Through its annual Excellence in Craft Contest, the Outdoor Writers Association of America honored 60 professional journalists for their work in dozens of media outlets.
The winners were announced during OWAA’s annual conference, October 5, at Jay Peak Resort in Vermont. More than $9,000 in prize money will be distributed to the winners.
The EIC Contest rewards the best in 10 media formats: Blog, Book, Column, Illustration/Graphic, Magazine, Newspaper, Photography, Photo Essay, Radio/Podcast and TV/Video/Webcast.
Some are stand-alone contests while others include topics such as fishing, hunting or shooting sports, conservation or nature, outdoor fun and adventure, family participation or youth outdoor education, and humor. The Photography Contest includes categories for Action, Fauna, Flora, People and Scenic.
Although the 129 awards for first, second and third place were spread to dozens of OWAA members, several won multiple awards. Bill Sherck (pictured) of Minnesota, host of the television show ‘Due North Outdoors,’ was the biggest winner with eight awards, including:
- 1st TV/Family Participation “Great River Adventure”
- 1st TV/Outdoor Fun “Flying W Eagles!”
- 2nd TV/Fishing “S&S Sisters”
- 2nd TV/Gear-Technical “S&S Sisters”
- 2nd TV/Hunting-Shooting Sports “The Duck Pontoon!”
- 2nd TV/Outdoor Fun “Tour By Cable!”
- 3rd TV/Conservation-Nature “BWCA at Risk”
- 3rd TV/Gear-Technical “Supernatural Bigs!”
Wisconsin’s Dan Small, host of ‘Outdoor Wisconsin‘ and ‘Outdoors Radio,’ took home six awards.
- 1st Newspaper/Hunting-Shooting Sports “Calling the Shot”
- 2nd Radio/Family Participation “Token Creek”
- 2nd TV/Family Participation “MOHEE 2019”
- 2nd Radio/Fishing “Rusty’s Big Pike Adventure”
- 3rd Radio/Gear-Technical “Sneaky Hunter Boot Lamps”
- 3rd Newspaper/Fishing “Two Old Friends, Two Great Green Bay Muskies”
Also taking home six awards was Oregon author and writer Pat Wray.
- 1st Newspaper/Humor “Living the Trailer Life”
- 2nd Column [Various Titles]
- 2nd Newspaper/Hunting-Shooting Sports “Bear Hunt by the Numbers”
- 3rd Newspaper/Conservation-Nature “Public Lands Hate You”
- 3rd Newspaper/Gear-Technical “Enjoying a New Machine”
- 3rd Newspaper/Humor “It’s A Question of Balance”
In addition to the EIC Contest, OWAA honored these members for their support of OWAA and their career accomplishments:
- Jade Award – Mark Freeman. Nominated, voted on and presented by past award winners.
- Excellence in Craft – Tom Stienstra. For outstanding effort in upholding the OWAA creed and continued excellence in craft.
- Ham Brown – Bill Brassard. OWAA’s most prestigious recognition of a member for devoted past service to the organization over a period of continuous years.
- Outstanding Board Members – Christine Peterson, Colleen Miniuk and Matt Miller. Voted on and presented by OWAA’s board of directors.
- Committee Volunteer of the Year – David van Wie. Recognizes excellence, commitment and service and going beyond the call of duty while serving on an OWAA committee.
In the meantime, OWAA continues to recognize and support students and young professionals in the field of outdoor communications who help shape the future of recreation, conservation and communication with its fellowships and grants.
Through the Norm Strung Youth Writing Awards and the OWAA Student Photo Contest, OWAA rewards budding writers and photographers who capture the outdoors.
According to OWAA Education Committee Chair Emily Stone, “Not only do these contests allow us to reward up-and-coming outdoor communicators, it also gives our membership a window into the minds of young people, and hope for the future of outdoor writing and photography.”
In order to reach as many outdoor communicators as possible, OWAA promotes the program to teachers and professors around North America. In particular, the organization has reached out to appropriate department heads and professors at historically Black colleges and universities as well as Native American colleges to help inspire students of color to become outdoor communicators.
The contests are open to applications from juniors and seniors in high school and undergraduates in college. Entries for both awards may be submitted through January 31.
Entries for the Norm Strung Youth Writing Awards may be submitted at:
https://owaa.submittable.com/submit/151845/owaa-norm-strung-youth-writing-awards.
Student Photo Contest entries may be submitted at https://owaa.submittable.com/submit/181118/owaa-student-photo-contest.
Cash prizes are awarded to first-, second- and third-place winners in both categories (1st – $200; 2nd – $100; 3rd – $50) (high school seniors and juniors, and college students). Entries must have been created during 2021. Entries are judged by a panel of outdoor media professionals.
Each winner also receives a year-long OWAA Student Membership ($25 value), have their name included in a nationally distributed press release, and have their story/photo included in OWAA’s magazine Outdoors Unlimited.
OWAA will announce the winners by May 31, 2022. The organization reserves the right to reprint the winning entries and photographs of authors in its publications, on its website, and on its social media accounts.
Winners of the contest will be given additional consideration when applying for the Bodie McDowell Scholarship and are highly encouraged to do so.
Follow this link to the OWAA website for more information.
