Cardinal News reporters Grace Mamon and Tad Dickens were awarded the inaugural Center for Integrity in News Reporting Award for Excellence on Saturday night at the Virginia Press Association’s annual conference and awards banquet. They won the first-ever award for their series of stories on data centers.
It was one of 40 awards earned by Cardinal News for the work of its reporters, audience team and podcast crew.
That includes best-in-show awards for writing (Elizabeth Beyer) and digital (Samantha Verrelli, Laura Kebede-Twumasi and Zachary Shelton).
Cardinal awarded two new prizes for integrity and investigative journalism
The Center For Integrity in News Reporting award
The award was created to honor “exemplary reporting grounded in accuracy, balance, and fairness” and to help restore trust in journalism.
“This is by far and away the clear winner of the contest,” the judge wrote about the work of Dickens and Mamon. “I felt the individual stories were balanced, well-written, very well and deeply sourced and also had incredible information, statistics and referenced documentation about the data center issue.”
“I’m so proud of our team,” Cardinal News Executive Director Luanne Rife said. “For Tad and Grace to win the first Center for Integrity in News Reporting Award for Excellence is an incredible achievement and is emblematic of their dedication to tell our stories with an independent, authoritative and nonpartisan voice.”
Mamon said, “I’m incredibly honored to receive this inaugural award, especially alongside an excellent reporter and colleague. I’m thankful that we were able to dedicate the time to dig deeply into an increasingly important topic in our region, providing our readers with information to become engaged in this conversation in their communities.”
“We started this with the hope of providing the best possible info source on the topic, for a region that is only beginning to see what could be a data center boom,” Dickens said. “Receiving the first Center for Integrity in News Reporting award validates that intention and provides encouragement about the work we’re doing at Cardinal.”
The A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism in Virginia, second place
The Cardinal News project “State of Surveillance” was one of three newsrooms recognized for another new award, the A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism in Virginia, receiving the second-place award.
The A-Mark Foundation funds the award, which “recognizes excellence in investigative journalism that uncovers issues previously unknown to the public and reinforces the essential role of watchdog reporting across Virginia,” according to the foundation.
The A-Mark judge wrote: “An ambitious, fair, and innovative series that details how public surveillance operates across the state and at the local level. With dogged teamwork, ingenuity, and investigative tools, the Cardinal provides a valuable public service, exploring a complex and often-misunderstood technology.”
“The entire Cardinal News reporting staff helped launch this project in early 2025, as we cast a wide net across our readership area trying to answer one simple question: How many of our local law enforcement agencies were using public surveillance and capturing and storing information about its citizens without a warrant?” said Executive Editor Jeff Schwaner.
“That answer led to more questions, which led to the best findings of this project.”
The project also won first place for in-depth and investigative reporting in the VPA competition.
Best-in-show awards for digital and writing
Digital
“Composting in Virginia doesn’t stink” by Samantha Verrelli, Zachary Shelton, Laura Kebede-Twumasi and Lisa Rowan took home best in show for digital, blending storytelling, infographics and video, including an Instagram standalone.
“The story was very good,” the judge wrote. “The behind-the-scenes video augments the story nicely and the Instagram video hooks people into the story. Loved the graphic, too. It all integrates nicely.”
Writing
Elizabeth Beyer won this award for her “powerful accountability reporting that reveals how federal disaster policies can disadvantage rural and low-income communities,” according to the judge.
“Through clear explanation and compelling human storytelling, the reporting uncovers the formula behind disaster assistance and its real consequences for vulnerable residents.”
How the night unfolded
Along the way to picking up its second consecutive sweepstakes award for the year (a sum of point totals received for first-, second- and third-place awards in the VPA annual competition), the newsroom received 35 awards: 15 first-place, 13 second-place and seven third-place awards.
The awards won by Cardinal team members spanned categories from multimedia to podcast to social media, video and website and newsletters; illustration and informational graphics; feature photo, general news photo, personality or portrait photo and pictorial photo; and column writing, education, feature series, feature stories, feature portfolio, government, public notice, business and financial writing, sports writing and public safety writing, as well as in-depth and investigative reporting.
Every Cardinal News team member and several freelancers were recognized with an award.
“It is especially rewarding to earn so much recognition by every member of our team, each of whom is driven by our mission to tell meaningful stories about the people and places of our region, and to meet our audiences where they are through our newsletters, news site, pods and social media,” Rife said.
Here are all the awards garnered by Cardinal News on Saturday night.
First-place awards
Column writing: Kevin Myatt
Judge’s comment: “Great stuff about weather here. Appealing to readers and articulated well.”
Education writing portfolio: Lisa Rowan
Judge’s comment: “Complex entries required a great deal of research and interviews. Excellently written.”
Feature series or continuing story: Grace Mamon for “Paper of Record“
Judge’s comment: “Dramatic opening and strong recreation of the two sides. Good visual support and documentation. Leads to understanding of which sources to cover.”
Feature story writing: Grace Mamon for “A life-changing attack and its aftermath”
Judge’s comment: “What an ordeal that was turned into an excellent story. Takes you step by step and makes you feel for the family and what they have been forced to deal with. I hung on each word until finished. Excellent work.”
Government writing portfolio: Elizabeth Beyer
Judge’s comment: “Does a great job of making the reader care about the issues. Engaging style made me want to keep reading.”
Health, science and environmental writing portfolio: Emily Schabacker
Judge’s comment: “Great job of taking medical items from around the area and making them interesting and relatable.”
