The Oklahoma Gazette won sixteen awards at the Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists annual awards banquet this weekend, taking top honors in eight categories:

The Gazette claimed first in Government Reporting of MAPS 3 by former staff writer Scott Cooper and contributing writers Ben Fenwick and Grant Slater. Judges complimented thorough reporting and sourcing for the “beautifully organized” coverage.

In Election Reporting, Cooper earned top honors for gubernatorial race content described as “complete, well-written, lively, thorough and balanced.” His “Pot of gold” entry also won Criminal Justice Reporting for giving “ample space to both arguments.”

Rob Collins, Gazette editor-in-chief, won the Diversity Coverage category for “Ex-Slaves,” which judges said provided “great treatment of a fascinating topic.” Collins also received top honors in Entertainment Feature for his Color Me Badd cover story.

Other first-place winners were managing editor Rod Lott (Arts Criticism) and contributing writer Nathan Gunter (Editorial/Commentary).

In February, the paper was recognized by the Oklahoma City ADDY Awards for its cover design.