The Kinston High School varsity basketball team stands together for a picture after losing to Farmville Central High School in the 2-A East Regional final game at Lee County High School in Sanford, NC, Saturday, March 5, 2022.
Award-winning News & Observer journalist Andrew Carter has added another accolade to his list of accolades.
The National Sports Media Association named Carter the 2022 North Carolina Sportswriter of the Year, the second time a writer from Raleigh has earned the honor.
Carter joins colleague Stan Cotten of the Wake Forest Sports Network in Winston-Salem on the list of winners. Cotten was named North Carolina Sports Journalist of the Year, the sixth time he has been so honored.
Carter, a seasoned reporter for the News & Observer, was honored for his body of work reading the term in North Carolina and beyond.
His work last year included a series of stories profiling Kinston and the symbiotic relationship between the eastern North Carolina city and its high school basketball program. The stories received regional and national recognition.
His work covering the ACC, his departure from Greensboro and his reinvention amid the ever-changing NCAA landscape — from the NIL to conference realignment — remains important, must-see journalism for those who follow the league and its teams.
Carter noted many important moments for the News & Observer in 2022. They include:
▪ The final days of Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s tenure on the Blue Devils bench
▪ Durham Bulls and pitcher Tyler Zombro’s heartwarming return to the field after a devastating injury.
▪ The many faces of San Francisco, which hosted the West Regional round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, and
▪ Michael Jordan’s birthplace in Brooklyn, not far from the Barclays Center and the ACC Tournament
“Andrew is an incredible reporter,” said Justin Pelletier, deputy regional sports editor for The N&O. “The stories he tells are important, well thought out and honest. He is a tremendous asset to those who are fortunate enough to read the stories he tells.”
Nationally, CBS Sports’ Ian Eagle was selected as the 2022 National Sportscaster of the Year, while The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and ESPN.com’s Pete Thamel were the 2022 National Sportswriters of the Year.
ESPN College GameDay mainstay Lee Corso and Los Angeles Times sports columnist Bill Plaschke were among four elected to the NSMA Hall of Fame. Corso and Plaschke are joined by two posthumous inductees, hockey announcer Dan Kelly and essayist Roger Angell.
The NSMA will honor its award winners and Hall of Fame inductees during the 63rd Awards Weekend and National Convention, scheduled for April 24-26. June 2023 in Winston-Salem.
A complete list of national and state winners can be found on the NSMA website.
This story was originally published January 9, 2023 at 8:16 p.m.
Justin is a sports journalist with 20 years of experience in Lewiston, Maine (Sun Journal) and Boston (Boston Herald). The proud husband and father of twin girls, Pelletier is a graduate of Boston University and a member of Jack Falla’s esteemed sports writing mob. He has won dozens of state and national sports writing and editing awards covering prep, college and professional leagues.