Charleston Gazette-Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Charleston Gazette-Mail is the 2025 West Virginia Newspaper of the Year.
The Gazette-Mail took home the top prize at the West Virginia Press Association’s annual convention Saturday, held at the University of Charleston. The honor is bestowed on the publication that earns the most combined points in the WVPA’s editorial and advertising competitions.
The Gazette-Mail also won the General Excellence Award in Division 1, which includes the state’s largest daily newspapers. General Excellence awards are presented in both the advertising and editorial categories based on the points earned in their respective contests.
The Gazette-Mail’s advertising team took home second place in the general excellence category.
More than 40 West Virginia news organizations submitted nearly 2,400 entries in 31 categories across four divisions (based on circulation). Entries in the contest, judged by the New York Press Association and the New York News Publishers Foundation, included content published in 2024.
“In the ever-changing landscape of modern media, the Gazette-Mail’s commitment to producing exceptional local journalism remains unwavering,” said HD Media Executive Editor Jeff Rider. “These awards are a testament to the hard work and dedication our staff shows every day in service of keeping our communities informed.”
Here is a breakdown of the Gazette-Mail’s 33 editorial awards:
First-place wins
Mike Tony: First place, best business, economic or labor reporting
Mike Tony: First place, best in-depth or investigative reporting
Rick Steelhammer: First place, best news feature
Phil Kabler: First place, best news columnist
Taylor Kennedy: First place, best sports columnist
Rick Elmore: First place, best sports event reporting
Rob Stiles: First place, best sports page(s)
Rick Steelhammer: First place, best lifestyle feature
Chris Atkins: First place, best headline writing
Sean McCallister: First place, best video
Sean McCallister: First place, best photographer/videographer
Richie Ray: First place, best illustration, cartoon or graphic
Staff: First place, best newspaper design
Second-place wins
Taylor Kennedy: Second place, best coverage of breaking news
Mike Tony: Second place, best in-depth or investigative reporting
Taylor Kennedy: Second place, best sports news and feature reporting
Sean McCallister and Taylor Kennedy: Second place, best video
Rob Stiles: Second place, best sports page design
Bill Lynch: Second place, best lifestyle columnist
Sierra Marling: Second place, best lifestyle feature
Ben Fields: Second place, best editorial page design
Chris Dorst: Second place, best sports photography
Kenny Kemp: Second place, best news photography
Chris Dorst: Second place, best photographer/videographer
Chris Atkins: Second place, best front page design
Staff: Second place, best sports special section
Third-place wins
Ashley Perham: Third place, best lifestyle feature
Kenny Kemp: Third place, best feature photography
Zack Klemme: Third place, best sports event reporting
Jane Powell: Third place, best lifestyle columnist
Taylor Kennedy: Third place, best sports news and feature reporting
Sean McCallister: Third place, best video
Cassandra Parsons and Butch Cooper: Third place, best lifestyles pages
Feature image:
The Charleston Gazette-Mail won the 2025 Newspaper of the Year award, presented by the West Virginia Press Association at a ceremony, on Oct. 11, 2025 at the University of Charleston. From left are: Columnist Phil Kabler, HD Media President Phil Perry, Executive Editor Jeff Rider, Multimedia Journalist Sean McCallister, Features Reporter Rick Steelhammer, Editor Christopher Millette and Marisa Skaff, wife of the late Doug Skaff, former president of HD Media, which is the parent company of the Gazette-Mail. (Rick Barbero, Courtesy Photo)
