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The Greenville Advocate placed second in General Excellence among like-size newspapers throughout the state during the 2020 virtual awards program presented by the Alabama Press Association. The awards were revealed late Friday afternoon.

Dee Ann Campbell, chairman of the APA Media Awards Contest Committee, said that 98 publications submitted 2,921 entries in the annual contest. The awards are typically presented during a banquet in Orange Beach, however, due to COVID-19 restrictions, it was cancelled this year. The Mississippi Press Association judged the entries.

“I’m extremely proud of The Advocate staff’s hard work and dedication to your community newspaper,” GNL Publisher Adam Prestridge said. “These awards should not only be celebrated by our staff, but also our readers and the community as a whole. Without the cooperation and assistance of our great community, we could not do our jobs as well.”

The Advocate won a total of 19 awards, including five first-place, eight second-place and six third-place honors. They include:

First Place

• Best Editorial Page or Section
• Best Business Story or Column for “Resilient retailer” by Adam Prestridge
• Best Human Interest Column for “Tow truck operators are first responders” by Adam Prestridge
• Best Niche Publication – Newsprint or Glossy for “Camellia: Summer 2019”
• Best Online Breaking News Coverage for “Baymont Inn Fire Coverage” by Mark Rogers and Adam Prestridge

Second Place

• General Excellence
• Best Lifestyle/Family Pages
• Best Local Education Coverage
• Best Layout and Design
• Best Spot News Story for “Greenville man killed in crash” by Adam Prestridge
• Best Editorial for “Tow truck operators are first responders” by Adam Prestridge
• Best Spot News Photo for “Baymont blaze baffles” by Mark Rogers
• Best Production and Printing

Third Place

• Best Local News Coverage by Adam Prestridge and Mark Rogers
• Best Use of Photographs/Editorial Content
• Best Sports Single Event Story for “3, 2, 1…Champions” by Adam Prestridge
• Best Photo Essay for “Ritz comes alive” by Angie Long
• Best Headline for “Zaxby’s hatching” by Adam Prestridge
• Best Use of Social Media for “Facebook Page”

The Lowndes Signal, a publication of Greenville Newspapers, LLC., also captured two APA awards including:

First Place

• Best Spot News Story for “Sheriff slain” by Mark Rogers and Adam Prestridge

Second Place

• Best In-Depth News Coverage for “Sheriff slain” by Mark Rogers, Adam Prestridge and Matt Hutcheson