Kristin Ingala vividly recalls a moment in a Massachusetts college classroom when her pronounced Boston accent drew laughter after she asked a professor to switch to a darker marker on the whiteboard. That same accent, once a source of embarrassment, now distinguishes her as one of eight finalists in a statewide contest to become the official “Voice of Logan” at Boston Logan International Airport.
The airport launched the competition earlier this year to select a local voice that would welcome more than 40 million travelers annually through recorded announcements. The contest attracted over 5,000 entries from Massachusetts residents, all reading a script peppered with regional references such as “grabbing a lobster roll by the harbor” and “paying your respects to the Green Monster.” Finalists hail from various parts of the state, with most in their 30s and 40s, embodying a youthful, yet authentically Bostonian tone.
The winner, to be announced next Thursday, will have their voice played throughout Logan by Christmas. Officials embarked on the search after passenger feedback criticized the airport’s existing announcements as generic and lacking local character. Historically, announcements were made by elected city and state leaders, including former Mayor Tom Menino, whose heavily accented speech earned the nickname “Mayor Mumbles,” and current Mayor Michelle Wu and Governor Maura Healey, both of whom have less locally distinct accents.
The Boston accent, with its roots tracing back to 17th-century English settlers, has evolved over time, notably dropping the pronunciation of Rs to align with upper-class English trends of the 18th century. Although it has sometimes been stereotyped with lower socioeconomic status, linguists note the accent remains widely beloved as a cultural marker of the area.
Contestants shared varied experiences with their regional speech. Max German, a 29-year-old finalist from Worcester, recalled initial self-consciousness after peers laughed at his accent in law school but has grown to embrace it. Similarly, Megan Lewis-Michelson, 37, from Everett, said her strong Boston accent made her stand out at Harvard, where few shared her blue-collar speech patterns. Now a singer, actor, and voice teacher, she values her accent as a distinctive personal attribute.
Contest guidelines emphasized clarity and naturalness, requiring finalists to balance authentic Boston pronunciation with easy comprehension, especially for the airport’s diverse international audience. German, for example, softened certain pronunciations, articulating the Rs in “airport” while retaining others as traditionally dropped. Ingala described deliberately altering her speech as physically uncomfortable but recognized the cultural energy her accent conveys.
For many contestants, the opportunity to highlight their Boston roots through the contest represents a form of personal validation. Ingala, a two-time Golden Gloves boxing champion from Wilmington with family ties to Boston’s North End, sees the accent as integral to local identity. Lewis-Michelson noted that her mother celebrated her recognition as embracing a core part of who she is.
As Logan Airport prepares to adopt a new local voice, the contest underscores how regional dialects can play a significant role in shaping a community’s public image and welcoming spirit.