Leader Editor C.J. Carnacchio received five awards last week in the 2018 Michigan Press Association (MPA) Better Newspaper Contest.

“It’s always a thrill to be honored by your peers – people who truly understand what it takes to do this job day in and day out,” said the 42-year-old Oxford Village resident. “I wish to express my sincere gratitude to my wife of 18 years, Connie, for all of her love, support and saint-like patience putting up with me.

“I want to thank the Sherman family for giving a guy straight out of college the opportunity to express himself and grow as a journalist, a photographer and most importantly, a person. And I want to thank the people of Oxford and Addison for allowing me to be part of their lives by telling the stories of their triumphs and tragedies using words and photos. I love this area and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”

Members of the New York Press Association judged 3,065 entries submitted by 99 Michigan newspapers and individual MPA members. The Leader competes in the Class D weekly newspaper division.

Carnacchio took first place in the spot news story category for his May 30, 2018 article, “Student’s death sparks outpouring of support.”

The story was about the death of LaFrance Marshall, a 16-year-old Oxford High School sophomore who accidentally drowned while swimming with friends in Clear Lake over Memorial Day weekend.

“What separated this story from the other entries was the writing,” the judge wrote. “The writer does an excellent job describing the emotional fallout of a tragic event. It’s very clear to see why this person was so loved. Additionally, the writer was thorough in their reporting. Bravo.”

In the feature photo category, Carnacchio earned first and second place awards.

He won first place for an Aug. 8, 2017 photo entitled, “Need a mint?” It depicted a fire-breathing performer participating in the annual Lone Ranger Parade in downtown Oxford.

“Having photographed the same kind of thing myself, I know that this is not an easy thing to do – your timing must be perfect,” the judge wrote. “A very well-executed example of a difficult photo to get!”

Carnacchio took second place for a June 6, 2018 photo entitled, “Woo-hoo, no more school!” The image showed Oxford Elementary student Tyler Williams getting soaked with water during the school’s annual Field Day to celebrate the end of the academic year.

“The goal of a successful photo is to tell the entire story as quickly as possible and in a way that entertains as well, and this is a great example – the exuberance on the child’s face says it all,” the judge wrote.

In the sports photo category, Carnacchio won third place for an April 25, 2018 image entitled, “Pure muscle!” Taken at the 56th Annual Elmer Ball Track and Field Invitational, it shows OHS senior Rick Galbraith competing in the shot put event.

“This photo captures the intensity of the event perfectly,” the judge wrote.

A March 14, 2018 article entitled, “WWII vet shares A-bomb experiences” earned Carnacchio an honorable mention in the feature story category. The story was about Steven Maczko, an Oxford resident who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and was involved in the 1946 atomic bomb testing at Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

“These are the kinds of stories that need to be shared,” the judge wrote. “I wanted to recognize this article because it was not only well written, but included quotes and perspectives that would otherwise never be heard.”

Since joining the Leader after graduating from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor in 1999, Carnacchio has earned a total of 105 awards from the MPA, the Detroit Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and the National Newspaper Association.

On May 10, Carnacchio will celebrate his 20th anniversary with the newspaper.