ACES: The Society for Editing is pleased to announce the winners of the 2019 National Headline Contest. The organization’s premier contest aims to reward exceptional headline writing in all types of media, from newspapers to social networks.
Individual winners in professional categories won between $75 and $300, and individual winners in student categories won between $50 and $125. The winners each submitted multiple headlines. The complete list of winners and a sampling of headlines are below.
2019 HEADLINE CONTEST WINNERS
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Industry or Public Relations
- 1st: Martin Henderson, Over The Top Marketing, SAMPLE HEADLINE: “Not Using Sunscreen? We're Throwing Shade at You”
- 2nd: Lani Hanson, Energy News Network, SAMPLE HEADLINE: “How solar ‘skin’ helped an Indiana homeowner win a fight for rooftop panels”
- 3rd: Peggy Scott, San Diego Zoo Global, SAMPLE HEADLINE: “Beauty and the Beak: Bird Courtship Displays”
- Honorable Mention: James Tehrani, SAMPLE HEADLINE: “Chernobyl: A Compelling Chronicle of Complete Chaos”
National News Organization
- 1st: Steven Eames, Los Angeles Times, SAMPLE HEADLINE: “Companies scramble to replace the egg”
- 2nd: Steve Wilkinson, The Detroit News, SAMPLE HEADLINE:
- “Lawyer lets loose in lug nut case
- Slams ruling that tire rotation deemed done when wheel fell off”
- 3rd: Vincent Rinehart, The Washington Post, SAMPLE HEADLINE:
- “Adam Schiff's toughest script
- A lawmaker who dabbled in screenplays has to weave the narrative of a presidential impeachment"
- Honorable Mention: Wendy Fawthrop, Los Angeles Times, SAMPLE HEADLINE:
- “After 10 years, the blush is on this rose
- Huntington's new bloom created by a man who saw past the thorns”
- Honorable Mention: Sean Ernst, The New York Times, SAMPLE HEADLINE: “Growls (by Fans) as Wire Fox Terrier Wins Top Prize for Record 15th Time”
Regional/Local News Organization
- 1st: Phil Cornell, NJ Advance Media, SAMPLE HEADLINE: “This land is your land, Delaware, but N.J. is attached to it”
- 2nd: David Zeman, Bridge Magazine, SAMPLE HEADLINE: “Michigan schools are now average. That’s progress”
- 3rd: Karen Grigsby, The Tennessean, SAMPLE HEADLINE: “Beyond his wildest dreams / 'A combination of the best of Dr. Doolittle and Jack Hanna,' Rick Schwartz has grown the Nashville Zoo into a global conservation leader”
- Honorable Mention: Thomas Floyd, Washington Post Express, SAMPLE HEADLINE: A biting satire: Sink your teeth into FX’s ‘Shadows’”
Student Publication
- 1st: Thomas Moran, The Baylor Lariat, SAMPLE HEADLINE: “Rock. Paper. Chisel.”
- 2nd: Katelyn Reinhart, The State Press, SAMPLE HEADLINE: “Tempe gives green light to car-less community near ASU campus”
STAFF AWARDS
Industry or Public Relations
- 1st: Law 360, SAMPLE HEADLINE: “The Elocution Will Not Be Televised, Justices Tell Congress”
- 2nd: Guerrero Media, SAMPLE HEADLINE: “Seeing Through the Smoke”
- 3rd: Over The Top Marketing, SAMPLE HEADLINE: “Belly Fat Buildup: No Middle Ground, Healthwise”
National News Organization
- 1st: The New York Times, SAMPLE HEADLINE: “Oh, That Mona Lisa Scowl”
- 2nd: Los Angeles Times, SAMPLE HEADLINE:
- “Bloomberg's writing checks but is drawing a blank here
- If Californians know the new candidate at all, it's for his bank account”
- 3rd: Star Tribune, SAMPLE HEADLINE: “Surprised police find unwanted horse guest”
- Honorable Mention: Quartz, SAMPLE HEADLINE: “Peloton is just Spotify, if Spotify mailed you a bike”
Regional/Local News Organization
- 1st: Roll Call, SAMPLE HEADLINE: “Tinker, tailor, soldier, senator”
- 2nd: Omaha World Herald, SAMPLE HEADLINE: “As luck would have it, heart attack at 39 makes for killer final column”
Student Publication
- 1st: The Baylor Lariat, SAMPLE HEADLINE: “Behold the vapes of wrath”
- 2nd: OU Daily, SAMPLE HEADLINE: “No. 1 Sooners prepare to say, ‘Later, Gators”
Photo by utsav-srestha on Unsplash.
