The Chattanooga Times Free Press won 17 state press contest awards Friday, including a first place for its Sunday editions, among the state's largest newspapers.
Other awards won by the newspaper in the annual Tennessee Press Association contest included second place in public service, best single editorial and best graphics and/or illustrations.
The annual contest is co-sponsored by the University of Tennessee.
Illinois Press Association members judged a total of 1,468 entries from 76 of the Tennessee group's 124 member newspapers.
The Commercial Appeal, a Memphis newspaper, won the sweepstakes award for the best overall showing in the category given to the largest circulation newspaper. It received eight first-place awards.
The Times Free Press won third-place awards for investigative reporting, editorial writing, education reporting, the newspaper's website, make-up and appearance and headline writing.
The newspaper won fourth-place awards for best special issue or section, community lifestyles, local features and best news photograph.
It came in fifth place in sports writing, best news photograph and promotion of newspapers.
The Times Free Press was formed in 1999 by a merger between the The Chattanooga Times, the city's morning newspaper since 1878, and the Chattanoga Free Press, the city's longtime afternoon newspaper.