EPLN receives SPJ awards for photography, Story of the Year, headlines

Eden Prairie Local News (EPLN) received awards in three categories from the Minnesota chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) at this week’s awards banquet, including two first-place awards and recognition in the Story of the Year category for the Silent Struggles series focused on teen suicide and mental health.

Competing against news outlets of all sizes from across the state, EPLN received second place in the Story of the Year category for the Silent Struggles series, coming in behind the Star Tribune’s “What happened to Heather Mayer?” The award is given for general excellence in any medium, covering a single story or news event. Jim Bayer, Juliana Allen, Stuart Sudak, Mark Weber, and Amy Nylander were recognized as contributors to the series.

EPLN photographers Jeremy Peyer and Rick Olson were both recognized in the Sports Photography category, with Peyer taking first place and Olson third. News outlets of all sizes from across the state competed in this category, with no subdivision into smaller and larger organizations.

Peyer’s first-place entry consisted of three photos that accompanied stories published in 2023: “Eagles fall to Edina; work to get back on track,” “Eagles bounce back from Maple Grove loss, survive Lakeville South,” and “EPHS softball runs record to 8-5 with win over Wayzata.”

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Olson’s third-place entry consisted of three photos that accompanied these stories published in 2023: “From Eden Prairie to the NFL, players come home to teach football and fun,” “Eagles fly high over Buffalo to open new season,” and “On to state: Eagles topple top-ranked Chaska in section title game.”

EPLN also received first-place recognition for Headlines among print/online publications with a circulation of less than 50,000 or with a local or regional community focus. Stuart Sudak and Juliana Allen were recognized for the following 2023 headlines: “Snow way! ‘Mount Eden Prairie’ becomes a viral sensation,” “Goodbye to a good boy: Mac the therapy dog led a life of service,” and “Ear-to-ear smiles at Corn Feed.”

The Minnesota SPJ 2024 Page One Awards for work published during 2023 saw a total of 520 entries across more than 40 categories. A full list of winners is available on the Minnesota SPJ website.

The awards were presented at a banquet at The Lowlands in St. Paul on June 18, with a keynote presentation by Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Robin McDowell. In her opening remarks, Minnesota SPJ president Catherine Richert of MPR commented, “We are lucky to live in a state where both local and regional news are deeply valued.”