The Sun News brings home 18 SC Press Association awards, including Judson Chapman Award
The Sun News won 18 South Carolina Press Association contest awards, including seven first-place spots.
Reporter David Weissman earned the Judson Chapman Award, which goes to a single story in support of a cause or benefit to the community. It is considered one of the top awards. Jason Lee swept the photo series category placing in all three top spots.
Weissman also earned an honorable mention for assertive journalism.
The annual awards luncheon was held in Columbia on Friday. Here is some of the Sun New’s best coverage according to the Press Association’s yearly contest.
First place
Sohail Al-Jamea, Tracy Glantz and Joshua Boucher won for a news video on “Commercials convince accident victims to give up financial futures”
Maya Brown won first place for beat reporting for breaking news. Her stories included “Family blames North Myrtle Beach hotel after pool incident left son hospitalized,” “Two-long term Horry County cases were resolved nearly a month apart. What happened?” and “Family, friends of Hemingway man killed by former police officer march to honor him.”
David Weissman won for obituary writing for the story “‘Our superstar’: Popular Myrtle Beach resort bellman who ‘never met a stranger’ dies.” He also took home the coveted Judson Chapman Award in the award competition against all newspapers in the state for his “Money was promised to her after brain injury. But SC judges let most of it go to companies” as part of his structured settlement coverage. Weissman also won the top spot in the informational graphic category for “Grace’s Structured Settlement, For payments owed 2020-2051.”
Jason Lee won first-place awards for sports action photo and photo series. His sports image shows C.J. Beasley gets getting airborne jumping over Army. Coastal Carolina University beat Army in the first game of the 2022 season at Brooks Stadium in Conway 38-28. Sept. 3, 2022.
Lee’s first-place photo series was from when the remnants of Hurricane Ian swept through the Myrtle Beach, S.C. area on October 1, 2022 bringing strong winds and coastal flooding that damaged many of the area’s landmark piers. Residents of North Myrtle Beach would spend weeks repairing flood damage.
Second place
Gabby McCall earned a second-place award for mixed media illustration and David Weissman grabbed the same placement for investigative reporting for the “Cashed Out” story.
Jason Lee earned several second-place finishes for spot news photo, pictorial, feature video, feature photo and photo series.
Spot news: Myrtle Beach police arrested a barricaded guest at the Happy Holiday after an over seven hour standoff on Tuesday morning. Aug. 23, 2022.
Feature video: Myrtle Beach senior trains for Ironman World Series Championship
Feature photo: Daisy Guerra and Lillian Ayala run through the sunflowers at Southern Palmetto Farms near Aynor, S.C. The farm is hosting a three day sunflower festival this weekend. July 8, 2022.
Adam Benson earned a second-place finish in news feature writing for his story “Welcome to hell:’ Severe weather brings more flooding woes for Island Green community” about the Island Green community.
Third place
Adam Benson earned a third-place award for business reporting for his story “ Beach rental business aims to prove North Myrtle Beach running monopoly, and slander .”
Caroline Williamson took home a nod for arts and entertainment writing for her story “ Myrtle Beach artist, Dixie Dugan, 94, celebrates 50 years of ‘Art in the Park .’”
Jason Lee earned his final photo series award for his photo on a Conway destination for Holiday festivities: Conway S.C. held the annual “Living Window” displays amid holiday festivities that included camel and horse drawn carriage rides, and live entertainment Thursday night. The historic river town has become a holiday destination for locals and visitors. Dec. 9, 2021.
