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UT-TPA Tennessee State Press Contests honor journalism across the state

List of 2026 winners may be found here

FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Journalists, editors and designers from across Tennessee gathered June 25, 2026 for the annual Tennessee Press Association awards ceremony, which has been co-sponsored by the University of Tennessee System for 86 years. The ceremony honors newspapers, journalists and media organizations for outstanding work in reporting, photography, writing, design and public service.

Among this year’s winners, the Kingsport Times News received the most first-place awards with eight wins, while the Wilson Post finished second with seven first-place awards.

The General Excellence Award, the contest’s highest honor, recognizes overall excellence among newspapers within their respective divisions. Winners are determined by a point system based on contest placements throughout the competition. The Standard Banner of Jefferson City earned the award for the sixth consecutive year, while the Chattanooga Times Free Press received the honor for the second consecutive year.

Other General Excellence Award winners were:
The Erwin Record
The Nashville Ledger
Kingsport Times News

“Local journalism helps tell the stories of our communities while keeping people informed about the issues that matter most in their daily lives,” said Keith Carver, senior vice chancellor and senior vice president of the UT Institute of Agriculture. “That purpose aligns closely with our land-grant mission. Whether through local newsrooms or university outreach, we share a responsibility to provide trusted, research-based information that serves Tennesseans and helps communities thrive.”

The ceremony was held during a luncheon at the Embassy Suites in Franklin, which featured 1,088 entries submitted by 68 member newspapers and online publications. Entries were judged by the Maine Press Association through the Tennessee Press Association’s reciprocal judging process.

First-place winners in the editorial, best single editorial and public service categories received $250 prizes funded by UT’s Edward J. Meeman Foundation. Established in 1968, the foundation supports the contest, provides professional critiques and supports journalism education across Tennessee.

About the University of Tennessee

The University of Tennessee is a statewide system of higher education with campuses in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Pulaski, Martin and Memphis; the UT Institute of Agriculture with a presence in every Tennessee county; and the statewide Institute for Public Service. The UT System manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory through its UT-Battelle partnership; enrolls nearly 65,000 students statewide; produces more than 15,000 new graduates every year; and represents almost 497,000 alumni around the world.

About the Tennessee Press Association

The Tennessee Press Association is the trade association of Tennessee’s daily and non-daily newspapers and online news organizations and it is the parent organization of Tennessee Press Service and Tennessee Press Association Foundation. It was founded in 1870-71 for the purpose of creating a unified voice for the newspaper industry of Tennessee.

Wheeler is winner of CFINR-Tennessee reporting award

June 25, 2026

Drew Wheeler, editor of the McNairy County News of Selmer, Tenn., was awarded the Center for Integrity in News Reporting 2026 Tennessee Award for his story, “Justice for Pauline,” on Thursday, June 25 during the University of Tennessee System—Tennessee Press Association Awards Luncheon in Franklin, Tenn.

Rufus Friday, executive director of the Center for Integrity in News Reporting, presented Wheeler with the $5,000 prize.

Judge’s Comments:

Arguably, Sheriff Buford Pusser became one of the most famous figures of McNairy County after the movie “Walking Tall” in 1976 based loosely on his life. Adamsville hosts an annual Buford Pusser Festival and the Buford Pusser Home and Museum. So when the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the local district attorney announced in August 2025 that they had concluded a revived investigation into the death his wife Pauline and that if Pusser were alive today, he would be charged with her murder 58 years ago, it’s no surprise that the McNairy County News devoted three pages to the story.

The reporting was solid and detailed and struck a tone appropriate for an audience that would surely have mixed feelings about their legendary sheriff. In addition to providing detailed information from the revived cold case investigation, the reporter included comments from family members with conflicting feelings. The reporter interviewed local law enforcement who acknowledged the investigation’s results, but also how films, books and songs about Pusser inspired countless individuals to pursue careers in law enforcement. Local Buford Pusser historians were also interviewed. This was a story that was hard to put down. The reporter did a great job simply by providing so many facts on how the TBI concluded Pusser had killed his wife and being sensitive to what this all meant in Pusser’s hometown.

The reporter’s last two paragraphs were a perfect ending:

“Perhaps answering questions which had not yet been asked, in concluding his statement last Friday, DA Davidson said this case is “not about tearing down a legend. It is about giving dignity and closure to Pauline and her family and ensuring the truth is not buried with time… The truth matters…justice matters, even 58 years later, Pauline deserves both.”

The McNairy County News did a superb job delivering such an important story.

Gould elected TPA president

Dave Gould, president and CEO of Main Street Media of Tennessee, is the new president of the Tennessee Press Association (TPA). Gould succeeds Alison Gerber, editor of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

Gould was formally introduced as the 2026-27 president during the June 25 University of Tennessee System-TPA Tennessee State Press Contests Awards Luncheon in Franklin, Tenn. He will lead the 15-member TPA Board of Directors.

