The Greenville Advocate won 9 statewide awards in the Alabama Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest, and 15 more in the APA’s Advertising Contest.

The Alabama Press Association recently announced the winners in 28 of the Better Newspaper Contest’s 43 categories. Winners in the other categories, including General Excellence and Best Newspaper Website, will be announced at the 2017 APA Summer Convention on July 8 in Orange Beach.

The Greenville Advocate has already picked up one first-place awards, five second-place awards and three third-place awards.

The first-place award included:

• Best feature photo for “Ride to Recovery” by Jonathan Bryant

Second place awards included:

• Best sports news in-depth coverage for “The Big Hit” by Jonathan Bryant

• Best headline for “Fast and Furriest” by Jonathan Bryant

• Best glossy special section for “Profile Magazine” by staff

• Creative use of multimedia for “General multimedia” by staff

• Best magazine periodical for “Camellia Magazine” by staff

Third-place awards included:

• Best editorial for “Move over, it’s the law” by Andy Brown

• Best use of graphics or illustrations for  “Danger Gun Laws” by Andy Brown

• Best niche publication for “Humane Society Pet Calendar” by Tracy Salter and Angie Long

More than 70 newspapers submitted 2,753 entries in this year’s Better Newspaper Contest. Members of the Georgia Press Association judged the entries.

In the Advertising Contest, the Advocate claimed five first place awards; four second place and six third-place awards.

First place awards included:

• Best single ad over ½ page (color) for “City of Greenville” by April Gregory

• Best glossy regularly scheduled special section for “Profile Magazine by staff

• Best one-time special section for “Butler County Career Academy” by April Gregory

• Best innovative online advertising ad for “First Realty” by April Gregory

• Best magazine periodical for “Camellia Magazine” by staff

Second place awards included:

• Best original/creative idea for “Classifieds are a rip off” by Andy Brown

• Best classified display ad for “Manpower” by Niki Bennett

• Best signature page for “Independence Day” by Courtney Neese

• Best glossy regularly scheduled special section for “Healthcare Magazine” by staff

Third place awards included:

• Best single ad over ½ page (black and white) for “Greenville Storage” by April Gregory

• Best one-time glossy special section for “Butler County Schools Calendar” by April Gregory

• Best in-paper promotion of newspaper for “Put us in, Coach” by Tracy Salter

• Best classified display ad for “Business & Service Directory” by staff

• Best use of humor for “Quality Co-Op Home Invasion” by April Gregory

• Best presentation of online advertising for “greenvilleadovcate.com” by staff

Sixty newspapers submitted 988 entries in this year’s contest, which was judged by the Georgia Press Association.

The Advertising Sweepstakes Award, the top award in the contest, and the Ad of the Year will be announced at the annual banquet.