1979 Winners
Appa Award Of Excellence
- Dan Dry, The Courier-Journal & Louisville Times
Best In Show
- Carla Hotvedt, The Gainesville Sun, Gainesville, FL
Spot News
- First – Lil Junas, York Daily Record, York, PA
- Second – Michael Pugh, United Press International, Atlanta
- Third – David Woo, The Dallas Morning News, Dallas, TX
- Honorable Mention – Rich Mahan, Ft. Lauderdale News & Sun Sentinel, FL
- Honorable Mention – Battle Vaughan, The Miami Herald
General News
- First – Bill Wax, The Gainesville Sun
- Second – Mary Lou Foy, The Miami Herald
- Third – Seny Norasingh, The Miami Herald
- Honorable Mention – Murry Sill, The Miami Herald
- Honorable Mention – Thomas Price, Ft. Myers News-Press
Features
- First – David Woo, The Dallas Morning News
- Second – C. J. Walker, The Palm Beach Post
- Third – Rich Mahan, Ft. Lauderdale News & Sun Sentinel
- Honorable Mention – Ursula E. Seeman, Ft. Lauderdale News & Sun Sentinel
- Honorable Mention – Marice Cohn, The Miami Herald/Neighbors
Sports Action
- First – Michael Patrick, Knoxville News-Sentinel
- Second – Nancy Pierce, The Charlotte Observer
- Third – Bill Cranford, Florida Times Union/Jacksonville Journal
- Honorable Mention – Bill Wax, The Gainesville Sun
- Honorable Mention – Walter Michot, Ft. Lauderdale News-Sentinel
Sports Features
- First – Red Morgan, The Miami Herald
- Second – Donn Dughi, United Press International, Tallahassee, FL
- Third – Steve Dozier, St. Petersburg Times
- Honorable Mention – Ursula E. Seeman, Ft. Lauderdale News-Sentinel
- Honorable Mention – Melissa Farlow, The Courier-Journal & Louisville Times
Portrait/Personality
- First – Bob Dickerson, The Cincinnati Post
- Second – Bruce Gilbert, The Miami Herald
- Third – Bill Wax, The Gainesville Sun
- Honorable Mention – Bill Creighton, The Charleston News & Courier
- Honorable Mention – Thomas Price, Ft. Myers News-Press
Pictorial
- First – Gary Chapman, Ft. Myers News-Press
- Second – Ricardo J. Ferro – St. Petersburg Times
- Third – Nicholas R. von Staden, Ft. Lauderdale News & Sun-Sentinel
- Honorable Mention – Walter Michot, Ft. Lauderdale News & Sun-Sentinel
- Honorable Mention – Greg Anderson, The Palm Beach Post
Illustration
- First – Gary Chapman, Ft. Myers News-Press
- Second – Ed. C. Thompson, The Atlanta Journal & Constitution Magazine
- Third – Gary Chapman, Ft. Myers News-Press
- Honorable Mention – John Curry, Ft. Lauderdale News & Sun-Sentinel
- Honorable Mention – Laura Bullock, Randolph (NC) Technical College
News Picture Story
- First – Bill Wax, The Gainesville Sun
- Second – Bob Dickerson, The Cincinnati Post
- Third – Mary Lou Foy, The Miami Herald
- Honorable Mention – Lou Toman, Ft. Lauderdale News & Sun Sentinel
- Honorable Mention – Michael Pugh, United Press International, Atlanta
- Honorable Mention – Murry Sill, The Miami Herald
Sports Picture Story
- First – Chris Walker, Ft. Lauderdale News & Sun-Sentinel
- Second – Bob Dickerson, The Cincinnati Post
- Third – Seny Norasingh, The Gastonia (NC) Gazette
Feature Picture Story
- First – Carla Hotvedt, The Gainesville Sun
- Second – Dan Dry, The Courier-Journal & Louisville Times
- Third – Mary Lou Foy, The Miami Herald
- Honorable Mention – Bill Wax, The Gainesville Sun
- Honorable Mention – Marice Cohn, The Miami Herald/Neighbors
Judges
- Joe Elbert, Picture Editor, The Miami Herald, Miami, FL;
- Alice George, Picture Editor, GEO magazine, New York;
- Robin Hood, Freelance, Chattanooga, TN; winner Pulitzer Prize-Features, 1977;
- Tom Kelly, Chief Photographer, The Mercury, Pottstown, PD; Pulitzer-News,'79;
- Don Rutledge, Director, Photographic Services, So. Baptist Home Mission Board