Black Hills State University media students recently earned more than 20 awards across several competitions including the Northern Plains Collegiate Media Association’s Golden Leaf Awards, the American Advertising Federation (AAF) District 8 ADDY Awards, and the Region 6 Mark of Excellence Awards hosted by the Society of Professional Journalists.
Golden Leaf Awards
BHSU student media received 12 awards at the Golden Leaf Awards, a contest that recognizes outstanding media work across the Midwest. This year, several students were able to take home awards across a variety of categories with 11 being awarded to Ponder Magazine and one to The Jacket Journal.
“I think that winning Golden Leaf Awards is an outstanding representation of the strength of our student journalists,” said Allen Morris, assistant professor of multimedia journalism at BHSU. “It’s an indication that our students are capable reporters and story tellers that are dedicated to strong journalism.”
Six students took first place with their entries. Nathan Feller won “Best Sports Feature,” Alec Butterfield won “Best Breaking News Story,” and Maralee Rischling won “Best Feature Story.” “Best Arts and Entertainment Story” was won by Hayden Hill, and Noah Westergaard won “Best Feature Photo.” Westergaard and Tory Brown won “Best Social Media Presence.”
“The region is taking notice of the quality of these publications, even outside of academia, and other universities are starting to emulate the look and feel of our publications. That’s a huge deal for a small, but mighty university like BHSU,” said Morris.
First Place Awards:
- Nathan Feller: Best Sports Feature
- Alec Butterfield: Best Breaking News Story
- Maralee Rischling: Best Feature Story
- Hayden Hill: Best Arts and Entertainment Story
- Noah Westergaard: Best Feature Photo
- Noah Westergaard & Tory Brown: Best Social Media Presence
Second Place Awards:
- Hayden Hill: Best Feature Story
- Hayden Hill: Best Arts and Entertainment Story
- Alec Butterfield: Best Sports Feature Photo
- Noah Westergaard: Best Overall Website
Third Place Awards:
- Taylor SanFilippo: Best Feature Story
- Nathan Feller: Best Arts and Entertainment Story
AAF District 8 ADDY Awards
Several BHSU students also earned recognition at the American Advertising Federation’s District 8 ADDY Awards, bringing home two Gold ADDYs and five Silver ADDYs. Butterfield had a standout performance, earning both gold awards in photography.
Gold Addy Awards
- Alec Butterfield: “Where We Belong” (Still Photography > Color – Single)
- Alec Butterfield: “Izakaya Three Fish” (Still Photography > Campaign)
Silver Addy Awards
- Ponder Editorial Staff: “Ponder Magazine Issue 3” (Collateral Material > Magazine Design)
- Ponder Editorial Staff: “Ponder Magazine Issue 4” (Collateral Material > Magazine Design)
- Josh Hall: “BHSU Athletics Trading Cards” (Art Direction > Campaign)
- Rae Hanzlik: “Ponder Illustrations” (Illustration > Illustration Campaign)
- Zakary Cina: “Oh, Honey” (Still Photography > Digitally Enhanced – Single)
Region 6 Mark of Excellence Awards
Ponder Magazine also was named “Best Ongoing Student Magazine” at the Region 6 Mark of Excellence Awards hosted by the Society of Professional Journalists. The magazine additionally won the David L. Adams Apple Award, naming it “Best Magazine” for Division II, a title the publication has now claimed for the second consecutive year.