The Leelanau Enterprise has earned 21 awards in the National Newspaper Association’s Editorial and Advertising Contest.
The contest is open to all newspapers nationwide.
Both creative and editorial departments were recognized for their efforts.
“This is a very positive contest for our community and newspaper. From the perspective of being judged by outside states and newspapers, it is an exciting accomplishment to be rewarded,” Leelanau Enterprise Publisher David Thornberry said.
The Enterprise graphic department brought in a haul of five national awards, with three first-place finishes.
Top honors went to creative director Mike Anderson for a holiday advertisement called The Gift of Leelanau. At the same time, graphic designer Jason Plowman earned a second-place finish for a featured Realtor advertisement.
Editor Amy Hubbell and Anderson teamed up to win the best multipleadvertiser section and the best information graphic (Salute to Cherries and Steaming Through the Years) special sections.
The editorial staff earned nine awards. Journalist Brian Freiberger brought home a first-place finish in the best sports photo division when the Glen Lake girls basketball team won a district championship in upset fashion.
Freiberger also brought home a firstplace story in the best breaking news division with his coverage of a former Glen Lake band teacher being arrested and convicted on predatory charges. He also won second place for an agricultural story titled ‘“Disaster declared” which reported on the cherry industry.
Reporter Meakalia Previch-Liu took home third place for her “Missing Pony Found” story that caught the hearts of readers.
Contributor Alan Campbell brought home five awards, including two secondplace finishes, one third-place, and one honorable mention for best humorous column; story/series best coverage of military affairs; “Milfoil in Lake Leelanau,” best breaking news story; Manitou access, best business story; and Moeggenberg, best sports story.
The Enterprise remained competitive even with limited entries compared to years past. In 2024, with at least twice as many entries, the Enterprise brought home 26 national awards.
We have some really good people who are helping us a lot as we transition from a newspaper to a multimedia product,” Thornberry said.
