The Liverpool Echo won four awards at the 2012 Regional Press Awards, garnering particular praise for its successful Hillsborough campaign.
The Trinity Mirror title also won the daily/Sunday newspaper of the year award for newspapers with circulations of more than 25,000.
Meanwhile, the Echo’s digital team also won the website of the year award and journalist Paddy Shennan was named feature writer of the year.
Elsewhere, Wales on Sunday, another Trinity Mirror title, claimed the daily/Sunday newspaper of the year award for titles with circulations of less than 25,000.
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The Brentwood Gazette and Cumberland News won weekly newspaper of the year for newspapers below and above 20,000 circulations respectively.
The Southern Daily Echo claimed two prizes at the awards, with Simon Walter winning daily/Sunday sports journalist of the year and Melanie Adams claiming scoop of the year.
Chairman of the judges, a former Society of Editors president and former editor of the Manchester Evening News, Paul Horrocks, said: “Once again we have seen the amazing quality of journalistic effort that is being produced during challenging times for regional and local journalists.
“This year’s entries should act as a reminder to those who question the value of a free, diverse and vibrant press.”
Bob Satchwell, executive director of the Society of Editors, said: "Congratulations to all of this year’s winners who have yet again demonstrated the vital public service that they continue to perform.”
The list of winners in full is as follows:
Young Journalist of the Year
Winner: Richard Wheatstone, Manchester Evening News
Highly Commended: Bill Gardner, The Argus
Business and Finance Journalist of the Year
Winner: Robin Johnson, Derby Telegraph
Highly Commended: Simon Bain, The Herald, Glasgow
Specialist Writer of the Year
Winner: Ciaran Barnes, Sunday Life
Highly Commended: Jon Austin, The Echo, Basildon
Feature Writer of the Year
Winner: Paddy Shennan, Liverpool Echo
Highly Commended: Emma Higginbotham, Cambridge News
Columnist of the Year
Winner: Les Reid, Coventry Telegraph
Highly Commended: Carolyn Hitt, Western Mail
Weekly Sports Journalist of the Year
Winner: David Powell, North Devon Journal
Highly Commended: Amanda Little, The Cumberland News
Daily/Sunday Sports Journalist of the Year
Winner: Simon Walter, Southern Daily Echo
Highly Commended: Stevie Roden, Nottingham Post
Weekly Reporter of the Year
Winner: Mark Williams, Lincolnshire Echo
Highly Commended: David Churchill, Croydon Advertiser
Daily/Sunday Reporter of the Year
Winner: Rob Waugh, Yorkshire Post
Highly Commended: Kevin Shoesmith, Hull Daily Mail
Weekly Photographer of the Year
Winner: Stephen Garnett, Craven Herald
Highly Commended: Anna Draper, Lincolnshire Echo
Daily/Sunday Photographer of the Year
Winner: Ian Rutherford, The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday
Highly Commended: Kate Lowe, Derby Telegraph
Designer of the Year
Winner: David Hamburgh, Edinburgh Evening News
Highly Commended: Marc White, Media Wales
Supplement of the Year
Winner: More Magazine, Leicester Mercury
Highly Commended: Weekend, Bristol Evening Post
Front Page of the Year
Winner: Merv’s Boots – Western Mail
Highly Commended: Etched On Her Flesh – Derby Telegraph
We Are With You – Manchester Evening News
Scoop of the Year
Winner: Melanie Adams, Southern Daily Echo
Highly Commended: Gina Davidson, Edinburgh Evening News
Campaign of the Year
Winner: Hillsborough, Liverpool Echo
Highly Commended: Cassie’s Law, Colchester Daily Gazette
Website of the Year
Winner: Liverpool Post and Echo Digital team
Highly Commended: Wales Online, Media Wales
The Digital Award
Winner: The Wales Online Datastore, Media Wales
Highly Commended: The PinkUn, Norwich Evening News
Weekly Newspaper (Below 20,000)
Winner: Brentwood Gazette
Highly Commended: The Cornishman
Weekly Newspaper (Above 20,000)
Winner: The Cumberland News
Highly Commended: Camden New Journal
Westmorland Gazette
Daily/Sunday Newspaper (Below 25,000)
Winner: Wales on Sunday
Highly Commended: Dundee Evening Telegraph
Daily/Sunday Newspaper (Above 25,000)
Winner: Liverpool Echo
Highly Commended: Express and Star Wolverhampton Sunday Life
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