Jayna Smith
jayna@calais.news
The Calais Advertiser was recognized for its journalism, photography, sports coverage, and advertising at the Maine Press Association’s annual conference on Saturday, Oct. 17, earning eight awards, including first place in General Excellence for print newspapers.
The awards presentation, held at the DoubleTree Hotel in Portland, celebrated the work of newspapers across Maine. Founded in 1864, the Maine Press Association is one of the oldest professional news organizations in the nation.
The General Excellence award marks a milestone for The Calais Advertiser, which previously won General Excellence in Advertising in 2020 and 2024. This year’s first-place recognition is the newspaper’s first General Excellence award for its print publication.
The award places The Calais Advertiser among the state’s recognized print newspapers, competing alongside publications such as the Ellsworth American, the Mount Desert Islander and the Lincoln County News. For a weekly newspaper serving Calais and the surrounding communities of Washington County, earning first place in General Excellence is a particularly significant achievement.
Judges praised the newspaper’s community coverage, writing, “The complete package.” They added, “The writing and coverage topics provided valuable insight into the community and county, while the strong photography brought the area’s people and activities to life.”
In addition to the General Excellence honor, the newspaper earned seven other awards across advertising, photography, sports, and editorial illustration.
Jayna Smith earned second place in Spot News Photo and third place in People Photo. The awards recognize Smith’s photography in capturing both breaking local news and meaningful moments involving community members.
Smith also earned third place in Sports Columnist, while she and graphic designer Cheryl Stabinski shared third place in Sports Page for their work on the newspaper’s sports sections.
Stabinski earned third place in Self-Promotion Initiative, recognizing the newspaper’s efforts to promote its own publication and reach readers.
Bob Bryson received third place in Editorial Cartoonist for his cartoon work, adding another honor to the newspaper’s showing.
Rounding out the awards, Smith earned first place in Best Multi-Media Campaign for “Memorial Day,” in the Advertising-Circulation division.
The newspaper’s sister publication, the Machias Valley News Observer, also earned five awards, including first place in Analysis, second place in Continuing Story, and first place in News Headline. Jon Reisman earned first place in Opinion Columnist, while the Downeast Basketball Review 2026 received second place in Best Sponsored Content.
The awards demonstrate the range of work that goes into producing a community newspaper, from reporting and photography to page design, sports coverage, creative commentary, and advertising.
The Calais Advertiser, Calais’ oldest business, has served the community since 1836. The recognition proves the role of local journalism in documenting the people, events, and issues that shape Washington County.
