Owensboro Times captured 42 awards in this year’s Kentucky Press Association contest, highlighted by a first-place finish in Advertising General Excellence and a second-place Editorial General Excellence award for the third straight year.
This is only Owensboro Times’ fourth year in the statewide competition, where it is judged alongside many long-established Kentucky news organizations. The latest recognition continues a steady upward climb for OT — from 15 KPA awards the first year, to 26, then 40, and now 42.
In addition to the General Excellence honors, Owensboro Times received multiple first-place awards in investigative reporting, sports coverage, feature writing, multimedia, video, photography, and a wide range of advertising categories.
Still, Managing Editor Ryan Richardson said the General Excellence honors carry particular weight because they measure the overall quality and consistency of the full publication — not just individual entries.
“Being evaluated and recognized by longtime professional news organizations across Kentucky reinforces the credibility of our work and the standards we hold ourselves to,” Richardson said. “While some outlets still rely almost strictly on traditional print-first models, we’ve proven year in and year out that a modern, digital-first approach can be just as rigorous and reliable, if not more so. Our audience growth and reader feedback back that up every day.”
Richardson added that while peer recognition is important, community trust remains the top priority.
“These awards matter, but what matters more is the response and support from the community,” he said. “From investigative reporting to positive community storytelling, readers tell us they rely on us first for fair, local coverage. That trust is what drives everything we do.”
Richardson said the results reflect a continued focus on raising the bar each year.
“We’ve kept improving, and the independent judging helps confirm that progress,” he said. “We’re proud of the work, proud of the team, and proud to represent this community at a high level.”
2025 Kentucky Press Association awards for Owensboro Times
ADVERTISING CONTEST
(1st — Advertising General Excellence)
1st, 2nd, 3rd — Creative Use of Newspaper/News Promotion
1st, 2nd, 3rd — Online Ad
1st, 2nd, 3rd — Professional Services Ad
1st, 2nd — Automotive Ad
1st, 2nd — Holiday Ad
1st, 3rd — Healthcare Ad
1st, 3rd — Use of Color
1st, 3rd — Financial Ad
1st, 3rd — Real Estate Ad
1st — Retail Ad
1st — General/Miscellaneous Ad
2nd — Ad Series
Certificate of Merit — Group Promotion Ad
Certificate of Merit — Political Ad
EDITORIAL CONTEST
(2nd — Editorial general excellence)
1st, 2nd, 3rd — Video
1st, 2nd — Sports Story
1st, 3rd — Sports Feature
1st — Investigative Story/Series
1st — Lede Writer
1st — Use of Social/Multimedia
2nd — Breaking News Photo
2nd — Sports Photo Essay
3rd — Photo Essay
3rd — Front Page
