2023 AMP Awards Ceremony
The Alabama Media Professionals held its annual AMP awards ceremony on April 20 at The Club in Birmingham.
The organization awarded 45 awards to professionals in various media categories, including writing, broadcast, podcast, public relations and photography. Thirty-three of the awards were first place finishers who will compete in the National Federation of Press Women’s national contest in June.
The organization awarded 26 high school students from Sparkman High School in Harvest, Alabama and Auburn High School. Entries included column, news, feature, opinion, review, feature, sports, design, art and illustration, photography and broadcast. Sixteen first place winners will compete in the National Federation of Press Women’s national contest held May 17.
Sparkman senior Kyla Davidson, who placed first with her column Senior Talks Mental Health, was awarded the senior scholarship funded by the AMP Education Fund.
Carolanne Griffith Roberts was also named the Alabama Media Professionals 2023 Communicator of Achievement. Roberts' career spans newspapers and magazines to public relations, freelance, and volunteer work. She was on staff at the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL), and Southern Living Magazine. In her 38-year career at Southern Living, Roberts was Travel Editor, Features Editor, and Livings Editor, and is now a freelance contributor.
She led communications for the West Virginia Department of Culture and History and headed the West Virginia American Revolution Bicentennial Commission. Roberts has covered travel, arts and entertainment, Southern food and culture, business and, historic preservation. She recently started a lifestyle blog. Her writing is published in both print and digital outlets.
A native of Charleston, West Virginia, Roberts has lived in Birmingham since 1985. Her volunteer and board service includes the Birmingham Historical Society, Red Mountain Theatre, the Society of International Business Fellows and the Greenbrier Valley Theatre. Roberts was named Travel Writer of the Year by the Southeast Tourism Society in 1993. She was honored as Alumnus of the Year by Marietta College and Marshall University College of Graduate Studies, her undergraduate and graduate institutions.
Roberts is married to Johnny Roberts and has one son, Fletcher Roberts of Birmingham.
AMP is an organization of journalists and communication professionals affiliated with the National Association of Press Women (NFPW). Roberts now vies for the national Communicator of Achievement award from NFPW to be announced in June.