Judges could but were not compelled to choose first, second and third place winners. In categories where there are fewer than three finalists, the judge could have awarded any combination of places – for example, first and second but no third, or second and third but no first, or just second place.
In addition, judges could decide none of the entries in a category were deserving of recognition.
Winners of lifetime achievement awards and rookie of the year will be announced in July.
We are hoping for an in-person awards banquet in September to announce the final placings of the finalists.
In alphabetical order by news organization, except for individual awards, the finalists are:
Excellence in Collaboration and Partnership
Class 1
Concord Monitor – Partnership with Report for America and community supporters
Granite State News Collaborative Partners – Covid Coverage
New Hampshire Public Radio – NHPR: ¿Qué Hay de Nuevo, New Hampshire?
First Amendment Award
Class 1
Concord Monitor – Staff – Pushing for public access to Perkins Report
Laconia Daily Sun – Rick Green – Secret land deals
New Hampshire Union Leader – Mark Hayward and staff – Police discipline hearings closed to public
Class 2
Charles G. Douglas – Bow Times – Bow No Vote of Confidence
Journalist of the year
Roberta Baker – Laconia Daily Sun
Carol Robidoux – Manchester Ink Link
Tony Schinella
Dennis Joos Memorial Award
No winner.
Community Service Award
Class 1
Keene Sentinel – Jack Rooney, Meg McIntyre – Pandemic Parenting
Laconia Daily Sun – Roberta Baker – – ‘Perfect Poison’, lingers in NH homes
New Hampshire Union Leader – Shawne K Wickham – What I miss
Class 2
BusinessNH – The Business NH Magazine Small Business Survival Guide –
General Excellence, daily newspaper
Concord Monitor
Nashua Telegraph
New Hampshire Union Leader
General Excellence, non-daily newspaper
Berlin Sun
New Boston Beacon
New Hampshire Business Review
General Excellence, magazine
BusinessNH
General Excellence, radio
New Hampshire Public Radio
General Excellence, digital presence
Manchester InkLink
New Hampshire Public Radio
New Hampshire Union Leader
Photographer of the year
Geoff Forester – Concord Monitor
Jeffrey Hastings
Editorial writing
Class 1
Bill Bilodeau – Keene Sentinel
Matthew Burdette – Nashua Telegraph
Roger Carroll – Laconia Daily Sun
Class 2
Charles G. Douglas, III – Bow Times
Matthew J. Mowry – BusinessNH
General news story
Class 1
Concord Monitor – Eileen O’Grady – Discipline and Diversity
New Hampshire Union Leader – Mark Hayward – City ordered to rehire ‘racist’ cop; status unclear
New Hampshire Union Leader – Mark Hayward – Suit over transracial adoption headed to NH high court
Class 2
Granite State News Collaborative – Hilary Niles and John Bassett – Remote Learning Progress Report
New Hampshire Business Review – Now is the time: Black Granite Staters call for a more inclusive New Hampshire
Monadnock Ledger-Transcript – Abbe Hamilton – Walden Eco Village Evictions
Spot news story
Class 1
Manchester InkLink – Pat Grossmith, Stacy Harrison – Man with Trump flag on truck drives by protesters outside police station, pulls gun, gets arrested
Manchester InkLink – Kathy Staub – Activists surround homeless camp: ‘We are the perimeter for our unhoused neighbors’
Tony Schinella – Shooting At Concord’s Second Start School Was A Student Suicide
Class 2
Exeter Newsletter – Alexander Lacasse – Exeter woman votes topless after anti-Trump shirt disallowed
Investigative story/series
Class 1
New Hampshire Public Radio – Todd Bookman – N.H. Towns Pay Millions To Settle Claims Against Police; Details Often Hidden From Public
New Hampshire Union Leader – Kevin Landrigan – ‘Affiliated’ PACs moved $100k to 10 NH candidates
Tony Schinella – Concord School District Releases Leung Sexual Misconduct Report –
Class 2
Monadnock Ledger-Transcript – Abbe Hamilton – Hancock: Town had cause to fire police chief
Granite State News Collaborative – Ryan Lessard – NH Police Departments Use Psych Screening Inconsistently.
New Hampshire Business Review – Bob Sanders – Where did the $40m in Covid contracts go?
