Ballard wins National Awards

Jack Ballard, a widely-recognized outdoor writer from Red Lodge, was among a select number of communicators to receive Excellence in Craft Awards from the Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA) at the organization’s recent annual conference. 

Ballard’s column entitled “Backcountry Bound” in Successful Hunter magazine earned 1st place in the “Outdoor Column” contest. He also garnered 1st place in the “Scenic Photography” competition with a sunrise image taken in Yellowstone National Park.

“It’s very gratifying to receive these awards,” says Ballard. “My peers in this industry are some of the most creative, hard-working artists in the country. I’m both pleased and humbled by their recognition.”

The author of hundreds of magazine articles that have been published in more than 50 national and regional titles, Ballard is also the author of 13 books. His latest book, Large Mammals of the Rocky Mountains was published in 2018.

OWAA is the nation’s oldest and largest association of professional outdoors-focused communicators. The 700-plus-member association formed in 1927 and counts many of the nation’s foremost outdoor writers, photographers, artists and broadcasters among its individual members.