Postmedia photographer wins national recognition
Calgary Herald and Sun photographer/videographer Leah Hennel received a prestigious National Newspaper Award (NNA) Friday night.
Hennel won the Feature Photo category for her shot of a lone rider on the range near the Lazy U Ranch near Pincher Creek. It was Hennel’s second win in the category, having also been recognized in 2013.
She also received a citation of merit in the Sports Photo category for a shot from the 2016 Calgary Stampede rodeo.
“It’s extraordinary for a journalist to receive two honours from the NNAs in the same year,” said deputy editor Monica Zurowski. “These awards are a testament to the talent and dedication Hennel displays every day.”
Overall, Postmedia journalists received four NNAs, in categories recognizing their achievements in covering breaking news, local reporting and photography.
The newsrooms of the Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun and Fort McMurray Today were hon- oured in the Breaking News category for their combined coverage of last May’s Alberta wildfire and the unprecedented evacuation from Fort McMurray.
Fort McMurray Today’s staff were among those ordered to leave, continuing to report on the disaster even as they fled to safety.
The Toronto Sun’s Stan Behal won his third NNA, this time in the News Photo category for his shot of a grieving father after his daughter was killed in an automobile accident.
Paul Schliesmann of the Kingston Whig- Standard won in the Local Reporting category.
Schliesmann was recognized for his work reporting on the living standards of marginalized people in his community.
The Globe and Mail, which hosted this year’s gala, led all outlets with 11 wins.
The NNAs are open to daily newspapers, news agencies, as well as online news sites approved for entry by the NNA board of governors. There were 70 nominees in 21 categories, selected from nearly 1,000 entries. Winning journalists received a prize of $1,000.