Entries are now open for this year’s New England Better Newspaper Competition, and this year’s contest is bigger and better than ever!
To reflect the evolving landscape of journalism, we’ve added eight new award categories designed to showcase innovation, community impact, and diverse storytelling. These new additions recognize the creative ways journalists are connecting with audiences — from social media and lifestyle writing to coverage of critical issues shaping our region.
New award categories (descriptions below):
- Social Media Portfolio
- Home & Garden Writing
- Housing News
- Critics Award
- Good News Award
- Protest and Demonstration Coverage
- Immigration Reporting
- 250th Celebration Coverage
Whether you’re an investigative reporter, a feature writer, a student journalist, or part of a newsroom team, there’s a place for your work in this year’s competition. We can’t wait to see the stories, photos, and projects that have made a difference in your communities.
The Better Newspaper Competition remains New England’s largest and most prestigious journalism awards program, honoring the skill, passion, and dedication that fuel outstanding local news coverage across all platforms.
Work published by NENPA member news organizations during the contest year, August 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025, is eligible for this competition.
The competition has three divisions:
- Editorial/Multimedia/Photography Division – Download Editorial Information Packet
- Advertising/Circulation/Promotion Division – Download Advertising Information Packet
- College/University Division – Download College Information Packet
Download the information packets, where you will find all of the information necessary to prepare your entries, including a list of competitive categories, complete rules and guidelines, and the criteria that each contest category will be judged upon.
To get started, follow these easy steps:
- Go to www.newspapercontest.com/nenpa to register.
- The portal resets each year, so you’ll need to register even if you entered last year.
- Create a password. (We don’t store last year’s password, so you’ll need to set a new one. You can reuse the same password if you wish.)
- Enter the Association Code: NENPA
Deadline for entries is Friday, October 31, 2025.
We wish you the very best of luck in this year’s competition! If questions come up while preparing your entries, please email L.Conway@nenpa.com or T.Cleary@nenpa.com.
New Award Categories
Social Media Portfolio – This category recognizes consistent outstanding storytelling published on your newsroom’s social media channels. Judges will consider creative and effective use of multimedia elements such as video, audio, photography, graphics, and more. Submit three examples from platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or others that show your best work.
Home & Garden Writing – This award honors home and garden writing that combines creativity, service, and storytelling to inspire and inform readers. It recognizes work that offers fresh perspectives on how people live, design, and grow—whether through practical advice, design features, cultural insight, or profiles of local homes and gardens. Entries should demonstrate excellence in writing, visual presentation, and relevance to contemporary lifestyles.
Housing News – This category highlights impactful coverage of housing-related issues such as affordability, development, zoning, homelessness, displacement, tenants’ rights, and the politics and economics of housing. It recognizes journalism that delivers clear, in-depth coverage relevant to the local community.
Critics Award – An article, essay, column or review on any entertainment or culture topic, including (but not limited to) theatre, book, music, movie, and dining reviews. Entries must be written by full- or part-time members of the newspaper staff, or written exclusively for the newspaper submitting the entry
Good News Award – For outstanding journalism that highlights the uplifting, heartwarming, and hopeful stories that remind us of the good in the world. Whether spotlighting acts of kindness, everyday heroes, resilient communities, or creative solutions, these stories should be thoughtfully reported and beautifully told. Judges will look for originality, emotional resonance, and storytelling that goes beyond clichés—leaving readers informed, inspired, and maybe even smiling.
Protest and Demonstration Coverage – Honoring excellence in local journalism that covers protests and civil demonstrations with depth, integrity, and impact. It recognizes journalists and newsrooms that bring attention to community voices, uncover the roots of civic unrest, and provide accurate, courageous, and ethically sound reporting—often under challenging or high-risk conditions. Entries should reflect a strong commitment to fairness, context, and storytelling that elevates public understanding.
Immigration Reporting – This award honors outstanding journalism that illuminates the complexities of immigration with accuracy, depth, and humanity. It recognizes work that elevates underrepresented voices, holds institutions accountable, and deepens public understanding of immigration issues through ethical, impactful, and innovative storytelling. Entries will be judged on quality and clarity of writing, and importance to the local community.
250th Celebration Coverage – This award celebrates outstanding journalism that explores and illuminates the significance of America’s 250th anniversary. Entries should demonstrate journalistic excellence while offering meaningful insight into the nation’s history, identity, and future. Submissions may address themes such as democracy, civil rights, civic engagement, local or national unity and division, or underrepresented narratives that shape the American experience. Judges will consider work that is accurate, original, impactful, and inclusive—using powerful storytelling to connect past and present as the country marks this historic milestone.