The deadline for this year’s new-look Regional Press awards is fast approaching with less than a week to go to get your entries in.

Entries for the awards, which are being organised by the Society of Editors in association with the Newspaper Society and HoldtheFrontPage, are open at a dedicated website www.regionalpressawards.org.uk.

There are no fewer than 23 categories for the cream of UK local journalism to choose from, including dedicated prizes for the best sports journalists, photographers and news reporters on both daily and weekly newspapers alike.

However the closing date for entries is next Tuesday (8 March) and due to the tight judging schedule, organisers are making clear it will not be extended.

The SoE’s executive director Bob Satchwell said: “There has been lots of interest in the awards and a steady stream of entries is flowing in but obviously the sooner they come the better.

“With such a tight schedule however we won’t be able to accept any late entries.”

The entry fee for the awards is £25+VAT, with any surplus from the awards to be donated to the Journalists’ Charity. All work submitted has to have been published during 2010.

Shortlists will be published in early April and a lunchtime awards ceremony will be held in London on 11 May, to coincide with the Newspaper Society AGM and Local Newspaper Week.

The awards website has been designed to make it possible for the entry process for most of the categories to be carried out entirely online.

The full list of categories, together with entry criteria, is as follows. More information on how to enter and what the judges will be looking for in each category can be found on the website.

Young Journalist of the Year
Business and Finance Journalist of the Year
Daily Sports Journalist of the Year
Weekly Sports Journalist of the Year
Specialist Writer of the Year
Feature Writer of the Year
Columnist of the Year
Daily Reporter of the Year
Weekly Reporter of the Year
Daily Photographer of the Year
Weekly Photographer of the Year
Designer of the Year
Special Supplement of the Year
Regular Supplement of the Year
Front Page of the Year
Scoop of the Year
Campaign of the Year
Digital Innovation of the Year
Daily/Sunday Newspaper of the year (circulation over 25,000)
Daily/Sunday Newspaper of the year (circulation below 25,000)
Weekly Newspaper of the Year (circulation over 20,000)
Weekly Newspaper of the Year (circulation below 20,000)
Regional Newspaper of the Year