JACKSON — The Natchez Democrat staff won 16 total awards, including five first-place awards and second in the overall advertising excellence category, at the Mississippi Press Association’s Mid-Winter Conference Better Newspaper Advertising Awards luncheon Saturday.

Among the first-place awards were honors for Natchez the Magazine and the Natchez Visitor’s Guide.

Judges described Natchez the Magazine as a “gorgeous publication!”

In most categories, The Democrat competes against other Mississippi newspapers with a similar circulation size — between 9,000 and 15,000 daily — including The Hattiesburg American, The Vicksburg Post, The Commercial Dispatch (Columbus), The Meridian Star, The (McComb) Enterprise-Journal and others. In other categories The Democrat competes against either all daily newspapers in the state or against larger dailies.

First-place awards included:

– Edition dedicated to retail sales promotion (glossy) — Natchez Visitor’s Guide, Ryan Richardson (all dailies combined).

– Advertising promotion — Ben Hillyer, Profile 2011 (all dailies combined).

– Magazine periodical — staff, Natchez the Magazine (dailies from 9,000 circulation and up).

– Grocery or restaurant ad (color) — Ryan Richardson, “Always the right choice — Dunleith.”

– Small space (black and white) — Justin Clarkston, “Note to self.”

Second-place awards included:

– Spall space (black and white) — Rita Brooks, “All you can eat.”

– Edition dedicated to an editorial topic (newsprint) — staff, Spring Pilgrimage.

4Edition dedicated to an editorial topic (glossy) — staff, Lift Off.

– Advertising Excellence — staff.

– Service ad (black and white) — Rita Brooks, “Care-rapy” (dailies from 9,000 circulation and up).

– Political ad (black and white) — Ryan Richardson, “Eddie Walker” (dailies from 9,000 circulation and up).

– Advertising promotion — Rita Brooks, Profile 2011 (all dailies).

Third-place awards included:

– Single retail ad (black and white) — Justin Clarkson, “Love your car.”

– Institutional ad (black and white) — Ryan Richardson, “Be Bold” (dailies from 9,000 circulation and up).

– Institutional ad (color) — Rita Brooks, “You and I” (dailies from 9,000 circulation and up).

– Niche publication — staff, Community of One (all dailies).

The Mississippi Press Association’s editorial awards will be presented at a multi-state conference this summer.