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Winning Headlines 

Division A, Open:

Margaret (Missy) Prebula, Denton Record-Chronicle, Texas

1.  Splinter wonderland
2.  Peek-a-who?
3.  Private shut-eye
4.  Taking a personnel day
5.  ...---...
     Group labors to keep Morse code afloat

Gina Nania, The Charlotte Observer

1. Y2K9
    Robotic dog is no toy – it’s a mechanical companion with a pre-programmed mind of its own
2. It’s elemental:
    Earth air, fire, water
               and
           The egg
3. A PEEK AT THE PEAK
    In the thin air atop the Bank of America tower, 
    it’s just you, the wind and the dead grasshoppers
4. Gentlemen prefer blond
    Lads of all ages are lightening their locks to look younger, cooler or just different
5. Dial ‘R’ for rotary
    In a touch-tone world, many still reach out for their hefty old
phones

Comments:  “I recommend that this editor get a star for overall quality.
‘Y2K9’ is extremely clever. ‘A peek at the peak’ – Again, very clever, and I like the alliteration, too. It's just the right amount and tone. Congratulations.”

Joel Pisetzner, The Star-Ledger, Newark, N.J.

1.The loftiest of courts lifts its robes
    and ventures into the quagmire
2. Abominable snowfall
    A sneak attack catches
    N.J. with shovels down
3. Parasites lost: Some hygienists
    say we’re too clean for comfort
4. Red sky at night, solar delight
    Sun burps and earth holds breath
5. There’s no plate like home

Comments: “I liked your ‘The loftiest of courts ...’ headline best for
two reasons: It was not a play on words and it used strong, rather uncommon headline words (loftiest, lifts, quagmire) to make its point. In short, this headline said it all, and without any unnecessary cutesiness that might make a reader squirm.
    “My second favorite headline was the deck of the snow headline. It was clever and precise. ...”
    “While I think that most pun headlines should be rewritten, your ‘Parasites lost’ struck me as both highly original and well worth using.”

Jake Vest, Orlando Sentinel

1. Long night’s journey into daze
2. Capris: Cream
    of the cropped
    Shortened pants
    are hot, but the
    buyer needn’t get
    burned on price
3. Auto parts smarts
4. The party line: Oscar has political agenda
     From death penalty opposition to support of abortion rights, this year’s best-picture nominees represent a full slate of liberal issues.
5. It’s your necktie, not your bib

Comments: “Two of your headlines are brilliant, with ‘Long night's journey into daze’ fitting its story to perfection and sure to lure readers in. In general, I think that copy editors use pun headlines too often and that most of the puns simply don't work. You have proved me wrong on two counts, but even having said that, I hope you use them sparingly. That way, the gems that you do write will sparkle all the more.”

Division C, Large Papers:

Don P. Brown, The Daily Oklahoman

1.Banjo’s been picked on long enough
     Longtime player
     works to improve
     instrument’ image
2.Mouse untrapped
    Innovative home scanner technology
    unites printed word with cyberspace
3.Oh, Boys! Super Bowl promises big flush
4.Refuge offers sights most fowl
5.Shorter summers taking the heat
    Schools resuming classes
    earlier, angering parents

Comments: “This entry is clearly above the other two finalists. These headlines rely heavily on wordplay, but they work because they also pack information. They grab your attention without being a tease. And the deck headlines complement the main heads in a straightforward manner.”

Division D, Midsize Papers:

Tom Wilk, Courier-Post, Cherry Hill, N.J.

1.In Times Square, it’s
    revel without a pause
2.Without snow and cold, now
    is the winter of our content
3.Online Christian soldiers
    Venture capitalists try to meet spiritual needs on Web
4.Clock shop able to stand test of time
5.Utah library finds five copies of ‘Harry Potter’ end in mid...

Comments: “The headlines are accurate (No. 1 factor in my view) and clever without being strained. The literary allusions were especially effective, I thought. I especially liked ‘In Times Square, it's revel without a pause.’ ”

Single-headline citations

Division B, Major Papers:

Jake Vest, Orlando Sentinel

1. Long night's journey into daze
2. Capris: Cream
    of the cropped

Joel Pisetzner, The Star-Ledger, Newark, N.J.

The loftiest of courts lifts its robes
and ventures into the quagmire

Division C, Large Papers:

Laura Brown, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Rock shelter
around pond
should prevent
fish out of water

Comments:  “It’s a tight count, but the headline reads smoothly and provides real information. The copy editor took a chance by using a cliche, but it works.”

Karen Yurconic, The Morning Call, Allentown, Pa.

Get a whiff of that!
Allentown children do
Kids to Farm teaches
city fourth-graders to, er,
appreciate agriculture

Comments: “The headline is punchy and an attention-grabber, and it connects with readers by addressing them directly. Its tone carries the day, and the deck headline works well with the main head.”