Oklahoma Press Association

06/17/2026

Congratulations to the winners of our additional contests! Congratulations to The Norman Transcript that won first place in the OPA Magazine Contest!

Lynn Adams of Sequoyah County Times was awarded the ONF Ray Lokey Memorial Award for Excellence in Reporting! This award aims to honor an individual writer whose published work demonstrates a dedication to well researched, responsible and fact-driven journalism for the benefit of their community and the newspaper industry.

Jake Sermersheim of Tahlequah Daily Press is the ONF Joseph H. Edwards Outdoor Writer of the Year! The contest and award honors a writer whose published work exemplifies and captures Joseph H. Edwards' passion for the outdoors – from its majestic scenery to its abundant and varied wildlife and virtually all sports afield.

06/16/2026

Congratulations to the winners of the A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism! This competition recognizes excellence in investigative reporting by Oklahoma print and digital media journalists. Winners and their news organizations received cash prizes funded by The A-Mark Foundation.

⭐ 1st place: Nick Bowlin, The Frontier
⭐ 2nd place: Corey Jones, Tulsa World
⭐ 3rd place: J.C. Hallman, Oklahoma Watch

06/15/2026

Congratulations to all the OPA 2025 Better Newspaper Contest Sequoyah Award winners!

The OPA annual contest honors excellence in publications across the state and recognizes the staff's hard work to produce a quality publication. The Sequoyah Award is bestowed upon the news organization that receives the most points in its population/frequency division.

⭐ Stillwater News Press, Div. 1
⭐️ El Reno Tribune, Div. 2
⭐️ Tahlequah Daily Press, Div. 3
⭐️ Midwest City Beacon, Div. 4
⭐️ The Blanchard News , Div. 5
⭐️ Marietta Monitor, Div. 6
⭐️ Vian Tenkiller News, Div. 7
⭐️ The Cameron University Collegian, Div. 8

06/10/2026

06/09/2026

Congrats to all awards winners at OPA's Annual Convention on June 5-6! We will recognize each award winner individually in the coming weeks, but here's the full list! View the awards book showcasing all award recipients at https://publuu.com/flip-book/741947/2496302
Winners of this year's Sequoyah Awards in the Better Newspaper Contest were the Stillwater News Press, El Reno Tribune, Tahlequah Daily Press, Midwest City Beacon, Blanchard News, Marietta Monitor, Vian Tenkiller News and The Cameron University Collegian.
Top honors also went to:
David R. Stringer, former publisher at The Lawton Constitution, received the prestigious Milt Phillips Award from the OPA Board of Directors. Andrea Eger, investigative reporter for Oklahoma Watch, was awarded the Beachy Musselman Award by the ONF Board of Trustees.
The A-Mark Prize for Investigative Reporting includes cash prizes to the winners. First Place went to Nick Bowlin, The Frontier; Second Place to Corey Jones, Tulsa World; and Third Place to J.C. Hallman, Oklahoma Watch.
Other awards presented:
Magazine Contest First Place award to The Norman Transcript
Half Century Club inductees: Sharon Maggard at the Prague Times-Herald; Mike and Sherrie McCormack from The Duncan Banner, and John D. Montgomery at Purcell Register.
Quarter Century Club inductees: former reporter Tom Fink and Linda Hicks, Marietta Monitor.
ONG Editorial Sweepstakes Award to Kim Poindexter, Tahlequah Daily Press
ONG Column Sweepstakes Award to Justin Scrimshire, Okemah News Leader
OGE Daily, Semi- or Tri-Weekly Photo of the Year to Michael Swisher, Kingfisher Times & Free Press
OGE Weekly Photo of the Year to Matt Swearengin, Durant Democrat
OPS Public Notice Journalism Contest Sweepstakes Award to Mark Codner, The Newcastle Pacer
ONF Joseph H. Edwards Outdoor Writer of the Year Award to Jake Sermersheim, Tahlequah Daily Press
ONF Ray Lokey Memorial Award for Excellence in Reporting to Lynn Adams, Sequoyah County Times

06/04/2026

The 2026 OPA Convention kicks off this Friday, June 6, at Embassy Suites Hotel & Conference Center in Norman and it wouldn't be possible without our amazing sponsors! Your generous and continuous support of the OPA, its members and the annual Convention are invaluable and greatly appreciated!

We're proud to have an incredible lineup of sponsors committed to making this event a success, including:

✅ Citizen Potawatomi Nation
✅ The Chickasaw Nation

✅ eType Services
✅ AT&T
✅ Inasmuch Foundation
✅ The Lawton Constitution
✅ Ellis County Star

✅ Hilliary - Oklahoma
✅ Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO)

06/02/2026

Congratulations to Andrea Eger, investigative journalist for Oklahoma Watch! She will receive the ONF Beachy Musselman Award during the Awards Luncheon at the Convention this weekend in recognition of her commitment to investigative reporting and the impact her reporting has made on the community.

Find the Convention schedule and details at okpress.com/page/convention.

06/01/2026

Congratulations to David Stringer at The Lawton Constitution! He will receive the OPA H. Milt Phillips Award during the annual Awards Banquet at the Convention this weekend for outstanding service to his newspaper and community.

Find the Convention schedule and details at https://okpress.com/convention.

05/27/2026

OPA's 2026 Convention will be held June 5-6 at the Embassy Suites Hotel & Conference Center in Norman! Don't miss this fun event filled with camaraderie and ideas. It's a great opportunity to connect with journalism professionals from across the state.

Register to attend! Visit https://okpress.com/convention

05/21/2026

OPA's 2026 Convention will be held June 5-6 at the Embassy Suites Hotel & Conference Center in Norman! Don't miss this fun event filled with camaraderie and ideas. It's a great opportunity to connect with journalism professionals from across the state.

Register and book your hotel room today to receive OPA's room rate! https://okpress.com/convention