July 5, 2013updated 07 Aug 2013 8:12pm

British Journalism Awards to return on 2 December with new prize dedicated to Marie Colvin

The British Journalism Awards is set to return to Stationers’ Hall in London on 2 December this year.

The event, celebrating great journalism which is interesting to the public and in the public interest, was launched by Press Gazette last year partly in response to the Leveson Inquiry and the hacking scandal.

Last year Sunday Times journalist David Walsh was named first British Journalism Awards Journalist of the Year in recognition of his 13-year investigation exposing cyclist Lance Armstrong as a drugs cheat.

This year there are three new categories: foreign affairs journalist of the year, campaign of the year and the Marie Colvin Award.

At the 2012 event the judges decided to give a special award posthumously to former Sunday Times foreign correspondent Colvin who was killed last year reporting from Syria.

The new Marie Colvin Award will be presented to the journalist who has done the most over the last year, and over the course of their career, to raise the reputation of British journalism.

Press Gazette editor Dominic Ponsford said: “The British Journalism Awards is unlike any other journalism awards event in the UK. It is free to enter, and to attend, providing a unique opportunity for ordinary journalists to be recognised for the work they do which makes a difference.

“This event is also unusual because it is open to all journalists wherever they work, whether that is in broadcasting, national and regional press, magazines, business publishing or online.

“The British Journalism Awards provides an opportunity to salute the heroes and heroines of our profession and to remind the public of the crucial role British journalism has in highlighting injustice and holding the powerful to account.”

Pharmaceutical company Astellas has agreed to become supporter of this year’s event by sponsoring the business category.

President and CEO of Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd Ken Jones said: “Astellas, a pharmaceutical company focused upon meeting the medical needs of patients through innovation, is proud to support quality journalism by sponsoring the Business Journalist of the Year category at the British Journalism Awards.”

The closing date for entries to the British Journalism Awards is 9am 14 October 2013.

Here is the full list of categories.