Photo by Steve Helber

VCCA Awards

The Virginia Capitol Correspondents Association bestows annual awards honoring career excellence in journalism through its Hall of Fame.

Nominees must be former or current members of the Virginia Capitol press corps who have covered the Capitol.

Dues-paying members will choose up to two winners, who are honored and inducted at the February dinner.

The journalists who have been honored by the Virginia Capitol Correspondents Association for distinguished lifetime or career achievement are: 

James H. Latimer of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Robert H. Melton of The Washington Post, and Buster Carico of The Roanoke Times.


The 2011 winners were George Bowles with the Virginia News Network and Margie Fisher of The Roanoke-Times.

The honorees for 2012 were Margaret Edds of the Virginian-Pilot and Ann Compton, who worked for WDBJ-TV and ABC News.

Richmond Times-Dispatch reporter Tyler Whitley and WWBT-TV reporter Jim Babb were honored in 2013.

The 2014 honorees were Associated Press correspondent George Wilbur and Virginia News Network reporter Mo Donaldson.

Richmond News Leader and Virginian-Pilot reporter and columnist Guy Friddell was honored in 2015.

The 2016 honoree was Richmond Times Dispatch reporter Michael Hardy.

In 2017, the VCCA honored former WDBJ-TV videographer Randy Lynn.

Longtime Richmond Times-Dispatch photographer Bob Brown was honored by his peers in 2018.

The 2019 honorees were Steve Helber, photographer for The Associated Press, and Richmond Times-Dispatch political columnist Charles McDowell.

WDBJ-TV reporter Joe Dashiell was the 2020 winner.

Donald P. Baker of The Washington Post and Ellen Qualls of WDBJ-TV were the 2023 inductees.