The storied rivalry between the Boston Herald and Boston Globe will take center stage at City Winery Boston on Wednesday, July 30, when former Herald reporter Dave Wedge and Globe reporter Emily Sweeney delve deep into the newspaper rivalry, share shocking true crime tales and reveal thrilling details of their books on Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Dropkick Murphy. 

The hard-nosed Boston street reporters will swap behind-the-scenes tales of some of Boston’s most iconic news stories and how the newspapers battled it out to get the big scoop. Along the way, they’ll give a rare and unfiltered glimpse into the wild cast of characters at each paper and reveal the inner workings of the Herald’s former headquarters on Wingo Way and the Globe’s longtime bunker on Morrissey Boulevard. 

“This will be an historic and irreverent night of storytelling about some of the city’s most memorable news events and wildest newspaper moments,” Wedge said. “From literal murders in the newsroom to getting chased out of crime scenes by cops and gangsters, we’ll reveal the truth behind the country’s fiercest newspaper rivalry – and it truly is stranger than fiction.” 

Wedge and Sweeney will also be bringing the audience into their books about Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Dropkick Murphy in a multi-media experience produced by MediaBoss, an award-winning creative agency known for delivering unforgettable events and original storytelling. There will also be a meet-and-greet and book signing following the show. Books provided by Boston’s Parkside Bookshop. 

WHAT: Fight Night: featuring Dave Wedge and Emily Sweeney 

WHEN: Wednesday, July 30 at 7:30 PM / 5:30 PM Doors 

WHERE: City Winery Boston, 80 Beverly St, Boston, MA 02114 

INFO: Tickets are on sale now at citywinery.com/boston 

ABOUT DAVE WEDGE 

Dave Wedge is a New York Times bestselling author who was an award-winning investigative journalist for the Boston Herald for 14 years. His book about the 2013 Boston Marathon attacks, ‘Boston Strong: A City’s Triumph Over Tragedy,’ was adapted for the 2017 movie Patriots Day. He has written bestsellers about Tom Brady and “Deflategate,” Whitey Bulger and John Lennon. His 2022 book Riding with Evil: Taking Down the Notorious Pagans Motorcycle Gang is in development as a feature film. His latest, “Blood & Hate: The Untold Story of Marvelous Marvin Hagler’s Battle for Glory,” is in development as a feature film with Academy Award-winning actor/producer Sam Rockwell and actress/producer Rosie Perez. He is currently working on “Cop Town,” a true crime thriller about the Karen Read murder case in Canton, Massachusetts. 

ABOUT EMILY SWEENEY 

Emily Sweeney is a staff reporter at The Boston Globe. Her “Blotter Tales” column appears in the Metro section of the paper every Sunday and she recently launched “The Cold Case Files,” a new series and newsletter about unsolved murders. She’s the author of several nonfiction books, including “Boston Organized Crime,” “Gangland Boston,” and “Dropkick Murphy: A Legendary Life.” She has been featured on many TV and radio programs, making appearances on BBC Radio, Court TV, the Travel Channel, History Channel and has been in many documentaries, including the Netflix series, “How to Become a Mob Boss.” 

We know many of you asked for more time to complete your entries for the New England Newspaper Awards. Good news: you have it—but not for long! The final deadline is this Friday, July 18, 2025.

This is your last chance to enter before judging begins in August. Don’t miss the opportunity to have your work recognized at the 2025 Fall Leadership Conference in Northampton, MA.

Below you’ll find the full list of prestigious award categories, with links to past winners and detailed entry information.

Don’t forget to check out our exciting new A-Mark Prizes, with up to $15,000 per state in monetary awards open to all New England journalists – including freelancers and non-members! All entries for the Publick Occurrences Award and the New England First Amendment Award will automatically be considered for the A-Mark Prizes.

Need help? Have questions? Don’t hesitate to ask! We’re here to help make sure your entry is complete. Reach out anytime to Linda Conway at l.conway@nenpa.com or Tara Cleary at t.cleary@nenpa.com.

Learn more about the Newspaper of the Year Awards

Not a NENPA member? It is not too late to join this year and participate in any of the New England Newspaper Awards. Check out our membership options and application form for more information about joining.

Entries are being accepted for these prestigious awards and prizes:

New England Newspaper of the Year

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.)

Publick Occurrences Awards

This award recognizes the best work that New England newspapers produce each year— whether it’s individual or team stories, series, spot news coverage, columns, or photojournalism published in print or online during the contest period, echoing the spirit of America’s first newspaper.

