Maine papers win 65 awards in regional contest

The Ellsworth American, the Mount Desert Islander and the Lewiston Sun Journal won General Excellence awards in the 2012 New England Better Newspaper Competition this month, as Maine newspapers took a total of 65 awards in the regional contest.

The Ellsworth American, which led all Maine papers with 29 awards, took first place for Advertising General Excellence among weekly newspapers with circulation over 6,000. The Mount Desert Islander took first place in Advertising General Excellence for smaller weeklies.

The Sun Journal got a second-place award for General Excellence among dailies with circulation of 30,000 or less. The Mount Desert Islander was second in General Excellence for smaller weeklies, and The Ellsworth American was third among the larger weeklies.

Maine newspapers won 27 first-place awards in the contest, including 12 for The Ellsworth American, eight for the Mount Desert Islander and three for the Bangor Daily News. Jesse Groening of The Ellsworth American won three individual first-place awards, while Dick Broom and Earl Brechlin of the Mount Desert Islander each won two. Other winners from Maine were The York Weekly, which took seven awards, the Boothbay Register, which won six, and the Advertiser Democrat and the Wiscasset Newspaper, which each took one.

The competition drew nearly 3,000 entries. The awards were presented Feb. 9 during the New England Newspaper and Press Association’s winter convention at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel. The full list of winners is at: http://www.nenpa.com/story/contest-better-newspaper. Here are the winners from Maine:

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT REPORTING WEEKLY CLASS 1
First Place: Earl Brechlin, Mount Desert Islander

EDUCATION REPORTING WEEKLY CLASS 1
Third Place: Susan Morse, The York Weekly

GENERAL NEWS STORY WEEKLY CLASS 1
First Place: Dick Broom, Mount Desert Islander
Second Place: Susan Morse, The York Weekly

HEADLINE WRITING WEEKLY CLASS
First Place: Earl Brechlin, Mount Desert Islander

HEALTH REPORTING WEEKLY CLASS 2
Second Place: Robert Levin, The Ellsworth American

HISTORY REPORTING WEEKLY CLASS 1
Second Place: Earl Brechlin, Mount Desert Islander

HISTORY REPORTING WEEKLY CLASS 2
Third Place: Stephen Fay, The Ellsworth American

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING WEEKLY CLASS 1
First Place: Dick Broom, Mount Desert Islander

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING WEEKLY CLASS 2
Third Place: Cyndi Wood, The Ellsworth American

RIGHT-TO-KNOW WEEKLY CLASS 1
Second Place: Kelly Morgan, The York Weekly

SPORTS STORY WEEKLY CLASS 1
Third Place: Terrill Covey, The York Weekly

TRANSPORTATION REPORTING WEEKLY CLASS 1
Third Place: Charlotte Boynton, Wiscasset Newspaper

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT SECTION WEEKLY CLASS 2
Second Place: Staff, The Ellsworth American

EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY PAGE WEEKLY CLASS 1
Second Place: Staff, Mount Desert Islander

EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY PAGE WEEKLY CLASS 2
Second Place: Staff, The Ellsworth American

FRONT PAGE WEEKLY CLASS 1
Third Place: Staff, Mount Desert Islander

FRONT PAGE WEEKLY CLASS 2
Second Place: Staff, The Ellsworth American

LIVING PAGE OR SECTION WEEKLY CLASS 1
First Place: Laura Snyder Smith, The York Weekly
Second Place: Suzi Thayer, Boothbay Register

SPORTS PAGE OR SECTION WEEKLY CLASS 2
First Place: Hugh Bowden, The Ellsworth American

EDITORIAL WRITING WEEKLY CLASS 1
First Place: A.M. Sheehan, Advertiser Democrat
Third Place: Kelly Morgan, The York Weekly

EDITORIAL CARTOON WEEKLY CLASS 1
Second Place: Joe Marshall, Mount Desert Islander

SERIOUS COLUMNIST WEEKLY CLASS 2
Second Place: Marvin Ott, The Ellsworth American

OVERALL DESIGN AND PRESENTATION WEEKLY CLASS 1
Second Place: Staff, The York Weekly

