Baltimore Fishbowl won 24 awards, including Salesperson of the Year and four Best of Show honors, in the Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia (MDDC) Press Association Contest this week for works published in 2023.
For the first time, this year Baltimore Fishbowl competed in Division C, with news publications of a similar audience size. In previous years, Baltimore Fishbowl competed in the now-defunct Division O, for online-only news outlets.
First- and second-place awards were distributed within each division, while Best of Show honors were bestowed upon each category’s top winner overall across all divisions.
Publisher Nicole Allen won Salesperson of the Year. Allen is a major driving force behind Baltimore Fishbowl’s funding success, as the news website’s only ad salesperson on staff. She came to Baltimore Fishbowl in 2019 after previously working in advertising and sales for Baltimore City Paper, Mid-Atlantic Media, and LeapDay Media, among others.
“Nicole consistently impresses me with her exceptional sales skills, dedication to client relationships, and deep understanding of the market. She is remarkable,” Baltimore Fishbowl Founding Editor Susan Dunn wrote in her nomination letter for Allen.
Dunn continues, “Nicole possesses a talent for connecting with clients on a personal level, effectively translating their needs into solutions. Nicole doesn’t simply sell products; she becomes a trusted partner, maintaining regular contact before, during, and after she closes the sale. Her dedication fosters loyalty and repeat business; clients know they can rely on her for responsive support and solutions. But Nicole’s impact goes beyond maintaining excellent existing relationships. She continuously brings fresh ideas to the table, proposing innovative solutions that address clients’ current and future needs. She isn’t afraid to think outside the box, offering well-researched alternative recommendations that often lead to win-win scenarios.”
In the Sports Feature Story category, freelance reporter Andrew Ratner won first place and Best of Show overall for his piece on the now-removed Baltimore Sun sign at Camden Yards.
Executive Editor David Nitkin won first place and Best of Show overall in the Online Blog Commentary category for his piece comparing Baltimore to the different locales he and his wife Karen visited during their cross-country road trip in fall 2023.
Freelance reporter Walinda West’s article about the volunteers who escort those seeking abortions and other health appointments won first place and Best of Show overall in the General News category and second place in the Medical/Science Reporting category.
Graphic Designer Charlie Herrick won first place and Best of Show overall in online-only advertising with an advertisement for Baltimore restaurant Birroteca. That same ad secured Herrick second place in the advertising campaign category.
Herrick also won first place in self-promotion advertising for an advertisement celebrating Baltimore Fishbowl’s 21 MDDC awards in 2023 (for works published in 2022), which included Website of General Excellence and other “best of show” wins that year.
The staff of Baltimore Fishbowl won second place for Website of General Excellence.
Baltimore Fishbowl swept the Headline category, with staff reporter Aliza Worthington’s headline for her pickle party article dill-ivering her first place, and columnist Marion Winik snagging second place for her column about a trip with friends to Cortona in Tuscany, Italy.
Worthington also earned second place in Business Reporting for her story about chef Carlos Raba opening his new Towson taqueria, Nana.
Columnist Rafael Alvarez swept the Sports Column category, earning first place for his tribute to the late Brooks Robinson and second place for a column about his grandson’s first ballgame at Camden Yards.
Baltimore Fishbowl swept the Arts/Entertainment Reporting category, with Managing Editor Marcus Dieterle clinching first place with his article about a queer ball at Baltimore’s Enoch Pratt Free Library, while West earned second place for her story on Baltimore Sun columnist Dan Rodricks’ new stage plays.
Dieterle also took home two second place awards: one in Education Reporting for an article about food inflation’s effects on local schools and families; and the other in the Feature Story: Non-Profile category for his article about the Baltimore Critter Society’s invitation to name a roach, rat, or other small beast after an ex-lover and have it fed to rescue animals for Valentine’s Day.
In Continuing Coverage, freelance reporter Ed Gunts earned second place for his reporting on the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts (BOPA) under scrutiny after many managerial missteps.
Freelance reporter Richard Bader won second place for his article about the lack of bookstores in Towson, despite the area’s large college student population.
Thank you to our readers whose support makes it possible for Baltimore Fishbowl to continue delivering valuable news coverage, columns and essays from local voices, and other important work.
And congratulations to our fellow MDDC winners this year!
Revisit our MDDC award-winning pieces from 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Thank you,
Marcus Dieterle
Managing Editor
Baltimore Fishbowl
