Half of the nominations for the title, Young Journalist of the Year, at this year's Regional Press Awards, are based in Scotland.
Ryan Crighton, from the Press and Journal, and Matthew Holehouse and Chris Watt, both from the Herald & Times Group, are battling it for the prize, along with rivals from Derby and Yorkshire.
The shortlist – unveiled by organisers, the Society of Editors – also includes two Scotland-based candidates in the Weekly Sports Journalist of the Year category: Eric Mackinnon, from the West Lothian Courier, and Colin Paterson, from the Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser.
The West Lothian Courier gets a second nomination, this time courtesy of Stuart Vance, in the Weekly Photographer of the Year section.
In total, there are nine Scots nominations among the UK-wide total of 141, with the Press and Journal in the running for Daily/Sunday Newspaper of the Year (for newspapers with a circulation over 25,000) and The Herald's Simon Bain shortlisted as Business and Finance Journalist of the Year.
The Greenock Telegraph has also been nominated, in the Campaign of the Year category: for 'You Saved Tea Bar'.
In a statement issued by the Society of Editors, category judges are said to have considered more than 750 entries. The winners will be announced on the 11th of next month.
Bob Satchwell, executive director of the Society of Editors, is quoted, saying: “The judges faced a formidable task and the rare privilege of reading thousands of words gathered together in brilliant entries that reflect the variety, vitality and sheer excellence of local and regional newspapers, which are of course the best in the world.
“In some cases the entries were so strong in quality as well as numbers that it was simply impossible to choose only six for each shortlist.”
The shortlist reads:
Business & Finance Journalist of the Year
Simon Bain The Herald, Glasgow
Jon Griffin Birmingham Mail
Robin Johnson Derby Telegraph
Catherine Lea Hull Daily Mail
Owen McAteer The Northern Echo
Michael Ribbeck Bristol Evening Post
Digital Innovation of the Year
Birmingham Mail Communities Birmingham Mail
Greater Manchester Police 24 Manchester Evening News
How YOU will bear the brunt of the cuts Manchester Evening News
Hunt for Raoul Moat NCJ Media Newcastle
The Pinkun Norwich The Pinkun, Norwich (www.pinkun.com)
Virtual Reality Museum of Norfolk Eastern Daily Press
Daily/Sunday Photographer of the Year
Christopher Booth The Northern Echo
Anthony Chappel-Ross The Press, York
Matthew Horwood Media Wales
Gareth Jones Liverpool Daily Post and Echo
Mark McCormick Sunday Life
Liz Pearce Media Wales
Scoop of the Year
Mary Griffin Woman caught dumping cat in wheelie bin Coventry Telegraph
Shaun Jepson We find the runaway sex fiend Derby Telegraph
Keeley Knowles Teen banned from US over Obama hate mail Bedfordshire on Sunday
Jeanette Oldham Asylum missing millions Sunday Mercury
Martin Shipton Long List of S4C TV shows with zero viewers Media Wales
Lui Stracci Pakistan Murder trial accused living on benefits Luton and Dunstable Express
Young Journalist of the Year
Ryan Crighton The Press and Journal
Claire Duffin Derby Telegraph
Matthew Holehouse The Herald, Glasgow
Joe Shute Yorkshire Post
Dan Warburton NCJ Media
Chris Watt Herald and Times, Glasgow
Feature Writer of the Year
Laura Davis Liverpool Daily Post
Lee Marlow Leicester Mercury
Rod Mc Phee Yorkshire Evening Post
David O’Dornan Sunday Life
Dave Owens Media Wales
Adam Wakelin Leicester Mercury
Gail Walker Belfast Telegraph
Weekly Photographer of the Year
Ian Cooper Chester Chronicle
Stephen Garnett Craven Herald
Chris Gleave Manchester Evening News and Weekly group
Sean Hansford Rochdale Observer
Stuart Vance West Lothian Courier
Stuart Walker The Cumberland News
Daily/Sunday Sports Journalist of the Year
Paul Abbandonato Media Wales
Jon Colman News and Star, Carlisle
Andy Cryer Lancashire Telegraph
John Gibson Evening Chronicle, Newcastle
James Robson Manchester Evening News
Martin Smith The Star, Sheffield
Anthony Vickers Evening Gazette, Middlesbrough
Daily/Sunday Reporter of the Year
Bimpe Archer The Irish News
Adam Aspinall Sunday Mercury
Ben Kendall Eastern Daily Press
Allison Morris The Irish News
Jeanette Oldham Sunday Mercury
Martin Shipton Media Wales
Dan Thompson Manchester Evening News
Front Page of the Year
Temper Graffiti Birmingham Post
Help Us Grow Bristol Evening Post
A Day When Derry Changed Derry News
Get In Evening Chronicle, Newcastle
Our City Divided Manchester Evening News
Hurricane’s Epitaph Sunday Life
The Gull Menace The Bath Chronicle
Specialist Writer of the Year
Ciaran Barnes Crime Reporter Sunday Life
Alison Dayani Health Correspondent Birmingham Mail
Tom Dowling Disability All Together NOW!
