The Greater Wilmington Business Journal earned six honors from the the Alliance of Area Business Publishers 2025 Editorial Excellence Awards 

The Business Journal's accolades, bestowed Friday during the AABP's summer conferince held in Ottowa, Canada, included a gold award for its rank as best newspaper of its size in the alliance.

The GWBJ's editorial team is made up of Emma Dill, reporter; Suzi Drake, art director; Vicky Janowski, overall editor; and Cece Nunn, managing editor, with contributions from Jessica Maurer, director of Feast Wilmington, and numerous freelancers, including photographer Madeline Gray and illustrator Mark Weber. Also contributing to the entries that earned awards was Audrey Elsberry, previous reporter for the Business Journal who is currently a reporter for S&P Global.

For the Business Journal's best newspaper award, the judges said, "With compelling editorial content and consistent design, this entry stood out for its thoughtful use of imagery and well-composed visual features like the Economic Indicators page. Strong, clear headlines and creative cover concepts – including the umbrella for 'Stormy Money' — gave a professional polish. The paper also captures the diversity of its business  community, including the arts scene, while sections such as Biz Leads and Business of Life offered high reader value."

The five other awards the journal received are: 

Gold, Best Overall Design, Suzi Drake: "This publication stands out with page after page of thoughtfully executed design, guided by a classic grid system and confident typography," judges said. "Bold conceptual illustrations connect with readers on an intellectual level, while strong documentary photography help show what  happened. Covers are consistently compelling, particularly the umbrella and portrait issues."

Gold, Best Ancillary Publication, WilmingtonBiz Magazine's Real Estate Issue: "With a mix of story types, this publication provides a detailed and interesting look at commercial and residential real estate. The design is well executed with harmonious typography, valuable infographics and sharp photography," judges said.

Gold, Best Coverage of Local Breaking News, Cece Nunn and Jessica Maurer: "This breaking news coverage (of flooding in Carolina Beach) was well executed. It was great that the reporter was able to gather voices from people affected, an in-depth assessment of impact and the sentiment of what the weather reports said and how they were conveyed to the residents," judges said. "The closing quote was very powerful."

Gold, Best Beat Reporting, Real Estate, Emma Dill and Cece Nunn: "This well-reported story collection identified important local trends, such as poor preservation of historic buildings, and local ties to national stories, such as the damper of rising interest rates on home sales," judges said. "A standout effort is a thorough examination of the various reasons why the state is falling behind in making its properties hurricane-ready."

Bronze, Best Front Page, Suzi Drake, Mark Weber: "The playful and conceptual illustration ('Chemical Reactions') is entertaining and causes an immediate visual reaction that draws the reader into the piece," judges said. "The use of color and graphic elements are reserved and purposeful. Type choices are sophisticated and classy and provide a great sense of authority and trustworthiness."