The Bellevue Reporter won nine awards, including photographer of the year and five first places for Best News Story – Long; Best Breaking News Story; Best Lifestyle Feature Story (any length); Best Personality Profile – Short; and Color Ports Photo – Feature in the 2011 Washington Better Newspaper Contest.

The awards were presented Oct. 7 at an awards dinner during the 124th annual Washington Newspaper Publishers Association Convention, at the Holiday Inn Downtown Everett.

The Reporter, circulation 44,000, competed against other newspapers in Group IV, the highest circulation category. The newspapers were judged on work produced from April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011. The contest drew 2,523 entries from 78 community newspapers; entries were judged by members of the Texas Press Association.

Photographer of the Year: Chad Coleman for a portfolio of his work.

First place: Best News Story – Long, “Bellevue council member in stable condition after bear attack,” Nat Levy.

First Place: Best Breaking News Story, “3 sent to hospital after van explodes in Bellevue,” Nat Levy.

First Place: Best Lifestyle Feature Story (any length), ” Vogue mama: Nine months of baby-bump style,” Gabrielle Nomura.

First Place: Best Personality Profile – Short, “The late Bill Cumming,” Gabrielle Nomura.

First Place:ColorSports Photo – Feature, “Bellevue beats Kamiakin 38-0 for third straight title,” Chad Coleman.

Finalist, News Writer of the year: Nat Levy.

Second Place: Spot News – black and white or color, “Roads re-opened,” Chad Coleman.

Second Place: Color Portrait (Human or Animal), “Hip-hop: Eastside artists rep suburbia in a city music scene,” Chad Coleman.

Coleman also won awards for work in the Kirkland Reporter and Mercer Island Reporter, sister papers to the Bellevue Reporter.