Seven Days won 23 first-place awards — our best showing ever — at the New England Newspaper & Press Association (NENPA) convention in Boston last weekend — including General Excellence and Reporter of the Year.

Nearly 2,000 entries were submitted and evaluated by New England Newspaper & Press Association’s distinguished panel of judges. Seven Days competed against dozens of other newsweeklies around the region in the large-circulation weekly category.

1st Place Awards

Reporter of the Year
Chelsea Edgar

General Excellence
Seven Days staff

Best Coverage of Coronavirus
Best Human Interest Feature Story
Chelsea Edgar, "Mother Load: A Year in the Life of Three Single Moms in Vermont"

Science/Technology Reporting
Derek Brouwer, "Flight Path: BTV's Beta Technologies Is on the Cusp of a Breakthrough for Electric Aviation"
From the judges:  "Top shelf reporting on an emerging Vermont startup Beta Technologies. Well written and thorough reporting."

Climate Change or Weather Reporting
Kevin McCallum & Ken Picard, "Trickle to Torrent: The Climate Crisis Brings Both Deluges and Droughts to Vermont"
From the judges: "McCallum and Picard’s reporting on the aging water systems and potential for indoor farming is top notch."

Coverage of Protests and Rallies
Chelsea Edgar, "'Torn Apart': Fault Lines Over Trump, Racism and Justice Divide the Town of Johnson"
From the judges: "This entry excels by bringing in a multitude of voices and perspectives that reveal the many nuances of the community's divide. Well-crafted, empathetic and even-handed writing."

Crime and Courts Reporting
Colin Flanders, "Case Dismissed? Questions Persist About Police Investigation Into Ralph Jean-Marie's Disappearance"
From the judges: "This story exemplifies the importance of accountability journalism. The journalist moves beyond the official story from police to point to unexplored paths — and then delivers the evidence-driven story in a way that cannot be ignored."

Education Reporting
Alison Novak & Courtney Lamdin, PCBs at Burlington High School
From the judges: "While the subject matter can be technical, the writers took great pains to make the information clear and understandable. An impressive effort on a huge community story."

Environmental Reporting
Kevin McCallum, "Beekeepers Worry Pesticide-Treated Seeds Contribute to Hive Deaths"

Environmental Reporting
Margaret Grayson, "The Vermont Wild Bee Survey Finds and Identifies Hundreds of Species"
From the judges: "The stories feature solid reporting on a vitally important issue that threatens the food chain — as well as steps that officials are considering in order to deal with the issue."

Food Page or Section
Jordan Barry, Melissa Pasanen & Sally Pollak, Food + Drink section, March 3, 2021
From the judges: "This is local food journalism at its best: Timely, inclusive and compelling."

Government Reporting
Courtney Lamdin, Colin Flanders & Sasha Goldstein, "Dodson Plagiarized Portions of Report on Burlington Police Transformation"
From the judges: "Seven Days delivers a textbook example of excellent enterprise reporting, uncovering plagiarized passages of a "blue ribbon" report on police reform. This story should hang in every newsroom as an example of what municipal reporters can (and should) do."

Investigative /Enterprise Reporting
Derek Brouwer, "Investors With Questionable Records Want to Buy Five Vermont Nursing Homes. Will the State Let Them?"

Local Election Coverage
Courtney Lamdin, Burlington's Mayoral Race

Obituaries
Colin Flanders, "COVID-19 Claims a Hardwick Couple Married for Nearly 68 Years"

Arts & Entertainment Reporting
Dan Bolles, "Banjo Great Gordon Stone Celebrated With Posthumous Album"
From the judges: "A good feature can lead the reader to learn something, to become more appreciative of a subject or genre — and in rare occasions open a door to a whole new level of appreciation of a particular art form or subject they never knew, understood, or heard of before. This writer accomplishes all three in this informative, easy reading tribute that probably helped expose the subject to new audiences in his own home state and neighborhood."

Reporting on Religious Issues
Chelsea Edgar, "In Enforcing Pandemic Precautions, Vermont Treads Lightly in Houses of Worship"

Entertainment Video
Eva Sollberger, "Winter Dipping With Katharine Montstream and the Red Hot Chilly Dippers"
From the judges: "Beautifully shot and captures the intensity of this community of dippers."
Feature Video
Eva Sollberger, "Founders Hall on Saint Michael's Campus Is Selectively Dismantled"

News Video
Eva Sollberger, "Stuck in Vermont: The Tran Family Patriarch Gets Vaccinated"

Sports Video
Eva Sollberger, "Stuck in Vermont: 'American Ninja Warrior' Amir Malik Trains in Essex"

Headline Writing
Seven Days staff