The Montgomery Advertiser won coveted Triple Crown recognition and the USA TODAY Network-Alabama team won 14 total Associated Press Sports Editors awards for sports journalism work produced in 2021.
The Montgomery Advertiser took top-10 honors for daily sections in the D division, for smaller news organizations, and in Sunday sections in the combined C and D circulation divisions. The Advertiser and The Tuscaloosa News both placed in the top five in the digital category for their websites in the D division, and The Tuscaloosa News got honorable mention in special sections in the combined C and D divisions.
Late Tuscaloosa News sports editor Cecil Hurt earned top 10 recognition in D division column writing.
Bennett Durando, for The Advertiser, and Nick Kelly, for The News, won four writing awards each in the D division.
Kelly and Durando both garnered top 10 honors in the beat writing category for their coverage of University of Alabama and Auburn University athletics, respectively.
They also both placed in the top 10 in short features: Kelly for a feature on Alabama softball pitcher Montana Fouts and Durando for his profile of former Auburn offensive coordinator Austin Davis.
Kelly was also honored in event coverage of Bryce Young’s Heisman Trophy win, with Nick Gray contributing, and explanatory writing for his story on the origins of Alabama football’s touchdown celebrations.
Durando was also honored in long features for his story on Auburn mascot eagle Spirit and in breaking news for his story on Auburn basketball’s NCAA penalties.
Results of the action and feature photo categories will be released next week.
