The North Shore News mined gold at the B.C. & Yukon Community News Media Association's 2022 Ma Murray awards this past Saturday (May 14).
News staff were finalists for eight trophies. The annual community newspaper awards recognize the best work produced by 93 member newspapers.
Tannis Hendriks, multimedia marketing consultant and features co-ordinator, took home the hardware, winning gold in ad design for her “Zombie Grab” Party City advertisement.
The North Shore News featured prominently in environmental writing nominations this year. Reporter Brent Richter picked up silver in environmental writing for his article on a North Vancouver naturalist racing to save bats from deadly disease. Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Elisia Seeber was awarded bronze in the environmental initiative award category for her articles on successful local efforts to save a beloved cedar tree in the face of development plans.
Sports editor Andy Prest nabbed a silver for sports writing with his article on the new West Vancouver track and the legacy of North Shore track legend Harry Jerome.
Reporter Jane Seyd took home bronze in business writing for her story on local businesses in Deep Cove struggling with the impact of huge rent increases. Seyd also received a Silver Quill recognition award for 25 or more years of service in the news industry.
Two North Shore News photographers picked up awards. Photographer Mike Wakefield won bronze in the feature photo category for his image of local centenarian Jaye Edwards after receiving her COVID-19 vaccination. Photographer Paul McGrath was in the running for two awards. He won silver for his portrait shot of Squamish Nation elder Ron Baker that illustrated a story about the return of a ceremonial headdress, and bronze in the spot news photo category for an image capturing the power of a huge storm on the West Vancouver Seawalk.
Awards for this year’s winners were handed out at the first in-person event since 2019, at the River Rock Casino & Resort in Richmond. Also at the event, North Shore News publisher Matt Blair was passed the gavel as incoming president of BCYCNA.
