The Northern Scot has scooped the Newspaper of the Year title at the Highland and Islands Media Awards for the second year running.

As the winners were revealed, judges said the Moray newspaper had maintained its high standards over the past 12 months, and praised its “exceptional” coverage of the Arlene Fraser murder trial.

The Northern Scot also picked up a second award, with photographer Eric Cormack named Local Newspaper Photographer of the Year.

And to complete a hat-trick of Elgin successes, Peter Jones, who runs the Moray News Agency, won the Reporter of the Year award.

Other winners included Ally McGilvray of the John O’Groat Journal, who was named Young Journalist of the Year; Claire Doughty from The Highland News who was named Feature Writer of the Year and Strathspey and Badenoch Herald journalist Gavin Musgrove who was named Local Newspaper Reporter of the Year.

The Sports Writer of the Year Award went to Robert Leslie of Orkney Today and Caithness freelance John Baikie was crowned Photographer of the Year.

All the awards will be presented by Deputy First Minister Jim Wallace during the Highlands and Islands Press Ball on Friday.

The winner of a final award, for Journalist of the Year, will be announced on the night.

A full list of winners and runners-up is below:

Local Newspaper Photographer of the Year:
Winner: Eric Cormack, Northern Scot
Highly Commended: Phil Downie, freelance, Kirkhill

Photographer of the Year:
Winner: John Baikie, freelance, Caithness
Highly Commended: Trevor Martin, freelance, Inverness

Young Journalist of the Year:
Winner: Ally McGilvray, John O’Groat Journal
Highly Commended: Jane Candlish, Strathspey and Badenoch Herald

Sports Writer of the Year:
Winner: Robert Leslie, Orkney Today
Highly Commended: Jim Tait, Shetland Times

Local Reporter of the Year:
Winner: Gavin Musgrove, Strathspey and Badenoch Herald
Highly Commended: Donald Wilson, Inverness Courier

Reporter of the Year:
Winner: Peter Jones, Freelance, Moray
Highly Commended: Donald Fraser, Highland News

Feature Writer of the Year:
Winner: Claire Doughty, Highland News
Highly Commended: Corrina Thomson, Caithness Courier

Community Newspaper of the Year:
Winner: Touler, Tomintoul

Newspaper of the Year:
Winner: Northern Scot, Elgin

Barron Trophy (for lifetime achievement):
Winner: Martin Macdonald, Inverness

Back to the awards index

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