Each year NOWA holds and Excellence in Craft Contest for it’s members. Contestants submit their best works to a panel of professional writers and photographers to be judged. It’s a great contest and some winners took away more than $400 in prize money!
Normally, winners are awarded their prizes at the Awards Banquet held during the annual Conference. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdown, our 2020 conference scheduled for the first week in May has been postponed to 2021.
Some Winning Photos:
2019 Contest Winners:
| Category Name | Place | Name of Entrant | Title of Entry | Publication |
| Column of the Year | 1 | Terry Wiest | Rigging Like the Pros | Salmon Trout Steelheader |
| 2 | Brad Trumbo | The Times Outdoor Column | The Times | |
| 3 | Matt Liere | Magic Mountain/Distract/Waiting | The Spokesman-Review | |
| Fishing, Newspaper | 1 | Dennis Dauble | Hot Crispy Fish | Tri City Herald |
| 2 | Dennis Dauble | Outdoorsmen Can’t Stop | Tri City Herald | |
| 3 | Terry Otto | Sturgeon Strength | Columbian Newspaper | |
| Fishing, Magazine | 1 | Dave Vedder | Winters End | Salmon Trout Steelheader |
| 2 | Dave Vedder | Angling in Lau Lau Land | Sporting Classics | |
| 3 | George Krumm | Trolling in 4WD | Salmon Trout Steelheader | |
| Fishing Blog/Web | 1 | Brad Trumbo | Downrigging for Spring Kokanee | Angler-Pros.com |
| 2 | Randy Bonner | Winter Fishing | Visit Corvallis | |
| Hunting, Newspaper | 1 | Matt Liere | Hunting Can Distract from Life’s Rough Patches | The Spokesman-Review |
| 2 | Brad Trumbo | Rios of Fall | Walla Walla Union | |
| 3 | Gary Lewis | Youngest Impala Guide | Sportsmans News | |
| Hunting, Magazine | 1 | Gary Lewis | Blacktail Gold | Muzzel Blasts |
| 2 | Gary Lewis | Free Range Fallow Deer | Successful Hunter | |
| 3 | Randy Bonner | Doves | Northwest Sportsman | |
| Huning, Shooting/Web | 1 | Brad Trumbo | Carving an Upland Niche | UplanderLifestyle.com |
| 2 | Randy Bonner | EE Wilson | Visit Corvallis | |
| Travel Camping Rec, Newspaper | 1 | Matt Liere | A Magic Mountain | The Spokesman-Review |
| 2 | Terry Otto | Liberty Dals Alaskan Waters | Columbian Newspaper | |
| 3 | Terry Otto | Wildflowers of Weldon | Columbian Newspaper | |
| Travel Camping Rec, Magazine | 1 | Dennis Dauble | Explore the Blues | Northwest Sportsman |
| Travel Camping Rec, Web or Blog | 1 | Randy Bonner | Oregon’s Rainy Season | Visit Corvallis |
| 2 | Randy Bonner | Winter Mushrooms | Visit Corvallis | |
| Managing Our World | 1 | Dennis Dauble | Creeks Are Special | Walla Walla Union |
| 2 | Terry Otto | Seeds of Recovery | Columbian Newspaper | |
| 3 | Randy Bonner | Invaders | Northwest Sportsman | |
| Photography, People | 1 | Dave Kilhefner | Father Son Fishing | Fishing in Oregon |
| 2 | Glenn Zinkus | Sprague River Headwaters | Fishing in Oregon | |
| 3 | Dennis Dauble | Learning to Fish | Tri City Herald | |
| Photography, Fauna | 1 | Dave Kilhefner | Brook Trout | Fishing in Oregon |
| 2 | Terry Otto | Sea Otter | Columbian Newspaper | |
| Photography/Outdoors | 1 | Dave Kilhefner | Russell Lake | Fishing in Oregon |
| Books | 1 | Dennis Dauble | Bury Me With My Fly Rod | Fishhead Press |
| 2 | Lisa Maloney | Hikes Around Anchorage | Countryman Press | |
| 3 | Lisa Maloney | Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska | Mountaineer Press | |
| Humor | 1 | Alan Liere | Morning Glory | Wildfowl |
| 2 | Gary Lewis | Here’s Your Sign | ||
| 3 | Dennis Dauble | Watching Your Honey Cast | Northwest Sportsman | |
| Video | 1 | Richy Herrod | Chukar Hunting Legacy | R. Herrod Outdoors |
| 2 | Gary Lewis | Salmon is King | Frontier Unlimited | |
| 3 | Richy Herrod | Mack’s Lure Paddle Flasher | R. Herrod Outdoors | |
| Audio | 1 | John Kruse | Robert Dennings Tips for November Mule Deer | Northwestern Outdoors |
| 2 | Cam Parry | Can Salmon Survive the Pebble Mine? | Hooked on Oregon Radio | |
| 3 | Cam Parry | Selling Montana to Canada | Hooked on Oregon Radio |
