Late film critic Roger Ebert takes top spot in columnists’ competition

HARTFORD, Conn. – Late movie critic Roger Ebert has been honoured by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists.

Ebert, who worked at the Chicago Sun-Times for more than 40 years, took first place for online columns or blogs on large websites in the NSNC’s annual column contest. The group held its annual conference Saturday in Hartford, Conn.

Ebert died earlier this year at age 70, after a long battle with cancer. The day before his April 4 death, he wrote in a post on his blog that he was taking a break from his schedule of almost-daily movie reviewing because cancer had recurred.

He won national fame teaming with fellow film critic Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune in 1975 for a television show that had them each give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down rating to the latest releases.