News & Observer sports journalist Andrew Carter named NSMA’s NC Sportswriter of the Year
Award-winning News & Observer journalist Andrew Carter has added another honor to his list of accolades.
The National Sports Media Association named Carter the North Carolina Sports Writer of the Year for 2022, the second time the Raleigh-based writer has earned the honor.
Carter joins fellow in-state honoree Stan Cotten of the Wake Forest Sports Network in Winston-Salem on the list of winners. Cotten was selected as North Carolina’s Sportscaster of the Year, the sixth time he has been so honored.
Carter, a veteran News & Observer reporter, was honored for his overall body of work, which is appointment reading in North Carolina and beyond.
His work last year included a series of stories profiling Kinston and the symbiotic relationship between the Eastern Norther Carolina city and its high school basketball program. The stories have received regional and national acclaim.
His work covering the ACC, its departure from Greensboro, and its reinvention amid the constantly changing NCAA landscape — from NIL to conference realignment — continues to be important, must-read journalism for those following the league and its teams.
Carter captured many important moments for the News & Observer in 2022. They include:
▪ The final days of Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s tenure behind the Blue Devils’ bench
▪ The Durham Bulls and pitcher Tyler Zombro’s heartwarming return to the mound following a devastating injury.
▪ The many faces of San Francisco, which hosted the West Regional round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, and
▪ Michael Jordan’s birthplace in Brooklyn, not far from the Barclays Center and the ACC Tournament
“Andrew is an amazing journalist,” said Justin Pelletier, The N&O’s Deputy Regional Sports Editor. “The stories he tells are important, well crafted and heartfelt. He is a tremendous asset to those who are fortunate enough to read the stories he tells.”
Nationally, CBS Sports’ Ian Eagle was selected as the 2022 national sportscaster of the year, while Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and Pete Thamel of ESPN.com were the 2022 co-national sportswriters of the year.
ESPN College GameDay mainstay Lee Corso and Los Angeles Times sports columnist Bill Plaschke were among four elected to the NSMA Hall of Fame. Corso and Plaschke are joined by two posthumous electees, hockey announcer Dan Kelly and essayist Roger Angell.
The NSMA will honor its award winners and Hall of Fame inductees during the organization’s 63rd awards weekend and national convention, scheduled for June 24-26, 2023, in Winston-Salem.
A complete list of national and state-by-state winners can be found online at the NSMA’s website.
