2008 TAPB / TAPME AWARDS PRESENTED JULY 19

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) _ The Commercial Appeal of Memphis and WTVF-TV of Nashville were big winners Saturday in the annual journalism competition sponsored by the Tennessee Associated Press Managing Editors and the Tennessee AP Broadcasters.

WPLN of Nashville dominated the radio competition.

For newspapers with more than 40,000 daily circulation, The Commercial Appeal won seven first-place awards: features reporting; sports/outdoors reporting; business news; feature photography; sports photography; photo journalism; and individual achievement/body of work in photography.

Additionally, the paper's Marc Perrusquia won the Malcolm Law Investigative Reporting award. Perrusquia won for a story "culture of corruption."

The award was established to honor Malcolm Law, associate editor of The Jackson Sun, who died in December 1972. The award pays tribute to the dedication of Law to the concept of The Associated Press as a news cooperative.

The Tennessean of Nashville was awarded first place for Web site and sports photography.

Rounding out the divisional first-place winners, the Knoxville News Sentinel won for daily deadline reporting, and the Chattanooga Times Free Press won for spot news photography.

In television, WTVF won six first-place awards: best spot news; investigative reporting; long light feature; public affairs; best TV reporter (Jeff Tang); and best TV news videographer (David Willis).

For newspapers with daily circulation between 10,000 and 40,000, The Jackson Sun won five first-place awards: deadline reporting; feature reporting; sports-outdoors reporting; best Web site; and photo journalism.

Additionally, Tonya Smith-King of Jackson won the Malcolm Law Investigative Reporting award for a story on Mary Winkler.

In the same division, The Daily News Journal of Murfreesboro won for spot news photography, feature photography. The Daily News Journal's Aaron Thompson won for individual achievement/body of work in photography.

Other first-place winners in the division were The Daily Herald of Columbia for business news, and The Leaf-Chronicle of Clarksville for sports photography.

For newspapers with less than 10,000 circulation daily, The Mountain Press of Sevierville won four first-place honors: feature reporting; business news; feature photography; and individual achievement/body of work in photography (Curt Habraken).

The Shelbyville Times-Gazette won first place for spot news photography and photo journalism. The Union City Daily Messenger won for sports/outdoor reporting and sports photography. The Lebanon Democrat won for daily deadline reporting.

Brian Mosely of the Shelbyville Times-Gazette won the Malcolm Law Investigative Reporting honor for his work on Somalis in Shelbyville.

In the broadcast competition, WSMV-TV of Nashville took home four first-place awards: best hard news story; producing; best weather anchor (Lisa Spencer); and best overall.

WVLT-TV in Knoxville won twice, for best enterprise and best short hard news story. WATE-TV in Knoxville won first for best newscast and top Web site. Also winning twice was WZTV-TV in Nashville for best sportscaster (Paul Jones, Dave Foster and Dan Phillips) and short light feature.

WBIR-TV in Knoxville won for videography. WTVC-TV in Chattanooga was first for sports feature.

WPTY-TV in Memphis won first for editing. WKRN-TV in Nashville was No. 1 for news anchor (Christine Maddela).

In radion, WPLN's seven first-place awards were for use of sound; long light feature; short hard news story; hard news story; public affairs; best newscaster (Blake Farmer) and best overall.

WNOX-FM in Knoxville won two first-place honors: best newscast and best spot news. WUOT-FM in Knoxville also won two first-place honors: best enterprise and best radio talk show.

WIVK-FM of Knoxville won for breaking sports news. WNML-AM of Knoxville won for sports feature.

Best of Show awards were chosen from among those who placed first in selected categories. 

The broadcast awards for radio went to the staff of WPLN. The award for television went to the staff of WTVF.

The print award went to Marc Perrusquia of The Commercial Appeal for his series entitled "Culture of Corruption", and the photography award went to Aaron Thompson of The Daily News Journal for his series of photographs entitled "Fallen Hero".

Both Best of Show winners received $100. 

To see the complete list of winners, please click the links below.

2008 TAPB Winners                    2008 TAPME Winners

To view the Best of Show for TV, click below:
 

To view the Best of Show for Radio, click below:
 

Best of Show Newspaper:                
 

Best of Show Photography