Photo By Michael Alexander

ATLANTA—The Georgia Bulletin, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, earned 10 Catholic Press awards at this year’s Catholic Media Conference. 

The first-ever virtual conference in the history of the Catholic Press Association (CPA), “Together While Apart,” was held June 30-July 2. The annual conference was to be held in Portland, Oregon but the COVID-19 pandemic moved the event’s workshops and awards ceremony online.

The CPA has been uniting and serving the Catholic press for more than 100 years. The Catholic Press Association has nearly 225 publication members and 600 individual members. Member print publications reach nearly 10 million households through members’ websites and social media outlets.

Under the category Best Special Supplement – On a Bishop’s Transition, The Georgia Bulletin staff earned an honorable mention for its coverage on “The Ministry of Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory in Atlanta.” Photo By Michael Alexander

Atlanta Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., and Bishop Joel M. Konzen, SM, both members of the communications committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, provided messages of support to award winners during the virtual ceremony. 

“Throughout the years, members of the Catholic press have evolved as the media landscape has transformed,” said Archbishop Hartmayer. “From newsprint and magazines that took weeks to plan, produce and deliver to the instantaneous spread of video and social media posts, one thing has remained constant—your commitment to the Gospel makes Catholic media different.”

The awards were given for work done in 2019 in the category for non-weekly newspapers with a circulation of 25,001 or more.

The newspaper received a second-place award in the category of Best News Writing on a Local or Regional Event for the story, “Reencuentro Familiar reunited elderly Mexicans with family in Georgia,” by Priscilla Greear.

Photographer Michael Alexander won a second-place award in the category of Best Photos, Vocations to the Priesthood, Religious or Diaconate for “Head of Diaconate Class.”

In the category of Best Feature Writing, staff writer Andrew Nelson earned an honorable mention for his reporting on icon painter Nancy Ewing and the classes in her home studio where “Prayer and painting go hand in hand.” Photo By Michael Alexander

The paper’s staff and David Pace of the Office of Communications won a second-place award in Best Use of Graphics for the infographic “How Archbishops are Appointed.”

Dr. David King, columnist for The Georgia Bulletin, won a third-place award for his columns in the category of Culture, the Arts and Leisure.

The newspaper also earned honorable mentions for Best Seasonal Issue for its 2019 Eucharistic Congress edition; for Best Special Supplement on “Archbishop Gregory’s Ministry in Atlanta;” and in the Best Photo-Portrait category for Michael Alexander’s portrait, “An advocate for collaboration between church leaders and laity.” Alexander also received an honorable mention for his piece on Pinecrest Academy’s fencers in the category of Best Sports Journalism, Sports Feature or Column.

Writer Andrew Nelson received two honorable mentions–for “Prayer and painting go hand in hand,” in the Best Feature Writing category and for “Blessed Trinity students build tiny home,” in the Best Reporting on Catholic Education category.