The Suffolk News-Herald and Suffolk Living magazine took home 20 awards in the Virginia Press Association’s annual contests.

The awards were presented during the organization’s annual conference and awards banquet Saturday evening at Hilton The Main in Norfolk. The work being judged was produced during calendar year 2018.

Judges for this year’s awards were from the Iowa Press Association.

The Suffolk News-Herald competes in the VPA’s Daily 1 division against nine other small-circulation dailies from throughout the state.

Suffolk Living, a monthly lifestyle magazine, competes against all other publications in the state that publish less often than weekly or are targeted/niche publications.

The Suffolk News-Herald won the following awards:

First Place

• Front page design: Designer Jen Jaqua and staff
• Photo Illustration: Jen Jaqua, for a past-and-present mashup of photos of North Main Street that ran in the Strides edition
• Informational Graphics: Jen Jaqua, for a table presenting Standards of Learning results
• Combination Picture and Story: Jen Jaqua and former reporter Kellie Adamson, for coverage of the Suffolk Police Department’s lip-sync challenge
• Column Writing: Editor Tracy Agnew
• Advertising, Member Self-Promotion: Jen Jaqua, for a Cheer Fund crossword ad

Second Place

• Government Writing: Kellie Adamson
• Sports Feature Photo: reporter Alex Perry, for a three-legged Dock Dog competitor

Third Place

• Combination Picture and Story: Jen Jaqua and Alex Perry, for a feature on students meeting creatures from the Chesapeake Bay during an educational event
• Picture Story or Essay: Alex Perry, Kellie Adamson and Tracy Agnew, for photos of the last day of school
• General News Writing: Alex Perry and Tracy Agnew, for coverage of the Nansemond Indian Nation achieving federal recognition
• Health, Science and Environmental Writing: Alex Perry
• Special Sections or Special Edition: Jen Jaqua and staff, for Peanut Fest section
• Sports Writing Portfolio: Alex Perry
• Feature Series or Continuing Story: Alex Perry and Kellie Adamson, for stories on Suffolk’s valedictorians
• In-depth or Investigative Reporting: Kellie Adamson, for a story on safety in Suffolk Public Schools
• Advertising, Member Self-Promotion: Jen Jaqua, for an advertisement soliciting photos for the calendar photo contest

Suffolk Living won the following awards:

First Place

• Pictorial Photo: Kellie Adamson, for a photo of pen tips belonging to local woman Bea Rogers, a descendant of their inventor, Eleazer Kempshall

Third Place

• Leisure, Lifestyle or Home Writing: Alex Perry
• Illustrations: freelance designer Troy Cooper, for his layout on the Kempshall story