Scots pair emerge as winners at Regional Press Awards

AN allmediascotland blogger and a West Lothian-based journalist were among the winners at an awards ceremony celebrating the best of the regional press.

The Regional Press Awards – hosted by the National Union of Journalists after the previous organisers backed out – earlier today saw Stewart Kirkpatrick announced as regional multimedia publisher of the year, for his recently-launched Scottish news website, Caledonian Mercury, and Eric Mackinnon, of the West Lothian Courier, chosen as sports journalist of the year among weekly newspapers.

Says NUJ general secretary, Jeremy Dear: “We decided to run the awards this year in order to provide a showcase for the outstanding work produced by journalists all over the country, but we were blown away by the outstanding quality of the entries, across all categories.

“The success of these awards shows not just the outstanding quality of journalism currently being produced by local and regional titles, both in print and online, but that local and regional titles are currently producing some of the best journalism available anywhere.

“It also demonstrates the folly of the the aggressive cost-cutting measures currently being pursued by the large regional media groups.”

NUJ Regional Press Awards Winners 2010:

Campaign of the year

Kathryn Torney, Belfast Telegraph

Student journalist of the year

Rosie Taylor, Forge Press

Designer of the year

Graeme Windell, The News, Portsmouth

Feature writer of the year (weekly)

Roger Lytollis, Cumberland News

Feature writer of the year (daily/Sunday)

Jayne Dawson of Yorkshire Evening Post

Multimedia journalist of the year

Sion Donovan, The News, Portsmouth

Multimedia publisher of the year

Stewart Kirkpatrick – Caledonian Mercury

Sports photographer of the year (weekly)

Stephen Garnett, Craven Herald

Sports photographer of the year (daily/Sunday)

Lucy Ray, Bradford and Telegraph Argus

Photographer of the year (weekly)

Chris Whiteoak, Surrey Advertiser

Photographer of the year (daily/Sunday)

Stuart Boulton, Northern Echo

Sports journalist of the year (weekly)

Eric Mackinnon, West Lothian Courier

Sports journalist of the year (daily/Sunday)

Neil Allen, The News, Portsmouth

Columnist of the year

Stacia Briggs, Norwich Evening News

Specialist writer of the year

Carl Eve, The Plymouth Herald

The Felix Dearden Reporting on Race Award

Mary Griffin, Coventry Telegraph

Scoop of the year

Cherry Wilson, Rotherham Advertiser & Croydon Advertiser

Reporter of the year (weekly)

Eleanor Harding, Wandsworth Guardian

Reporter of the year (daily/Sunday)

Allison Morris, Irish News

Newspaper of the year

The News, Portsmouth