Cronkite senior Nicholas Badders is the winner of the 2019 Greg Crowder Memorial Photojournalism Award. His stunning work will be displayed on the Cronkite School’s third floor for a year.
Cronkite School senior Nicholas Badders won the 2019 Greg Crowder Memorial Photojournalism Award for his stunning work in sports photography.
Each year, Cronkite selects one student to receive the award honoring Greg Crowder, a 1980 Arizona State graduate and longtime photojournalist at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California. After Crowder’s 2005 death, his parents established the award and endowment to honor his life and spirit. The first award was presented in 2010.
Badders will receive $1,000 and have his winning photos on exhibit on the third floor of the Cronkite School for a year. Second place went to Anya Magnuson, and honorable mention went to Ellen O’Brien.
Badders’ eye-catching photos ranged from bull riding and pre-game baseball swings to thundering basketball dunks and “Ralphie the Buffalo” running onto the field at an ASU football game.
He started shooting baseball games during his freshman year and became involved with the Walter Cronkite Sports Network, a student organization where he re-energized the photo department. Badders went on to shoot more than a dozen ASU sports teams, capturing more than 100 games. His work has been published by the Walter Cronkite Sports Network website, social media platforms, and the Sun Devil Athletics website.
Badders attributes his interest in photography to his dad, who was always snapping photos at his sporting events to share with other parents. Now it is Badders who captures key moments for the athletes.
“To capture an athlete in motion and make it a still frame in memory is fascinating to me,” Badders said. “I know how much I liked having photos of myself when I played sports. To be able to save those moments for others is so special.”
Crowder Award winners have gone on to work at leading news organizations around the country.
“While Greg may no longer be with us, his legacy and impact as an outstanding photojournalist and individual lives on through the recipients, who have won his award over the years,” said Cronkite Senior Associate Dean Kristin Gilger.
Badders will be honored during the Cronkite School’s 10th annual Greg Crowder Memorial Photojournalism Award Reception on Sept. 17.