MADISON – The Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation honored the work of newspapers across the state during the WNA Foundation Better Newspaper Contest Awards Banquet on Friday, June 24, at The Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor’s Club in downtown Madison, Wis.
Recipients of 2021 Newspaper of the Year Awards were Publisher Todd Colling and the EagleHerald, Marinette, (Daily Division) and Publisher John Ingebritsen and The Monroe Times (Weekly Division).
The 2021 WNAF Better Newspaper Contest received 2,117 entries from 98 newspapers. Eligible entries were published between Sept. 1, 2020, and Aug. 31, 2021, and were judged by members of the West Virginia Press Association.
Best in Division winners were:
- Division E (non-daily circulation of 2,249 or less): Grant County Herald Independent, Lancaster
- Division D (non-daily circulation of 2,250 – 4,499): The Monroe Times
- Division C (non-daily circulation of at least 4,500): Peninsula Pulse, Baileys Harbor
- Division B (daily circulation of less than 9,999): EagleHerald, Marinette
- Division A (daily circulation of at least 10,000): The Gazette, Janesville
The entire list of winners and judges’ comments is available by accessing the online version of the Better Newspaper Contest Awards Tab. (A list of awards by newspaper can be found on Page 26.)
Several college journalists were also honored during the event. The 2021 WNAF Collegiate Better Newspaper Contest received 262 submissions across 20 categories from 11 campus newspapers. A detailed breakdown of college awards, high school awards and judges’ comments on these submissions also is included in the Awards Tab.
Top honors in the college contest — the first place General Excellence award — went to Marquette University’s Marquette Tribune. The award for Collegiate Journalist of the Year went to John Leuzzi, who will be a senior next year at Marquette University. Leuzzi serves as executive sports editor of the student newspaper.
This year’s awards banquet was sponsored by Tecnavia Press, Coda, Godfrey & Kahn, Our Hometown and Wisconsin News Tracker. Special thanks to the Wisconsin State Journal, Madison, for printing the awards tab.
For Winners
Duplicate awards
Need to order duplicate awards? Submit your requests here by July 21. Duplicate certificates are available for $6, and duplicate plaques can be ordered for $60.
2021 BNC winner logo
Newspapers wishing to use this year’s WNA contest winner logo can download it here.
Salute to Wisconsin Photographers
In Memoriam
Best of Division Winners
About the WNA Foundation
The WNA Foundation is a not-for-profit organization created in 1980 that works to improve the quality and future of Wisconsin’s newspaper enterprises, the industry and the communities they serve. It solicits, manages and disburses funds and other resources for the benefit of Wisconsin’s newspaper industry and, ultimately, the citizens of our state.
