Yellowknife (May 26/06) - Yellowknifer has won two awards in an Alberta newspaper competition.

The Northern News Services publication finished second in its class in the best all around newspaper competition hosted by the Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association (AWNA) and third in the best front page category.

Yellowknifer competes in a class that includes newspapers with circulation between 3,500 and 6,499.

AWNA is a regional association serving community newspapers in Alberta and the Northwest Territories.

The judge, Dana Bowley of the El Defensor Chieftain in New Mexico, said Yellowknifer is "well written" with photos that "make editorial content stand out."

"It's a solid community newspaper with an urban tabloid look and feel... An attention-getter, very engaging and entertaining."

Bowley called the classifieds section "impressive."

Two other NWT newspapers also won awards in the competition.

Hay River Hub was second in best all around newspaper competition in its class (circ. 2,000-3,499).

Fort Smith-based Slave River Journal finished first in best front page category of its circulation class (1,300-1,999). Northern News Services' Inuvik Drum and Deh Cho Drum competed in the same category as the Slave River Journal, but finished out of the awards.