The Herald's business writer, Simon Bain, has been awarded a highly commended runners-up prize in an annual competition celebrating the best of regional newspaper journalism.
At the Regional Press Awards – held earlier today – The Irish News picked up a hat-trick of prizes, including Regional Newspaper of the year and Daily/Sunday Newspaper of the Year (circulation above 25,000). Its third title went to reporter, Allison Morris, who was named Daily/Sunday Reporter of the Year.
Judges are reported to have described The Irish News as a “serious newspaper that was prepared to take a stance; a heavyweight title at the heart of one of the newsiest cities in the world”.
In the Young Journalist of the Year category – understood to have attracted the most entries – the Press and Journal's Ryan Crighton was also highly commended. The title went to Dan Warbuton of NCJ Media, Newcastle, for a portfolio that judges reportedly said “would make any national reporter proud”, including face-to-face interviews with allegedly some of Tyneside’s most notorious gangsters.
Bain finished runner up to the Birmingham Mail's Jon Griffin.
Completing a trio of highly commended prizes for Scots entries was in the Campaign category, for the Greenock Telegraph's successful campaign to save a hospital tea bar from closure.
The full of list of winners reads:
Young Journalist of the Year
Dan Warburton, NCJ Media
Highly commended: Ryan Crighton, The Press and Journal
Business and Finance Journalist of the Year
Jon Griffin, Birmingham Mail
Highly commended: Simon Bain, The Herald, Glasgow
Specialist Writer of the Year
Ciaran Barnes, Sunday Life
Feature writer of the Year
Adam Wakelin, Leicester Mercury
Highly commended: Gail Walker, Belfast Telegraph
Columnist of the Year
Colin Drury, The Star, Sheffield
Highly commended: John Connery, News Letter, Ulster
Weekly Sports Journalist of the Year
David Powell, North Devon Journal
Highly commended: Jon Colman, Cumberland News
Daily/Sunday Sports Journalist of the Year
Jon Colman, News & Star
Highly commended: John Gibson, Newcastle Evening Chronicle
Weekly Photographer of the Year
Chris Gleave, Manchester Evening News Weekly Group
Daily/Sunday Photographer of the Year
Mark McCormick, Sunday Life
Highly Commended: Matthew Horwood, Media Wales
Designer of the Year
Ian Bond, Hull Daily Mail
Highly commended: Alan Formby-Jackson, Evening Gazette, Middlesbrough
Digital Innovation of the Year
Manchester Evening News, Police 24
Highly commended: NCJ Media, The Hunt for Raoul Moat
Special Supplement of the Year
Farewell to The Ark, The News, Portsmouth
Supplement of the Year
Banter, Bristol Evening Post
Weekly Reporter of the Year
Paul Francis, Kent Messenger
Highly Commended: Lui Straccia, Luton and Dunstable Express
Daily/Sunday Reporter of the Year
Allison Morris, The Irish News
Highly commended: Ben Kendall, Eastern Daily Press
Front Page of the Year
Help Us Grow, Bristol Evening Post
Scoop of the Year
Jeanette Oldham, Sunday Mercury
Highly commended: Lui Straccia, Luton and Dunstable Express
Campaign of the Year
End the Indignity, Norwich Evening News
Highly commended: You Saved Tea Bar, Greenock Telegraph; Jet Set NHS, The Irish News
Weekly Newspaper of the Year (below 20,000)
Derry News
Highly commended: Ham & High
Weekly Newspaper of the Year (above 20,000)
Essex Chronicle
Daily/Sunday Newspaper of the Year (below 25,000)
News & Star, Carlisle
Daily/Sunday Newspaper of the Year (above 25,000)
The Irish News
Highly commended: Yorkshire Post
Regional Newspaper of the Year
The Irish News
