The EDF Energy East of England Media Awards 2010, held in association with HoldtheFrontpage, will be launching next week.

Now in their sixth year in this region, these free-to-enter awards honour the best in journalism across an area that comprises Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and parts of Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.

The most westerly towns in this region are Peterborough, Bedford and Aylesbury with the south of the region being bounded by the M25.

Entries open next Monday and the entry form will be available to download on this site.

There is a vast array of categories to enter ranging from print journalist to designer, photographer to television and radio broadcaster, so now is the time to dig out cuttings, footage and photos from the past year – and see if you’ve got what it takes to be a winner.

Individual award winners will receive a £100 cheque, as well as a certificate and trophy, and all those shortlisted, along with their guests, will be invited to a celebration presentation event, courtesy of EDF Energy.

Journalists can submit work for as many categories as they wish but each entry must be accompanied by a separate entry form, approved by their editor. Only material published between 3 November 2009 and 10 October 2010 will be eligible for the awards.

There are twenty categories to choose from, covering daily and weekly newspapers and broadcasters.

The individual categories are:

Print Journalist of the Year (Daily)
Print Journalist of the Year (Weekly)
Radio Journalist of the Year
Television Journalist of the Year
Newcomer of the Year
Feature Writer of the Year
Designer of the Year
News Photographer of the Year
Sports Journalist of the Year
Business Journalist of the Year
Environmental Journalist of the Year
Columnist of the Year

Categories for newspapers and broadcasting companies are:

Daily Newspaper of the Year
Weekly Newspaper of the Year (Paid-for)
Weekly Newspaper of the Year (Free)
Front Page of the Year
Radio News/Current Affairs Programme of the Year
Television News/Current Affairs Programme of the Year
Website of the Year
Community Campaign of the Year

Please come back to the site next week to download the entry form.

If you have any questions or queries about the awards or the event itself, please e-mail Paul Linford at HTFP or Becky Clark at EDF Energy.