Allan B. Rogers Editorial Award

Recognizes editorial writing that makes a compelling, reasoned argument and contributes to the editorial voice of a publication. The competition is open to local subject editorials from a wide variety of newspapers in New England, regardless of circulation size and frequency of publication.

New England First Amendment Award

Presented to individuals or organizations that champion freedom of the press and the public’s right to know, often at great personal or institutional risk. This award will recognize a New England newspaper for its exceptional work in upholding the First Amendment and/or educating the public about it. Entrants will be judged for the quality of reporting, editorials, commentary, and/or legal challenges that illuminate or uphold the First Amendment.

AP Sevellon Brown New England Journalist of the Year

The New England Society of News Editors bestows an annual award to an individual who produces outstanding journalism in New England. Awarded to a journalist for outstanding reporting, ethics, and leadership in news coverage over the past year.

Bob Wallack Community Journalism Award

This special award, which is named in honor of longtime New England journalist and former New England Press Association Executive Director Bob Wallack, recognizes an individual who has an exceptional record of commitment to community journalism.

The Cornerstone Award

Designed to recognize and honor unsung heroes in our news organizations who meaningfully and significantly contribute to the accomplishments of our publications without recognition. These individuals are the lifeblood of our operations, consistently providing the support and commitment needed to keep our departments and publications thriving.

New England Journalism Educator of the Year Award

Recognizes 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. Entries are free for this award, and NENPA membership is not required to enter. Each college in New England is entitled to submit one nomination for the award.

A-Mark Prizes

Recognizes and honors outstanding investigative journalism that reveals hidden truths, holds power to account, or drives public awareness or reform. The awards will reward ambitious, well-researched reporting that may expose a wrong, hold powerful individuals accountable, or explore a complex problem, issue, or subject. We will award up to $15,000 in each New England state. This contest is open to journalists based in New England whose primary medium is the written word, including reporters, columnists, and investigative journalists working in newspapers and online news sites. Entries are free for the A-Mark Prizes, and NENPA membership is not required to enter. All Publick Occurrences and First Amendment entries will automatically be entered for consideration in the A-Mark Prizes.

Nominations are now being accepted for the New England Newspaper & Press Association’s “New England Journalism Educator of the Year” award.

The award recognizes a professor at a university or college in our six-state region who is doing outstanding work in preparing aspiring journalists who will lead our newspaper organizations into the future. Each college in New England is entitled to submit one nomination for the award.

We’d be very pleased to include a professor from your school in this year’s competition. Simply write a letter in support of someone on your staff who is doing extraordinary work with journalism students. To see the previous recipients, please click here. Please explain why you think your nominee merits special recognition, and feel free to provide examples or supporting material if appropriate. Also, please provide contact information for your nominee, so that we can follow up with questions and notify them if they are selected.

Entries are free; please fill out the entry form to enter your nominee for the award and upload a PDF of your nomination letter and supporting materials.

Don’t hesitate to let us know if questions come up or if you need further information to submit your nomination. If there is someone else in your department who should be notified about this, please forward us the appropriate person’s contact information or simply pass along this note.

Thanks very much, we’re looking forward to reading the nomination letters and learning about the wonderful work that journalism professors in New England are doing. Until we’re back in touch, very best regards!

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.

This event also recognizes the very best editorial work produced in New England, including New England Newspaper of the Year, New England First Amendment Award, Journalist of the Year, Allan B. Rogers Editorial Award, Bob Wallack Community Journalism Award, Publick Occurrences Awards, A-Mark Prizes and The Cornerstone Award.

For further information or questions, contact students@nenpa.com.

We have heard the news from the messages in our inbox that you need more time to enter the NENPA New England Newspaper Awards Program. No worries, we have you! The deadline has been extended one week to Friday, July 18, 2025. Please note this will be the final deadline to ensure enough time to judge all the award categories.

Check out the list below of prestigious awards and prizes open for entries, with links to each award page on our website, listing previous award winners, and more information.

Spread the word to all editors and journalists at your publication to know about our exciting new series of awards, the A-Mark Prizes, which will provide up to $90,000 in monetary awards to journalists and newsrooms. The A-Mark Prizes are free to enter and open to all New England journalists, including freelancers, regardless of NENPA member status.

All entries for the Publick Occurrences Award and New England First Amendment Award will automatically be entered into the A-Mark Prizes.

To be considered, fill out the online entry form and upload the required documents for each award from the contest year (June 1, 2024 – May 31, 2025).

