The Manchester Evening News has been crowned the top newspaper in its region in a new set of media awards.

The Guardian Media Group title piped Blackpool daily The Gazette, Crain’s Manchester Business and The Bolton News to the top prize at last night’s inaugural O2 Media Awards for Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

Judges said the MEN, which today says farewell to its assistant editor Robert Ridley, was “as good as any regional newspaper you might find anywhere in the country”.

The MEN’s Ben Rooth was named best business reporter while journalists from sister weeklies the Rochdale Observer and Salford Advertiser won best photographer and best feature writer respectively.

The Gazette took home editorial team of the year for “punching well above its weight” and its reporter William Watt was crowned digital journalist of the year.

The Lancashire Evening Telegraph’s Catherine Pye walked away with the young journalist of the year award and The Bolton News’ crime reporter Paul Keaveny won best scoop for securing an exclusive with a convicted art forger after sending him a series of letters in prison.

Mancunian boxing legend Ricky Hatton made a last-minute appearance to present the award for best sports reporter to Mike Hall from Granada TV.

Mike won the award on the back on the interviews he did with Ricky following his championship bid.

Glenn Manoff, director of communications and reputation with award sponsors O2, said: “We’re delighted to be able to celebrate the huge service local and regional journalists provide in our towns and cities.

“This is a region rich with quality journalism which has been reflected in the high level of entries we have received from writers, broadcasters and photographers working in the area.”

The judging panel included Paul Newman, head of communications at Media City, Liverpool Echo editor Alastair Machray and Warrington Guardian editor Nicola Priest.

The awards evening was held at the Urbis exhibition centre in Manchester and is the latest in a series of media awards launched by O2 across the North of England to honour local and regional press.

The full list of winners and runners-up is:

Digital Journalist of the Year
Winner: William Watt, The Gazette

Runners up:
Paul Cockerton, Lancashire Telegraph
Martin Hamer, Lancashire Evening Post

Editorial Team of the Year
Winner: The Gazette

Runners up:
BBC North West
All Together Now

Young Journalist of the Year (Weeklies)
Winner: Natalie Banks, Chorley and Leyland Guardian

Runners up:
Robert Dawson, Stockport Express
John Siddle, Ormskirk Advertiser
Alice McKeegan, Rochdale Observer

Young Journalist of the Year (Dailies)
Winner: Catherine Pye, Lancashire Evening Telegraph

Runners up:
Nafeesa Shan, Lancashire Evening Telegraph
Joe Robinson, The Gazette

Radio Broadcaster of the Year
Winner: Lauren Moss, Wish FM

Runners up:
Paul Lockitt, Key 103
Rachel Murray, Tower FM

Reporter of the Year
Winner: Michelle Livesey, Key 103

Runners up:
Abbie Jones, BBC North West Tonight
Stef Hall, Lancashire Evening Post

TV Broadcast Journalist of the Year
Winner: Dave Guest, BBC North West Tonight

Runners up:
Rob Smith, Granada Reports
Andy Gill, BBC North West Tonight

Newspaper of the Year
Winner: Manchester Evening News

Runners up:
The Gazette
Crains Manchester Business
Bolton News

Sports Reporter of the Year
Winner: Mike Hall, Granada Reports

Runners up:
Chris Hall, Granada Reports
Andy Cryer, Lancashire Telegraph

Photographer of the Year
Winner: Tim Bradley, Rochdale Observer

Runners up:
Ian Robinson, Lancashire Evening Post
Helen Brown, Lancashire Telegraph

Entertainment Journalist of the Year
Winner: Caroline Hacking, Granada Reports

Runners up:
Jemma Humphreys, Lancashire Telegraph
Caroline Dutton, Lancashire Telegraph

Business Journalist of the Year
Winner: Ben Rooth, Manchester Evening News

Runners up:
Chris Maguire, Chorley Guardian
Ben Briggs, Lancashire Telegraph

Feature Writer of the Year
Winner: Lucy McGuire, Salford Advertiser

Runners up:
Lesley Richards, Leigh Journal
Alan Salter, Transport Matters
Chris Visser, Lancashire Evening Post

Scoop of the Year
Winner: Paul Keaveny, The Bolton News

Runners up:
Vanessa Cornall, Accrington Observer
Ken Bennett, Oldham Chronicle

The winners from the O2 Media Awards for Greater Manchester and Lancashire

Comments

Jeeves (02/10/2009 10:39:26)
And the best free sheet is…………………
The London Evening Standard