Christmas came early this year as the BEACON’s dedicated staff proudly brought home awards from the 2023 North American Mature Publishers Association (NAMPA) national convention. 

In addition to learning from senior publications across the country, a highlight of this annual convention is the awards banquet, where publications big and small vie for top honors.

Entries are independently judged by a discerning panel at the Missouri School of Journalism, and the winners are presented with awards. 

Our publications stood out for their exceptional written content, editing, design, photography and advertising. Here’s a list of accolades we brought home from this year’s competition:

PROFILE: 1st Place - “Abacadabra” (April 2023) by Jan Weeks & Cloie Sandlin

COLUMN REVIEW: 1st Place - Talking Digital by Adam Cochran

FRONT COVER PHOTO: 1st Place - Ice Agers (January 2023) Photo by Cloie Sandlin; Design by ML Madsen

TOPICAL ISSUE: 1st Place - “Calling all Backyard Gardeners to Grow & Give”  (April 2023) by Colleen Story

ANNUAL SENIOR RESOURCE GUIDE: 1st Place (Editorial & Design) - The BEACON Guide Mesa County, Montrose-Delta

HOW-TO FEATURE: 2nd Place - “Give your Garden a Boost with Compost Tea”  (August 2023) by Bryan Reed

FEATURE LAYOUT: 1st PLACE - MVP Memories Design by B. Bigler

BEST SINGLE AD (COLOR): 1st PLACE - Compass Medical Center: “How Bill got his groove back” Design by ML Madsen

WEBSITE GENERAL EXCELLENCE: 2nd PLACE - BEACON Senior News

GENERAL EXCELLENCE: 3rd PLACE - BEACON Senior News

OVERALL DESIGN: 3rd PLACE - BEACON Senior News by Bryan Reed

Explore nominated works and a broader selection of award-winning content online. 

A huge thank you to our advertisers who faithfully support us and to our gifted writers and staff for crafting an entertaining and inspiring resource for Western Colorado seniors. Above all, the BEACON would not be what it is today if it weren’t for you, our loyal readers. Thank you for reading the BEACON.

JOIN OUR AWARD-WINNING TEAM OF WRITERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS & CONTRIBUTORS!

We’re always on the lookout for writers, reporters and photographers to help us share the amazing stories of Western Colorado seniors, including resources and advice to help them age well. If you have experiences to share or a story to pitch, contact us.