TPA elections took place on June 12 during the concurrent TPA Board of Directors meeting and Business Session. Other officers elected for one-year terms are Darren Haimer, general manager of The Daily Times, Maryville, first vice president; Lindsay Pride, editor of the Herald-Citizen, Cookeville, second vice president; Eric Barnes, CEO of The Daily Memphian, re-elected treasurer; Sandy Dodson, publisher of The Bledsonian-Banner, Pikeville, secretary; and Alison Gerber will continue on the board as immediate past president.

Directors elected for two-year terms representing District Two are Liz Schubauer, city and politics editor of The Tennessean, Nashville, Holly McCall, editor of The Tennessee Lookout, Nashville, and Lora Scripps, editor and general manager of the Elk Valley Times, Fayetteville.

Don Lovelace, vice president of circulation for Lakeway Publishers, Inc., was elected for a one-year term as a director representing District Three.

Continuing their terms on the board are District One directors Brittany Martin, publisher of The McKenzie Banner, Victor Parkins, publisher of The Mirror-Exchange, Milan, and Scott Whaley, Gibson County Publishing, and District Three directors Joel Christopher, executive editor of the Knoxville News Sentinel and Ron Waite, group publisher of Six Rivers Media.

About Dave Gould

Dave Gould has owned Main Street Media of Tennessee since May 2013. The company publishes 16 Nashville-area newspapers along with magazines, websites, e-newsletters, and Main Street Media TV, a streaming TV channel.

Prior to this, Dave spent 20 years with Gannett, including 11 years as vice president of advertising for The Tennessean. He holds a bachelor of science from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from the College of William & Mary.

Dave’s board service includes the Tennessee Press Association, Tennessee Press Service, and the Tennessee Press Association Foundation. He also serves, or has served, on the boards of Pope John Paul II High School, the Volunteer State College Foundation, the Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Robertson County Chamber of Commerce, Grace Place, and Trousdale Place.

Dave and his wife Ellen have been married for 36 years and have eight children ranging in age from 19 to 34. They reside in Gallatin.

About TPA

The TPA was founded in 1870-71 for the purpose of creating a unified voice for the newspaper industry in Tennessee. Today, TPA continues to assist its 133 members by monitoring legislative activities, providing training programs, issuing press credentials, and providing regular meetings and forums to foster the exchange of information and ideas.

The TPA presidency rotates among TPA’s three divisions of Tennessee.

Register for State Press Contests Awards Luncheon, Thursday, June 25 in Franklin

The event will be held on Thursday, June 25 at the Embassy Suites in Franklin, Tennessee.
Register at: www.tinyurl.com/TPAAwards2026 or download the Registration form PDF

A very limited number of hotel rooms are in our block at the rate of $179 plus tax/parking. If you need accommodation, please make your hotel reservations by Monday, May 25. www.tinyurl.com/TPAhotel26

Schedule for the day:

9:30 a.m. Registration opens

10:00 a.m. Session presented by Rufus Friday, Center for Integrity in News Reporting

11:00 a.m. Session presented by Ken Paulson, Free Speech Center

Noon State Press Contests Awards Luncheon & TPA Presidential Installation
2:30 p.m. approximate time of adjournment

A-Mark Prize for Freedom of Information Reporting deadline April 30, 2026

The Tennessee Press Association is partnering with the A-Mark Foundation to offer a new statewide Freedom of Information Reporting prize that will award $15,000 in cash to reporters and newsrooms who exemplify the best in-depth reporting on FOI issues.

Winners in the competition will receive:

First place: $5,000 for the journalist(s) and $2,500 to the news organization
Second place: $3,000 for the journalist(s) and $1,500 to the news organization
Third place: $2,000 for the journalist(s) and $1,000 to the news organization

The entry deadline for this contest is Thursday, April 30, 2026, for work published or aired in calendar year 2025. Winners will be announced June 2026.

Contest Criteria:

The contest criteria will recognize an investigative story or series by a reporter or team on a single topic related to Freedom of Information or coverage of open meetings and public records. Entries should display original reporting that reveals information that is not generally known, and that government bodies or agencies may not want available for public scrutiny.

The contest will be open to all news outlets in Tennessee, including broadcast.

Judges will consider depth of research, initiative, obstacles overcome, use of database and public records, use of multiple sources, and impact on public policy. Entries will be required to include a brief letter of explanation from the newsroom’s top editor. Judging will be conducted by a panel of retired newspaper editors from print and broadcast backgrounds as well as journalism professors in Tennessee.

