I’m willing to bet Bill DeKay was feeling a little lightheaded one recent night in New Orleans.
It wasn’t from the heat and humidity. It was from standing up and sitting down, over and over again, as his name was called to receive awards.
Bill won the photographer of the year award July 26 at the American Agricultural Editors Association’s media summit. He won it last year, too. It’s not hard to argue from the evidence that he’s the best ag photographer in North America right now.
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All together, he won eight photography awards, ranging from the big one to honourable mentions, and two writing awards.
DeKay wasn’t the only winner emerging fromWestern Producer ranks, though.
Designer extraordinaire Michelle Houlden, who makes us look pretty every week, took first place, for the second year in a row, in the overall magazine design/special issues/ commercial/custom category, with her dramatic front page from last year’s final issue. It was calledThe Dirt on Soil,and Michelle’s cover depicted a layer of earth with a seedling sprouting out of it, growing overThe Western Producerlogo (very cool). To the right was a teaser photo of a handful of worms — squirmy, but effective.
Camrose correspondent Mary MacArthur won a 2011 Master Writer Program award, level four. Indeed, Mary is a master writer, no matter which story or stories she won for (we’re still trying to find out. Also, Bill won in this category’s level one.)
Earlier this year, the WP also won the Audrey Mackiewicz award, presented by the North American Agricultural Journalists to the agricultural magazine, newspaper or wire service that expanded its coverage or service over the last 12 months.
It’s extremely gratifying when we win in the United States, where ag journalism is massive compared to Canada. Therefore, we are up against significant competition, not just in quality but in sheer numbers, and we seem to keep popping up at or near the top.
That’s because, in my view (and keep in mind I can’t take any credit for this) we have one of the most creative, hard-working, ethical and well-informed teams on the planet.
As I pointed out when we won the Audrey Mac, you are reading a major award-winning newspaper. Thank you very much for doing so. Without our readers, we are nothing.
