J. Oliver Emmerich Award for Editorial Excellence

 

The J. Oliver Emmerich Award for Editorial Excellence presented annually during the MPA Better Newspaper Contest was founded in 1977 to honor the life and career of one of Mississippi's leading journalists and newspapermen of the 20th Century. John Oliver Emmerich, the longtime editor of The Enterprise-Journal in McComb was a past president of MPA and noted editorial writer who served as a civic leader and dedicated journalist during one of the state's most turbulent periods.


Each First Place winning entry in the annual BNC Best Editorial category is re-judged to determine the single best editorial writer in the state. The winner of the prestigious award, MPA's highest honor, is revealed during the BNC presentation at the annual convention each summer.

 


Past Recipients

1977
W. Harvey Hurt
The Wayne County News

1978
Pat Flynn
Yazoo Daily Herald

1979
Joseph F. Ellis
Clarksdale Press-Register

1980
Pic Firman
The Biloxi Sun

 

1981
John O. Emmerich, Jr.
Greenwood Commonwealth

1982
Dave Hardin
The Clarion-Ledger

1983
Joseph F. Ellis
Clarksdale Press-Register

1984
Marty Kittrell
Prentiss Headlight

1985
Sidney L. Salter
Scott County Times

1986
Lloyd Gray
The Sun Herald

1987
John O. Emmerich, Jr.
Greenwood Commonwealth

1988
Sharon Wertz
Hattiesburg American

1989
David Hampton & Jim Ewing
The Clarion-Ledger

1990
David Hampton
The Clarion-Ledger

1991
Lloyd Gray
The Meridian Star

1992
Jim Ewing
The Clarion-Ledger

1993
David Hampton
The Clarion-Ledger

1994
Sidney L. Salter
Scott County Times

1995
Jim Ewing
The Clarion-Ledger

1996
Wyatt Emmerich
The Northside Sun

1997
Tim Kalich
Greenwood Commonwealth

1998
Lloyd Gray
Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

1999
Ray Mosby
Deer Creek Pilot

2000
Marie Harris
The Sun Herald

2001
Tom Pittman
DeSoto Times Today

2002
Wayne Nicholas
The Bolivar Commercial

2003
Jack Ryan
Enterprise-Journal

2004
Jack Ryan
Enterprise-Journal

2005
Rachel Eide
The Commercial Dispatch

2006
Tim Kalich
Greenwood Commonwealth

2007
Lloyd Gray
Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

2008
Steven G. Watson
Madison County Journal

2009
Ray Mosby
Deer Creek Pilot

2010
James E. Prince, III
Madison County Journal

2011
Tim Kalich
Greenwood Commonwealth

2012
Tim Kalich
Greenwood Commonwealth

2013
Tim Kalich
Greenwood Commonwealth

2014
Kevin Cooper
The Natchez Democrat

 

2015
Sam R. Hall
The Clarion-Ledger

 

2016
James E. Prince, III
The Neshoba Democrat

 

2017
Paul Hampton

Sun Herald

 

2018

Tim Kalich

The Greenwood Commonwealth

 

2019

Wyatt Emmerich

The Northside Sun

 

2020

Ray Mosby

Deer Creek Pilot

 

2021

Tim Kalich

The Greenwood Commonwealth

 

2022

Sam R. Hall

Daily Journal

 

2023

Jamie Patterson

The Yazoo Herald


 

 

For more information, contact:

Layne Bruce, Executive Director

Mississippi Press Association

601-981-3060 ext. 4