It’s time to nominate your deserving staff and co-workers for the 2024 MPA Individual awards. Please email all nominations to maine@newspapercontest.com by July 5, 2024. Digital entries only, please. The 2024 winners will be announced at the MPA Fall Conference on Oct. 19 in Bar Harbor. Here are the categories:

• Unsung Hero Award: For any staff member, in any department, whose contributions to his or her newspaper/organization have been essential but often overlooked. Nominations may include examples of the nominee’s work and letters from supervisors and/or co-workers detailing his or her contributions.

• Advertising Person of the Year: For an advertising employee whose work has been truly distinguished over the course of a year or years. Candidates may have established unique marketing plans or stood out through other measures, such as sales record. Work samples may be included with a nomination letter.

• Bob Drake Young Writer’s Award: For a full-time employee of a Maine Press Association member with fewer than three years of full-time experience in journalism as of July 5, 2024. A letter from the staffer’s supervisor must contain a review of the nominee’s experience and accomplishments. School or college newspaper experience does not count as full-time experience. Entries will be evaluated on writing quality, enterprise, imagination, thoroughness, balance, and general reporting. As many as six articles may be submitted. 

• Journalist of the Year: For an exceptional news employee whose work has been truly distinguished over the previous year or a period of years. A reasonable number of news clips, photographs, or other samples of work must be included with a cover letter from the nominee’s editor or publisher. The nominee must be an employee of a member organization.

Note: If the number of entries is insufficient for any individual award, that award may not be given. In that case, any nominations will be held over for the following year.