JACKSON — The advertising and marketing staff of The Natchez Democrat won 16 awards, including second place in overall advertising excellence, in the Mississippi Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest, advertising division.

The awards were handed out Saturday at the annual mid-winter conference in Jackson.

The Democrat competes with newspapers in its circulation size, 9,000 to 15,000.

First-place awards were:

• Political advertisement, black and white, Chuck Mayfield for sheriff — Ryan Richardson

• Institutional advertisement, color, Natchez Convention and Visitor’s Bureau — Richardson

• Grocery or restaurant advertisement, color, The Markets — Justin Clarkston

• Service advertisement, black and white, Miss-Lou Regionalism — Kevin Cooper

• Classified display ad, Lakeside Ford — staff

Second-place awards were:

• Overall advertising excellence

• Editorial special section, Profile 2010

• Institutional advertisement, color, Cathedral School — Richardson

• Service advertisement, color — Rita Brooks

• Small space ad, Hicks Distributing — Ollie Marsaw

• Series of ads — Heather Bass

Third-place awards were:

• Classified house ad

• Institutional advertisement, BASF — Brooks

• Editorial special section, Spring Pilgrimage

Honorable mention awards were:

• Retail advertisement, black and white, Upton’s Nursery — Clarkston

• Magazine advertisement, Natchez Regional Medical Center — Richardson