ENTERTAINMENT VIDEO WEEKLY CLASS
Second Place: Jesse Groening, The Ellsworth American

FEATURE VIDEO WEEKLY CLASS
First Place: Jesse Groening, The Ellsworth American

NEWS VIDEO WEEKLY CLASS
First Place: Jesse Groening, The Ellsworth American

OVERALL WEBSITE WEEKLY CLASS 1
Second Place: Boothbay Register

OVERALL WEBSITE WEEKLY CLASS 2
Second Place: Staff, The Ellsworth American

SPOT NEWS VIDEO WEEKLY CLASS
First Place: Jesse Groening, The Ellsworth American

SPORTS VIDEO WEEKLY CLASS
Second Place: Jesse Groening, The Ellsworth American

WEBSITE DESIGN WEEKLY CLASS
Third Place: Staff, The Ellsworth American

ADVERTISER CAMPAIGN DAILY CLASS
First Place: Bangor Daily News

LOCAL ADVERTISEMENT (BLACK & WHITE) WEEKLY CLASS 2
First Place: The Ellsworth American

LOCAL ADVERTISEMENT (COLOR) WEEKLY CLASS 1
Third Place: Mount Desert Islander

THEMED, BANNER OR SPONSORED AD PAGE WEEKLY CLASS
First Place: The Ellsworth American

AUTOMOTIVE DISPLAY AD DAILY CLASS 2
Second Place: Bangor Daily News

AUTOMOTIVE DISPLAY AD WEEKLY CLASS 1
First Place: Mount Desert Islander

AUTOMOTIVE DISPLAY AD WEEKLY CLASS 2
Second Place: The Ellsworth American

BEST IDEA FOR GENERATING AD REVENUE WEEKLY CLASS
Second Place: The Ellsworth American

EVENTS WEEKLY CLASS
First Place: Boothbay Register

NICHE PUBLICATION WEEKLY CLASS 1
Second Place: Boothbay Register

PRINTED AD SUPPLEMENT/SPECIAL SECTION WEEKLY CLASS 1
First Place: Mount Desert Islander
Second Place: Boothbay Register

AD RATE CARD/RATING STRATEGY WEEKLY CLASS
First Place: The Ellsworth American

ADVERTISING SALES MEDIA KIT DAILY CLASS 2
First Place: Bangor Daily News

ADVERTISING SALES MEDIA KIT WEEKLY CLASS
First Place: The Ellsworth American

AUDIENCE BUILDING PROMOTION DAILY CLASS 2
First Place: Bangor Daily News
Second Place: Bangor Daily News

AUDIENCE BUILDING PROMOTION WEEKLY CLASS 1
First Place: Boothbay Register

AUDIENCE BUILDING PROMOTION WEEKLY CLASS 2
Second Place: The Ellsworth American

CLASSIFIED PROMOTION WEEKLY CLASS
First Place: The Ellsworth American

DIGITAL PRODUCT PROMOTION WEEKLY CLASS
First Place: The Ellsworth American

SUBSCRIPTION SALES PROMOTION DAILY CLASS 2
Third Place: Bangor Daily News

SUBSCRIPTION SALES PROMOTION WEEKLY CLASS 1
First Place: Mount Desert Islander

SUBSCRIPTION SALES PROMOTION WEEKLY CLASS 2
Second Place: The Ellsworth American

GENERAL NEWS PHOTO WEEKLY CLASS 2
Second Place: Stephen Rappaport, The Ellsworth American

SPOT NEWS PHOTO WEEKLY CLASS 2
First Place: Dean Kotula, The Ellsworth American

ADVERTISING GENERAL EXCELLENCE WEEKLY CLASS 1
First Place: Mount Desert Islander

ADVERTISING GENERAL EXCELLENCE WEEKLY CLASS 2
First Place: The Ellsworth American

GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD DAILY CLASS 1
Second Place: Sun Journal

GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD WEEKLY CLASS 1
Second Place: Mount Desert Islander

GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD WEEKLY CLASS 2
Third Place: Ellsworth American