The Bristol Post took top honours at the South West Media Awards as EDF Energy’s ten-year sponsorship of the event came to an end.

As the Second Test got under way at Lords, South West journalists gathered at another cricketing venue for the annual awards ceremony.

Somerset County Cricket club in Taunton played host as the prizes were handed out in what was the final set of awards to be sponsored by the energy giant.

The Post was named Daily Newspaper of the Year while the other main newspaper categories saw Local World’s Western Gazette named best paid-for weekly, while the Archant-owned North Devon Gazette was named best free weekly.

Honours were shared in the Community Campaign of the Year category, with judges unable to choose between two campaigns – The Cornishman’s Heart Start and the Plymouth Herald’s Safer Spaces.

Meanwhile the Website of the Year prize went to a newcomer to the shortlist, www.flicwiltshire.com which provides news and sport coverage across the county.

In the individual categories, the Weekly Print Journalist of the Year prize went to Flora Thompson of the Western Gazette while Sam Blackledge of the Plymouth Herald was named Daily Print Journalist of the Year.

Speaking at the event, HoldtheFrontPage publisher Paul Linford thanked EDF for its ten-year sponsorship of the event.

Said Paul: “I want to thank EDF Energy on behalf of HoldtheFrontPage for all the hard work and commitment which they have put into the awards over the past decade.

“We launched these awards together back in 2005 and we are very proud to have been associated with them throughout that period.

“We take particular pride in the way that the regional media has taken these awards to its heart and for the part they play in the working lives of journalists in the South West, London and the South of England, and East of England regions.

“We are keen to build on this success and will, over the coming months, be looking at ways to take the awards forward under new sponsorship.

“As part of that process, I would like to hear from key media stakeholders in each of the three awards regions, so please get in touch if you have any thoughts or ideas about the future of the awards.

“Even though today marks the end of an era in one respect, rest assured we will do all we can to ensure that journalistic excellence in the regional media will continue to be recognised.”

The full list of winners is as follows:

Newcomer of the Year: Katie French, Mid Devon Gazette

Digital Journalist of the Year: Joseph Wilkes, North Devon Journal

Specialist Journalist of the Year: Johanna Carr, Cornish Guardian

News Photographer of the Year: Penny Cross, Plymouth Herald

Sports Journalist of the Year: Daniel Evans, Bath Chronicle

Feature Writer of the Year: Lisa Evans, Bath Chronicle, Bath Weekend Magazine

Columnist of the Year: Mary Quicke, Devon Life

Designer of the Year: Sian David, Bath Chronicle

Radio Journalist of the Year: Carrian Jones, Heart Global News – West (Heart Cornwall)

Television Journalist of the Year: Fiona Lambdin, BBC West

Weekly Print Journalist of the Year: Flora Thompson, Western Gazette

Daily Print Journalist of the Year: Sam Blackledge, Plymouth Herald

Website of the Year: www.flicwiltshire.com

Community Campaign of the Year: The Cornishman, Heart Start and Plymouth Herald, Safer Spaces

Front Page of the Year: West Briton, Thanks Andy

Radio News / Current Affairs Programme of the Year:Laurie Lee Centenary, BBC Radio Gloucestershire

Television News / Current Affairs Programme of the Year: ITV News West Country, Becky Watts Outside Broadcast

Weekly Free Newspaper of the Year: North Devon Gazette

Weekly Paid for Newspaper of the Year: Western Gazette

Daily Newspaper of the Year: Bristol Post