BirminghamWatch
BW’s Solomon Crenshaw Jr. Takes Firsts in State Journalism Contest
Writer Solomon Crenshaw Jr. recently was given top state awards for two stories published by BirminghamWatch and was named the sweepstakes winner for his cumulative performance in this year’s contest.
Crenshaw won first place in the Alabama Media Professionals’ 2024 Communications Contest Award in the Specialty Articles – Government and Politics category with his story “Sylvia Swayne Bucks Customs in House District 55 Runoff Race.”
A judge in that category said of Crenshaw’s story, “Good planning and organization; excellent use of quotes; demonstrates knowledge of government/political journalism.”
He also won first place in the contest’s Web and Social Media – Video for Web – Web Reporting, Single News or Feature Story category for his slideshow, “An Ode to Steve Ammons.”
A judge in that contest wrote, “This is a very sweet angle to what may have otherwise been considered a run-of-the-mill official departure story. Great idea setting this poem to a gallery of moving photos – this is truly going the extra mile.”
He also won five other first-place awards:
- Writing – Specialty Article – Sports category, Uncharacteristic Mistakes Costly in Mountain Brook’s Loss to Parker, Over the Mountain Journal.
- Writing and photography: Feature Story – Print-Based Newspaper, and Single Photograph –News or Feature Photo categories, for the story and photo “Every Picture Tells a Story,” Over the Mountain Journal.
- Writing – Specialty Article – Arts and Entertainment, “ASU Head Drum Major Ja’Vonta Price: ‘The Price of Glory Is High,’” for Birmingham Times.
- Writing – Specialty Articles – History, “A Cruel Business: Alabama Author Examines America’s Domestic Slave Trade,” the Bending the Arc Project.
He won a second-place award in the Web and Social Media – Web Copy category for “Context: Historical Timeline,” the Bending the Arc Project.
He also won two third-place awards: in the Writing – Personality Profile – More Than 750 Words category, for “Alabama Chemist Darryl Love Found the Formula for a Distinguished Career in Medical Innovation,” Alabama News Center; and in the Writing – Specialty Articles – Business category, for Sasquatch Toys & Comics: “Longtime Friends Share Their Love of Vintage Comics, Classic Toys,” Homewood Star.