Crime-Court Reporting
Class 1
Foster’s Daily Democrat – Jeffrey McMenemy – Dover police officer investigation
New Hampshire Public Radio – Jason Moon – Inside New Hampshire’s Secret List of Troubled Cops
Tony Schinella – Merrimack County Attorney Dropped Ball On Our Cases: Rape Victims
Class 2
Berlin Sun – Barbara Tetreault – Fallen 7 case coverage
Health Reporting
Class 1
Concord Monitor – Teddy Rosenbluth – Coronavirus
Foster’s Daily Democrat – Kyle Stucker -COVID-19 reporting
New Hampshire Union Leader – Shawne K. Wickham – Alone in this together
Class 2
BusinessNH – Sheryl Rich-Kern – Health Insurance Profits Surge with COVID-19
Granite State News Collaborative – Kelly Burch – As The Dust Settles, Looking At Telehealth Post-Pandemic
New Hampshire Business Review – Bob Sanders -New Hampshire’s Canadian conundrum
Feature story
Class 1
Keene Sentinel – Paul Cuno-Booth – Joanne Mellady
Laconia Daily Sun – Roberta Baker -The magic of Happy Sounds
New Hampshire Union Leader – Julia Ann Weekes – New Hampshire’s own uncomfortable truth
Class 2
BusinessNH – Kathie Ragsdale – People of the book: The literary treasures found, and searched for, in NH’s used bookstores
Monadnock Ledger-Transcript – Abbe Hamilton – Rindge farm supplies the nation with rare dahlias
New Hampshire Business Review – John Angelo – People of the book: The literary treasures found, and searched for, in NH’s used bookstores
Business-economic Reporting
Class 1
Manchester InkLink – Ryan Lessard – Brew News Spotlight: NH’s Craft Beer Community Fights Through COVID-19 Disruption
New Hampshire Union Leader – Michael Cousineau – Working from home? No break on Mass. taxes
New Hampshire Union Leader – Jonathan Phelps – The taps are still flowing
Class 2
Granite State News Collaborative – Kelly Burch – 50 Businesses, 50 Solutions
Granite State News Collaborative – Sheryl Rich-Kern -Pandemic may have a crushing impact on women’s long-term careers
New Hampshire Business Review – Bob Sanders – Covid business and economy coverage
Entertainment Reporting
Class 1
Manchester InkLink – Constance Cherise – Not the words of one who kneels, the unyielding Hazel Scott
New Hampshire Union Leader – Julia Ann Weekes – A music landmark turns 50
New Hampshire Union Leader – Julia Ann Weekes – Getting their kicks
Class 2
New Boston Beacon – Mark Vogler – Movies: Milford Drive-In Reopens
Columnist of the Year
Class 1
Jonna Carter – Conway Daily Sun
Mike Cote – New Hampshire Union Leader
Nate Graziano -Manchester InkLink
Class 2
Chase Binder -Bow Times
Keith Gentili – New Boston Beacon
Dr. Richard E. Johnson – Bow Times
Sports news
Class 1
Conway Daily Sun – Lloyd Jones – NHIAA cancels the rest of winter sports season
Foster’s Daily Democrat – Mike Whaley – Spaulding’s first hoop championship is truly one of a kind
Conway Daily Sun – Lloyd Jones – Eagles cap off undefeated championship season
Class 2
New Boston Beacon – Erik Fey – Saddleback Maine, New England’s Ultimate Test
Sports feature
Class 1
Conway Daily Sun – Steve Angers – Bill Thompson retires
Nashua Telegraph – Tom King -Staying Sharp
Nashua Telegraph – Tom King – Lasting Legacy
Class 2
Berlin Sun – Paul Robitaille – Manikian becomes first woman to win Can-Am race
New Boston Beacon – Scott Gaillard – The Emotional Roller Coaster of Deer Season
New Boston Beacon – Keith Gentili – Hiking Crotched Mountain
Sports columnist of the year
Class 1
InDepthNH – George Liset
Nashua Telegraph – Dean Shalhoup
Sports feature photo
Class 1
Concord Monitor – Geoff Forester – Dejected
Sports photo
Class 1
Concord Monitor – Geoff Forester – Goal Stop
Jeffrey Hastings – Strong men pull for the win –
Jeffrey Hastings – I know I can –
Sports page – none submitted
General News photo
Class 1
Foster’s Daily Democrat – Deb Cram – COVID patient leaves hospital
New Hampshire Union Leader – David Lane – Celebrating 99 years
New Hampshire Union Leader – David Lane – Remote learning brings joy, struggles for kids, teachers
Class 2
Bow Times – Eric Anderson – Snow Day
Bow Times – Eric Anderson – Bow Times – Food Drive
New Boston Beacon – Jen O’Brien – Protecting Pollinators
Spot news photo
Class 1
Conway Daily Sun – Jamie Gemmiti – West Side garage a total loss
Jeffrey Hastings – – Woman rescued from the Merrimack River
Jeffrey Hastings – – Firefighters battle intense vehicle fire
Class 2
Bow Times – Eric Anderson – Snow Day
Feature photo
Class 1
Concord Monitor – Geoff Forester – New resident
Concord Monitor – Geoff Forester – Great Grandma is Home
Portsmouth Herald – Deb Cram – Thanking vet for his service
Class 2
BusinessNH – Christine Carignan -Business of the Decade: Palmer Gas & Oil
BusinessNH – Christine Carignan – The Sassy Biscuit
Granite State News Collaborative – Jessica Arnold – Homeless Man
Picture essay
Class 1
Concord Monitor – Geoff Forester – Black Lives Matter Protest
Conway Daily Sun – Jamie Gemmiti, Bart Bachman, Paul Klenk – Messages
Manchester InkLink – Stacy Harrison – ‘Night to Shine’ prom a magical experience for all
Class 2
New Boston Beacon – Katie Hawkes – Halloween: The Drive By Trick or Treat
New Boston Beacon – Jen Webber – Peace and Justice Vigil
Graphic-Cartoon-Illustration
Class 1
Manchester InkLink – Peter Noonan – Drawn & Quartered, political cartoons of Peter Noonan
New Hampshire Public Radio – Sara Plourde -Where They Stand
Class 2
BusinessNH – Rob Donnelly, Christine Carignan – Loneliness in the Workplace
Front page
Class 1
Nashua Telegraph – Matthew Burdette – ‘BERN’ING HOT
Nashua Telegraph – Matthew Burdette – Nashua Telegraph – We Are There With You.
