The Boothbay Register, Wiscasset Newspaper and Pen Bay Pilot won 35 Maine Press Association individual and staff awards, and the Pilot’s advertising salesperson, Janis Bunting, received the 2024 Advertising Person of the Year Award. The awards ceremony was held Saturday, Oct. 19 at Atlantic Oceanside Hotel & Event Center in Bar Harbor at the 2024 MPA Conference. 

All three newspapers competed in the Weekly 2 division. The contest was judged by the Nebraska Press Association. 

The Boothbay Register/Wiscasset Newspaper took top honors for digital General Excellence and third place in print General Excellence. 

Register reporter Fritz Freudenberger led the staffs with seven awards. He won a first-place Feature Photo award for a photo of a Windjammer Days cod fish race competitor. His two second place awards include a shared award with Steve Edwards for his Spot News story on the structure fire on Squirrel Island and a People Photo of another Windjammer Days cod fish race competitor. He won four third-place awards: Sports News story on the Ultimate Frisbee club; News Headline, Let there be (not so much) light; Environmental Story, Residents prioritize climate change concerns, solutions; and Education Story, Meet Smudge. 

Pilot Editorial Director Lynda Clancy won six awards. She won two first place awards – News Video, Heavy damage along coastline as ocean inundates with powerful surf (Jan. 10, 2024 storm); and Sports Video, Keen competition, fast times at Camden’s 2024 U.S. National Toboggan Championships. She also won two second- and two third-place awards. Her second-place awards included a Features/Lifestyle Video, Welcoming the New Year in Rockport, Maine, with old friends; and a Political Story, Thomaston citizens create park ‘in perpetuity.’ Her third-place awards were for an Investigative Report, Maine’s plan to site wind power port on Sears Island draws swift response, with support and opposition; and an Analysis, ‘Perfect public safety storm’ at Knox 911 call center; ‘closure’ yet to be defined. 

Boothbay Register/Wiscasset Newspaper Assistant Editor Susan Johns garnered four awards. She won a first-place award for her Features/Lifestyle Video on the Wiscasset Easter egg hunt. Johns also won a second-place award for her News Video, Legion Post 54 gives to Wiscasset causes. She was also presented with two third-place awards: News Video, Dig into Wormfest June 8; and Editorial, Make it harder. 

The Register’s Arts and Entertainment Editor Lisa Kristoff won two first-place and one third-place awards. Her first-place awards were for a Critic’s Award for her story ‘Working Maine’ celebrates Mainers and their livelihoods; and a Feature Headline, ‘Mainely Nude’: A compelling body of work.

Steve Edwards, production lead and part-time editorial contributor, also won three awards. He won two first-place awards: Scenic Photo, Schooner Eastwind; and Best Supplement Cover, Dining Guide 2023. As mentioned above, he shared a second-place award with Fritz Freudenberger in Spot News Story on the structure fire on Squirrel Island. 

Register reporter Bill Pearson won a first-place award for his Sports Headline, Harkins capping senior year with strong ‘Finn-ish’; and a second-place award for his Sports Headline, Wolverines ‘Landin’ Class D semis on Shirey’s 5 3-pointers. 

The Register staff won a first place, Supplement/Special Section, for Summertime 2023; and a second-place, Community Engagement Idea, Holiday cards to the community. 

The Pilot won five additional awards. Sarah Thompson took first place for her Spot News story, Search for overdue fisherman leads to island rescue over rough terrain. Chris Wolf won first place for his Food Story/Feature, Handing over the enduring, and endearing, legacy of Marriner’s in Camden to new owners. Kathleen Norton took second-place in the Opinion/Columnist category for her piece, Yours are mine, too. Erica Thoms won third place for her Courts Story, Plaintiffs’ second motion to dismiss Belfast 8 civil suit granted with prejudice, and costs awarded to 8 defendants. 

Register Editor Kevin Burnham won a first-place award for his Sports Profile, Boothbay Region Youth Basketball has successful first year. 

News Contributor Jane Carpenter won third place for her Health Story, End of SNAP COVID supplement creates $180M loss this year for businesses. 

The awards concluded a day of programming and networking for reporters, photographers, journalists, advertising staff, and designers throughout the state.  

Naomi Schalit and John Christie, founders of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, which publishes The Maine Monitor; and Larry Mahoney, the face of sports at the Bangor Daily News for more than 50 years, were selected by the MPA’s Hall of Fame Committee as the 2024 inductees.