For the fifth consecutive year, Style Weekly magazine in Richmond, Va., received the sweepstakes award in its category of the Virginia Press Association’s annual competition in writing, photography, artwork and news presentation.

The award was handed out March 25 at the VPA’s news conference and annual meeting in Roanoke, Va. It means Style earned the most points among all specialty publications in Virginia for its work in 2005. Journalists in Seattle served as judges.

“We’re grateful for the honor,” says Style Editor Jason Roop. “It’s a recognition of the creativity, talent and hard work of our editorial staffers, as well as a testament to how they operate as a team.”

In a special competition co-sponsored by VPA and the Virginia Council on Economic Education, Associate Editor Scott Bass won first place in Style’s circulation category for a series of articles on the Virginia Performing Arts Foundation — which came under fire throughout the year for its now-stalled plan to build a downtown performing arts center. The judges wrote: “Bass commands economics reporting. He explains challenges facing Virginia government and taxpayers with ease, and a readable style to boot.”

In all, Style won 10 first-place awards in news and feature writing, photography and overall design and presentation. It also swept the “Combination Picture and Story” category, in which the quality of writing, photography and presentation are considered individually and as a cohesive package.

In its first year of eligibility in the contest, Style’s fashion quarterly, Cue, won in the Specialty Sections category, along with Style’s monthly publication on home living, Home Style. An annual publication, College Style, also took home honors.

Style Weekly, in its first year of AAN membership, is Richmond’s 24-year-old alternative for news, arts, culture and opinion.