Missouri Professional Communicators (MPC) forwarded 29 first- place works to compete in the next level of the National Federation of Press Women (NFPW) Communications Contest. Entrants whose work places in the national contest will be notified in mid-April and honored on June 25, 2022, when awards are announced for first, second, third and honorable mention at the annual NFPW conference to be held this year in Fargo, N.D.
Missouri’s bumper crop of 48 entries was submitted by 10 members. Overall, the contest attracted 1,730 entries from state affiliates and an at-large competition across the country. Suzanne Corbett (above, left) topped numbers in the state’s 2022 competition with six of eight first-place awards for writing which appeared in West News magazine, AAA Explorer and Gazelle magazine. Her other toppers were a St. Louis Public Radio interview in which she discussed food ideas from A Culinary History of Missouri: Foodways & Iconic Dishes from the Show-Me State, the top winning nonfiction book she and Deborah Reinhardt (above, center) co-authored. The book’s trailer also captured the audiovisual category in the MPC contest.
Six of Alice Handelman’s (above, right) subjects in her regular column, “Movers and Shakers,” in Ladue News captured first-place awards in writing categories of wide interests. Reinhardt swept the top rung with a perfect 4-for-4 in first-place entries in the categories of personal website, personal blog, e-newsletter and social media presence (Facebook) for her blog, ThreeWomenintheKitchen.com.
Two of Kathie Sutin’s (above, left) top feature entries spotlighted trips with Midwest destinations during the pandemic. Both appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Her other first-place awards used allotted space well for sponsored copy in other Lee Enterprises’ publications in Atlantic City and Roanoke.
Allison Stein (above center) scored three firsts with entries capturing the campaign for ConQuesT, Kansas City’s longest-running science fiction and fantasy convention. In the single photograph category, her cat received celebrity status for the pet masquerade, a web page succinctly provided information and an email to interested fans was a winner as well.
Jessica Z. Brown-Billhymer (above, right) wrote a first-place profile of Anna Crosslin, retired director of the International Institute of St. Louis, for Gateway Journalism Review. It topped the special articles category for social issues.
Among Bob Delaney’s (above, right) entries was a first-place news release for the 2021 Regional Model Contest of the Gateway Chapter of the International Plastic Modelers’ Society, for which he does publicity and edits its newsletter.
Another first-place award went to Cynthia Correll (above, center) for the graphics and design in her book, The Land of Ampersand: Where Imagination Runs Wild. She painted with watercolors, a new pursuit as an artist; prepared the layout, and chose multiple fonts for her whimsical entry.
Joan Berkman (above, right) received first place for a single entry, her “Velvet Hammer” column in Town & Style Magazine. The entry received kudos for informational advice for leadership and transition in business situations.
Rebecca Now also provided a single entry which received second place. A chapter called “Remember the Gentleman” appeared in the book by Cathy L. Davis, Living My tRuth, Personal Reflections on the Impact of the RBG Legacy.
Gerri Berendzen, Janice Denham, Terri Gates, Colene McEntee, Deb Marshall, Pat Treacy, and Steve Wiegenstein were judges this year. Each entry received a grade and suggestions to improve the entrant’s work, including those that capture first place. Denham coordinated the state competition. Judges are not required to give first place in any category.
MPC thanks the judges and congratulates this year’s contest winners. All contestants except Allison Stein, a resident of Kansas City, live in the St. Louis area.
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n addition, young communicators from Kirkwood High School this year were awarded 16 first-place prizes in NFPW’s annual High School Communications Contest.