Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Seven Days won more editorial awards than any other publication in the region at the 2025 New England Newspaper Convention in Portland, Maine, on March 29. The competition, hosted by the New England Newspaper & Press Association, honors outstanding work by newspapers and online news outlets.
Read on for a list of our first-place finishers. In most cases, Seven Days competed against other large-circulation weeklies. We’re very grateful to NENPA for the recognition — and to the advertisers and Super Readers who support our work!
1st Place Awards
Arts & Entertainment Reporting
Chelsea Edgar, for “Circus of Life”
Crime and Courts Reporting
Derek Brouwer and Colin Flanders, for “From Room 37 to Cell 17”
General News Story
Seven Days Staff, for “Totally Transfixed”
Racial, Ethnic or Gender Issue Coverage
Rachel Hellman, for “Taking Refuge”
Education Reporting
Anne Wallace Allen, for “Pass or Fail?”
Local Personality Profile
Courtney Lamdin, for “Armed With a Video Camera, One Man Documents Crime and Disorder in Burlington”
Investigative / Enterprise Reporting
Joe Sexton, for “The Loss of Grace”
Climate change or weather reporting
Ken Picard, for “On Thin Ice”
Eva Sollberger, for “Plainfield Recovers From Catastrophic Flood”
Event Special Section
Seven Days Staff, for “Where the Sun Don’t Shine: Seven Days Guide to the 2024 Solar Eclipse”
Food Page or Section
Melissa Pasanen and Jordan Barry, for the food section in the November 15, 2023, issue
Spot News Video
Eva Sollberger, for “‘Stuck in Vermont’ During the Eclipse"
Overall Design and Presentation
Seven Days Design Team, for “Totally Transfixed”
Headline Writing
Seven Days Staff, for Best Headlines
Tuesday, April 8, 2025
The Vermont Community Foundation is proud to announce a new partnership with Seven Days to recognize and support the incredible work of Vermont’s nonprofit community. This year, in celebration of the Seven Daysies award for Best Nonprofit, the Foundation will award a $10,000 grant to the winning organization.
“Nonprofits across Vermont are doing the kind of work that holds communities together — often quietly, always with heart,” said Dan Smith, president & CEO of the Vermont Community Foundation. “What makes this recognition so meaningful is that it comes from Vermonters themselves. The community decides who receives this honor, and we’re proud to stand beside Seven Days in shining a light on the organization that so many people have chosen to lift up. This grant is one way we can help their good work go even further.”
“Kudos to the Vermont Community Foundation for hatching — and funding! — a fun, creative way to draw attention to the good works of Vermont’s nonprofit sector. This $10,000 award will go a long way to help nonprofits trying to make this a better place,” Seven Days publisher Paula Routly said. “The campaign also artfully underscores how local media brings and holds our community together.”
Vermonters: Let’s Vote!
Nominate your favorite nonprofit during the Seven Daysies nomination round, April 9-28 at sevendaysvt.com/daysies-vote. Only the top nominees in each category will move on to the final voting round, so it’s important to show your support early! The Seven Daysies Awards are presented by Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman.
Once the winner is announced, the Vermont Community Foundation will present a $10,000 grant to help that nonprofit continue and expand its work. It’s a powerful way to turn local appreciation into real, lasting support for the organizations that help Vermont thrive.
Who Is Eligible for the Seven Daysies for Best Nonprofit?
Organizations must be located in Vermont and tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Nonprofit organizations or community groups that do not have 501(c)(3) status may be eligible if another tax-exempt organization acts as a fiscal sponsor.
Nonprofits: Register to Be Recognized
To boost your visibility during the nomination period, be sure to register your organization in advance.
Key Dates
- April 9–28: Nomination Round (Round 1)
- May 6: Finalists Announced
- May 27–June 10: Final Voting (Round 2)
- July 30: Winners Announced in All the Best
- August 1: Seven Daysies Awards Party, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain