The Dundee Courier has been named the regional daily newspaper of the year while the Kent Messenger took the title for weekly title of the year at the annual Regional Press Awards (both with a circulation above 20,000). Find a full list of winners and highly commended entries below.
Host Nick Ferrari showed his colours at the start of the ceremony, stripping his suit jacket and shirt away to reveal a blue Leicester City FC top (pictured below) in celebration of his team’s historic premier league victory this year.
The Birmingham Mail’s Jeanette Oldham received two awards, although wasn’t there to collect them. The Croydon Advertiser’s Gareth Davies collected his fourth Weekly Reporter of the Year award, his third in a row, referencing his recent victory in getting the Met police to withdraw a harassment warning against him after two years in a short speech.
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The York Press claimed the prize for Daily/Sunday Newspaper of the Year below 20,000 copies while The Cumberland News took the title of weekly of the year below 20,000.
Picking up her award for Daily/Sunday Sports Journalist of the Year, Caroyln Hitt dedicated the gong to “the Cardiff businessman who said: ‘I don’t write on cross-stitch, why do you write on rugby?’.”
Weekly Sports Reporter of the year went to the Newham Recorder’s Dave Evans, his first win and second nomination. He said: “I feel quite proud. Usually my main job is to cover West Ham [United] and there are plenty of stories there but none of the stories I entered where of West Ham. They were features I did that were a bit more off the wall with a bit more detail and a message.”
Columnist of the year, Ericka Waller, of The Brighton Argus dedicated her award to “the families and the victims of the Shoreham [air] disaster”.
The Making a Difference Campaign Award was awarded to The Dundee Courier for Frank’s Law, seeking fairer personal care support for dementia sufferers. The Chairman’s Award this year went to the Liverpool Echo for its coverage of the Hillsborough inquests.
The awards, on Friday at the Marriot Hotel, Grosvenor Square, London, are organised by the Society of Editors in association with the Press Association, the News Media Association and HoldTheFrontPage.
Society of Editors executive director Bob Satchwell said: “Regional newspapers in 2015 again demonstrated the terrific journalism they provide for their readers in terms of investigations, campaigns and good news stories that helped their readers and reflected the communities they serve.
“The awards identify and celebrate the top class achievements and best work of journalists and hundreds of newspapers across the country in print and on innovative digital platforms.”
Picture: All the winners on stage, credit: Society of Editors
Regional Press Awards 2016
Young Journalist of the Year
Highly commended – Rob Golledge, Express and Star, Wolverhampton
Winner – Sophie Prideaux, Bristol Post
Business and finance journalist of the year
Highly commended – Robin Johnson, Derby Telegraph
Winner – Simon Bain, The Glasgow Herald
Specialist Writer of the Year
Highly commended – Martin George, Eastern Daily Press
Winner – Jeanette Oldham, Birmingham Mail
Feature Writer of the Year
Highly commended – Zoe Chamberlain, Birmingham Mail
Winner – Lee Marlow, Leicester Mercury
Columnist of the Year
Highly commended – Carolyn Hitt, Western Mail
Winner – Ericka Waller, The Brighton Argus
Weekly Sports Journalist of the Year
Highly commended – Jon Colman, The Cumberland News
Winner – Dave Evans, Newham Recorder
Daily/Sunday Sports Journalist of the Year
Highly commended – Suzanne Geldard, Lancashire Telegraph
Highly commended – James Pearce, Liverpool Echo
Winner – Carolyn Hitt, Western Mail
Weekly Reporter of the Year
Highly commended – Ruby Kitchen, Harrogate Advertiser
Winner – Gareth Davies, Croydon Advertiser
Daily/Sunday Reporter of the Year
Highly commended – Ciaran Barnes
Winner – Jeanette Oldham, Birmingham Mail
Weekly Photographer of the Year
Highly commended – Mark Williamson, Stratford-upon-Avon Herald
Winner – Michael Gillen, The Falkirk Herald
Daily/Sunday Photographer of the Year
Highly commended – Jon Lewis, Oxford Mail
Highly commended – Rob Lock, Lancashire Evening Post
Winner – Kris Miller , The Dundee Courier
Designer of the Year
Highly commended – Sian David, Bath Chronicle
David Lewins, Bristol Post
Winner – Kathryn Clarke-McLeod, Western Morning News
Supplement of the Year
Highly commended – The Way We Were, The Sentinel
Winner – Scotland’s 100 Iconic Moments, Sunday Post
Front Page of the Year
Highly commended – Decency 1, Hatred 0, Newcastle Evening Chronicle
Winner – Thanks Andy, West Briton
Scoop of the Year
Highly commended – North Sea gets £1bn vote of confidence, Rita Brown, The Aberdeen Press and Journal
Winner – Shameful, Sophie Doughty, Newcastle Evening Chronicle
Campaign of the Year
Highly commended – Kids in Crisis, Hull Daily Mail
Highly commended – Pay Up Now, Camden New Journal
Winner – One in Eight, Hereford Times
Website of the Year
Highly commended – choniclelive.co.uk, Newcastle Evening Chronicle
Highly commended – dailyecho.co.uk, Southern Daily Echo
Winner – belfasttelegraph.co.uk, Belfast Telegraph
The Digital Award
Highly commended – Hillsborough Inquests, Liverpool Echo
Highly commended – Pink’un Interactive, Eastern Daily Press
Winner – Trinity Mirror Data Unit, Trinity Mirror
Journalists’ Charity Award
David Pugh, NLA Media Access
Weekly Newspaper of the Year (below 20,000)
Highly commended – Essex Chronicle
Highly commended – The Scarborough News
Winner – The Cumberland News
Weekly Newspaper of the Year (above 20,000)
Highly commended – Camden New Journal
Highly commended – The Westmorland Gazette
Winner – Kent Messenger
Daily/Sunday Newspaper of the Year (below 20,000)
Highly commended – News and Star
Winner – The Press, York
Daily/Sunday Newspaper of the Year (above 20,000)
Highly commended – Express and Star
Winner – The Courier, Dundee
Making a Difference Campaign Award
Winner – Frank’s Law, The Dundee Courier
Chairman’s Award
Hillsborough, 27 Year Fight for Truth, Liverpool Echo
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