The Island Free Press was honored to win 19 North Carolina Press Association (NCPA) Awards at the NCPA’s annual convention, which was held virtually on Friday, February 26.
The IFP took home 16 editorial awards and three advertising awards, which included first-place wins for photography, feature writing, e-mail newsletter, use of social media, and arts and entertainment reporting, as well as a third-place honor for the NCPA’s Public Service Award.
The North Carolina Press Association was established in 1873, and is one of the oldest organizations of its kind in the United States. The NCPA is a member-owned and operated nonprofit group that helps to maintain high industry standards, represents the interests and rights of established newspapers throughout the state, and promotes literacy and education through the N.C. Press Foundation (NCPF).
IFP’s 2020 NCPA Editorial Awards are as follows:
- Use of Social Media – 1st Place – Donna Barnett and Joy Crist
- Feature Writing – 1st Place – Lynne Foster for Island Cooking Column
- Photography, Spot – 1st Place – Don Bowers for September 2020 Nor’easter
- Arts and Entertainment Reporting – 1st Place – Rory Kelleher, Lynne Foster, Joy Crist for Hatteras Island Oyster Roast
- Email newsletter – 1st Place – Donna Barnett
- Breaking News Coverage – 2nd Place – Joy Crist for September 2020 Nor’easter
- Editorials – 2nd Place – Joy Crist for Editor’s Blog
- Arts and Entertainment Reporting – 2nd Place – Joy Crist for Dorian Benefit Concert in Wilmington
- Lighter Columns – 2nd Place – James D. Charlet for Outer Banks Shipwrecks Column
- Niche Publication – 2nd Place – Donna Barnett for Gallery Guide
- Photography, Feature – 2nd Place – Don Bowers for 9/11 lighthouse climb
- Sports Columns – 2nd Place – Rob Alderman for Island Fishing column
- Public Service Award – 3rd Place – Donna Barnett and Joy Crist for Frisco Free Market coverage
- Photography, General News – 3rd Place – Don Bowers for November nor’easter
- Niche Publication – 3rd Place – Donna Barnett for Where To Eat Guide 2020
- Appearance and Design – 3rd Place – Donna Barnett and Margaret Phillips
IFP’s NCPA 2020 Advertising Awards are as follows:
- Food Ad – 1st Place – Donna Barnett for Cafe Pamlico
- Online Advertising – 1st Place – Donna Barnett for Dixon and Dixon Law Offices
- Online Advertising – 2nd Place – Donna Barnett for Inn on Pamlico
All of us at the Island Free Press would like to thank you – our readers, advertisers, and colleagues – for your continued support. We are grateful for your commitment to our local paper, and we will continue to strive to provide the best news coverage possible on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands.
We would especially like to thank and acknowledge our co-founder, mentor, editor, and friend, Irene Nolan, for giving us a real-life blueprint on what exceptional journalism should be.
Irene founded the Island Free Press in 2007, and although she passed away in March of 2017, she continues to influence every aspect of our work.