Illustrations: Ryan Brosmer for “Tech Town”
In-depth/investigative reporting: Jeff Schwaner, Lisa Rowan, Samantha Verrelli, Elizabeth Beyer, Dean-Paul Stephens for “State of Surveillance“
Judge’s comment: “Reporters at The Cardinal News pored over records, filed FOIA requests and conducted dozens of interviews to reveal that 81 of 100 law enforcement agencies were using some form of public-facing surveillance technology, raising privacy concerns for citizens,” that judge wrote. “They went further, tracing how a grant program intended for car-theft tipsters was instead funding the equipment. By polling lawmakers, the reporters added accountability and context. This multi-part series was deeply reported and expertly executed,” the judge wrote in awarding the project first place.
Innovation: Dutchie Jessee, Zachary Shelton, Sherry Quinley, Lisa Rowan for Cardinal News: The Pod Squad heard you — and now you can hear us
Judge’s comment: “I hear you! And I love it! What a great idea. It always pays to listen to your readers. Nice!”
Multimedia: Samantha Verrelli, Zachary Shelton, Laura Kebede-Twumasi, Lisa Rowan for “Composting doesn’t stink after all”
Judge’s comment: “This package’s multimedia assets fit the story and did well teasing the story for to know more on the website — also using the appropriate ratio helped make it a better user experience and higher engagement. I enjoyed the map created by google and use of choosing two options while making a decision of compost vs. trash. Thank you!”
Personality or portrait photo: Bob Brown
Podcast: Dutchie Jessee, Lisa Rowan, Sherry Quinley, Zachary Shelton for The Cardinal: News of Virginia
Judge’s comment: “The Cardinal: News of Virginia Podcast earns first place for its exceptional depth and its unique ability to navigate the complex intersection of rural and urban Virginia. Whether investigating the ‘ticking time bomb’ of data center expansion in Pittsylvania County or the surprising demographic shifts between Northern and Southwest Virginia, the team delivers high-stakes journalism with local heart. By bringing together veteran columnists like Dwayne Yancey and field reporters like Grace Mamon, this podcast has become an indispensable resource for understanding the evolving landscape of the Commonwealth.”
Social Media: Zachary Shelton, Laura Kebede-Twumasi
Judge’s comment: “Nice job with good information and using a variety of looks. Great that you found a way to also use visuals!”
Video: Zachary Shelton and Tad Dickens for “Inside Virginia’s First Buc-ee’s“
Judge’s comment: “This project secures first place for its effective use of video, transitioning a standard news update into a polished documentary-style short. The production captures the immense scale of Virginia’s first Buc-ee’s with clear, high-quality visuals, balancing wide-angle environmental shots with candid interview segments.”
Website: Team Cardinal for cardinalnews.org
Judge’s comment: “Simple and very good. Impressed with using the audio on stories. Design is really good on phone.”
The 2025 VPA Contest was judged by the South Carolina Press Association and the National Newspaper Association. For more information about contest results, visit http://vpagallery.com/2025/2025Winners/
All award winners
| Center for Integrity in News Reporting Award of Excellence – VA | First Place & Overall Winner | Grace Mamon, Tad Dickens |
| Column Writing | First Place | Kevin Myatt |
| Education Writing | First Place | Lisa Rowan |
| Feature Series or Continuing Story | First Place | Grace Mamon |
| Feature Story Writing (excluding Obituaries) | First Place | Grace Mamon |
| Government Writing | First Place | Elizabeth Beyer |
| Health- Science and Environmental Writing (OPEN) | First Place | Emily Schabacker |
| Illustrations | First Place | Ryan Brosmer |
| In-depth or Investigative Reporting | First Place | Lisa Rowan, Jeff Schwaner, Samantha Verrelli, Elizabeth Beyer, Dean-Paul Stephens |
| Innovation (OPEN) | First Place | Dutchie Jessee, Zachary Shelton, Sherry Quinley, Lisa Rowan |
| Multimedia | First Place | Samantha Verrelli, Zachary Shelton, Laura Kebede-Twumasi, Lisa Rowan |
| Personality or Portrait Photo | First Place | Bob Brown |
| Podcast | First Place | Dutchie Jessee, Lisa Rowan, Sherry Quinley, Zachary Shelton |
| Social Media | First Place | Zachary Shelton, Laura Kebede-Twumasi |
| Video | First Place | Zachary Shelton, Tad Dickens |
| Website | First Place | Team Cardinal |
| A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism | Second Place | Cardinal News Staff |
| Best Lede | Second Place | Elizabeth Beyer |
| Business and Financial Writing | Second Place | Matt Busse |
| Feature Photo | Second Place | Dan Currier |
| Feature Story Writing (excluding Obituaries) | Second Place | Susan Cameron |
| Feature Writing Portfolio | Second Place | Emma Malinak |
| General News Photo | Second Place | Ben Earp |
| In-depth or Investigative Reporting | Second Place | Samantha Verrelli |
| Informational Graphics | Second Place | Lisa Rowan |
| Newsletter | Second Place | Zachary Shelton, Jeff Schwaner, Sherry Quinley |
| Personality or Portrait Photo | Second Place | Lisa Rowan |
| Public Notice Story | Second Place | Samantha Verrelli |
| Sports Writing (OPEN) | Second Place | Robert Anderson |
| Sports Writing Portfolio | Second Place | Robert Anderson |
| Business and Financial Writing | Third Place | Tad Dickens |
| Feature Profile Writing (including News Obituaries) | Third Place | Dwayne Yancey |
| Multimedia (OPEN) | Third Place | Lisa Rowan, Jeff Schwaner, Tad Dickens, Zachary Shelton, Dutchie Jessee |
| Newsletter | Third Place | Dwayne Yancey, Zachary Shelton, Dutchie Jessee, Lisa Rowan |
| Pictorial Photo | Third Place | Robert Anderson |
| Public Notice Story | Third Place | Grace Mamon |
| Public Safety Writing | Third Place | Susan Cameron |