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June 19, 2020updated 30 Sep 2022 9:24am

Yorkshire Post and Western Mail among winners at Regional Press Awards for 2019

By Freddy Mayhew

The Yorkshire Post and Western Mail have been crowned daily newspapers of the year at the Regional Press Awards for 2019.

The winners were unveiled via video this afternoon after organisers the Society of Editors opted for a virtual event rather than postponing the annual lunch to a later date due to the coronavirus.

The Bucks Free Press and the Farnham Herald were named weekly newspapers of the year, while the Islington Tribune took the title of Free Newspaper of the Year.

Website of the Year went to Hull Live, the Hull Daily Mail’s website.

There were two winners of the Campaign of the Year award: the Birmingham Mail for its focus on the IRA pub bombings in the city and the Power up the North campaign which ran across Newsquest, Reach and JPI Media local titles.

In a video message of support, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden MP paid tribute to the regional press, saying it has a “unique role to play both in holding local politicians to account and in building a sense of community”.

Ian Murray, executive director of the Society of Editors, said: “Even though the awards have been affected by the Coronavirus emergency and we were unable to stage the gala lunch we were determined all the fantastic work carried out by the regional and local press did not go unrecognised.

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“Anyone looking at the breadth and scale of the entries for this year’s awards will recognise the tremendous and vital role the sector plays in our nation.”

You can watch the online ceremony here.

Full list of Regional Press Awards for 2019 winners and highly commended entries:

