Thirteen members of Nebraska Press Women were winners in the 2025 Professional Communications Contest. The awards were presented April 12 at the NPW’s spring convention in Omaha.
They entered work in 35 categories, including print and online articles, digital publications, websites, blogs and photography.
Of the 91 awards presented, 32 were first place entries. Awards presented include first, second and third place, and honorable mention.
Decisions were made by eight judges who live outside Nebraska and work in newspapers, public relations, marketing, social media and related fields.
Winner of the NPW Sweepstakes Award was Lori Potter, a freelance writer from Kearney, who received 22 awards, including nine first-place. The award goes to the highest achiever in the contest.
The first-place-winning pieces have moved on to the National Federation of Press Women 2025 Professional Communications Contest, where they will compete against work from journalists, public relations professionals and more across the country.
NFPW winners will be announced at that group’s annual conference on Sept. 13 in Golden, Colo.
NPW winners and their awards, with number of total awards won by each, are:
NATALIA ALAMDARI, Omaha, Flatwater Free Press: (3)
FIRST PLACE: 5-C Feature, online, “Marco’s Journey.”
FIRST PLACE. 7-G government/politics, “Recalling and name calling in southeast Nebraska.”
SECOND PLACE. 1-C. News story, online, “A Malawi-to-Nebraska pipeline changes lives.”
JANELLE AYEO, Sioux Falls, S.D., editor, Midwest Messenger: (6)
FIRST PLACE 7-A Agriculture. “Fence of the future.”
SECOND PLACE 7-D. Education, “A range of possibilities”
SECOND PLACE, 8-B Humor column. “Underwear harvest revealing of garden soil health.”
THIRD PLACE, 7-N Religion. “Church in cattle country.”
THIRD PLACE, 7-H Green/environmental. “Tackling the green glacier
HONORABLE MENTION; 7-H. Green/environmental. “A little extra.”
BARB BATIE, Lexington, reporter, Midwest Messenger (16)
FIRST PLACE, 7-P, Science & Technology, “20th annual Water and Crops Field Day showcases sustainable agriculture options.”
FIRST PLACE, 8-1. General Column, “Red Shoes Never Retire.”
FIRST PLACE, 8-C information column, “How to build a great team on the farm.”
SECOND PLACE, 1-A-News story. ”Hail-hit farmers weigh options.”
SECOND PLACE. 4-Editorial – “Thank a farmer on National Ag Day.”
SECOND PLACE. 7-A. Agriculture, “Cattle Eat That?”
SECOND PLACE, 8-D. Personal columns. “The North Platte canteen: a musical miracle.”
THIRD PLACE, 1-B news story, magazine, newsletter or other, “Corporate transparency act impacts farms, ranches, small businesses.”
THIRD PLACE. 7-C. Business. “Growing the state’s bioeconomy.”
THIRD PLACE. 23. Photographer/writer, “Celebrating Ag
HONORABLE MENTION: 5-A Features, “Weathering a Brutal January.”
HONORABLE MENTION: 5-B. Features, magazine/newsletter, “Hoof Care.” –
HONORABLE MENTION 7-D, Education, “Horse condition scoring a good husbandry tool.”
HONORABLE MENTION: 7-H. Green/environmental. “Carbon credits are in uncharted, complex territory.”
HONORABLE MENTION: 7-I History, “Gudmundsen celebrates impact of lab’s research on ranching.”
HONORABLE MENTION: 8-A. Humor column. “Aches and pains bingo.”
SARA GENTZLER, Omaha, Flatwater Free Press: (3)
FIRST PLACE. 3. In-depth. “A year in, Nebraska doctors say 12-week abortion ban has changed how they care for patients” (co-author: Yanqi Xu)
SECOND PLACE. 3. In-depth, “Ricketts ’ Riches
SECOND PLACE. 7-D Government/politics, “Nebraska confines some sex offenders years after their prison sentences.”
TERRI HAHN, Osceola, Grand Island Independent: (2)
FIRST PLACE, 18-A. Special section or supplement, newspaper. “Holiday Happenings.”
SECOND PLACE. 5-A. Features, newspaper, Susan’s Books & Gifts: ‘A Place Like No Other’
DESTINY HERBERS, Flatwater Free Press (4)
FIRST PLACE, 1-C, News story online, “Seventeen horses owned by a Nebraska veterinarian died. Neighbors want to know why. Why is no one paying?”
FIRST PLACE, 7-H Green/environmental. “After five years without drinking water, Santee asks, when will our tap water be safe?”
THIRD PLACE, 7-I. History. “Samuel and Edward. Two boys buried under misspelled headstones at the center of fight with U.S. Army.”
THIRD PLACE. 3. In-depth reporting, “Nebraska tribe pays $65,000 a year to rent land on its own reservation. It wants it back.”
DELORES MEISTER, West Point; freelance, Norfolk Daily News (3)
FIRST PLACE. 7- Social issues, First place, “Schmader shares memories of wartime.”
SECOND PLACE. 7I – History, “A cross stands tall.”
THIRD PLACE, 7-A, Agriculture, “Library gardening.”
CARLA POST, Ayr, freelance (4)
SECOND PLACE. 5-C online feature, “Rural life experience has lasting impact for past exchange student.”
