Fresh off its win for best newspaper in its circulation class, the St. Albert Gazette has brought home a raft of awards, including a singular honour for one of its writers.
Kevin Ma was named Journalist of the Year by the Local Media Association. He also won first place for best column writing, best feature writing, best breaking news story and best environmental coverage.
“How’d that happen?” Ma said jokingly.
In the opinion of publisher Brian Bachynski, such an honour was long overdue.
“Kevin is an extremely talented journalist who is most deserving of this award, as evidenced by his first-place showings in four other categories,” Bachynski said. “He has that rare ability to take complex subjects and present them to readers in interesting, informative and sometimes humorous stories.”
The editors at the Gazette nominated Ma for the award based on his superb writing skills, his commitment to environmental reporting and his at-times brutally honest reporting. That was never more apparent than in 2012 when Ma wrote about his life-long struggle with obsessive compulsive disorder.
“While the environment is of special interest to Kevin, he does equally great work in any beat, from local politics to business to health to people features. Kevin can do it all at a very high level,” said Bachynski.
Ma’s awards were among the 14 the Gazette won from the Local Media Association, including another first place win for Best Sports Photo by photographer Chris Colbourne.
Photographer April Bartlett won second place for best news photo, while writer Susan Jones also took second for Best Feature for her piece on what happens to the human brain in a concussion. The Gazette’s special section on its 50th anniversary also took second place.
The Gazette also won third for Best Graphic Art Work, Best Sports Section, Best Photojournalism and Best Arts & Entertainment Criticism/Commentary. Bartlett also took home an honourable mention for Best Sports Photo.
“This group of people exemplifies the Gazette's commitment to high quality journalism,” Bachynski said.
The Local Media Association, formerly the Suburban Newspapers of America, represents some 2,000 newspapers with a total circulation of 22 million across North America. It provides resources for innovation, education and inspiration in journalism.
