Houston Home Journal’s Sandra Hernandez wins top honors in state newspaper contest

PERRY — The most powerful photos do more than freeze a moment in time. They preserve the emotion, culture and humanity behind that moment.

That’s exactly what Houston Home Journal staff reporter Sandra Hernandez accomplished with two award-winning photographs recognized in this year’s Georgia Press Association Better Newspaper Contest.

Hernandez, a Warner Robins native and graduate of Middle Georgia State University, earned first place in the Feature Photograph category for an image from an immigration-support protest in February 2025. The image, captured in Warner Robins, shows demonstrators gathered in front of the now-closed Sabor Latino Venezuelan Restaurant on Watson Boulevard.

She took second place for a photograph of a Northern Ute Native American dancer performing a traditional dance at the Perry International Festival in March 2025.

Houston Home Journal Publisher Don Moncrief praised Hernandez for her accomplishments, saying the HHJ takes pride in her representation.

“We were proud of her long before these awards, because she is such a sweet, down-to-earth, respectful young lady. These awards attest to her professionalism, attention-to-detail and desire to strive to be the best she can be in her field,” Moncrief said. “Sandra is a perfect example of who this paper wants to be and the quality we want to deliver each week to the community.”

Meanwhile, on social media, the HHJ’s parent company, the Georgia Trust for Local News, celebrated accomplishments across the organization.

“These awards spotlight the high-quality, community-centered journalism our 20 publications in Georgia produce every day,” the GTLN stated on LinkedIn. “Congratulations to all of our journalists for this exciting achievement!”

Hernandez said that she was pleasantly surprised by her awards. Although she did not expect to win, she was delighted to be recognized by her peers, since fellow journalists judge the contest entries.

“I’m glad that they noticed my hard work, and I’m glad they saw how impactful those photos were,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez believes the judges noticed community impact shining through the photos. As a journalist, she finds visiting events that showcase community culture to be among her favorite assignments. The International Festival is an event she always enjoys attending.

“It was nice to be there in that moment, take those photos and show people’s passion in the photos, being able to share that visually with readers and with the community,” Hernandez said.

During events, Hernandez looks for notable moments. She tries to find people enjoying themselves or wearing something that sets them apart from the crowd. 

At the International Festival, the dancer’s regalia on stage immediately caught her eye. She had never seen a traditional dance in person, so she was excited to watch through the viewfinder as she kept snapping pictures.

“There was that one moment where he turns, and I thought, ‘Okay, that’s perfect.’ I’m glad I got that picture of him turning and doing his thing, and the guy in the background’s reaction,” Hernandez said.

For her first-place photography win, while covering the immigration protest, Hernandez vividly remembered the sound of the demonstrators chanting. She wanted to capture the movement and emotion she saw in her photographs.

“I was looking up and I saw the flags waving and the people being vocal about what’s happening. That led up to that moment into that photo. That’s another photo I’m proud that I was there to witness,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez believes that both photos, with their cultural symbols like feathers and flags, are powerful expressions that resonate with judges and readers alike.

To Hernandez, the photos speak volumes more than words.

“Visually, it gives people an eye into what the story is about. Photography is very important in telling that story,” Hernandez said.

Through these two snapshots of community culture, she hopes readers feel the passion in the way the dancer and the protestors chose to represent their cultures and beliefs.

“In both photos, both people are showing passion for what they love. I hope they take that away when they see those photos,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez’s wins were among 13 in Georgia Trust for Local News publications, including The Houston Home Journal, The Courier Herald, The Albany Herald and The Star-Mercury Vindicator.

GTLN publications took home four first-place awards: Hernandez for feature photography, Clay Reynolds with the Courier Herald for sports coverage, Kyle Dominy with the Courier Herald for lifestyle column, and Lucy Lannigan with the Albany Herald for business writing.