SECOND PLACE. 7-T. Travel, “Water is life: hope and healing from to Uganda.”
THIRD PLACE, 5-A. Feature, newspaper, “Dusek Display at BH Library.”
HONORABLE MENTION, 8-1 General column, “Way Up North
LORI POTTER, Kearney, Free-lance (22)
FIRST PLACE. 1-A News story, “Repair project planned at Kingsley Dam.”
FIRST PLACE. 5-B. Feature, magazine/newsletter, “Hayden on Harvest.
FIRST PLACE. 7-C. Business, “A short five years from USCHI scholarship, Amber Cherney is accountant and business owner.”
FIRST PLACE, 7-I History, “They had lost everything.”
FIRST PLACE, 7-S Travel, “Potters Wheel” Good well-written article (really a column) about Nebraska tourism. A great read. Your enthusiasm shines through.
FIRST PLACE, 21-A, photo, news or feature, “Deer crossing Platte River.”
FIRST PLACE, 21-B-Sports Photograph, “Sumner Rodeo Bronc Rider”
FIRST PLACE. 22. Photo Essay, ” Geese and Lots of ‘em.”
FIRST PLACE, 23. Photographer-writer, “Branding a tradition for families in the cow business.”
SECOND PLACE. 6-B Personality profile. “That hardcore country sound.”
SECOND PLACE. 7-N Health & fitness. “A Before & After Guy.”
SECOND PLACE. 7-R. Sports, “A different kind of harvest support.”
SECOND PLACE, 21-A. Photo, News or feature, “Wood River house explosion.”
SECOND PLACE. 21-C. General photo. “Fair Ride Pair.”
SECOND PLACE, SECOND PLACE, Sumner Rodeo
SECOND PLACE, 23. Photographer-writer. “Celebrating Ag.”
THIRD PLACE. 7-A. Agriculture, “Grams family is growing generations of farmers and harvesting family traditions.”
THIRD PLACE. 7-B, Arts & Entertainment. “This duet takes THREE.”
THIRD PLACE. 7-D. Education. “Life on the Harvest Farm.”
THIRD PLACE. 7-H –Green/environmental. “Sheep producers send tons of wool to landfills. A Nebraska business aims to change that.”
THIRD PLACE. 21-C. General Photo. “ Bald Eagle.”
HONORABLE MENTION, 8-A. General Column. Potter’s Wheel. (sandhill crane in lead,)
MARY JANE SKALA, Kearney, Kearney Hub (14)
5.A. Feature, newspaper, FIRST PLACE, “Family is grateful they found love.”
6-B. Personality profile, more than 750 words FIRST PLACE – “Once homeless, now healed.”
7-A. Arts & Entertainment, FIRST PLACE, “Stars & Scars in Hollywood.”
7-D Education, FIRST PLACE. “I’m going out just the way I’d hoped to.” No comments
7-L. Personal essay, FIRST PLACE, “I’m an Ohioan. Here’s what I know about Haitians in Springfield.”
7-M. Health, fitness. FIRST PLACE. “He was nearly paralyzed. Now he’s running.”
7-N Religion, FIRST PLACE, “Loving & learning in Ksujszallas”
7-R Sports, FIRST PLACE, “101 years at Indy and a checkered flag.
8-D. Personal column. FIRST PLACE “Yes, I’m thankful for breast cancer.”
7-H Green-environmental, SECOND PLACE, “Johnson Lake trail features Nebraska-shaped garden.”
7-N Religion, SECOND PLACE, “Someone knocked. He opened the door.”.
8-A. General column, SECOND PLACE, “Smoke and flames in Wood River.”
7-G, Government & politics, THIRD PLACE, “Democracy is under attack.”
7-T. Travel, THIRD PLACE, “Brick by brick in Peru.”
DIXI WELLMAN, columnist, Midwest Messenger (5)
SECOND PLACE. 8-B. Humor column. “Mixed signals: communication on the farm can be confusing.”
THIRD PLACE. 8-C. Informational column. “Embracing or at least entertaining technology on the farm
HONORABLE MENTION. 8-B. Humor column. “Year starts with humor as No. 1 handles No. 2.”.
HONORABLE MENTION. 8-C. Informational column. “Wild Weather Prompts Emergency Planning”
HONORABLE MENTION, 8-D. Personal column. “We all need advocates for agriculture on one team.”
MELANIE WILKINSON, York (7)
FIRST PLACE. 35. Personal website. justmelaniew.com
FIRST PLACE. 37C. Blog. “The World According to Rikki.”
FIRST PLACE. 9. Headlines.
SECOND PLACE. 1-C, news story, online: “Firefighters, EMTs have first session on CVA’s training trailer for grain engulfment emergencies”
THIRD PLACE: 5-C Online feature, “In the middle of nowhere, history and honor preserved.”
THIRD PLACE. 8-A. General column, “The sins of green polyester.”
HONORABLE MENTION. 3. In-depth writing. “Expansion of $40 million elementary school approved.”.
YANQI XU, Flatwater Free Press (2)
FIRST PLACE: 3. In-depth. “A year in, Nebraska doctors say 12-week abortion ban has changed how they care for patients.” (co-author Sara Gentzler)
THIRD PLACE. 7-G. Government/politics, “Pillen’s promises.” (co-author Sky Chadde)
