David McNair

honors

  • 2024 Virginia Generally Assembly House Resolution honoring David McNair’s journalistic mission and achievements. “Recognizing that an informed citizenry is the foundation of all democracies, David McNair has provided an invaluable service to the community of Charlottesville.”
  • In 2022, The Washington Post ran a story about our investigation into the loss of The Hook‘s online archives that was nominated for a 2023 Mirror Award, which recognizes excellence in media industry reporting.
  • 2021 Sewanee Review Fiction Contest, runner-up: “It’s a story of remarkable tenderness and dexterity, never sentimental and full of surprise. There is such a gift for the unstated here, and the quiet multitudes that fill out depths of our lives.” – contest judge Brandon Taylor.
  • 2012 Virginia Press Association Awards: Writing for The Hook; 1st Place, Public Affairs Writing, “The Ouster of a President,” a package of stories by the Hook staff, for which the paper also wins the VPA Award for Journalistic Integrity & Public Service for the third time. 
  • 2011 Virginia Press Association Awards: Writing for The Hook; 2nd Place, Public Affairs Writing, for the story “Glitchy System, about Albemarle County schools’ faulty, $2-million software package. (“On another day, with a different judge, this could have been first,” the judge commented.)
  • 2010 Virginia Press Associations Awards: Writing for the Hook; 2nd Place, “Rooms with a view” in the “combination picture and story” category. Also, 2nd Place for a report on housing fit for aging.
  • 2009 Virginia Press Association Awards: Writing for The Hook; 2nd place, Public Affairs Writing for this story about the recycling and the local waste authority and continuing coverage. (Judges comment: “A lot of time and research went into reporting this waste war. Truly. This is a public service to your readers.”
  • 2008 Virginia Press Association Awards: The Hook wins Virginia Press Association’s highest honor, the Award for Journalistic Integrity & Public Service, for the second time for a series of stories about a controversial water proposal.
  • 2007 Virginia Press Association Awards: Writing for The Hook; 1st place, Multimedia Feature Writing; 2nd place, Special Sections.
  • 2006 Virginia Press Association Awards: Writing for The Hook newspaper; 2nd place, Leisure and Entertainment writing; 2nd place, Multimedia Reporting; The Hook wins Virginia Press Association’s highest honor, the Award for Journalistic Integrity & Public Service, for the first time for a series of investigative reports.
  • UVA English Department Balch Prize in Fiction, Honorable mention
  • Henry Hoyns Fellowship, University of Virginia