Judging will take place in August. Winners will be notified in September, and all awards will be presented at the 2025 Fall Leadership Conference in Northampton, MA, on September 25-26, at the Hotel Northampton.

AWARDS INCLUDE:

New England Newspaper of the Year

Publick Occurrences Awards

Allan B. Rogers Editorial Award

New England First Amendment Award

AP Sevellon Brown New England Journalist of the Year

Bob Wallack Community Journalism Award

The Cornerstone Award

New England Journalism Educator of the Year Award

A-Mark Prizes

Questions? Please contact Linda Conway at l.conway@nenpa.com.

We’re excited to launch the A-Mark Prizes to recognize and honor outstanding investigative journalism that reveals hidden truths, holds power to account, or drives public awareness or reform.

The awards will reward ambitious, well-researched reporting that may expose a wrong, hold powerful individuals accountable, or explore a complex problem, issue, or subject. 

In addition to professional recognition, winners will receive monetary prizes and have their work prominently featured on our website. Select entries may also be used in promotional campaigns across our digital platforms and publications, shining a spotlight on your reporting far beyond your newsroom.

We will award up to $15,000 in each New England state. If there are not enough entries in a state, or the judges determine that no entry is prize-worthy, we reserve the right to reduce the number of awards in any state, or not give any awards.

Deadline for entries extended through Friday, July 18, 2025.

Download 2025 A-Mark Prizes Guidelines

The prizes in each state (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) are as follows:
▪ 1st Place: $5,000 to journalist(s), $2,500 to the outlet
▪ 2nd Place: $3,000 to journalist(s), $1,500 to the outlet
▪ 3rd Place: $2,000 to journalist(s), $1,000 to the outlet
If a winning entry was produced by multiple reporters, the prize amount will be split evenly among them.

The Prizes are funded by the A-Mark Foundation, a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to supporting and encouraging journalism and investigative reporting through grants to organizations that offer awards recognizing journalistic excellence.

This contest is free to enter and open to journalists based in New England whose primary medium is the written word, including reporters, columnists, investigative journalists, and freelancers, working in newspapers and online news sites. NENPA membership is not required to enter.

This is your opportunity to inspire others, raise your profile, and be recognized for outstanding work.

Be Among the First Honorees

As part of the award’s inaugural year, winners will set the standard for what this honor represents—courageous, clear, and compelling journalism that makes a difference.

Submit your best work by July 18, 2025. Claim your place in New England journalism history.

All Publick Occurrences and First Amendment entries will automatically be entered for consideration in the A-Mark Prizes.

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.

Think you published the best local editorial in New England this year? Prove it.

We’re now accepting entries for the Allan B. Rogers Editorial Award, honoring exceptional editorial writing on local issues published between June 1, 2024, and May 31, 2025.

This award pays tribute to the late editor of The Eagle-Tribune (North Andover, MA), who left an enduring legacy before his untimely passing at 31. It’s open to all NENPA member newspapers, regardless of size or publication frequency.

Why enter?

• Highlight your newsroom’s commitment to strong local commentary
• Compete with the region’s best editorial voices
• Gain recognition at the 2025 Fall Leadership Conference, September 25–26 at the Hotel Northampton in Northampton, MA

Key details:

• Entry fee: $125
• Deadline extended to Friday, July 18, 2025.
• Judging: August 2025
• Winners notified: September 2025

Previous Winners:

2024 The Berkshire Eagle, Pittsfield, MA – When police search classrooms for books
This editorial called out police overreach during a search for LGBTQ+-related literature in a middle school.

2023 The Berkshire Eagle, Pittsfield, MA – Amid clergy abuse case, a chilling attack on a free press
This piece chastises the Catholic diocese in Western Massachusetts for trying to subpoena a reporter’s notes, which would reveal confidential sources, and delineates why such an assault on the First Amendment is dangerous.

2022 New Hampshire Union Leader – To our readers (William Loeb)
Front-page editorial confronting — and condemning — the shameful history of child sexual abuse by former publisher William Loeb.

2021 The Eagle-Tribune, North Andover, MA – Fixing a broken system
This editorial lays out the issues plaguing the region’s gas lines with strong reporting, clear language, and a call to action for the state to fix this dangerous problem.

Don’t miss your chance to showcase your editorial excellence.

Submit your entry or learn more: https://www.nenpa.com/awards-recognition/allan-b-rogers-editorial-award/

Contact Linda Conway at l.conway@nenpa.com for questions or more information.

Learn more about the Newspaper of the Year Awards