Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland Press Herald and reporters receive top New England newspaper awards
Portland Press Herald, Maine Sunday Telegram earn top New England Newspaper Awards
In a ceremony held in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, the Portland Press Herald and the Maine Sunday Telegram were named New England Newspapers of the Year for their respective categories at the 2026 New England Newspaper & Press Association (NENPA) awards. The honors, presented at the association’s annual fall conference, recognize excellence in journalism across the six New England states.
The Press Herald clinched first place for the “New England Newspaper of the Year – Large Circulation, Weekday” award, while the Maine Sunday Telegram topped the “New England Newspaper of the Year – Large Circulation, Sunday” category. Both papers are owned by the Maine Trust for Local News (MTLN), a nonprofit organization that oversees a portfolio of regional daily newspapers.
Scott Monroe, MTLN’s managing editor, praised the work of the staff at the two outlets. “The newspaper of the year awards are a testament to the hard work of our entire newsroom staff,” he said. “We’ve invested in quality community and state coverage, and these awards help demonstrate that commitment is paying off for our audience.”
Runners‑up in the weekday category were the Providence Journal of Rhode Island and the Bangor Daily News. In the Sunday division, the Sunday Republican of Springfield, Massachusetts, and the Berkshire Eagle of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, finished in second and third places, respectively. The Maine Sunday Telegram had also earned the Sunday Newspaper of the Year honor the previous year.
The conference also highlighted individual reporting achievements. Riley Board, an education reporter for the Press Herald, received a Publick Occurrences Award for her investigative series on an abuse lawsuit against Bath’s Hyde School. The series examined allegations of forced labor and emotional abuse at the long‑standing private boarding school. Board’s coverage earned her recognition among New England’s best journalism for the year.
Emily Duggan, who reports on education for the Sun Journal, Morning Sentinel, and Kennebec Journal, was awarded an A‑Mark Prize for her investigation into parents’ rights groups backed by conservative funders. The prize honors investigative work that uncovers hidden truths, holds power accountable, or spurs public reform. “We’re thrilled that the enterprising coverage from Riley and Emily won such distinguished recognition among the best journalism in New England,” Monroe added.
Other Maine reporters were also honored with A‑Mark awards. Sawyer Loftus of the Bangor Daily News/ProPublica received the prize for coverage of U.S. Department of Agriculture foreclosures, while Callie Ferguson and Josh Keefe of the Bangor Daily News/The Maine Monitor earned recognition for reporting on a violent arrest involving Maine State Police in Limerick.
Ferguson, the newspaper’s deputy investigations editor, also earned the New England Journalist of the Year award for her reporting on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement surge in Maine during January.
NENPA, the professional trade organization representing newspapers in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont, presents its awards annually at a summit that gathers editors, reporters, and industry leaders from across the region. The 2026 awards celebrated the continued importance of local journalism in informing communities and fostering accountability.
