Today Press Gazette launches a new set of awards to highlight the journalists who are doing the most to harness the power of social media.

There are just four categories, with the awards spread out over the course of the next year:

• Reporter of the Year on Twitter and Social Media (voting now closed)
• Most Influential Journalist on Social Media (vote now!)
• Best News Organisation for Breaking News on Social Media (voting not open yet)
• Best Journalist/News Organisation to follow on Social Media (voting not open yet).

Press Gazette readers are invited to vote in-turn for their favourites on Twitter, using the hastag #SMJA, via Google+ and online – using the form below.

We will publish a top-50 list of the best journalists/news organisations in each category and then invite our panel of expert judges (see below) to pick a winner.

Press Gazette editor Dominic Ponsford said: "To say that social media has become incredibly important for all journalists has become a statement of the blindingly obvious. These awards will seek to promote and highlight the journalists who are the best at using these comparitively new digital tools.

"We are kicking off with Reporter of the Year on Twitter and Social Media because Twitter in particular has become such a natural habitat for reporters. In many ways it has replaced publisher websites as the first place to find breaking news.

"This first award will seek to recognise the reporters who are the best at reporting the news via Twitter and other social media channels."

The first Social Media Journalism Awards winner will be announced at a drinks reception at the headquarters of Press Gazette parent company Progressive Media on Carmelite Street in Central London on 8 April, with subsequent category winners announced in May, July and September.

Vote now on Twitter for your favourite reporter on Social Media, using the hashtag #SMJA. Please remember these awards are specifically for those who excel at using Twitter and other social media channels.

Or via this webform:

All those who vote will be entered into a draw to win a bottle of Laurent Perrier Champagne – with one for the Twitter voters and one for this who vote using the online form.

The Social Media Journalism Awards judges are:

• Matt Cooke: Former BBC journalist now Google head of product marketing
• Gordon MacMillan: Former editor of Brand Republic, now editorial manager for Twitter
• Jon Bernstein: Digital journalism consultant, editor and trainer. Former deputy editor and digital director of New Statesman, ex multimedia editor for Channel 4 News
• Paul Bradshaw: Founder of the Online Journalism Blog and head of the MA in online journalism at Birmingham University
• Dominic Ponsford: Editor of Press Gazette.

DEADLINE TO VOTE IS MIDNIGHT 9 MARCH.

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