee that sought, and found, NPPA's new executive director Jim Straight. Also receiving Berman Citations this year are Jeremy Rosenberg and Bob Carroll.
The Burt Williams Award was given to Edward E. Dooks for his years of service to both the NPPA and to the National Press Photographers Foundation. The Williams Sward is given to those who have completed 40 years or more of service to photojournalism. Dooks joined NPPA in 1964 and for many years was the treasurer of NPPF.
Once again, Ohio University's student NPPA chapter at the School of Visual Communication (VisCom) in Athens wins the Outstanding Student Chapter honors. The chapter also won the honor in 2007.
Several NPPA volunteers received Special Citations this year from the organization for making significant contributions that advance the interests of photojournalism. They are Richard Koci Hernandez, Steve Weiswasser, Rob Sherman, and Keith Jenkins. Also receiving this honor for their contributions to photojournalism are Jeff Sedlik and Melissa Lyttle.
Outgoing NPPA president Tony Overman made several President's Awards, which are given at the discretion of the president to those who have given special services to NPPA.
This year's President's Award winners were Ryan Gardner, Region 11's publications chair; Brian Immel, who was the designer of NPPA's online Student Clip Contest, NPPA's Multimedia Contest, and served on NPPA's Multimedia Immersion instruction staff; Russ Kendall, Region 11 director; Jeff Gritchen, former Region 10 director; and David Grubbs, assistant photography editor for the Billings Gazette.
NPPA's Multimedia Immersion workshop and Convergence '08 seminar were sponsored this year by Canon, Nikon, and Apple's Aperture.
Read about NPPA's Multimedia Immersion workshop and Convergence '08 seminar
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