/EINPresswire.com/ -- TUSTIN, CA--(Marketwired - December 15, 2016) - Preston Lerner took top honors in the Best of the Year: Book category for "Ford GT: How Ford Silenced the Critics, Humbled Ferrari and Conquered Le Mans" at last night's Annual Motor Press Guild Awards presented at the Marconi Automotive Museum in Orange County. The comprehensive 224-page hardcover book, which details the entire Ford GT program from start to finish, also earned Lerner the 2016 Dean Batchelor Award for Excellence in Automotive Journalism.

Also recognized was Jean Jennings, the latest recipient of MPG's Lifetime Achievement Award. Presented by Michael Jordan, the West Coast Editor for Automobile Magazine, the award turns the spotlight on Jennings for her outstanding contributions to the automotive communications industry. Jennings is the founder of the automotive blog JeanKnowsCars.com and the former president and editor of Automobile magazine. She has been writing about cars and the car business for more than 30 years. "It is an honor to bestow the Motor Press Guild Lifetime Achievement Award onto Jean for her enormous contributions to both journalism and the automotive industry," stated Jason Fogelson, President of the Motor Press Guild. "She, for one, will go down in history for breaking that 'glass ceiling,' attaining a level of credibility, integrity and authority not only for women, but for all journalists."

The annual celebration of excellence is intended to inspire automotive journalists, both present and future, to produce work of the highest professional caliber in eight specific categories including feature articles, news stories, vehicle reviews (in both print and video format), books, audio programs, video features, and photography.

The Motor Press Guild was extremely proud to recognize these deserving parties for their excellent contributions to automotive journalism. Congratulations to the following individuals who took top honors in their individual categories:

• DEAN BATCHELOR AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN AUTOMOTIVE JOURNALISM: Preston Lerner: "Ford GT: How Ford Silenced the Critics, Humbled Ferrari and Conquered Le Mans"
• MOTOR PRESS GUILD LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Jean Jennings
• FEATURE ARTICLE: Randy Wells: "Searching for Salt" -- Road Scholars Magazine
• NEWS ARTICLE: Kelsey Mays: "Which New Cars Still Have Takata Airbag Inflators?" -- Cars.com
• VEHICLE REVIEW: Doug DeMuro: "I Drove One Of Five TVR Tuscans in the Entire Western Hemisphere" -- Autotrader.com
• AUDIO: Charlie Vogelheim & Shawn Myers: Motor Trend Audio #92: "Storied Histories" -- Motor Trend Audio
• BOOKS: Preston Lerner: "Ford GT: How Ford Silenced the Critics, Humbled Ferrari and Conquered LeMans" -- Motorbooks Publishing
• FEATURE VIDEO: Sam Mercer, Lauren Scott, Iñigo Oleaga, John Stein, Producers; "Inside the Archives of Jesse Alexander."
• REVIEW VIDEO: Yellow B Films, Jabari Jones (Brian Moody, Tara Trompeter), Producers; "2016 Toyota RAV4: 5 Reasons to Buy" -- AutoTrader
• BOB D'OLIVO AWARD FOR PHOTOGRAPHY: Camden Thrasher: "Back Story" (Porsche Panorama) -- Porsche Panorama

CAPTIONS:
Preston Lerner receives the Dean Batchelor For Excellence In Automotive Journalism from MPG President Jason Fogelson for his book, "Ford GT: How Ford Silenced the Critics, Humbled Ferrari and Conquered Le Mans." Each year, the Motor Press Guild presents the Dean Batchelor Award and a $500 prize to the journalist judged to have produced the single piece of work which best represents the professional standards and excellence demanded by Dean Batchelor during his life as an editor, writer, and chronicler of the automotive industry. The prestigious award was presented on Tuesday, December 13, 2016, at the annual Motor Press Guild Awards ceremony at the Marconi Automotive Museum in Orange County.

Jean Jennings receives the MPG Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Motor Press Guild Awards ceremony at the Marconi Automobile Museum in Orange County on Tuesday, December 13, 2016. The award turns the spotlight on Jennings for her outstanding contributions to the automotive communications industry. Jennings is the founder of the automotive blog JeanKnowsCars.com and the former president and editor of Automobile magazine. She has been writing about cars and the car business for more than 30 years.

For multimedia content -- http://motorpressguild.tritium.co/top-honors-recognized-at-the-2016-motor-press-guild-awards

About the Motor Press Guild Awards
The Motor Press Guild Awards single out persons demonstrating outstanding achievement in automotive journalism and communications. Judging for each category is conducted by MPG members and non-members appointed by the Chair of the MPG Awards Committee, and a final panel of three judges, including the Chair of the MPG Awards Committee as Head Judge, selects the winner of the Dean Batchelor Award from amongst the category winners. Selected separately by the Motor Press Guild Board of Directors, the Lifetime Achievement Award is presented on a case-by-case basis to individuals for their outstanding contributions to the automotive communications industry.

About the Motor Press Guild
The Los Angeles-based Motor Press Guild (MPG) is the largest automotive media association in North America. This exclusive, non-profit organization is dedicated to upholding the highest ideals in automotive journalism and promoting education and information exchange within the motoring press. For more information, please visit www.motorpressguild.org