Mainebiz wins two New England-wide journalism awards

Mainebiz won third place in the best niche publication category in an annual contest sponsored by the New England Newspaper and Press Association, based on these four print issues.

Photo / Timothy Doyle "The Day That Changed Everything" podcast placed third in the 2021 New England Better Newspaper Competition.

Photo / Timothy Doyle Mainebiz won third place in the 2021 New England Better Newspaper Competition’s best niche publication category. Winners were announced Saturday evening at a ceremony in Boston.

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By Staff

Mainebiz has won two New England-wide journalism awards for its print and digital news media.

The awards were announced Saturday evening in Boston by the New England Newspaper & Press Association, a Woburn, Mass.-based professional organization for newspapers. The group is made up of more than 450 daily, weekly and specialty newspapers across the six New England states.

"I'm proud of the Mainebiz team, which has worked hard through a period of challenges and great change. We couldn't have accomplished this without everyone working together," said Mainebiz Editor Peter Van Allen.

In the 2021 New England Better Newspaper Competition, Mainebiz placed third for best niche publication, based on four issues considered by the judges.

The winning issues were from Nov. 30, 2020, with a focus on banking, finance and insurance and a cover story about Forager, an app that connects farmers directly to buyers; March 8, 2021, with a focus on manufacturing; April 19, 2021, with a focus on real estate, construction and engineering and with a cover story on hotel development in Portland; and May 17, 2021, with a focus on small business.

Mainebiz also placed third in the best podcast category, for "The Day That Changed Everything."

The audio series, launched In July 2020 under then-Publisher Donna Brassard, features interviews with business and nonprofit leaders who navigated their way forward after their businesses or lives were upended by a single day or event.

Podcast stories vary widely, from Saddleback Mountain General Manager Andy Shepard talking about the ski mountain's comeback, to former political candidate Emily Cain reflecting on moving forward after losing an election.

A new episode of the podcast is released every other week, for a growing audience in Maine and well beyond.

In the latest episode, Boothbay-based entrepreneur Cherie Scott shares how reconnecting with her multicultural heritage led her to start Mumbai to Maine, the state's first Indian-inspired culinary brand.

"The Day That Changed Everything" podcast is sponsored by the Maine Technology Institute and Norway Savings Bank.