Breeze, Breeze TV win 14 Virginia Press Association awards

The Breeze and Breeze TV won 14 awards for journalism and adveritisng in the Virginia Press Association’s annual statewide contest.

The groups, which competed against midsize, nondaily newspapers from across the state, received honors in writing, design, photo, advertising and video categories at the VPA annual conference in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday night.

All the entries were from the 2023 calendar year.

Of the awards, five were first place, two were second and seven were third.

Here is a breakdown of the winning entries:

First place

• Video, Sam Game, for a news report on Bridgewater College’s remembrance of two fallen officers in a campus shooting
• Illustrations, Ben Moulse, for a cover illustrating JMU’s hosting ESPN GameDay
• Multimedia Report, staff, for coverage of ESPN GameDay’s appearance at JMU
• Public Safety Writing; Grant Johnson, Eleanor Shaw, Michael Russo and Lizzie Stone; for stories about a shooting at an off-campus housing complex
• Pictorial Photo, Ryan Sauer, for a photo of Wilson Hall in spring

Second place

• Lifestyles Advertisement, Samantha Rhinard, for designing an ad for Mascot Grills
• Fashion and Personal Care Advertisement, staff, for design of an ad for Stray Cat Designs

Third place

• Personality or Portrait Photo, Ryan Sauer, for a photo of a member of JMU’s Billiards Club
• Special Section or Special Edition, staff, for a special edition marking The Breeze’s centennial
• Professional Services Advertisement, staff, for design of an ad for the University Health Center
• Photo Slideshow or Gallery, Kaiden Bridges, for a photo of a JMU basketball game against Howard
• General News Writing; Charlotte Matherly, Zia Faqiri and Michael Russo; for coverage of a wreck that killed three JMU students during the Spring 2023 semester
• Lifestyles Advertisement, staff, for the design of an ad for Blue Ridge Aviation
• Fashion and Personal Care Advertisement, staff, for the design of an ad for The Studio