Federal Way Mirror staff won 23 total awards at the 2016 Washington “Better Newspaper Contest,” including first place in the prestigious General Excellence category for the newspaper and the Feature Writer of the Year award for reporter Raechel Dawson.

The awards were handed out last Friday at the 129th annual Washington Newspaper Publishers Association convention in Wenatchee. In addition to the General Excellence award, the highest honor the WNPA gives out and the first-ever first-place win for the Mirror, the newspaper’s editorial staff received 10 awards and its advertising team received 12.

Dawson’s award for Feature Writer of the Year is the highest individual honor a Mirror editorial staff member has ever received in the competition. Judges in New York, unaffiliated with the Mirror or its parent company, reviewed five of Dawson’s 2015 stories before declaring her the winner.

“This reporter is a natural storyteller with an eye for features lurking everywhere,” reads the judge comments for the award. “She describes the challenges faced by a woman dwarf, interviews an intersex woman who has come to terms with who she is and now runs a volunteer service specializing in gender issues. The death of a coach, teacher and pastor reveals the richness of his life. She draws you into a world filled with color, the important detail and emotion. She’s a pro.”

Dawson took home four additional awards for her work.

Former Mirror reporter Terrence Hill was awarded five awards, including a first place award for Best Color Sports Photo (Feature), second place in the same category, and first place for Best Sports Personality Profile.

The Mirror’s advertising and creative staff, meanwhile, received five first-place awards among their 12 total. Creative Artist Marcie Shannon conceived of and designed all 12 of the ads with input from Mirror advertisers and staff sales consultants Cindy Ducich and Kay Miller.

The WNPA is an association representing about 130 community newspapers in Washington state. Its annual Better Newspaper Contest judges submissions in one of four groups based on circulation – the Mirror won its awards in Group 4, which is comprised of the highest-circulation papers in the association.

The full list of Mirror awards are:

General Excellence

First Place – Rudi Alcott, Carrie Rodriguez, Terrence Hill and Raechel Dawson

2016 Feature Writer of the Year

Raechel Dawson

Editorial

Best News Story-Long

Third Place – Raechel Dawson – Community outraged over rehab facility’s proximity to Federal Way district school

Best News Story-Short

Third Place – Raechel Dawson – Federal Way firefighters fight Eastern Washington fires

Best General Feature Story, Long

Third Place – Raechel Dawson – Fairy Godmother for transgender community reveals challenging past

Best Personality Profile-Short

Second Place – Raechel Dawson – Federal Way author shares father’s bicycle adventures

Best Sports News Story

Third Place – Terrence Hill – Four crowned state champions at Mat Classic

Best Sports Feature

Third Place – Terrence Hill –Thomas Jefferson basketball player perseveres through adversity

Best Sports Page Design

First Place – Terrence Hill – Boys swimming and diving state championships

Color Sports Photo-Feature

First Place – Terrence Hill – State champs visit elementary school

Second Place – Terrence Hill – Andrzej Hughes-Murrary state champ

Advertising

Best Single Ad for Single Advertiser Promoting a Sale or Event- half-page or larger

Third Place – Cindy Ducich, Marcie Shannon – City of Federal Way 25th Anniversary

Best Branding Ad-Single Ad for Single Advertiser

First Place – Marcie Shannon, Cindy Ducich – Branches Garden Center

Third Place – Cindy Ducich, Marcie Shannon – Salon St. John

Use of Process Color in a Full Page Ad

Second Place – Marcie Shannon, Kay Miller – AJ for Federal Way

Use of Process Color-Half-page or Larger

Third Place – Kay Miller, Marcie Shannon – Jay’s Asian Grill

Use of Process Color-Smaller than half-page

Third Place – Marcie Shannon, Cindy Ducich – Natural Health Center

Use of Clip Art in Advertising

Second Place – Marcie Shannon – Political Debates

Promotion of Newspaper-Single House Ad

First Place – Staff – Federal Way Mirror Merry Christmas

Most Original Idea

Second Place – Marcie Shannon, Cindy Ducich, Kay Miller, Rudi Alcott – Father’s Day

Youth-Oriented Content

First Place – Marcie Shannon, Cindy Ducich – Communities In Schools

Lifestyle/Culture sections

First Place – Marcie Shannon, Cindy Ducich, Kay Miller – 2015 Let’s East Dining Guide

Topical/Non-Tourism Special Sections

First Place – Staff – 2015 Veterans Day

Lifestyle/Culture sections

First Place – Marcie Shannon, Cindy Ducich, Kay Miller – 2015 Let’s Eat Dining Guide