Jon Anderson, left, Tim Stephens and Sarah Owens show off some of the awards captured by the Hoover Sun and other Starnes Media publications at the 2025 Alabama Press Association summer convention in Orange Beach.
ORANGE BEACH — The Hoover Sun was named the top newspaper in the state in its division at the 2025 Alabama Press Association Media Awards, taking home the General Excellence award in Division E (for associate members and papers distributed at no cost to readers).
The Hoover Sun took home a total of 30 awards — 23 in editorial and 7 in advertising — the most of any publication in the division.
The awards were presented on June 28 during the APA’s annual summer convention at Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach.
The General Excellence award recognizes overall excellence in reporting, photography, design and community service. The Sun also claimed top honors for Best Newspaper Website, Best Public Service and Advertising Sweepstakes — the latter based on total points accumulated in judged advertising categories.
The first-place Public Service award honored the Sun’s mental health awareness coverage, “The power to save: Why talking about mental health matters,” by Sarah Owens, Jon Anderson and Taylor Bright. The paper also earned second place for public service for Anderson’s reporting on stormwater erosion affecting the Trace Crossings community.
Community Editor Jon Anderson earned multiple individual awards for coverage of lifestyle, education, economic development and in-depth news. He also won second place for Freedom of Information-First Amendment reporting and for local news and business coverage.
The Sun won several sports journalism categories. Sports Editor Kyle Parmley took first place in sports coverage, local sports column, online breaking news and podcast series. He also edited “Under the Lights,” which was named Best Niche Publication in both the editorial and advertising divisions.
Barry Stephenson won first place in spot news photo. His photo of the Opelika head coach using a press pass to gain sideline access to scout Hoover before a playoff game led to the coach being suspended by the Alabama High School Athletic Association before their game against the Bucs, which Hoover won.
Tim Stephens, Starnes Media’s general manager and editor in chief, earned first place in Sports Feature with his look at longtime Hoover youth football coach Greg Blackman. Stephens also won first place for Best Feature with “First Family of Comedy,” a profile of the Ayers family and their legacy as owners of the StarDome comedy club.
Savannah Schmidt earned three Hoover Sun awards: first in sports photo essay, and second in short-form video — all spotlighting community stories like Hoover volleyball and the Halloween yard display by Paul and Regina Young. In total, Schmidt won eight awards across Starnes Media’s newspapers.
Melanie Viering and Ted Perry shared a third-place design award. Perry also won three advertising honors, including Best Single Ad and Best Advertising Campaign. Viering earned another first-place award for in-paper promotion of the “Under the Lights” special section.
The Hoover Sun earned seven first-place advertising awards overall, including Best Special Section for its spring and fall medical guides.
Also of note: Taylor Bright’s Best Business Feature story, “Reimagining the Landscape,” which appeared in both 280 Living and the Hoover Sun, was awarded under 280 Living. The piece focused on the city of Hoover’s efforts to develop a tech corridor in Meadow Brook, a commercial area located on U.S. 280 within the Hoover city limits.
The Hoover Sun’s 30 awards were part of 46 total honors earned by Starnes Media, which also publishes 280 Living, Village Living, Vestavia Voice, The Homewood Star and Cahaba Sun. This year, 53 publications submitted 1,725 entries in the annual contest, which was judged by members of the Michigan Press Association.
