The Observer has been named national newspaper of the year at the British Press Awards.
Editor Roger Alton (pictured) said he was “unbelievably flattered and thrilled” to have received the honour, which was voted on in an academy-style system.
The main newspaper winners on the night were The Guardian and the Daily Mirror – with four a-piece. This year the big News International red tops, The Sun and the News of the World, left empty handed.
The Mirror's prizes included both front page of the year and scoop of the year for My Affair: By Prezza – the revelation that John Prescott was having an affair with his diary secretary Tracey Temple.
It is the second year on the trot that Mirror reporter Stephen Moyes has picked up the scoop of the year prize.
Financial Times reporter Sheila McNulty won both reporter of the year and specialist writer of the year for her investigative reporting on BP's safety record.
Tribute was paid during the night to Guardian photographer Don McPhee – who it was revealed has died of cancer aged 61.
Presenter Jon Snow said: "The maintenance of staff photographers is absolutely key, it is what makes British newspapers rise above the rest."
Full details of the winners — and an audio-visual slideshow of the winners — can be found on Press Gazette's British Press Awards blog.
The Winners
-
Scoop of the Year
Stephen Moyes, Daily Mirror, “John Prescott’s Affair’ -
Business and Finance Journalist of the Year
Liam Halligan, Sunday Telegraph -
Show Business Writer of the Year
Fiona Cummins, Daily Mirror -
Columnist of the Year
Polly Toynbee, The Guardian -
Supplement of the Year
Guides to…, The Guardian -
Photographer of the Year
Andrew Stenning, Daily Mirror -
Interview of the Year
Jan Moir, Daily Telegraph -
Cartoonist of the Year
Peter Brookes, The Times -
Specialist Writer of the Year
Sheila McNulty,Financial Times -
Young Journalist of the Year
Ed Caesar, The Independent -
The Cudlipp Award
Daily Mail, ‘National Memorial’ -
Foreign Reporter of the Year
Christina Lamb, The Sunday Times -
Sports Photographer fo the Year
Tom Jenkins, The Guardian -
Sports Journalist of the Year
Ian Ridley, Mail on Sunday -
Critic of the Year
Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday -
Team of the Year
The Sunday Times, 'Cash for Honours' -
Political Journalist of the Year
Patrick Wintour, The Guardian -
Feature Writer of the Year
Michael Tierney, The Herald -
Reporter of the Year
Sheila McNulty, Financial Times -
Front Page of the Year
Daily Mirror, “My Affair: By Prezza” -
National Newspaper of the Year
The Observer
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog