The Robert McCabe National Silver Medal award is given annually to the person who has shown excellence and creativity in advertising for his or her company, community, and the industry as a whole. It is AAF-Knoxville’s version of a “lifetime achievement” award.
The American Advertising Federation’s National Silver Medal Award Program was established in 1959 to recognize men and women who have made outstanding contributions to advertising and who have been active in furthering the industry’s standards, creative excellence and responsibility in areas of social concern. Annually, AAF member clubs bestow this honor upon outstanding members of the local advertising community. Silver Medal recipients are selected by a panel of judges from AAF Knoxville.
A candidate’s qualification criteria include:
• Contribution to Their Company – The recipient must have achieved success in one of the following areas of work: advertising agency, advertiser, media or advertising service.
• Creative Ability – The recipient must have shown a consistent, high degree of original thinking in their field.
• Contributions to the General Advancement of Advertising – The recipient must have worked to increase the stature and raise the standards of the advertising profession.
• Contributions to the Community – The recipient should be someone who has been active in civic, religious, or other groups dedicated to human or social welfare.
Robert McCabe Silver Medal Winners
1965: Charlie Haun, Cummings Outdoor
1966: Charlie Davis, Davis Newman Payne
1967: Roger Daley, Knoxville News Sentinel
1972: Neal Branch, WBIR-TV10
1974: Sam Newman, Davis Newman Payne
1976: Janet Dawson, WATE-TV6
1977: Gil Champagne, Knoxville News Sentinel
1978: Kenneth Hodge, Hodge Printing
1979: Richard Joel, University of Tennessee
1980: Liz Tombras, WBIR-TV10
1981: John Payne, Davis Newman Payne
1982: Bobby Denton, WIVK
1983: Bud Brooks, Ford Brooks Agency
1984: Jim Dick, Dick Broadcasting
1985: Charles Tombras Sr., The Tombras Group
1986: Jim Hart, WBIR-TV10
1987: Don McNeil, Tennessee Press Assoc.
1988: Lynn Leopper, WBIR-TV10
1989: Marvin Jack Kress, Kress Agency
1990: Ty McCloud, WATE-TV6
1991: Dick Meshendorf, Home Federal Bank
1992: Pat Wilson, WATE-TV6
1993: Ross Bagwell, Sr., Bagwell Productions
1994: Steve Dean, WBIR-TV10
1995: Dorothy Smith, Smith Marketing
1996: Jim Early, Early & Assoc.
1997: Shelba Murphy, Knoxville News Sentinel
1998: Charles Tombras Jr., The Tombras Group
1999: Tom Rowland, Rowland Productions
2000: Ann Staup, Direct Mail Services
2001: Chris Wise, Lancaster Consulting Group
2002: Ann Proud, Media Directions
2003: Ed Brantley, Citadel Broadcasting
2004: Curtis Parham, CP Productions
2005: Sam Littleton, WBIR-TV
2006: Terry Gillingham, South Central Communications
2007: Buddy McLean, Davis Newman Payne
2008: Carolyn Morton, Lamar Advertising
2009: Lisa Duncan, Dogwood Arts Festival
2010: Don Dudenbostel, Don Dudenbostel Photography
2011: David Jacobs, The Tombras Group
2012: Steve Early, Vol Network
2013: Chuck Morris, Morris Creative Group
2014: Dino Cartwright, Prestige Cleaners
2015: Bob Hasentufel, BobFilms
2016: Wayne Bowman, Bowman Creative + Strategy
2017: Dick Harrison, Harrison O’Neal
2018: Josh Loebner – Designsensory
2019: Linda Walker, WIVK
2020: Jamie Lewis, Praise 96.3
2021: Cory Dickson, Dickson Media & Events
2022: Adrian Pierce, WVLT