Bryant Billing
Sidney Daily News editor Bryant Billing won two first-place awards and placed third in two categories in the Ohio Associated Press Media Editors awards, which were announced during a banquet on Sunday in Columbus.
Billing placed first for Best Daily Sports Section and first for Best Video. He placed third for Best Sports Columnist and Best Sports Photo.
The contest was for work done in 2023.
“I’m honored to have placed in four categories,” Billing said. “There are lots of experienced, talented journalists working throughout the state, including many in our company, AIM Media Midwest. It’s an honor to be recognized alongside many of them.”
The Best Daily Sports Section and Best Sports Columnist categories are body of work competitions that require multiple entries.
Contest judges’ comments about the SDN’s sports section were: “Great daily coverage, content, flow. Speaks to community sports – great job.”
Billing finished first in Best Video for a highlight video of a tournament boys basketball game between Botkins and Lehman Catholic.
His third-place finish for Best Sports Photo was for a picture of two Fort Loramie girls basketball players helping to lift a teammate after the teammate drew a key late foul in a regional semifinal basketball game.
Judges said of the photo: “Not your usual teammate pickup photo. Good job staying alert and shooting through the play.”
Billing won five awards last year, including a first-place finish as Best Photographer for the 2022 competition. He has won 17 Ohio APME awards in seven years at the paper.
Billing was hired as the Sidney Daily News’ sports editor in August of 2017 and became the paper’s news editor in April. He finished first for Best Daily Sports Section in 2018, his first full year at the helm of the section.
“It’s a nice way to bookend my time as sports editor, starting and finishing with a first-place finish,” Billing said. “The SDN placed for Best Daily Sports Section has six out of the last seven years. I’m proud to have placed so consistently in a body of work category against papers with much larger staffs.”
Billing said he’s working to bring that standard to all of the paper.
“I am truly best with three rockstars to work with on the editorial side right now,” Billing said. “Luke Gronneberg, who is now the veteran on staff, has been our photographer for over a decade and has won many AP awards.
“Our new sports writer/assistant editor Ryan Harless and news reporter Anna Edmiston are off to great starts in their first month here and have already produced some potential award-winning content.
“I look forward to all three joining me in Columbus next year.”
The Sidney Daily News competes in Division I, for newspapers with up to 7,999 subscribers.
