The Boothbay Register, Wiscasset Newspaper and Pen Bay Pilot won 30 Maine Press Association individual and staff awards at the 2025 MPA Conference held Saturday, Oct. 18 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Portland in South Portland.

All three newspapers competed in the Weekly 2 division.

A special prize was awarded to Register reporter Isabelle Curtis, who won the Weekly 2 Best In Show photography award for her photo of Santa Claus on the train at the Boothbay Railway Village Museum in December 2024. Best In Show photos are chosen from all of the photo submissions in the division.

Boothbay Register/Wiscasset Newspaper awards

First place 

Steve Edwards, Sarah Morley and Kathy Frizzell: Best Sponsored Content, Early Bird Sale sponsored content

Susan Johns (three): News Video, “Connecting over the climate: Wiscasset,” April 29, 2024; People Photo, Welcome back to school; News Story, Rockland man grieves.

Lisa Kristoff: Critic’s Award, “The banjo, Alison Brown, and one fine band”

Second place 

Steve Edwards (three): Scenic Photo, Sea smoke over the harbor; People Photo, Early Bird sale kiss; Illustration/Graphic, Solar eclipse.

Staff: Supplement/Special Section, Summertime supplement 2024

Fritz Freudenberger (three): Feature Photo, Kid and Dad at Halloween parade; Investigative Report, Attempted land fraud; Feature Headline, “Halloween parade put the ‘boo’ in Boothbay Harbor.

Susan Johns: Political Story, “Alna selectmen rebuke resident’s remarks”

Third place 

Staff (two): Best Supplement Cover, Dining Guide 2024; Community Engagement Idea, Happy Holidays

Susan Johns: News Video, “Wheels to the water” January 22, 2025.

Candi Joneth (News Contributor): Critic’s Award, “Maine Poet Laureate honors Malaga Islanders”

Fritz Freudenberger (two): Environmental Story, “A fishermen’s trash, a scientist’s treasure” and Sports Headline, “Runners gobble up miles at Boothbay Region Turkey Trot”

Isabelle Curtis: Coverage of Minority Community Issues, “A look inside Maine’s Indigenous Domestic Violence Centers”

Pen Bay Pilot awards

First place 

Lynda Clancy (two): Features/Lifestyle Video, “Coast Guard families, dignitaries, friends mix with cadets and crew aboard treasured training ship Eagle” and Outdoors Story, “With continuity and change, new owners ready to keep Hope Orchards in agriculture”

Second place

Lynda Clancy (two): Picture Story, Coast Guard families, dignitaries, friends mix with cadets and crew aboard treasured training ship Eagle; Religion/Spirituality Story, “With sadness, the Midcoast says goodbye forever to Rosie the Elephant”

Todd Anderson: News Video, “Ice water technician training at Shirttail Point with Camden Fire Department”

Sarah Thompson (two): Sports Photo, Rockland Solstice event brings youth, family fun; Business/Economics Story, “Custom-built right here in Spruce Head, America”

Alison McKellar: Opinion Columnist, “God’s time, war time and daylight saving time”

Ed O’Brien: Community Columnist, This Week in Lincolnville.

The awards dinner and presentations concluded a day of MPA Hall of Fame Inductions and Luncheon; programming and networking for reporters, photographers, journalists, advertising staff, and designers throughout the state; and the Scholarship Auction and Reception.

This year's Hall of Fame inductees are George Danby, longtime editorial cartoonist for the Bangor Daily News; Dennis Hoey, a respected night reporter for the Portland Press Herald; and John Ewing, a celebrated photojournalist and mentor, also with the Portland Press Herald.