Newsday wins 24 awards in NYPPA photo, video competition

Newsday photographers and videographers won 24 awards for photography and multimedia in the 2017 New York Press Photographers Association Year in Pictures contest judged last weekend at City University of New York Journalism Graduate School.

More than 2,800 still images and 30 multimedia pieces were entered in the competition.

Newsday photographer Thomas A. Ferrara won three awards, including first place in the feature picture story category for “Doubly Devoted, the Tardif Twins,” about a star athlete and his disabled twin who inspire each other.

In the multimedia short-form video category, Newsday freelancer Randee Daddona took first place for “Sylvia Smith’s Last Day,” which followed an 86-year-old waitress on her final day of work at a Plainview diner before retiring, and second place award for “Chalk Artist, The Art of Letting Go.”

Newsday won first, second and third place in long-form multimedia with the following videos: “The Last Trailer Park,” by Robert Cassidy, Arnold Miller and Chris Ware with Raychel Brightman as editor and director of photography, which chronicled the struggle of the last remaining family to find an alternative to becoming homeless; “In Love and Death,” by Chris Ware; and “Gilgo Beach Murders — Five Years Later” by Chris Ware.

“Congratulations to the winners in the New York Press Photographers Association’s annual contest,” said Deborah Henley, Newsday’s editor. “Their strong visual journalism has brought important stories to our audience.”

J. Conrad Williams won photography awards in the sports action and animals categories, and Alejandra Villa was recognized in the campaign photography category.

Also winning awards for Newsday were freelancers James Carbone, Steve Pfost, Craig Ruttle, Jim McIssac, Joseph Sullivan and John Roca.