The awards were announced Aug. 20 and 21. The presentations had been scheduled for the annual NYPA conference in April in Saratoga Springs, but that was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. NYPA held out for a while in hopes of scheduling another live event but eventually settled for live online presentations.

The News and Enterprise were given four first-place awards — for arts coverage, editorials, obituary writing and a photo essay — as well as three second places, three third places and an honorable mention.

Ogden Newspapers tied for fifth place in chains that garnered the most award points. Ogden was represented in the contest by just the News and Enterprise; the chain it tied with has 27 newspapers.

Here are the awards. Judges’ comments are included for the first-place awardees.

– First place, Arts Coverage (Division 1 of 2) — Griffin Kelly and Aaron Cerbone, reporters, ADE, for a collection of stories. Judge: “Great coverage! I felt pulled into all the stories, both in content and visually.”

– First place, Obituaries — Elizabeth Izzo and Aaron Cerbone, reporters, ADE, for front-page obituaries of Wilmington town Supervisor Randy Preston and J. Patrick Barrett: businessman, former state Republican committee chair and state Olympic Regional Development Authority chair. Judge: “These are very good: detailed, specific, present tense, active, alive, giving a full and total sense of a well-lived life.”

– First place, Picture Story (Division 1 of 3) — Elizabeth Izzo, reporter, LPN, for photos of AuSable Forks’ Labor Day parade. Judge: “A black-and-white photo essay for first place? Absolutely. B/W is hard to do well these days, but this engaging collection has it all … sharp images, variety of composition, a range of expressions and actions, sense of place and mood. There is nothing forced about these images, so each feel like the real essence of a captured moment. The bubbles-and- umbrella pic would be a stand-alone prize winner.”

– First place, Editorials (Division 1 of 3) — Peter Crowley, managing editor, ADE. Judge: “I was delighted to read the context within the comments.”

– Second place, Editorials (Division 1 of 3) — Andy Flynn, editor, LPN, for editorials on the Kate Smith controversy, short-term rentals and when someone bought most of the copies of the Aug. 23 issue of the LPN. Judge: “Editorials cover unusual topics but ones pertinent to residents of Lake Placid.”

– Second place, Agriculture coverage — Andy Flynn, Elizabeth Izzo and Carol Swirsky, LPN, for Savor the Season special issue. Judge: “A most solid and comprehensive package of farming news, from news to features to profiles to go-see-do pieces. The writing is engaging, informative and entertaining. And practical; yes, I am looking at you, recipe for rhubarb crisp.”

– Second place, Sports feature (Division 1 of 3) — Elizabeth Izzo, ADE, for a feature on an Indian navy veteran who survived a terrorist attack and competed in the Ironman Lake Placid triathlon. Judge: “Not your typical sports feature, but starts with an engaging lede and takes us step by step through Praveen’s story.”

– Third place, Real Estate/Home Section — Lindsay Munn and Peter Crowley, for Adirondack Living magazine. Judge: “Beautifully executed magazine. Definitely gives the readers warm and cozy feelings. The majority of ads are a wonderful balance to the beautiful photos. Nice work.”

– Third place, Spot News Coverage — Elizabeth Izzo, ADE, for coverage of a fire that destroyed the Mid-station at Whiteface Mountain Ski Center. Judge: “Well done — the story with Chelsea Walker’s perspective added the right touch to the package. Kudos for capturing a photo of the burning lodge.”

– Third place, Sports Action Photo, Div. 1 of 3 — Lou Reuter, ADE, for a photo of a golfer chipping a shot, partly hidden by a grassy slope. Judge: “Though some believe golf and action is an oxymoron, this shot captures attention in a surprising way. Nice focus on player’s face, his iron, and the ball in flight.”

– Honorable mention, Feature Story (the contest’s most competitive category) — Andy Flynn, LPN, for Ruth Hart 100th birthday. Judge: “It’s not every day someone in Lake Placid turns 100, but when they do, the writer should cover their birthday party. This article conveys who Ruth Hart is, through the recounting of her birthday party and the historical moments of her life. Through a unique human-interest angle, the writer captures the originality of Hart.”

This is the only contest the Lake Placid News enters every year. For the Enterprise, it is the third of three the paper enters annually. The others were announced at the beginning of summer. The Enterprise was given seven awards from the New York News Publishers Association, which gives only first-place awards, and three prizes in the New York State Associated Press Association: one first place and two second place. The Enterprise competed in the smallest circulation class in both of those contests.