Reporters, news contributors and others with the Boothbay Register/Wiscasset Newspaper and Pen Bay Pilot won a total of 12 awards at the Maine Press Association's annual Better Newspaper Contest and Conference held Saturday, Oct. 17 at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Portland.

Steve Edwards, production/photographer for the Boothbay Register/Wiscasset Newspaper, won three awards, a first place and two second-place certificates, at the conference. His front-page tuna fishing scenic in September 2025 took first place in the Weekly category. His second front-page scenic, “Sea Smoke near Cuckolds Lighthouse,” in January 2026, came in second in the Weekly category. And his 2025 Summertime guide cover photo, featuring young men jumping off a sailboat, took second place in the Best Supplement Cover category.

Lisa Kristoff, arts and entertainment editor, took first place in the Coverage of Minority Community Issues category with her May 2025 feature on “20 years of uplifting and empowering girls” regarding the work of Friends of Thai Daughters.

Lynda Clancy, editorial director for the Pen Bay Pilot, won first place in the Critic’s Award category for her Wave spring/summer 2025 feature, “Sketching Waldo County: Belfast artist finds his muse in the local landscape.” She also won a second place award for her December 2025 Arts-Lifestyle Feature, “Big Jim to stand tall over Searsport in celebration of the Maine sardine and fishing communities.”

Other Boothbay Register/Wiscasset Newspaper award winners included: Isabelle Curtis, third place, Health Story category, “Food is the best gift,” March 2026; Fritz Freudenberger, third place, Environmental Story category, “Ghost (gear) hunting,” February 2026; Susan Johns, third place, News Video category, “Rallying in Wiscasset for libraries,” April 2025; and Bill Pearson, third place, News Headline category, “McKay Road resident crying ‘fowl’ to Edgecomb planning board,” August 2025.

Pen Bay Pilot’s two other awards included Sarah Thompson, third place, Spot News Photo category, “Crews battle night house fire in Friendship,” January 2026; and Steve Bowen, third place, Opinion Columnist category, “Midcoast needs creativity, collaboration and outside-the-box thinking from town leaders,” December 2025.

The conference included informative sessions, the Hall of Fame induction luncheon, the annual conference auction and reception to raise money for student scholarships, and the Better Newspaper Contest dinner and banquet. Inducted into the Maine Press Association Hall of Fame were Andy Molloy, Mike Lowe and Tux Turkel.