AL.com’s Thomas Wins Herby Kirby Award

AL.com’s Ben Thomas won the Herby Kirby Award for “2024 Story of the Year,” the news outlet announced. The award was for his column about the death of his infant granddaughter, Maxi. It was the first Herby Kirby Award for Thomas, who has worked for the Alabama Media Group for 17 years and is AL.com’s high school sports editor and manager producer. His story on Maxi also won first place in column writing. Thomas also took second place in “Best Sports Story, Written on a Deadline, Prep or Amateur Event” for his coverage of Sylacauga football coach Chris Smelley’s safe return after being lost at sea off the coast of Florida. AL.com won seven awards total, with Creg Stephenson winning first place in “Best Enterprise or Explanatory Story” for his four-part series on Birmingham baseball legends and “Best Baseball Feature” for his story on Piper Davis and Willie Mays. Thomas Ashworth won two awards, claiming first for “Best Boxing or Wrestling Story” for his feature on Jacksonville State University football player Brock Rechsteiner and second in “Best General Sports Story” for his feature on Jacksonville State radio announcer Mike Parris.