CONNECT
The awards on this page recognize CT Mirror’s journalistic excellence and reflect our mission of informing Connecticut about public policy, holding government accountable, and amplifying diverse voices and perspectives.
NENPA Awards (May 2023)
The New England Newspaper & Press Association (NENPA) is the professional trade organization for newspapers in the six New England states: Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and Rhode Island. It recognizes the extraordinary achievements of newspapers and newspaper personnel in the six-state New England region by presenting a wide variety of prestigious awards each year. In 2023 CT Mirror won 14 awards: four first-place, seven second-place, and three third-place.
First Place
- General News Story, Ginny Monk and Andrew Brown
“Connecticut towns got $1.5 billion from feds. They’ve budgeted roughly 1% for housing” - Government Reporting, Staff (Dave Altimari, Mark Pazniokas, Andrew Brown, Katy Golvala)
The Kosta Diamantis stories - Health Reporting, Katy Golvala
“As hospital systems grow in Connecticut, rural patients lose services” - Contemporary Issues Photo, Yehyun Kim
“Stuck at home during COVID“
Second Place
- General Excellence, News Service / Online News Sites
- Investigative Reporting, Andrew Brown and Kasturi Pananjady
“Billions Collected, Millions Returned: How Connecticut and its politicians kept unclaimed money from the public“ - Social Issues Feature Story, Ginny Monk
“How politics derailed mental health care at Killingly High School“ - Business/Economic Reporting, Erica E. Phillips
“In Greenwich, recovery from the pandemic recession came quickly“ - Health Reporting, Erica E. Phillips
“Catholic health system’s acquisition of Day Kimball hospital raises concerns“ - Pandemic Coverage, Jenna Carlesso and Katy Golvala
“As COVID hangs on, the new normal is leaving many behind“ - Personality Photo, Yehyun Kim
“Not going to bed“
Third Place
- Overall Website
- Pandemic Coverage, Kelan Lyons and Dave Altimari
“A cancer patient was sent to prison for DUI. Two months later he was dead from COVID“ - General News Photo, Yehyun Kim
“Contemporary Politics“
CTSPJ Awards (May 2022)
The Connecticut Mirror took home nine first-, second- and third-place prizes at the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists (CTSPJ)’s Excellence in Journalism Contest.
Here are CT Mirror’s awards from the contest, which recognized stories published in 2021:
First Place
- COVID – Investigative, Dave Altimari and Kelan Lyons
A cancer patient was sent to prison for DUI. Two months later he was dead from COVID. - Feature Story, Mark Pazniokas
Escapes from Afghanistan, coordinated from a home office in Connecticut - Government, Mark Pazniokas
Ned Lamont’s year in the shadow of COVID - General Column, David Holahan
Enriching the rich
Second Place
- COVID – Series, Jacqueline Rabe Thomas and Kasturi Pananjady
Connecticut’s uneven recovery - Reporting Series, Jan Ellen Spiegel
Planning for a changing climate - Humorous Column, David Holahan
Miss Misinformation pageant
Third Place
- COVID – Investigative, Dave Altimari
Griffin Health’s lucrative COVID testing contracts - General Column, David Holahan
Let freedom ring?
NENPA Awards (April 2022)
The New England Newspaper & Press Association (NENPA) is the professional trade organization for newspapers in the six New England states: Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and Rhode Island. It recognizes the extraordinary achievements of newspapers and newspaper personnel in the six-state New England region by presenting a wide variety of prestigious awards each year.
Major Awards
- Yankee Quill Award: Tom Condon was one of six journalists who received the Yankee Quill Award from the New England Newspaper and Press Association (NENPA) this year. The award recognizes Tom’s “contributions to the betterment of journalism in the six-state region” over the course of his five-decade career in Connecticut journalism.
- General Excellence: The entire CT Mirror staff was recognized with a second place award for general excellence across all coverage over the past year.
First Place
- Best Coverage of Coronavirus, Staff
How Connecticut battled the coronavirus - Climate Change or Weather Reporting, Jan Ellen Spiegel
Climate change in Connecticut - Crime and Courts Reporting, Kelan Lyons
Cash bail in the COVID era - Education Reporting, Jacqueline Rabe Thomas
School construction and segregation - Human Interest Feature Story, Mark Pazniokas
Escapes from Afghanistan, coordinated from a home office in Connecticut - Racial, Ethnic or Gender Issue Coverage, Jacqueline Rabe Thomas
Does ‘snob zoning’ lead to segregated suburbs in CT?
Second Place
- Business/Economic Reporting, Mark Pazniokas
The problem of problem gambling - Health Reporting, Jenna Carlesso
Health sharing ministries - Photo Story, Yehyun Kim
Photo story: The holiday spirit
Third Place
- Investigative / Enterprise Reporting, Jacqueline Rabe Thomas and Kasturi Pananjady
Undocumented immigrant stuck in a hospital for six months - Contemporary Issues Photo, Yehyun Kim
Stuck in the hospital
CT Society of Professional Journalists Awards (May 2021)
First Place
- Reporting Series, Tom Condon, Kelan Lyons, Keith Phaneuf, Jenna Carlesso, Mark Pazniokas, Jacqueline Rabe Thomas
A Better Deal: Inclusive Economic Recovery - COVID News, Mark Pazniokas
The night COVID-19 silenced the slots at Foxwoods - Government, Keith M. Phaneuf
Lamont is guarding reserves. Critics say he’s prioritizing austerity over COVID response - Education, Jacqueline Rabe Thomas
Two districts, two very different plans for students while school is out indefinitely - In-Depth, Jan Ellen Spiegel
CT keeps losing power when storms strike. But that doesn’t have to happen. - News Photo, Cloe Poisson
A mock funeral for George Floyd
Second Place
- COVID News, Jacqueline Rabe Thomas
An eviction tsunami is on the horizon, and with it comes more COVID cases - COVID Investigative, Jacqueline Rabe Thomas
Six months into pandemic, just two families have received aid from state’s rental assistance program - Government, Keith M. Phaneuf
Broken promises to fund transportation defined last 15 years - Investigative, Jacqueline Rabe Thomas
Separated by Design: How wealthy towns keep people with housing vouchers out - Business, Mark Pazniokas
Eversource was on a victory lap. Then came Isaias - Diversity Coverage, Jacqueline Rabe Thomas
Achievement gaps for English learners linger, troubling CT’s first Hispanic education chief
Third Place
- COVID Series, Jan Ellen Spiegel
Food access during COVID-19 - Business, Jenna Carlesso
‘There’s pain everywhere.’ Hospitals stand to lose $1.5 billion amid COVID-19 crisis - Health, Jenna Carlesso
As pandemic wears on, Connecticut prepares to launch its long-awaited health information exchange - Courts/Crime, Kelan Lyons
Dulos, money bail and an ongoing conversation about bond reform - Data, Kasturi Pananjady
His hospital is about 80% full. But he’s not alarmed — yet. - Feature Photo, Yehyun Kim
A magical merry-go-round, hot yoga and, oh yeah, that much-needed haircut - Photo Essay, Yehyun Kim
Despite COVID shutdowns, arts organizations keep the holiday spirit going - COVID Photo, Cloe Poisson
Visiting through the glass
Education Writers Association (April 2021)
CT Mirror Housing and Education Reporter Jacqueline Rabe Thomas won the national first place award for investigative reporting from the Education Writers Association for her housing discrimination work.

