Journalists in London and the South have an exciting new awards event to celebrate their work.

EDF Energy has teamed up with HoldtheFrontPage to host the inaugural EDF Energy London and South of England Media Awards 2006.

The power company already supports regional journalism with annual awards for the South West and East of England.

And it has reaffirmed its commitment to the industry with the new competition for London and the South.

We’re looking to recognise and reward editorial talent from across the region.

The event is open to editorial staff at newspapers and broadcasters in Dorset, Hampshire, Sussex, Kent, Surrey and London.

The awards are free to enter – and you could win £100 if the judges choose your work for a top prize.

We’ll be posting an application form and full details on this website shortly but in the meantime, it’s time to dig out your cuttings ready for the contest.

The entry categories include print journalists of the year for daily and weekly publications, radio journalist of the year, TV journalist of the year, front page of the year, newspaper of the year, feature writer, sports journalist of the year, news photographer of the year and many others.

Work submitted must be from the year ending June 30, 2006, and the closing date for entries is 5pm on Friday, August 18, with judging taking place the following week.

The high-profile event will also raise money for the Journalists’ Charity, which benefits journalists and their dependents in times of personal difficulty.

The category prizes up for grabs are: