Ashland Beacon Soars to First Place
As Kentucky's Best Weekly Newspaper
Sasha Bush
The Ashland Beacon

The Kentucky Press Association (KPA) represents the heartbeat of Kentucky’s journalism, celebrating the hard work, creativity, and excellence of newspapers across the state. Every year, the KPA recognizes newspapers and individuals for their outstanding contributions to the industry in various categories, from advertising and design to editorial and photojournalism. This year, The Greater Ashland Beacon proved once again that it’s at the top of its game, bringing home a slew of prestigious awards, including the coveted First Place for Best Weekly Newspaper for the second consecutive year.
The Greater Ashland Beacon’s triumph didn’t stop there. Along with the top honor in News Excellence, the newspaper earned a well-deserved Second Place for Advertising Excellence. This incredible recognition is a shining example of the hard work and passion of our talented staff, devoted readers, and amazing advertisers have. We couldn’t have achieved this without your continued support and dedication.
In the advertising category, Owner and Publisher Philip Stewart made waves with an impressive three First Place awards! Stewart took home top honors for Best Financial Ad, Best Entertainment/Dining Ad, and Most Creative Use of Newspaper/Promotion. He also earned two Second Place awards for Best Hardware/Appliance Store Ad and Best General/Miscellaneous Ad. But the accolades didn’t stop there—Philip also shared a First-Place award in Best Special Sections/Magazines with his wife, Lora Stewart (Owner and Chief of Photography), and Graphic Designer Melissa Hamilton. Together, their collaboration earned the highest recognition for the special section category.
Additionally, Philip shared another First Place award for Best General/Miscellaneous Ad with fellow Owner and Chief Layout Artist Kimberly Shaffer Smith.
Editor and Photographer, Sasha Bush also earned recognition with a Second-Place award for Best Department Store/Jewelry Ad, another Second Place for Best Special Event Ad, and a First-Place award for Best Online Digital Ad or Series. What a lineup of accomplishments!
In the highly competitive General Excellence in News category, The Greater Ashland Beacon was once again recognized for its top-tier journalism, bringing home an impressive 17 awards!

Editor and Photographer Sasha Bush shone with a First-Place award for Best Business/Agribusiness Story and another First Place for Best Lede. Bush also earned four Second Place awards for categories such as Best Use of Social Media, Best Video, Best Website (shared with Philip Stewart), and Best Special Sections/Best Sports Special Section(shared with Philip and Lora Stewart). Bush’s accomplishments were rounded out with a Third-Place award for Best Sports Picture.
But it didn’t stop there for our incredibly talented team. Owner and Chief of Photography Lora Stewart dominated the awards ceremony, bringing home three First Place awards for Best Video, Best Sports Picture, and Best Sports Picture Essay. Tim Lacey, one of the Beacon’s original photographers that has been with the paper since its start, also earned a Third-Place award for Best Sports Picture Essay.
Stewart’s success continued as she brought home three Second Place awards for Best Feature Photo, Best Sports Picture, and Best Sports Picture Essay.
Longtime reporter Ellen Keaton received a Third-Place award for Best Feature Story, while reporter Lora Parsons, the creator of our popular Just One Word column, took home a First-Place award for Best Headline Writer and a Third-Place finish for Best Ongoing/Extended Coverage Story.
At The Greater Ashland Beacon, we pride ourselves on having the best team of photographers, writers, and advertisers around. This year’s KPA awards are a shining example of the incredible talent that makes our newspaper a standout in Kentucky. We are so proud of all their hard work, dedication, and creativity.
As we celebrate these incredible achievements, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to our readers, staff, and advertisers. Without your continued support, none of this would be possible. You are the backbone of everything we do, and we are grateful for the opportunity to serve this community. Here’s to another year of excellence, and we look forward to bringing you even more news, stories, and exceptional advertising in the year to come! Thank you for being a part of The Greater Ashland Beacon family!
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