The 2021 Publick Occurrences Awards were presented on October 21, 2021. This award recognizes the very best work that New England newspapers produce each year— whether it’s individual or team stories, series, spot-news coverage, columns, or photojournalism that ran in print and/or online.

The award was established in 1990 to recognize individual and team merit at New England newspapers to mark the 300th anniversary of the founding of Publick Occurrences, the first newspaper published in America. Four days after it appeared in Boston in 1690, Publick Occurrences was suppressed by the royal governor.

2021 Publick Occurences Winners

The Salem News, Salem, Mass: Varian Cleanup
Gloucester Daily Times, Gloucester, MA: Mayor a toxic leader.
Telegram and Gazette, Worcester, Mass.: Police Records Lawsuit
Worcester Magazine, Worcester, MA: A Refugee’s Journey
Burlington Free Press, Burlington, VT: A ski resort, a dream and greed
The Herald News, Fall River, MA: Jasiel Correia Trial Coverage
The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA: Guilfoil PR series
The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA: Narcan: a shot at life
The Day, New London, CT: Pandemic deaths leave an unfillable void
The Day, New London, CT: Looking for the Todt Family (podcast)
Republican American, Waterbury, CT: Focus On…
Keene Sentinel, Keene, NH: Pandemic Parenting
Seven Days, Burlington, VT: It’s in the building
CT Mirror, Connecticut: Vaccine Rollout
Martha’s Vineyard Times, Vineyard Haven, MA: Voices on Racism
CT Health I-Team: Lead Poisoning Epidemic