Northcliffe’s Exeter-based newspapers are leading the field in the race for this year’s EDF Energy South West Media Awards.

The daily Express and Echo has been shortlisted nine times in the awards, run in association with HoldtheFrontPage, while its sister weekly the Mid Devon Gazette has received two nominations.

The Express and Echo lines up against Plymouth titles the Western Morning News and The Herald for daily newspaper of the year while reporter Eleanor Gregson is up for daily print journalist, against The Herald’s Carl Eve.

Other titles with a strong showing on the shortlist are The Herald with five and the Swindon Advertiser with eight, including two each in the front page and designer of the year categories.

The EDF Energy South West Media Awards cover Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Bristol, Bath, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. The awards ceremony is being held on 4 June at Plymouth Pavilions.

The shortlist below does not include the broadcast categories which will be covered in a separate story.

The shortlist for the newspaper categories is:

Print Journalist of the Year (Daily)
Eleanor Gregson, Express and Echo
Carl Eve, The Herald, Plymouth

Print Journalist of the Year (Weekly)
Jeff Reines, West Briton
Charley Morgan, Wiltshire Times
Alex Ross, Weston Mercury
Tom Bevan, Western Gazette

Newcomer of the Year
Bradley Gerrad, Express and Echo
Jeremy Grimaldi, Swindon Advertiser
Emily Cleland, Gloucestershire Echo
Chloe Hubbard, The North Devon Journal

Daily Newspaper of the Year
Western Morning News
The Herald, Plymouth
Express and Echo

Weekly Newspaper of the Year (Paid-for)
The Bath Chronicle
Tiverton Gazette
The Cornishman

Front Page of the Year
Swindon Advertiser – Honda get their knickers in a Twix
Western Morning News – How could it come to this?
Swindon Advertiser – The face of war
Express and Echo – Hail and high water
The Herald, Plymouth – From toddler to terrorist

Website of the Year
Weston and Somerset Mercury: thewestonmercury.co.uk
The Herald, Plymouth: thisisplymouth.co.uk
The Bradley Stoke Examiner: sadlybroke.com
Express and Echo: Kellows Bootlaces

Feature Writer of the Year
Graeme Demianyk, Western Morning News
Martin Freeman, The Herald, Plymouth
Jaine Blackman, Swindon Advertiser
Ian Matt, Cheddar Valley Gazette

Designer of the Year
Amanda Goodship, Swindon Advertiser
Michelle Tompkins, Swindon Advertiser

Columnist of the Year
Hugh Dixon, The Bath Chronicle
Barrie Hudson, Swindon Advertiser
Adam Wilshaw, North Devon Journal

News Photographer of the Year
Paul Nicholls, Gloucestershire Media
Mark Passmore, Apex News and Pictures Agency
Oliver Sanders, Express and Echo
Emily Whitfield-Wicks, Western Morning News
Stuart Harrison, Swindon Advertiser

Sports Journalist of the Year
Jon Lewis, Express and Echo
Jon Palmer, Gloucestershire Media
Stuart James, Western Morning News
Mark Jenkin, North Devon Journal

Business Journalist of the Year
Jonathan Gibson, ITV Westcountry
Neil Gallacher, BBC South West

Community Campaign of the Year
Express and Echo – We Care
Mid Devon Gazette – 150th Anniversary Appeal

Environmental Journalist of the Year
Robin Markwell, BBC Radio Bristol
Charley Morgan, Wiltshire Times
Anne Byrne, Express and Echo

The announcement of the winner in the Free Newspaper of the Year category will be made on the day of the awards ceremony and the contestants have been notified.