TIFTON — The Georgia Press Association recently presented nine awards to The Tifton Gazette editorial staff.

The awards were part of The 2018 Better Newspaper Contest, presented in conjunction with the GPA’s 132nd annual convention.

First place honors were awarded for enterprise reporting, sports reporting, sports photography and sports pages.

Second place honors were bestowed for business reporting, investigative reporting, news photography, sports writing and editorial writing

Sports editor Becky Taylor won first place for sports reporting, sports photography and sports pages, as well as second place for sports reporting.

Senior reporter Eve Copeland won first place for enterprise reporting and second place for investigative reporting and news photography.

Editor Stuart Taylor won second place for editorial writing.

Copeland and Stuart Taylor shared a second place award for business writing.

Correspondent Shelby Evans won second place for news photography.

“As publisher of The Tifton Gazette, I am very proud that our editorial department continues to work hard everyday to bring our readers and subscribers the latest community news and happenings from Tifton and surrounding communities,” said publisher Dan Sutton. “The fact that we recently won this many first and second place awards bears out the fact that our editorial team members are truly award winning journalists. My hat’s off to our editor Stuart Taylor, senior reporter Eve Copeland and sports editor Becky Taylor.”

“I’m proud of Becky, Eve and Shelby,” said Stuart Taylor. “Our readers frequently mention the quality of their reporting and I’m glad to see the Georgia Press Association agrees. We’re thankful to have them with us. Our paper, county and cities are better for their work.”

“I also want to say that our reporting wouldn’t be possible without the thousands of people who read our newspaper. We thank our readers — both near and far and both paper and digital — for supporting us as journalists and as a newspaper.”