To enter: send letter of explanation, pdf pages, story links, photos and/or video to: Mark Millsap, Executive Director of Tennessee Press Association at mmillsap@tnpress.com. Questions, email or call Mark Millsap at 865.584.5761 ext. 106.

Enter your staff’s best work in the 2026 Ideas Contest for advertising and circulation today!

Deadline: Extended through Thursday, April 2, 2026

2026 Ideas Contest Rules & Info
TPA is calling for entries in the 2026 Ideas Contest for advertising and circulation departments. The contest has 41 categories, including 10 for digital and one for innovation. The Ideas Contest deadline is extended through Thursday, April 2.

The contests portal opened on Feb. 13.

TPA Day on the Hill set for Feb. 24

TPA is asking all publishers, editors and general managers to plan to join us in Nashville on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, for the TPA Day on the Hill. The day will kick off with a breakfast for members and legislators, followed by member appointments with legislators to talk about how proposed changes to the laws would impact our industry.

The day will also include some addresses by House and Senate leaders and a TPA Board of Directors Meeting.

TPA President Alison Gerber has set the Concurrent TPA Board of Directors Meeting and Business Session for 3:00 p.m. Central Standard Time on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, during the TPA Day on the Hill in Nashville. The meeting and day’s activities will be held in the Cordell Hull Building, which houses the offices of state legislators. All members are invited to the meeting and Day on the Hill.

The schedule is as follows:

8:00 a.m. – 8:25 a.m. Plan to go through security

8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Coffee with Legislators. Invite legislators and their staff members come see us for coffee

10:00 a.m. to Noon: Members visit with Legislators

Noon to 1:00 p.m. Members lunch, hear from a couple of legislators speaking to our group

1 p.m.-3:00 p.m. Members visit with Legislators

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. TPA Concurrent Board of Directors Meeting and Business Session

Adjourn

Questions? Contact Mark Millsap, TPA Executive Director, mmillsap@tnpress.com.

State Press Contests Deadline extended to Monday, Feb. 9, 2026

(Jan. 26, 2026 at 6:35 p.m. EST)

Because of impacts from the weekend ice storm in much of our state, TPA has extended the 2026 Tennessee State Press Contests (for the Newsroom) deadline to Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. The rules and entry information are available as a PDF click to download the Rules Brochure PDF. The categories remain the same as in 2025.

Contact TPA with questions by emailing rgentile@tnpress.com.

2025 TPA Ideas Contest Winners Announced

The Tennessee Press Association (TPA) announced the 2025 Ideas Contest awards on Friday, Oct. 17, during the TPA Revenue Summit in Chattanooga.

The 2025 Ideas Contest Best of Show was awarded to the Chattanooga Times Free Press for its Best Special Section entry, “Best of the Best.” PDF of entry The entry is a special section of its readers’ choice award winners.

The First Runner-up was awarded to The Bledsonian-Banner of Pikeville for its entry in Best Special Section, “Women in Business.” PDF of entry

The Second Runner-up was awarded to the Farragut Press for its entry in Best Feature Page or Pages (a themed page or pages with multiple advertisers). The entry is a wrap “ Remembering Fallen Heroes” that was published for Memorial Day. PDF of entry

There were 308 entries from 19 newspapers in the 2025 contest, which has three divisions and 41 categories. The divisions are Non-daily newspapers less than 2,300 circulation; Non-daily newspapers with 2,300 total circulation and above; and Daily newspapers.

The entries were for work published in 2024. TPA partnered with the Arkansas Press Association for the judging, which resulted in 127 awards.

The newspaper with the most awards was the Farragut Press with 22 awards, followed by The Bledsonian-Banner and the McNairy County News of Selmer, with 12 awards each.

The awards are for advertising, circulation and marketing.

Link to the PDF slideshow of the winners

Link to the list of winners

Revenue Summit, Friday, Oct. 17 in Chattanooga

You are invited to the TPA Advertising & Circulation Revenue Summit for member newspapers in Chattanooga on Friday, October 17 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.The day will include lunch and the presentation of the Ideas Contest Awards. It is an event designed for networking and exchanging ideas within our industry.

Tennessee Press Advertising and Circulation Revenue Summit

Friday, October 17, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. EDT

Location: Chattanooga Times Free Press

TPA Member cost it $25.00. Lunch provided.

Register Today!

Advertising and Circulation training sessions will include:

· Selling with AI: Tips and Tricks

·Digital Selling including Branded Content

· New Revenue Projects and Ideas

· Circulation: Audience Growth Strategies

· Idea Sharing Session: Bring your Best Revenue Ideas and Win Prizes

· Roundtables on Advertising and Circulation topics

Register at https://tinyurl.com/TPARevenue2025