Tampa Bay Beacons writers, photographers and designers won 22 awards, including 11 first-place plaques, in the Florida Press Association Weekly Newspaper Contest.
The awards were announced June 5 during the 2025 Florida Media Conference in Lake Buena Vista.
The Beacons, which now includes 17 publications in five counties around Tampa Bay, was included in Divisions A and B, which are reserved for the largest groups in the contest.
The 11 first-place awards is a new high for the organization. Among them were some of the event’s most prestigious awards, including General Excellence, which honors a publication’s overall quality.
“Winning 22 awards, including General Excellence, is a testament to the talent and dedication of our entire team,” said Jay Rey, publisher and president of the Tampa Bay Beacons. “But more than the hardware, it reflects our commitment to serving the communities across Tampa Bay with the kind of local journalism they deserve.”
Other highlights this year were awards for Portfolio Photography, best overall column, and numerous honors for news, features and sports categories.
“These awards reflect not just one snippet of time, but an entire year of high-quality work by our staff and contributing writers and photographers,” said Chris George, executive editor of the Beacons. “Each one brings a passion to their job, but also to the community they cover, and these awards show that.”
Following is a list of our winners.
First place
• General Excellence: Staff, for overall quality of the Belleair & Largo Bee.
• Portfolio Photography (Robert J. Ellison Memorial Award): Mike Camunas for a collection of photos for the Wesley Chapel Beacon.
• Serious Column (Sally Latham Memorial Award): Chris Core for his column about a couple who were married for 81 years.
• Sports Column: John C. Cotey for his column about a Wesley Chapel pitcher’s perfect game.
• Sports Spot News Story: Bob Putnam for his coverage of the Pasco-Hernando State College baseball team’s national championship.
• Sports Feature Story: John C. Cotey for his story about a hockey program that raises awareness for suicide among veterans.
• Sports Photo: Mike Camunas for his photo from the Land O’ Lakes flag football team’s upset victory of the top-ranked team in the country.
• Best Obituary: John C. Cotey for his story about Ralph Lupton Jr.
• Faith & Family Reporting: John C. Cotey for his story on Colt & the Quarantine Kids.
• Feature Story: Profile: Christine Bryant for her story about a couple’s trans-Atlantic adventure.
• Hurricane Feature Story: Bob Putnam for his story about customers who bankrolled their favorite restaurant’s resurrection.
Second place
• Portfolio Photography (Robert J. Ellison Memorial Award): Mike Camunas for his portfolio for the Carrollwood Beacon
• Spot News Photo: Jeff Rosenfield for his Epiphany celebration photo.
• Community History: Rick Vaughn for his article about the St. Louis Brown’s debut in Tarpon Springs.
• Local Government Reporting: Bob Putnam for his story about the city of Gulfport’s all-female City Council.
Third Place
• Page Design: Chris George for a collection of pages
• Sports Column: Bill Zaferos for his column about spring training
• Sports Feature Story: Bob Putnam for his story about the role of retired referees.
• Photo Series in One Issue: Fred Bellet for a photo package in the Land O’Lakes Beacon
• Spot News Photo: Vincent F. Safuto for his photo from a political rally.
• Arts, Entertainment & Review Reporting: Lee Clark Zumpe for his film review of “The Sunday Best”.
• Humorous Column: John C. Cotey for his column on a guide to Aldi.