More than 60 journalists are in the running for prizes at this year’s Tom Cordner North East Press Awards.

Organisers received almost 300 entries from newspapers in the region, from North Yorkshire to the Scottish border, and judges have now put together a shortlist.

Among those hoping for a win are staff from The Journal and Evening Chronicle in Newcastle, the Northern Echo, Shields Gazette, Sunderland Echo, Hartlepool Mail and Teesside Evening Gazette.

Chairman of the judges Rod Sibbald, who has worked as picture editor for numerous newspapers, said: “All of those on the shortlists deserve congratulations on being in contention for the prizes, because that is a significant achievement in itself among work of such good quality overall.

“The communities of the North East are very well served by their local press, and it’s no surprise that the national media often follow up the stories that the region’s papers run first.”

Winners will be announced on May 12 at the Newcastle Civic Centre, where BBC journalist Jeremy Vine will be guest speaker.

The shortlist is below. Winners of the Journalist of the Year title, Newspaper of the Year, Weekly Journalist of the Year and Weekly Newspaper of the Year, for which there is no shortlist, will be announced on the night together with the winner of the Investigative Journalism Prize.

For more details visit
www.northeastpressawards.org.uk.

Shortlisted entrants are:

Tom Cordner Quill: Trainee journalist
Mitya Underwood, Evening Chronicle
Anthony McLean, News Guardian/News Post Leader
Adam Jupp, Evening Chronicle
Chloe Griffiths, The Journal
Gareth Deighan, Evening Chronicle

Mike Gilligan Prize: NE Magazine of the Year
North East Lifestyle
Informnorth
Culture
A Love Supreme

Jim Merrington Prize: Photographer of the Year
Tim McGuinness, The Journal
Paul Kingston, North News & Pictures
Andy Commins, Evening Chronicle
David Charlton, Evening Chronicle
Stuart Boulton, Northern Echo
Tom Banks, Evening Gazette

Ian Weir Memorial Award: Picture of the Year
Paul Kingston, North News & Pictures
Raoul Dixon, North News & Pictures
Jane Coltman, Northumberland Gazette
Emily Barber, North News & Pictures
Tom Banks, Evening Gazette

Consumer Affairs Prize – Best portfolio of consumer affairs writing
Andrea Thurlbeck, Sunderland Echo
Jane Hall, The Journal
Sharon Griffiths, Northern Echo
Mike Amos, Northern Echo

North East Business Prize
Nick Whitten, Evening Chronicle
Graeme King, The Journal
Alastair Gilmour, The Journal
Kate Bowman, Northern Echo

North East Health Prize
Barry Nelson, Northern Echo
Liz Hands, The Journal
Linda Colling, Sunderland Echo

Thomas E Bergman Prize – For the best arts reportage
Sam Wonfor, The Journal
Chris Robinson, Shields Gazette
Steve Pratt, Northern Echo

Phillip Hickey Trophy: North East Columnist of the Year
Brian Tilley, Hexham Courant
Richard Ord, Sunderland Echo
Alastair Gilmour, The Journal
Mike Amos, Northern Echo

Steve Jones Prize – For reporting that contributes most to the community
Chris Styles, Evening Chronicle
Olivia Richwald, Northern Echo
Julie Martin, Evening Gazette
Will Green, Hexham Courant
Mike Amos, Northern Echo

North East Women’s Writer of the Year
Liz Lamb, Evening Chronicle
Pauline Holt, Sunday Sun
Sarah Foster, Northern Echo
Linda Colling, Sunderland Echo

Jeremy Bennington Prize: Scoop of the Year
Graeme Whitfield and Daniel Cochlin, The Journal
Caroline Smith, Sunday Sun
Ross Robertston, Sunderland Echo
David Roberts and Olivia Richwald, Northern Echo
Felicity Collinson, Hartlepool Mail

Kate Adie Award for Initiative in Journalism
Graeme Whitfield, The Journal
Adam Jupp, Evening Chronicle
Gavin Engelbrecht, Northern Echo

ABC Spike for overall newspaper page design
Susan Taylor, The Journal
Peter Leathley, The Journal
Babette Decker, The Journal

Splash Award for front and/or back page design & the Tony Dumphy trophy
Graham Pratt, The Journal
Colin Patterson, Sunday Sun
David Morton, Evening Chronicle
Dave Hedley, Evening Chronicle

Fred Hurrell Prize – For the best features writing
Tony Henderson, The Journal
Sarah Foster, Northern Echo
Janis Blower, Shields Gazette
Barbara Argument, Evening Gazette
Mike Amos, Northern Echo

Maurice Brady Award For Hard News reporting
Lyndsey Wright, Hexham Courant
Graeme Whitfield, The Journal
Caroline Smith, Sunday Sun
Olivia Richwald, Northern Echo
Adam Jupp, Evening Chronicle
Daniel Cochlin, The Journal

Durhams Sporting Plate – Sports Writer of the Year
John Gibson, Evening Chronicle
Mike Amos, Northern Echo

Now in its 26th year, the competition was set up by colleagues as a tribute to former Hartlepool Mail news editor Tom Cordner who died in 1976 aged 38.

Back to the awards index