Once again, the New England Newspaper & Press Association will identify our region’s best daily, weekly, specialty, and online news publications, and recognize them with the prestigious “New England Newspaper of the Year” award. Winners will be named in a range of circulation categories.

To be considered, editors fill out the online entry form, include a cover letter, and upload them along with two editions from the contest year (June 1, 2023 – May 31, 2024).

This is a one-of-a-kind competition – it is the only distinction of its kind in the newspaper industry that audience members judge. New England newspaper readers will be appointed to evaluate the entries from a news consumer point of view and decide which deserves the honor of being named Newspaper of the Year.

NENPA member publications are invited to enter five categories: Weekday newspapers, Sunday newspapers, Weekly community newspapers, Specialty Publications, and Online News Sites.

Publications will be assigned to a competitive division within their category after all entries are received (i.e., small, medium, and large weeklies, small, medium, and large dailies, small, medium, and large Sunday/weekend publications, local and regional news sites.)

Judging will take place in August. Winners will be notified in September, and all awards will be presented and celebrated during the New England Newspaper & Press Association (NENPA) and New York Press Association (NYPA) joint Fall Conference at The Omni in Providence, RI from September 19-21, 2024.

Learn more about the Newspaper of the Year Awards

The deadline for all entries is Friday, July 19, 2024.

Please note this year there is no need to package and mail anything – all entries will be uploaded using the entry form.

Entries are also being accepted for seven other prestigious awards:

Publick Occurrences Award
This award recognizes individual or team stories, series, spot news coverage, columns or photojournalism that ran in print and/or online. Editors should view this entry as their “very best work of the year.”
Learn more …

Bob Wallack Community Journalism Award
This award celebrates the accomplishments of someone who, over a sustained period of time, has faithfully served the community for which they are responsible and has played an active, constructive role in contributing to its quality of life.
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Allan B. Rogers Editorial Award
This award recognizes the best editorial on a local subject that ran in New England in the past year.
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New England First Amendment Award
This award will recognize a New England newspaper for its exceptional work in upholding the First Amendment and/or educating the public about it.
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AP Sevellon Brown New England Journalist of the Year
This award is bestowed by the New England Society of News Editors, and it recognizes an individual for producing journalism of distinction in New England this past year.
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New this year! The Cornerstone Award
This new award is designed to recognize and honor unsung heroes in our news organizations who meaningfully and significantly contribute to the accomplishments of our publications without recognition. About these folks, we ask the question: “Where would we be without them?” These individuals are the lifeblood of our operations, consistently providing the support and commitment needed to keep our departments and publications thriving.
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New England Journalism Educator of the Year
NENPA presents the New England Journalism Educator of the Year award on behalf of the Journalism Education Foundation of New England to recognize a professor at a university or college in the six-state region who is doing outstanding work to prepare journalists to lead our newspaper organizations into the future.
Learn more …