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Beacon Named Best Weekly Newspaper in Montana

Newspaper earns 30 awards, Flathead Living magazine takes top honor

By Beacon Staff

The Flathead Beacon was named the best weekly newspaper in the state at the Montana Newspaper Association’s Better Newspaper Contest. The awards were handed out Saturday night at the association’s 131st annual banquet in Whitefish.

In total, the Beacon took home 30 awards and 15 first-place plaques, including General Excellence, Best Overall Website, and the Thomas Dimsdale Award for Best Weekly Newspaper. The Beacon’s quarterly magazine, Flathead Living, won Best Niche Publication.

The Billings Gazette won the Sam Gilluly Award for Best Daily Newspaper in Montana.

Next year the conference is in Lewistown.

FIRST PLACE AWARDS

Thomas Dimsdale Award for Best Weekly Newspaper

General Excellence

Best Niche Publication – Flathead Living

Best Overall Website – FlatheadBeacon.com

Best Sports Story – Dillon Tabish, “Brains & Brawn”

Best Feature Story – Justin Franz, “The Legend on the Lake”

Best Lifestyle Coverage – Justin Franz, “Rebuilding a Nation”

Mark Henckel Outdoor Writing Award – Molly Priddy, “Valley of the Dogs”

Best Enterprise Journalism – Dillon Tabish, “The Watchmen in the Wilderness”

Best Column Writing – Rob Breeding

Best Headline Writing – Tristan Scott

Best Page Layout and Design – Steve Larson

Best News Photo – Greg Lindstrom

Best Image Building Ad – Sharilyn Fairweather

Best Newspaper Promotional Ad – Sharilyn Fairweather

SECOND PLACE AWARDS

Best News Story – Tristan Scott, “Promises to Reopen ‘a Sham’”

Best Feature Story – Tristan Scott, “In a Class of His Own”

Mark Henckel Outdoor Writing Award – Justin Franz, “A Race Against Time”

Best Enterprise Journalism – Tristan Scott, “Shadow of a Doubt”

Best Front Page Design – Steve Larson

Best Page Layout and Design – Steve Larson

Best Sports Photo – Greg Lindstrom

Best Niche Publication – Flathead Living

THIRD PLACE AWARDS

Best Sports Story – Molly Priddy, “Taylor-Made Black Belt”

Best Feature Story – Molly Priddy, “Fading Away”

Mark Henckel Outdoor Writing Award – Dillon Tabish, “The Underwater Frontier”

Best Page Layout and Design – Steve Larson

Best Feature Photo – Greg Lindstrom

Best Combination of Print and Online Ad – Steve Larson

Best Newspaper Special Section – Sharilyn Fairweather