Al Smith Award
The Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues and the Bluegrass Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists established the Al Smith Award, which is presented annually for public service through community journalism in Kentucky, or anywhere by a current or former Kentuckian, with preference given to those outside metropolitan areas.
The award’s first recipient was its namesake: Albert P. Smith Jr., who owned weekly newspapers in Kentucky and Tennessee, was founding host of KET’s Comment on Kentucky and main founder of the Institute, whose national advisory board he chaired.
Recipients
2011 – Al Smith
2012 – Jennifer P. Brown, Kentucky New Era, Hopkinsville
2012 – Max Heath, Landmark Community Newspapers
2013 – John Nelson, The Advocate-Messenger, Danville
2014 – Bill Bishop and Julie Ardery, The Daily Yonder
2015 – Carl West, The State Journal, Frankfort
2016 – Sharon Burton, Adair County Community Voice and The Farmer’s Pride
2017 – Larry Craig (posthumous), Green River Republican, Morgantown
2017 – Ryan Craig, Todd County Standard, Elkton
2018 – Stevie Lowery, The Lebanon Enterprise
2019 – David Thompson, Kentucky Press Association
2020 - Becky Barnes, The Cynthiana Democrat
2021 - WKMS-FM, Murray State University
2022 _ Chris Evans and Allison Mick-Evans, The Crittenden Press
Jennifer Schaaf Award
Jennifer Schaaf was a respected professional in government communications, holding several positions for the Commonwealth of Kentucky and serving as president of the Kentucky Association of Government Communicators. She was a magna cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, with a B.A. in English and political science. After she died in 1999, this award was established as a way of recognizing Kentucky government communicators who meet the high standards she set and followed.
Recipients
1999 BRAD HUGHES
Kentucky School Boards Association
2000 LISA GROSS
Kentucky Department of Education
2001 GIL LAWSON
Kentucky Cabinet for Health Services
2002 Rusty Cheuvront
Office of the Governor
2003 LISA LAMB
Department of Corrections
2004 JILL MIDKIFF
Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet
2005 VICKI GLASS
Kentucky Attorney General’s Office
2006 JASON KELLER
Department of Homeland Security
2007 LES FUGATE
Office of Kentucky Secretary of State
2008 VIKKI FRANKLIN
Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services
2013 CHUCK WOLFE
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
2014 JAY BLANTON
University of Kentucky
2016 BRIAN WILKERSON
Kentucky House Speaker’s Office
2017 PAMELA TRAUTNER
Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet
2018 BRADFORD QUEEN
Office of Kentucky Secretary of State
2019 SUSAN STRAUB
Lexington mayor’s communications director.
Scholarships