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