The Argus tops the list of contenders for the EDF Energy London and South of England Media Awards 2007, with nine mentions among the nominations.
The Brighton-based paper has two entries apiece for Print Journalist of the Year and News Photographer of the Year, as well as a chance of winning Daily Newspaper of the Year, Front Page of the Year, Website of the Year, Environment Journalist of the Year and Sports Journalist of the Year.
Among the weeklies, the Kent Messenger Group, with titles including the Kent Messenger and the Gravesend Messenger, has seven nominations in the shortlist.
Forty-seven entries for Front Page of the Year were whittled down to a shortlist of five by the judges, the Gravesend Messenger being shortlisted twice in this category.
Another strong category was Print Journalist of the Year (Weekly), which attracted 35 entries, and Feature Writer of the Year, which had 23 entries.
Southern FM and LBC Radio fight it out for Newcomer of the Year with a clutch of entries from print publications, in a category which attracted 37 entries.
There was a huge 251 entries from 57 broadcasters or print publications for the latest awards, one of a series of annual events hosted by EDF Energy, in Association with holdthefrontpage.
Winners will be announced on October 23 at Sandown Park Racecourse in Surrey.
The contenders in the frame for Daily Newspaper of the Year are the Southern Daily Echo, the Daily Echo, Bournemouth, The News in Portsmouth and The Argus.
Among the weeklies, the paid-for titles Kentish Express, Hampshire Chronicle, Gravesend Messenger, Croydon Advertiser and Kent Messenger are all in with a chance of lifting the award.
The free newspapers which impressed the judges were the Bexley Times, Crawley News and the Bexley Extra, which are all nominated.
Nominees in the main categories are:
Southern Daily Echo
Daily Echo, Bournemouth
The News
The Argus
Kentish Express
Hampshire Chronicle
Gravesend Messenger
Croydon Advertiser
Kent Messenger
Bexley Times
Crawley News
Bexley Extra
Gravesend Messenger – BNP
The Argus – Teenage Kicks
Kentish Express – Shaken but not stirred
Daily Echo, Bournemouth – Scarred for life
Gravesend Messenger – SNAP
Yellow Advertiser
Kentish Express
Basingstoke Gazette
Sevenoaks Chronicle
Gravesend Messenger
Lawrence Marzouk, The Argus
Louise Acford, The Argus
Emily Pykett, The News, Portsmouth
Vicky O’Hare, Gazette Newspapers
Graham Russell, Gravesend Messenger
Michael Adkins, Kentish Times
Dhruti Shah, Harrow Observer
Ellie Dyer, Kensington and Chelsea News
Rob Gillet, Southern FM
Mark McQuillan, LBC Radio
Chloe Mayer, Barking and Dagenham Recorder
Jocelyn Cook, Crawley News
Simon Dack, The Argus
Terry Applin, The Argus
Stuart Emmerson, Harrow & Wembley Observer
Richard Crease, Daily Echo, Bournemouth
Journalists from the Daily Echo, Bournemouth, Kent Messenger, Kentish Times, Southern Daily Echo, London Informer, BBC Kent, Western Gazette, The Argus, East Surrey & Sussex News and Media, the Dorking & Leatherhead Advertiser and the Portsmouth News are nominated for categories including Feature Writer of the Year, Columnist of the Year, Sports Journalist of the Year and Business Journalist of the Year.
Ten nominees are battling it out for the broadcast categories this year, including LBC, BBC South East Today, BBC Southern Counties, Southern FM, 96.4 Eagle Radio and BBC Radio Kent.
Nominees and winners will be announced at the awards ceremony.
Society of Editors executive director Bob Satchwell and Nottingham Evening Post editor Malcolm Pheby were among the regional press experts judging the record number of entries.
Also taking part were Lincolnshire Newspapers managing editor Tim Robinson, John Connor photographic agency man Nigel Bowles, James Barber, EDF Energy’s external communications manager for the South-East, a former deputy chief sub of the Evening News in Norwich, and Dan Pritchard, EDF Energy’s South West external communications executive, an ex-print and broadcast journalist.
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