The Detroit News has been named Newspaper of the Year by the Michigan Press Association, the fourth consecutive year it has received the honor.
The newspaper trade organization honored Michigan journalists Thursday night at its state convention at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing.
The News took top honors in the MPA’s annual newspaper contest for its division in 2024, 2023 and 2022 as well.
Other awards won by The Detroit News and its staff included:
First place
Best FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) Story: Michigan school districts pack kids into classrooms as reading scores falter, by Craig Mauger
Spot News Story: Paul Whelan comes home, by Melissa Nann Burke and Grant Schwab
News Enterprise Reporting: Oxford survivor takes recovery one wave at a time, by Jennifer Chambers
Education/School News: Class sizes under scrutiny, by Craig Mauger
Business News: $660M in tax incentives paid before jobs were created, by Beth LeBlanc
Best Editorial: News editorials on Trump, Democrats and education reform, by Nolan Finley, Kaitlyn Buss and Nicole Cook
Best Columnist: Daniel Howes
Best Page or Pages Design: Designing the Lions, by James Hollar
Special Section: Pope Francis laid to rest, by James Hollar
Feature Photo: Lollipop Tree, by David Guralnick
Sports Photograph: Flying Touchdown, by Daniel Mears
Best Digital Presentation: Towering task: Astronomy buffs fight to save shuttered observatory, by Tom Gromak
Environmental/Climate Change/Weather News: Researchers seek secrets of Great Lakes microplastics, by Carol Thompson
Second place
Spot News Story: Traverse City stabbing attack, by Detroit News staff
Rookie Writer: Grant Schwab
Best Page or Pages Design: Trump returns, by Rick Epps and James Hollar
Sports Writing: For Lions’ Kalif Raymond, a life’s work finds a home in Detroit, by John Niyo
Sports Feature: The UM star his kids never really knew, by Angelique S. Chengelis
Public Service Award: Beydoun scandal unfolds, by Beth LeBlanc
Environmental/Climate Change/Weather News: Mobile home residents grapple with water issues, by Anne Snabes
Best Writing: Grim Reapers teamed up to kill a Monroe woman after a wedding, by Francis X. Donnelly
Best Photo: St. Brown Headstand, by Daniel Mears
Third place
Business News: Detroit is overserved with liquor stores for its size, by Louis Aguilar
Feature Story: Ford CEO opens up about relationship with Chris Farley, by Adam Graham
Best Page or Pages Design: Towering task, by Genna Barner
News Photo: Vigil for slain child, by Katy Kildee
Feature Photo: Robot greets schoolchildren, by David Guralnick
Best Sports Column: Lions, Tigers and Wings, by John Niyo
Sports Feature: Kirk Gibson keeps on swinging, by Tony Paul
Honorable mention
News Enterprise Reporting: Grim Reapers teamed up to kill a Monroe woman after a wedding, by Francis X. Donnelly
Government/Political News: Dead, but not buried on Michigan’s voter rolls. Their names scrutinized, by Craig Mauger and Julia Cardi
Business News: Future of RenCen, by Breana Noble, Kalea Hall, Candice Williams, Beth LeBlanc, Chad Livengood and Carol Thompson
Best columnist: Nolan Finley
Photo Story: Wakeboarding eases pain of Oxford shooting, by Katy Kildee
Sports Writing: Sonic Boom, by Nolan Bianchi
Sports Photograph: St. Brown Headstand, by Daniel Mears
Sports Feature: How Ahmed Hassenein landed with Lions, by Nolan Bianchi
Best writing: For Lions’ Kalif Raymond, a life’s work finds a home in Detroit, by John Niyo
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: The Detroit News named Michigan’s Newspaper of the Year for fourth straight year
Reporting by Max Reinhart, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

