The Jesse H. Neal Awards are among the most prestigious in specialized business journalism, and two ENR submissions were chosen at its New York City recognition event on May 16 to win first-place for excellence. In its 71st year, the competition has grown in number of participants, range of news, issues and trends reported on, and creative use of new digital tools and media platforms to share content.

Says the Neal Awards about submitters’ mission: “Every day, you challenge audiences to think critically about their businesses and inspire them to grow and innovate. You engaged deeply on social issues and implications for your markets. Your visual design and digital production [are] more sophisticated, and you’ve adapted strategy and developed new products in response to your ever-changing industry.”

An ENR priority is to present in the most understandable and eye-catching way the achievements of its audience members and effects of the complex work they do—which requires ability to share detail clearly and with impact. As such, ENR was recognized for best scientific and technical content among all submitters it its revenue category,.

The award was based on three striking cover stories published in 2024. The July 1 issue highlighted the amazing gains and still nagging hurdles in developing nuclear fusion energy to scale—overseen by Deputy Editor Debra K. Rubin, with strong visuals by Senior Art Director Scott Hilling and key input from contributing writers Mary Powers and Peter Reina. The team drew on many sources, including fusion power skeptics, to outline how competing technologies aim to succeed.

Its two accompanying category submissions focused on design and construction challenges of the giant one-of-a kind Magellan telescope in the Chilean desert by Deputy Editor Jeff Rubenstone (Sept. 11), and the exacting asymmetry of the Longwood Gardens glasshouse in Delaware, by recently retired at-large buildings editor Nadine M. Post (July 17). Post also was key in a cover story that involved the entire ENR team of 20+ editors, which earned a win in the Neals category of content supporting an awards program. The March 11 package highlighted winners of ENR’s Best Projects competition, with the collection of 20 stories providing easy-to-understand highlights of innovative projects that clearly impressed the Neals jury.

ENR also brought home several awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors’ Azbee Awards of Excellence, which has existed since 1964 to recognize business-to-business editorial achievement

The nuclear fusion cover story won a national gold award. Hilling won a silver award for his opening spread design for ENR’s Top 20 Under 40 cover story; and Editor-in-Chief Scott Blair, Senior Editor Pam McFarland and Video Production Manager Drew Lockwood won a bronze award for the profile of ENR Award of Excellence winner Kit Miyamoto.

We hope the recognition illustrates ENR’s dedication to giving you the best journalism among specialized business media.

Richard Korman
Deputy Editor