Each year, the New England Newspaper & Press Association identifies our region’s best daily, weekly, specialty, and online news publications, and recognizes them with the prestigious “New England Newspaper of the Year” award. Winners will be named in a range of circulation categories.
This is a one-of-a-kind competition – it is the only distinction of its kind in the newspaper industry that is judged by audience members. 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.
Readers will evaluate your paper’s relative strengths and weaknesses, including:
◆ quality of reporting and writing
◆ use of photos
◆ design and presentation
◆ digital offering
◆ overall utility and value
◆ General impressions, such as: Does the newspaper inform, educate, entertain, inspire, motivate, or lead? Does it reflect and care about the community it serves? Does it put the interests of the reader first? Is it unique or special in some way?
NENPA member newspapers are invited to enter five categories: Weekday newspapers, Sunday newspapers, Weekly community newspapers, Specialty Publications, and Online News Sites.
To be considered, editors simply fill out the entry form and brief summary and upload them along with two editions from the contest year.
Weekday – One issue from the week of March 3-8, 2025 and One issue from any weekday June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025
Sunday – Issue from March 9, 2025 and One issue from any Sunday between June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025
Weekly and Specialty Publications – One issue from March 2025 and one issue from anytime between June 1, 2024, to May 31, 2025
Online News Sites – Along with your URL, one link to an article or work from March 2025 and, one link to an article or work any day June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025
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.)
The deadline for entries is July 11, 2025.
Judging will take place in August. Winners will be notified in September.
All awards will be presented at the 2025 Fall Leadership Conference in Northampton, MA, on September 25-26, 2025, at the Hotel Northampton.
Questions? Please contact Linda Conway at l.conway@nenpa.com.
