Baltimore Fishbowl won 28 awards, including Salesperson of the Year for the second consecutive year and two Best of Show honors, in the 2024 Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia (MDDC) Press Association Contest.
This was Baltimore Fishbowl’s sixth year participating in MDDC’s contest, and our second year competing in Division C with news publications of a similar audience size, including Carroll County Times, Daily State News, Maryland Matters, The Catholic Review, and The Daily Times.
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.
Entries for the 2024 MDDC contest were judged by newspaper professionals from the Washington Press Association.
The staff of Baltimore Fishbowl won first place for Website of General Excellence.
“There’s good local coverage with a nice balance of news and cultural reporting, and editorials by voices that are known and trusted in the community. The organization is logical and the categorizations help the user. The headlines and subheads are nicely done,” judges wrote.
For the second year in a row, Publisher Nicole Allen won Salesperson of the Year.
“Nicole Allen is the definition of a powerhouse salesperson, consistently surpassing goals and redefining what it means to be a true partner to her clients,” Baltimore Fishbowl Founder Susan Gerardo Dunn wrote in her nomination letter for Allen.
The letter continues, “Her ability to cultivate deep, lasting relationships is unmatched—she doesn’t just sell; she strategizes, guiding clients through every phase of the buying cycle with precision and care. With a track record of delivering outstanding results year after year, Nicole is both a closer and a creative force, regularly introducing innovative solutions tailored to her clients’ evolving needs. She is an expert in navigating the competitive landscape, offering smart, strategic alternatives while skillfully managing cost concerns. Nicole’s responsiveness, deep understanding of client businesses, and ability to translate marketing insights into winning sales strategies set her apart. She doesn’t just meet expectations—she exceeds them, making her an excellent choice for Salesperson of the Year.”
In addition to being Baltimore Fishbowl’s only ad salesperson on staff, Allen also publishes Baltimore Fishbowl’s annual independent schools guide, served as editor for our inaugural camp guide and helped organize the first-ever Baltimore Fishbowl Oyster Shellebration.
The competition judge noted, “Nicole combines consistent, gold-standard performance with deep client partnerships and a strategic, consultative approach to deliver innovative, tailored solutions. She anticipates client needs while also being mindful of cost considerations. I get the sense that Nicole approaches her career with an entrepreneurial mindset that truly benefits her organization.”
Baltimore Fishbowl’s staff won first place in our division and Best of Show overall in the “Best Event” category for our inaugural Oyster Shellebration. A portion of ticket sales from that event benefitted Baltimore’s beloved Mr. Trash Wheel.
Readers came out to True Chesapeake Oyster Co. at Whitehall Mill on Oct. 23, 2024 to enjoy an evening of raw and roasted oysters, hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and even a performance by Adam Lindquist, Vice President of Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, which oversees Mr. Trash Wheel and other efforts within the Healthy Harbor Initiative.
Graphic Designer Charlie Herrick won first place in the “Online only ad” category for his advertisement promoting the Shellebration event.
Columnist Jalynn Harris won first place in our division and Best of Show overall in the “Local Column: Feature or Humor” category for their column detailing their time working at The Charles Theater in Baltimore and the friendship they found there.
Baltimore Fishbowl swept the “Advertising-driven Special Publication — standalone” category, earning first place for our independent schools guide and second place for our inaugural camp guide. In addition to school and camp directories and sponsored content, the guides also include helpful pieces about topics that families might consider — written by Baltimore Fishbowl staff and contributors.
The ninth edition of the Baltimore Fishbowl Guide to Baltimore Independent Schools featured parents’ processes for choosing an independent school; teachers’ and media specialists’ most-recommended books; and schools and programs for students with learning differences.
Meanwhile, Baltimore Fishbowl’s first-ever Guide to Summer Camps included pieces about counselor-in-training programs, and how Publisher Nicole Allen found the right summer camp for her own twin sons — and her advice for other families navigating a similar search.
Staff reporter Aliza Worthington swept the “Arts/Entertainment Reporting” category, earning first place for her article about artist Joyce Scott’s retrospective exhibition at the Baltimore Museum of Art, and second place for her article about a docuseries created by students at the Baltimore School for the Arts.
Baltimore Fishbowl writers swept the “Growth/Land Use” category, with Worthington winning first place for reporting on the dismantling and preservation of buildings in Old Ellicott City, while Executive Editor David Nitkin took home second place for his article about a Howard County father who built a go-kart track for his son in their family’s backyard without obtaining permits.
Nitkin also won second place in the “Education Reporting” category for his article delving into a report commissioned by the Abell Foundation, which supported later school start times for high school students.
In the “Local Government” category, Worthington again won first place, this time for her article about plans for a lakefront library in Columbia lakefront library.
Worthington earned first place for her headline “Cupid’s Undie Run will be brief but uplifting! Charity run raises money for neurofibromatosis research.“
Her article about the late Bill Higgins, founder and owner of Bill’s Music store in Catonsville won second place in the “Feature Story: Profile” category.
Baltimore Fishbowl swept the “Environmental Reporting” category, with summer 2024 intern Tolu Talabi (currently a student at University of Maryland, College Park) winning first place for her article about the establishment of a city-state partnership to manage Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park, and Managing Editor Marcus Dieterle winning second place for his reporting on Howard County residents’ pushing back against a chemical company’s plans to pilot a plastics recycling plant.
Dieterle also won first place in the “Local Column: Critical Thinking” category for his column chronicling his and his fiancé’s journey to becoming first-time Baltimore homeowners.
Columnist Rafael Alvarez won first place in the “Continuing Coverage” category for “A City to Come,” a collection of articles about the community impact of the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s decision to close nearly 40 churches.
Alvarez also won first place in “Religion Reporting” for his article recounting Baltimore’s Catholic history amid the archdiocese’s church closure plans.
Freelance reporter Karuga Koinange earned first place in the “Sports Feature Story,” category for his profile on the Baltimore Nighthawks women’s tackle football team and their CEO Tanya Bryan (known to her team as “Mama Tanya”).
Freelance reporter Joel McCord’s article about how members of Generation Z are beginning to shape Maryland politics won first place in the “Feature Story: Non-Profile” category.
In the “General News” category, freelance reporter Walinda West earned second place for her reporting on the Baltimore Sun staff members pushing back against quotas and other issues as they sought a new union contract.
Second place in the “Series” category went to freelance reporter Adam DeRose’s “On the Issues: Mayoral Candidates” series in which he interviewed the top candidates running for Baltimore mayor in 2024 about how they would address issues such as public safety, transportation, the arts, the environment, and more. That same series also won DeRose second place in the “Wild Card” category, which this year focused on pre-election coverage for the 2024 election.
In the “Business Reporting” category, freelance reporter Nathan McConarty (currently a student at Loyola University Maryland) won second place for his story about ECD Lacrosse, a Maryland company that makes webbing wax for lacrosse sticks.
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Congratulations to our fellow MDDC winners this year!
Revisit our MDDC award-winning pieces from 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Thank you,
Marcus Dieterle
Managing Editor
Baltimore Fishbowl
I am so excited for Fishbowl and the many awards for great stories and the reporters who did the hard work to bring us News.
Several of the reporters I worked with for many years at the Baltimore Sun.
I love to read their work and know they are still out there doing what the do best. One of my most treasured folks, Rafael Alvarez.