The shortlist for the EDF Energy East of England Media Awards has been announced, with three evening titles gaining seven nominations apiece.
The Evening Star, Cambridge Evening News and Norwich Evening News all fight it out for a number of awards, with all three lining up against the East Anglian Daily Times for the prestigious Daily Newspaper of the Year award.
Among the top weeklies is the Hertfordshire Mercury, which has four nominations, including Weekly Newspaper of the Year (Paid-For).
More than 20 different publications, broadcasters and media firms will fight it out to be named top in 19 different categories at the presentation event next month.
The awards take in newspapers and broadcasters in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and parts of Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.
All nominees and their guests will be invited to lunch courtesy of EDF Energy at the Suffolk Showground in Ipswich on January 19.
The award winners will all receive a certificate and trophy, and individual journalists who triumph will also receive £100.
Claire Byrd, regional media manager at EDF Energy said: “The judges had a far tougher ride this time whittling the quality entry down to a manageable list of nominees for the shortlist.
“The 200-plus submission of articles, pictures and DVDs goes to show that the regional media industry in this area remains key and retains exactly what is required to make an impact for the future.”
The shortlist is below:
Print Journalist of the Year (Daily)
Lisa Woollard, Evening Star
Sarah Gillett, Evening Star
Shaun Lowthorpe, Eastern Daily Press
Jon Austin, Basildon Echo
Rachel Extance, Cambridge Evening News
Print Journalist of the Year (Weekly)
Steve Neale, Yellow Advertiser
John Elworthy, Cambs Times/Wisbech Standard
Maggie Gibson, Cambs Times / Wisbech Standard
Raymond Brown, Hertfordshire Mercury
Paul Brackley, Hertfordshire Mercury
Karen Steel, Haverhill Echo
Newcomer of the Year
Natalie Bowyer, The Hunts Post
Rebecca Lefort, Evening Star
Beth Littler, Newsquest Essex
Mark Pearson, Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Daily Newspaper of the Year
Evening Star
Norwich Evening News
Cambridge Evening News
East Anglian Daily Times
Weekly Newspaper of the Year (Paid-for)
Halstead Gazette
Hertfordshire Mercury
Hoddesdon & Broxbourne Mercury
Cheshunt & Waltham Mercury
Weekly Newspaper of the Year (Free)
Wisbech Standard
Hunts Post
The Comet
Front Page of the Year
Essex Chronicle
Norwich Evening News
Evening Star
Cambridge Evening News
Website of the Year
Archant Herts & Cambs
Archant Norfolk
East Anglian Daily Times
BBC Norfolk
Feature Writer of the Year
Lisa Woollard, Evening Star
Ann Molyneux, Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Andrew Clarke, East Anglian Daily Times
Jemma Walton, Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Alice Ryan, Cambridge Evening News
Columnist of the Year
Nigel Thornton, Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Karl Minns, Norwich Evening News
Stacia Briggs, Norwich Evening News
Bill Jacobs, Cambridge Evening News
News Photographer of the Year
Andy Abbott, Archant Suffolk
James Fletcher, Archant Suffolk
Bill Smith, Archant
Nick Butcher, Archant Norfolk
Sports Journalist of the Year
Matthew Chambers, Norwich Evening News
Mark Plummer, Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Derek Davis, East Anglian Daily Times
Business Journalist of the Year
Naomi Canton, Norwich Evening News
Chris Starkie, Eastern Daily Press
Jenny Chapman, Cambridge Evening News
Community Campaign of the Year
Evening Star
Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Cambridge Evening News
Norwich Evening News
Herts & Essex Observer
Environmental Journalist of the Year
Paul Brackley, Hertfordshire Mercury
Paul Giles, Yellow Advertiser.
We’ll bring you the broadcast category nominees next week.
Gravesend Messenger editor Denise Eaton, Bournemouth Echo editor Neal Butterworth, John Connor Press Associates director Nigel Bowles, media trainer Karen Ainley and EDF Energy regional media manager Claire Byrd were the judges for these awards.
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