The Yorkshire Post and Western Mail have been crowned daily newspapers of the year at the Regional Press Awards for 2019.
The winners were unveiled via video this afternoon after organisers the Society of Editors opted for a virtual event rather than postponing the annual lunch to a later date due to the coronavirus.
The Bucks Free Press and the Farnham Herald were named weekly newspapers of the year, while the Islington Tribune took the title of Free Newspaper of the Year.
Website of the Year went to Hull Live, the Hull Daily Mail’s website.
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There were two winners of the Campaign of the Year award: the Birmingham Mail for its focus on the IRA pub bombings in the city and the Power up the North campaign which ran across Newsquest, Reach and JPI Media local titles.
In a video message of support, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden MP paid tribute to the regional press, saying it has a “unique role to play both in holding local politicians to account and in building a sense of community”.
Ian Murray, executive director of the Society of Editors, said: “Even though the awards have been affected by the Coronavirus emergency and we were unable to stage the gala lunch we were determined all the fantastic work carried out by the regional and local press did not go unrecognised.
“Anyone looking at the breadth and scale of the entries for this year’s awards will recognise the tremendous and vital role the sector plays in our nation.”
You can watch the online ceremony here.
Full list of Regional Press Awards for 2019 winners and highly commended entries:
Journalists’ Charity Award
Winner: Dan Carrier, Camden New Journal
Young Journalist of the Year – sponsored by Amazon Prime Video
Winner: Jessie Mathewson, East London Guardian
Winner: Jack Dyson, Kentish Gazette
Highly Commended: Marcus Hughes, WalesOnline
Specialist Writer/Impact Journalist of the Year
Winner: Liam Thorp, Liverpool Echo
Highly Commended: Ciaran Barnes, Sunday Life
Feature Writer/Long Form Journalist of the Year
Winner: Amanda Powell, The Western Mail
Highly Commended: Joe Thomas, Liverpool Echo
Business & Finance Journalist of the Year
Winner: Greg Wright, The Yorkshire Post
Highly Commended: Robin Johnson, Derby Telegraph
Highly Commended: Margaret Canning, Belfast Telegraph
Columnist of the Year – Daily Paper
Winner: Carolyn Hitt, The Western Mail
Winner: Allison Morris, The Irish News
Highly Commended: Catriona Stewart, The Herald
Columnist of the Year – Weekly Paper
Winner: Peter Grant, Wirral Globe
Highly Commended: Mike Kelly, Sunday Sun
Sports Journalist of the Year – Daily Paper
Winner: Neil Allen, The News, Portsmouth
Highly Commended: Paul Abbandonato, WalesOnline
Sports Journalist of the Year – Weekly/ Sunday Paper
Winner: Paul Ferguson, Sunday Life
Highly Commended: Mark Taylor, Cambridge Independent
Data Journalist of the Year
Winner: Harriet Clugston, RADAR AI
Winner: Aimee Stanton, JPI Media
Highly Commended: Annie Gouk, Reach Data Unit
Social Media Journalist of the Year
Winner: Daniel Russell, The Nottingham Post and Nottinghamshire Live
Highly Commended: Will Hayward, WalesOnline
Digital Live News Reporter of the Year
Winner: Kristian Johnson, LeedsLive
Highly Commended: Neil Docking, Liverpool Echo
Highly Commended: Cathy Owen, Media Wales
Digital Live Sports Reporter of the Year
Winner: Gareth Hanna, Belfast Telegraph
Highly Commended: Beren Cross, LeedsLive
Reporting Communities Award
Winner: Rakeem Omar Hyatt, BirminghamLive
Winner: Kathryn Williams, WalesOnline
Highly Commended: Will Hayward, WalesOnline
The Cathryn Nicoll Award – in conjunction with the NMA
Winner: Joseph Locker, The Nottingham Post & Nottinghamshire Live
