09-05-2025
Michigan Advance wins second straight Michigan Press Association News Media Publication of the Year
Susan J. Demas photo and illustration
The Michigan Advance has been named the Michigan Press Association's News Media Publication of the Year for 2024, the second straight year the publication has won the organization's top honor.
The awards were announced Thursday evening at the association's annual gathering in Frankenmuth. The theme for the event was 'Journalism…Democracy in Action.'
In total, the Michigan Advance took home 17 awards spanning 18 categories in the 2024 MPA Better Newspaper Contest, including first place for Government/Education News, Sports Writing, Digital Presentation, News Photo, and Feature Photo.
'Myself and the staff at Michigan Advance are incredibly honored to have again been selected as News Media Publication of the Year by the Michigan Press Association. This recognition is a testament to our team's dedication to public service journalism, spanning in-depth government coverage to compelling visual storytelling. Our back-to-back win reinforces the Advance's commitment to informing and engaging Michiganders every single day,' said Editor-in-Chief Jon King.
The annual contest ran from Aug. 1, 2023, through July 31, 2024.
The Michigan Advance is a member of States Newsroom, the nation's largest state-focused nonprofit news organization. The network reports on politics and policy from every capital, with coverage provided free of charge – without pop-ups, paywalls or ads.
Competing against other statewide publications, Michigan Advance won second place in 2021 and 2022 for Newspaper of the Year. Previously, the Advance was named the 2020 Newspaper of the Year for Class D weekly publications. The Advance also took second place for Newspaper of the Year in that category in 2019.
'The annual Michigan Press Association Better Newspaper Contest gives our members a chance each year to assess and put forth their team's best work in journalism, photojournalism, column writing, graphic design and advertising,' said Wes Smith, Michigan Press Association past president and group publisher of View Newspaper Group.
'It is a rare moment in our profession where we allow ourselves to reflect and experience something akin to satisfaction for a job well done. Anyone in this business today is in it, not for kudos, but because of a passion and desire to serve our readers, our advertisers and our communities.'
2024 Statewide News Media Publication of the Year
1st Place – Best Digital Presentation – Nelle Dunlap, Goran Butorac, Susan J. Demas
1st Place – Government/Education News – Was Ottawa County's newest commissioner punished for running? – Sarah Leach
2nd Place – Government/Education News – 'Trauma after trauma': Nassar survivors grapple with another sexual abuse investigation at MSU – Anna Gustafson
1st Place – Best Newspaper/Publication Design – Nelle Dunlap, Goran Butorac, Susan J. Demas
1st Place – Sports Writing – Riley Gaines' selection as commencement speaker riles some Adrian College alums – Jon King
1st Place – News Photo – Supporters defiantly wave Trump's mug shot as he speaks in Detroit – Andrew Roth
2nd Place – News Photo – President Biden warns Trump is out for 'revenge' – Andrew Roth
1st Place – Feature Photo – Ms. Tea says the rent is 'too damn high' – Anna Liz Nichols
2nd Place – Feature Photo – Abortion rights loom large in 2024 campaign – Lucy Valeski
3rd Place – Feature Photo – Legendary singer Diana Ross wows Detroit at Michigan Central Station reopening – Andrew Roth
2nd Place – Reporter of the Year – Anna Liz Nichols
2nd Place – Spot News Story – Michigan State University to release thousands of Nassar documents, Nessel reopens investigation – Anna Liz Nichols
2nd Place – Best Page or Pages Design – 'Yearning for help': Teen dating violence survivors and allies call for more education on abuse – Anna Liz Nichols, Susan J. Demas
2nd Place – News Enterprise Reporting – LGBTQ+ Michiganders struggle for rights, acceptance – Jon King, Anna Liz Nichols, Andrew Roth
3rd Place – News Enterprise Reporting – The 'mom gap': Few mothers have served in the Michigan Legislature while raising children – Anna Liz Nichols
3rd Place – Business/Agriculture News – 'We fight the good fight and continue forward'- Jon King, Susan J. Demas
3rd Place – Opinion – Rick Haglund
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