New Hampshire Union Leader – Tom Lynch – Coronavirus impact widens
Class 2
Bow Times – Nadeane Mannion
New Boston Beacon – Chris Speakman
Magazine Cover
Class 1
Conway Daily Sun – Lee Guerringue – NoCo Winter
Conway Daily Sun – Lee Guerringue – NoCo Summer
Conway Daily Sun – Lee Guerringue – NoCo Fall
Class 2
BusinessNH – Christine Carignan, Rob Donnelly – Business NH Magazine – April 2020
BusinessNH – Christine Carignan – Business NH Magazine – May 2020
BusinessNH – Christine Carignan – Business NH Magazine – December 2020
Feature page
Class 1
Laconia Daily Sun – Janis Carroll, Adam Drapcho – King of Halloween
New Hampshire Union Leader – Tom Lynch – The allure of our lakes
New Hampshire Union Leader – Staff – NH Innovators
Class 2
BusinessNH – Christine Carignan – Hotels Find NH Hospitable
BusinessNH – Christine Carignan – The CBD Boom
BusinessNH – Christine Carignan – Will NH’s Stages Go Dark?
Special Section
Class 1
Conway Daily Sun – Kennett Graduation 2020
Conway Daily Sun – To Your Health
Class 2
BusinessNH – Small Business Finance Guide
BusinessNH – Cap & Gown: A Special Report on Higher Education
New Boston Beacon – The New Boston Beacon is Thankful
Best Use of Audio – News
New Hampshire Public Radio – Todd Bookman – When Ice Castles Attraction Melts, Where Does Water Go? Neighbor Alleges Straight Into Her Basemen
New Hampshire Public Radio – Todd Bookman and Sarah Gibson – Black Lives Matter Holds ‘Day of Action’ at N.H. State House
New Hampshire Public Radio – Casey McDermott – How One Campaign Is Organizing An Often-Overlooked N.H. Voting Bloc: Immigrants and Refugees
Best Use of Audio – Feature
New Hampshire Public Radio – Lauren Chooljian – Pandemic Diaries: One Couple’s Story of Isolation and Love in a Nursing Home
New Hampshire Public Radio – Sean Hurley – It Was Almost A Year Without A Santa Claus
New Hampshire Public Radio – Sean Hurley – Is A Beautiful N.H. Hike Still A ‘Beautiful Hike’ Right Now?
Best Use of Audio – Sports – No entries
Best Use of Video – News – No Winners
Best Use of Video – Feature
New Hampshire Public Radio – The Civics 101 Team – Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire Graveyards
Best Use of Video – Sports – No Entries
Podcast – Limited series
New Hampshire Public Radio – Jason Moon, Lauren Chooljian – Document: The List
New Hampshire Public Radio – Jack Rodolico, Lauren Chooljian, Staff – Stranglehold
Podcast – Reoccurring
InDepthNH – Roger Wood – Roger Wood podcast
New Hampshire Public Radio – Sam Evans-Brown, Taylor Quimby, Justine Paradis – Outside/In
New Hampshire Public Radio – Hannah McCarthy, Nick Capodice, Jacqueline Helbert – Civics 101
Best Use of Social Media
Manchester InkLink – Keith Spiro – Communicast Bridges the Gaps between Print and Public Interest
New Hampshire Public Radio – Vote 2020
WMUR-TV – KC Downey, Kirk Enstrom, James Lalli – Utilizing Social Media To Connect With Audiences During COVID-19
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