Weekly/Sunday Reporter of the Year – sponsored by Luther Pendragon
Winner: Rodney Edwards, The Impartial Reporter
Highly Commended: Charles Thomson, Yellow Advertiser
Daily Reporter of the Year – sponsored by Luther Pendragon
Winner: Martyn McLaughlin, The Scotsman
Highly Commended: Liam Thorp, Liverpool Echo
Highly Commended: Kelly Williams, Daily Post
Weekly/Sunday Photographer of the Year – sponsored by PA Media
Winner: Stuart Walker, The Cumberland News
Highly Commended: Mark Williamson, Stratford-upon-Avon Herald
Daily Photographer of the Year – sponsored by PA Media
Winner: Simon Hulme, The Yorkshire Post
Highly Commended: James Hardisty, The Yorkshire Post/Yorkshire Evening Post
Designer of the Year – Newspaper
Winner: Debbie Rodman, Bury Free Press
Highly Commended: Simon Hill, Express & Star
Designer of the Year – Magazines/Supplement
Winner: David Lewins, Bristol Post: Weekend Magazine
Highly Commended: Clarke Cooper, The Press and Journal
Supplement of the Year
Winner: TdY Magazine, The Yorkshire Post
Highly Commended: Back Where We Belong, Express & Star
Magazine of the Year
Winner: ecoJersey, Jersey Evening Post
Highly Commended: Life, Jewish News
Front Page of the Year – Daily Paper, sponsored by HoldTheFrontPage
Winner: They tried to make the world a better place, Cambridge News
Highly Commended: La Tragedie de Notre Dame, The Scotsman
Front Page of the Year – Weekly Paper, sponsored by HoldTheFrontPage
Winner: ‘Choose something’, The Herald on Sunday
Highly Commended: Shameless/ Killed for the Cameras, Sunday Life
Scoop of the Year – sponsored by Cision
Winner: Senior teacher bombarded pupil, 15 with flirty messages, Daily Post
Highly Commended: Evil Eyes, Sunday Life
Campaign of the Year – Daily Paper
Winner: Power up the North campaign, across Reach Plc, JPI Media & Newsquest titles
Winner: Birmingham Pub Bombing Inquest Campaign, Birmingham Mail
Campaign of the Year – Weekly/Sunday Paper
Winner: Save Kentish Town City Farm, Camden New Journal
Winner: Paedophile Police Informant campaign, Yellow Advertiser
Highly Commended: Save Reading Gaol, Reading Chronicle
Website of the Year – sponsored by Google News Initiative
Winner: HullLive, Hull Daily Mail
Highly Commended: Irishnews.com, The Irish News
Highly Commended: manchestereveningnews.co.uk, Manchester Evening News
Social Media Team of the Year – sponsored by Facebook Journalism Project
Winner: ChronicleLive
Highly Commended: WalesOnline
Digital Initiative of the Year – sponsored by Facebook Journalism Project
Winner: Brexit Voices from Northern Ireland, Belfast Telegraph
Highly Commended: Shaped by a River: Tales of the Tay, The Courier
The Overall Digital Award– sponsored by Facebook Journalism Project
Winner: liverpoolecho.co.uk, Liverpool Echo
Highly Commended: KentOnline, IM News
Innovation & Initiative of the Year – sponsored by Facebook Journalism Project
Winner: Statement, The Irish News
Highly Commended: Radar AI | Local News Wire, RADAR AI
Free Weekly Newspaper of the Year – sponsored by Camelot
Winner: Islington Tribune
Highly Commended: Slough & Windsor Express
Paid for Weekly/Sunday Newspaper of the Year Above 50,000 Monthly Reach – sponsored by Camelot
Winner: Bucks Free Press
Highly Commended: Newbury Weekly News
Paid for Weekly/Sunday Newspaper of the Year Below 50,000 Monthly Reach – sponsored by Camelot
Winner: Farnham Herald
Highly Commended: The Impartial Reporter
Daily Newspaper of the Year Above 400,000 Monthly Reach – sponsored by Camelot
Winner: The Yorkshire Post
Highly Commended: Express & Star
Daily Newspaper of the Year Below 400,000 Monthly Reach – sponsored by Camelot
Winner: Western Mail
Highly Commended: Yorkshire Evening Post
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