FREEPORT — The Sun Journal was named best daily newspaper in the state at the Maine Press Association’s annual awards banquet Saturday night.

It also won top awards for advertising in both the daily and weekend categories.

The Maine Sunday Telegram was named best weekend paper.

Sun Journal Executive Editor Rex Rhoades praised the newsroom staff for producing great work during challenging times.

“It’s incredible that in the midst of this tumultuous time in our industry, the staff can still be focused on great community journalism throughout the paper,” Rhoades said.

The Sun Journal received more than three dozen other awards, including 12 first-place honors for writing, design, photography and advertising.

Among those, the Sun Journal was awarded first place for the best website of any daily newspaper in the state.

“All of us here are deeply proud of this recognition,” said Anthony Ronzio, new media director for the Sun Media Group. “We’re committed to putting forward an innovative and engaging online product, and these accolades let us know we’re on the right track.”

And, for the 13th consecutive year, the Sun Journal was awarded the Freedom of Information Award for its public access work.

“Even in a democracy, too many public officials and agencies believe secrecy suits their purposes better than open meetings and sharing information,” Rhoades said. “The award recognizes a year’s worth of efforts by Sun Journal reporters, editors and photographers to ensure freedom of information laws are obeyed.”

He added, “I am proud of our sustained efforts over many years to preserve freedom of the press and the public’s right to know.

The staff of the Sun Journal was also awarded top prize for online breaking news for its Web report of the nine-hour standoff at the Verso Androscoggin paper mill in Jay last March, a report that included quickly posted information about local road closures and updates on the safety of mill employees held in lockdown.

Staff Writer Lindsay Tice accepted two first-place awards, one for her report on public school policies regarding student concussions titled “Olivia Doyle hit the ground, hard” in the education category, and the second in the health category for her investigation of hospital salaries and benefits titled “Health & wealth III.”

Senior Designer Heather McCarthy was awarded first place in the specialty page design category for her b-Plus cover, “What a road trip,” a compilation of readers’ summer road-trip memories and photos.

Staff Writer Bonnie Washuk won first place for her feature, “Fantastic without plastic,” a first-person account of her family’s yearlong switch to “cash only” purchases.

Staff Photographer Amber Waterman was awarded first place in the People Photo category for her picture titled “Hospital wedding,” a portrait of an emotional kiss at the wedding of Pam LaFreniere and Barry Hanson at Central Maine Medical Center in January, just a month before Hanson died of cancer.

Sports Editor Justin Pelletier accepted a first-place award in the sports story category for “End for MAINEiacs,” a report announcing the departure of the Maineiacs hockey team from Lewiston last year.

Sports writers Kalle Oakes and Randy Whitehouse shared a first-place award in sports feature writing for “Wearing the whistle,” a three-part analysis of the ongoing shortage of qualified officials in high school sports and an examination of the reasons.

Sun Journal staff accepted the top award for its editorial page and for its in-paper advertising circulation promotion titled “$2,500 grocery giveaway.”

The Sun Journal also accepted 16 second-place newsroom awards and one second-place award for advertising, and seven third-place newsroom awards and one third-place award for advertising.

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