The ‘Gander wins 9 awards in 2024 Michigan Press Association contest

MICHIGAN—The ‘Gander won several awards in the 2024 Michigan Press Association Better Newspaper Contest—including third place for News Media of the Year.

The contest winners were announced on May 8 at the MPA’s awards ceremony in Frankenmuth, where the theme for the event was “Journalism…Democracy in Action.”

In addition to the honor of being named among the best news media publications in the state, newsletter editor Karel Vega also won a first-place prize in the Special Section category for his newsletter edition “That One Time in Michigan When The Mighty Mac Was Born.” Reporter Lucas Henkel took home second place in the Public Service Award category for his series on how Michigan public school students are faring post-COVID, and political correspondent Kyle Kaminski—better known to some readers as ‘Gander’s chief gardening correspondent—won second in the Special Section category for his cannabis-focused newsletter The MichiGanja Report. 

The ‘Gander’s Lucas Henkel (L) and Kyle Kaminski (R) represented the newsroom at the Michigan Press Association convention in Frankenmuth, Michigan. (Image via The ‘Gander)

The MPA Better Newspaper Contest takes place yearly during the MPA’s annual convention and recognizes “the best of the best in Michigan journalism” in categories including news reporting, column writing, photojournalism, newsletters, and digital presentation.

Full awards details:

First place

• Special Section: That One Time in Michigan When The Mighty Mac Was Born by Karel Vega

Second place

• Public Service Award: Michigan’s kids are making a comeback after COVID-19—and public schools are helping, an education series by Lucas Henkel:
  • ‘See you next year’: How Michigan students benefit from repeating teachers
  • Michigan students will soon have more access to the stars
  • After-school programs may be a game changer for Michigan students
  • How Nik and his classmates across Michigan are succeeding post-COVID
  • Kids are more successful when they have a library—here’s how former teachers plan to bring more to Michigan
• Sports Writing: That One Time in Michigan When the Red Wings Played in Prison by Karel Vega
• Video Presentation: How’s your wifi, rural Michigan? by Sophie Boudreau
• Special Section: The MichiGanja Report by Kyle Kaminski
• Best Digital Presentation: Rebecca Russ, Marc Blumenfeld, The ‘Gander Newsroom Website

Third place

• News Media of the Year: The ‘Gander Newsroom
• Video Presentation: Lucas Henkel, A library in every Michigan school
• Special Section: That One Time in Michigan When the Council of the Three Fires Was Formed by Karel Vega

RELATED: The ’Gander wins multiple 2023 Michigan Press Association awards