Here are two comments from the judges:
- “Outstanding reporting, showing why more education reporters should leave their silos and report at the intersections of their beats and other social inequity issues.”
- “Well-written, with a commanding voice. Filled with great details, quotes and narrative drive.”
NENPA (April 2021)
The New England Newspaper & Press Association (NENPA) is the professional trade organization for newspapers in the six New England states: Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and Rhode Island. It recognizes the extraordinary achievements of newspapers and newspaper personnel in the six-state New England region by presenting a wide variety of prestigious awards each year.
First Place
• CT Mirror Staff
Overall Covid Coverage
• Jenna Carlesso, Health Reporting
Complaints pile up against health care sharing ministries as state mounts a defense
• Kelan Lyons, Social Issues Feature Story
Should police be social workers?
• Mark Pazniokas, Human Interest Feature Story
She worked at a hotspot. Did coronavirus follow her home?
• Mark Pazniokas, General News Story
The night Covid-19 silenced the slots at Foxwoods
• Keith Phaneuf and Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, Government Reporting
Lawmakers waived appointments to secure Dalio funds for CT schools
• Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, Investigative/Enterprise
Invisible Walls : Separated by Design
• Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, Education Reporting
A quarter of CT students went MIA when COVID closed schools. Could holding live, online classes lure them back?
Second Place
• Jenna Carlesso, Keith Phaneuf and Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, Investigative/Enterprise
The state doesn’t track how many nursing home workers have coronavirus.
Third Place
• Kelan Lyons
Inmates seeking compassionate release face laws not built for Covid-19
Featured Photography
• First Place, Yehyun Kim, Feature Photo
Magical Merry-Go Round

• Third Place, Yehyun Kim, Feature Photo
Much Needed Haircut

Publick Occurrences (November 2020)
Each year the New England Newspaper & Press Association presents the Publick Occurrences Awards named for the first newspaper published in America in 1690. The awards recognize the year’s most outstanding journalism by individuals and teams at New England newsrooms.

Jenna Carlesso, Award for excellence in New England Journalism
Crisis in CT’s Nursing Homes
Judges’ comments: This news organization forced the revelation of how big a problem – COVID – really was in nursing homes by focusing on the flaws in the data, forcing better reporting. Then they went a step further correlating poor health grades in inspections to COVID outcomes, while clearly explaining the health risks of untested staffers and asymptomatic infected patients, that were the causes of an agonizing 56% of deaths in the state. COVID hit nursing homes fast and hard, and this series showed the gaps in data, inspection, staffing and oversight. It resulted in positive changes. Well planned and executed with very good correlation of data.