Journalists’ Charity Award

Winner: Dan Carrier, Camden New Journal

Young Journalist of the Year – sponsored by Amazon Prime Video

Winner: Jessie Mathewson, East London Guardian

Winner: Jack Dyson, Kentish Gazette

Highly Commended: Marcus Hughes, WalesOnline

Specialist Writer/Impact Journalist of the Year

Winner: Liam Thorp, Liverpool Echo

Highly Commended: Ciaran Barnes, Sunday Life

Feature Writer/Long Form Journalist of the Year

Winner: Amanda Powell, The Western Mail

Highly Commended: Joe Thomas, Liverpool Echo

Business & Finance Journalist of the Year

Winner: Greg Wright, The Yorkshire Post

Highly Commended: Robin Johnson, Derby Telegraph

Highly Commended: Margaret Canning, Belfast Telegraph

Columnist of the Year – Daily Paper

Winner: Carolyn Hitt, The Western Mail

Winner: Allison Morris, The Irish News

Highly Commended: Catriona Stewart, The Herald

Columnist of the Year – Weekly Paper

Winner: Peter Grant, Wirral Globe

Highly Commended: Mike Kelly, Sunday Sun

Sports Journalist of the Year – Daily Paper

Winner: Neil Allen, The News, Portsmouth

Highly Commended: Paul Abbandonato, WalesOnline

Sports Journalist of the Year – Weekly/ Sunday Paper

Winner: Paul Ferguson, Sunday Life

Highly Commended: Mark Taylor, Cambridge Independent

Data Journalist of the Year

Winner: Harriet Clugston, RADAR AI

Winner: Aimee Stanton, JPI Media

Highly Commended: Annie Gouk, Reach Data Unit

Social Media Journalist of the Year

Winner: Daniel Russell, The Nottingham Post and Nottinghamshire Live

Highly Commended: Will Hayward, WalesOnline

Digital Live News Reporter of the Year

Winner: Kristian Johnson, LeedsLive

Highly Commended: Neil Docking, Liverpool Echo

Highly Commended: Cathy Owen, Media Wales

Digital Live Sports Reporter of the Year

Winner: Gareth Hanna, Belfast Telegraph

Highly Commended: Beren Cross, LeedsLive

Reporting Communities Award

Winner: Rakeem Omar Hyatt, BirminghamLive

Winner: Kathryn Williams, WalesOnline

Highly Commended: Will Hayward, WalesOnline

The Cathryn Nicoll Award – in conjunction with the NMA

Winner: Joseph Locker, The Nottingham Post & Nottinghamshire Live

Weekly/Sunday Reporter of the Year – sponsored by Luther Pendragon

Winner: Rodney Edwards, The Impartial Reporter

Highly Commended: Charles Thomson, Yellow Advertiser

Daily Reporter of the Year – sponsored by Luther Pendragon

Winner: Martyn McLaughlin, The Scotsman

Highly Commended: Liam Thorp, Liverpool Echo

Highly Commended: Kelly Williams, Daily Post

Weekly/Sunday Photographer of the Year – sponsored by PA Media

Winner: Stuart Walker, The Cumberland News

Highly Commended: Mark Williamson, Stratford-upon-Avon Herald

Daily Photographer of the Year – sponsored by PA Media

Winner: Simon Hulme, The Yorkshire Post

Highly Commended: James Hardisty, The Yorkshire Post/Yorkshire Evening Post

Designer of the Year – Newspaper

Winner: Debbie Rodman, Bury Free Press

Highly Commended: Simon Hill, Express & Star

Designer of the Year – Magazines/Supplement

Winner: David Lewins, Bristol Post: Weekend Magazine

Highly Commended: Clarke Cooper, The Press and Journal

Supplement of the Year

Winner: TdY Magazine, The Yorkshire Post

Highly Commended: Back Where We Belong, Express & Star

Magazine of the Year

Winner: ecoJersey, Jersey Evening Post

Highly Commended: Life, Jewish News

Front Page of the Year – Daily Paper, sponsored by HoldTheFrontPage

Winner: They tried to make the world a better place, Cambridge News

Highly Commended: La Tragedie de Notre Dame, The Scotsman

Front Page of the Year – Weekly Paper, sponsored by HoldTheFrontPage

Winner: ‘Choose something’, The Herald on Sunday

Highly Commended: Shameless/ Killed for the Cameras, Sunday Life

Scoop of the Year – sponsored by Cision

Winner: Senior teacher bombarded pupil, 15 with flirty messages, Daily Post

Highly Commended: Evil Eyes, Sunday Life

Campaign of the Year – Daily Paper

Winner: Power up the North campaign, across Reach Plc, JPI Media & Newsquest titles

Winner: Birmingham Pub Bombing Inquest Campaign, Birmingham Mail

Campaign of the Year – Weekly/Sunday Paper

Winner: Save Kentish Town City Farm, Camden New Journal

Winner: Paedophile Police Informant campaign, Yellow Advertiser

Highly Commended: Save Reading Gaol, Reading Chronicle

Website of the Year – sponsored by Google News Initiative

Winner: HullLive, Hull Daily Mail

Highly Commended: Irishnews.com, The Irish News

Highly Commended: manchestereveningnews.co.uk, Manchester Evening News

Social Media Team of the Year – sponsored by Facebook Journalism Project

Winner: ChronicleLive

Highly Commended: WalesOnline

Digital Initiative of the Year – sponsored by Facebook Journalism Project

Winner: Brexit Voices from Northern Ireland, Belfast Telegraph

Highly Commended: Shaped by a River: Tales of the Tay, The Courier

The Overall Digital Award– sponsored by Facebook Journalism Project

Winner: liverpoolecho.co.uk, Liverpool Echo

Highly Commended: KentOnline, IM News

Innovation & Initiative of the Year – sponsored by Facebook Journalism Project

Winner: Statement, The Irish News

Highly Commended: Radar AI | Local News Wire, RADAR AI

Free Weekly Newspaper of the Year – sponsored by Camelot

Winner: Islington Tribune

Highly Commended: Slough & Windsor Express

Paid for Weekly/Sunday Newspaper of the Year Above 50,000 Monthly Reach – sponsored by Camelot

Winner: Bucks Free Press

Highly Commended: Newbury Weekly News

Paid for Weekly/Sunday Newspaper of the Year Below 50,000 Monthly Reach – sponsored by Camelot

Winner: Farnham Herald

Highly Commended: The Impartial Reporter

Daily Newspaper of the Year Above 400,000 Monthly Reach – sponsored by Camelot

Winner: The Yorkshire Post

Highly Commended: Express & Star

Daily Newspaper of the Year Below 400,000 Monthly Reach – sponsored by Camelot

Winner: Western Mail

Highly Commended: Yorkshire Evening Post

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