The line-up of names in the running for North-East England’s premier press awards has been published today.

Now in their 30th year, the Tom Cordner North-East Press awards attracted more than 200 entrants of which 90 have made the shortlist.

The winners will be announced on 4 February in a ceremony at the National Glass Centre in Sunderland.

As well as the categories listed below, the celebration night will also include awards for North East Journalist of the Year and North East Weekly Journalist of the Year, plus the Graeme Stanton Award, presented by the Society of Editors (North) and ncjMedia for a special contribution to journalism in the North East.

The awards were started by colleagues of Tom Cordner who died in 1976, aged only 38. At first open only to staff of the Hartlepool Mail, Sunderland Echo and Durham Advertiser, the papers Tom worked for, the awards quickly embraced the whole region’s print media and now include blogs and video news on the papers’ associated websites.

Tickets for the awards night are £25 from Bernice Saltzer, Sorted PR & Events Management on 0191 265 6111 or [email protected]

The full shortlist is as follows:

North East Trainee Journalist of the Year : The Tom Cordner Quill

Tom White  Freelance/Sunderland Echo/Sunday Sun
Dominic Shaw  Hartlepool Mail
Sarah Scott  ncjMedia
Ruth Lognonne  Hexham Courant
Ruth Lawson  ncjMedia
Kim Carmichael  ncjMedia

North East Photographer of the Year: Jim Merrington Prize

Paul Kingston  North News & Pictures
Owen Humphreys  Press Association
Simon Greener  ncjMedia
Tom Collins  Hartlepool Mail
Stuart Boulton  Northern Echo
Chris Booth  Northern Echo

Picture of the Year: Ian Weir Memorial Award.  Sponsor: Northern Echo

Paul Kingston  North News & Pictures – car fire
Simon Hobson  ncjMedia – fire
Raoul Dixon  North News & Pictures – snow party reveller
Ian Cooper   Evening Gazette – crying policeman
Tom Collins  Hartlepool Mail – boy rescue
Stuart Boulton  Northern Echo – bus crash

Hard News : the Maurice Brady Award.  Sponsor: Nexus

Joe Willis  Northern Echo
Rachel Wearmouth  ncjMedia
Dan Warburton  ncjMedia
Andy Hughes  ncjMedia
Joanne Butcher  ncjMedia
Lindsay Bruce Evening Gazette

Community Journalism: For top North East campaign coverage

Paul Watson  Hartlepool Mail
Newsteam  Teesdale Mercury
Chris Lloyd, Joe Willis & team  Northern Echo
Sarah Judd  Evening Gazette
Tegan Chapman  News Guardian/News Post Leader
Joanne Butcher  ncjMedia

North East Magazine of the Year: Mike Gilligan Prize. Sponsor: Chartered Institute of Public Relations – North East

Tynedale Life
NARC
Luxe
Food Quarter
etc
Culture
Cheers
Business Quarter

Online Video News

Daniel Howlett  thenorthernecho.co.uk
Craig Hope, Frank Reid, Tom Collins  hartlepoolmail.co.uk
Gavin Havery  thenorthernecho.co.uk
Richard Fletcher  journallive & chroniclelive
Gavin Englebrecht  thenorthernecho.co.uk

Features: Fred Hurrell Prize for feature writing         

Joe Willis  Northern Echo
David Whetstone  ncjMedia
Mike Kelly  ncjMedia
Hannah Davies  ncjMedia
Kathryn Armstrong  Luxe / Food Quarter
Emma Andrews  Hexham Courant

Splash Subbing Award: Tony Dumphy Trophy.  Sponsor: Evening Gazette

Shields Gazette team
Seventy 3 magazine
Peter Milby  Evening Gazette
Simon Marks  Northeast Press
Hartlepool Mail team
Alan Formby-Jackson  Evening Gazette
Paul Cunningham  ncjMedia

Page Design: ABC Spike for page design 

Seventy 3 magazine
Peter Leathley  ncjMedia
Myles Hodnett  Tynedale Life
Alan Formby-Jackson  Evening Gazette
Babette Decker  ncjMedia
Paul Cunningham  ncjMedia
Sean Collins  ncjMedia

Business Award: Best coverage of North East business matters

Brian Nicholls  BQ magazine
Peter McCusker   ncjMedia & freelance
Owen McAteer  Northern Echo
Peter Jackson  NECC  Contact magazine
Alastair Gilmour  BQ / freelance

Durhams Sporting Plate: Best portfolio of NE sports reporting 

Scott Wilson  Northern Echo
Anthony Vickers  Evening Gazette
Philip Tallantire  Evening Gazette
John Gibson  Evening Chronicle
Mark Douglas  ncjMedia

NE Health Prize: Best portfolio of NE reporting on health & well-being. Sponsor: Northumbrian Water

Lucy Richardson  Northern Echo
Barry Nelson  Northern Echo
Sarah Judd  Evening Gazette
Hannah Davies  ncjMedia
Kim Carmichael  ncjMedia
Joanne Butcher  ncjMedia
Lindsay Bruce  Evening Gazette

North East Columnist / Blogger of the Year: Phillip Hickey Trophy. Sponsor: Northeast Press Ltd

Anthony Vickers  gazettelive.co.uk
Brian Tilley  Hexham Courant
Richard Ord  Sunderland Echo
Tony Henderson  ncjMedia
Alastair Gilmour  Freelance/The Journal
Richard Fletcher  ncjMedia
Andy Fletcher  chroniclelive.co.uk
Mark Douglas  ncjMedia
Lindsay Bruce  Evening Gazette