Nicky Harley Court Reporter Hull Daily Mail
Shaun Lintern Health Correspondent Express & Star, Wolverhampton
Vicki Mathias Health Reporter Bristol Evening Post
Becky Sheaves Food and Drink Editor Western Morning News
Charles Walker Local Government Nottingham Post
Columnist of the Year
Gavin Aitchison The Press, York
Simon Carr Southern Daily Echo
John Connery News Letter, Ulster
Colin Drury The Star, Sheffield
Ian Midgley Hull Daily Mail
Erik Petersen Nottingham Post
Weekly Sports Journalist of the Year
Jon Colman The Cumberland News
Chris Harby Melton Times
Amanda Little The Cumberland News
Eric Mackinnon West Lothian Courier
Colin Paterson Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
David Powell North Devon Journal
Designer of the Year
Ian Bond Hull Daily Mail
Neil Cammies Media Wales
Peter Devine Manchester Evening News
Alan Formby-Jackson Evening Gazette, Middlesbrough
Angela Swann Oxford Mail
Doug Young NCJ Media
Weekly Reporter of the Year
Anthony Bonnici West Briton
Paul Francis The Kent Messenger
Charlotte Richardson Weston, Worle & Somerset Mercury
John Siddle Trinity Mirror Merseyside Weeklies
Lui Straccia Luton & Dunstable Express
Janine Yaqoob Trinity Mirror Merseyside Weeklies
Campaign of the Year
Give Water, Give Life Derby Telegraph
Make it Marham Eastern Daily Press
End the Indignity Evening News, Norwich
You Saved Tea Bar Greenock Telegraph
Air Angels Sunday Sun
Jet Set NHS The Irish News
Safety Net The Northern Echo
Communities in Need Yorkshire Post
Daily/Sunday Newspaper of the Year (above 25k)
East Anglian Daily Times
Press & Journal
The Irish News
The Journal
Sunday Life
Yorkshire Post
Daily/Sunday Newspaper of the Year (below 25k)
Cambridge News
Evening Star, Ipswich
Lincolnshire Echo
News & Star, Carlisle
Oxford Mail
The Gazette, Blackpool
Weekly Newspaper of the Year (above 20k)
Chester Chronicle
Cumberland News
Essex Chronicle
North Devon Journal
Somerset County Gazette
South London Press
Weekly Newspaper of the Year (below 20k)
Bath Chronicle
Derry News
Ham & High
Northumberland Gazette
Oxford Times
The Cornishman
Regular Supplement of the Year
Banter Magazine Bristol Evening Post
Crime Files Birmingham Mail
City Life Manchester Evening News
The Pink Un Eastern Daily Press
Weekend Gloucestershire Echo
Weekend Magazine Belfast Telegraph
Western Mail Magazine Western Mail
Special Supplement of the Year
250th Anniversary Bath Chronicle
140th Anniversary Eastern Daily Press
Election Saturday Special Ham & High
Sportsdesk Oxford Mail
All Ireland Football Final The Irish News
Farewell to the Ark The News, Portsmouth
