The Liverpool Echo scored a hat-trick of wins at last night’s O2 North West Media Awards as it retained its Newspaper of the Year crown for the third year running.

The Trinity Mirror daily overcame competition from The Sentinel, Stoke, Carlisle’s News & Star and the Lancashire Evening Post to be named the best of the North West.

Judges praised the paper’s recent relaunch under editor Ali Machray following the ‘Tell Ali’ listening exercise carried out via social media.

The Echo also won the best website award while its newly-launched sister title the Sunday Echo was named Weekly Newspaper of the Year.

Echo editor Alastair Machray with some of the responses to his ‘Tell Ali’ project

There was also a strong performance from The Sentinel, which won the Specialist Publication prize for its tribute to World War Two veterans, and the Feature Writer trophy through Jenny Amphlett.

More than 360 individual entries were received for the awards with more than 25 working editors and executives from newspapers, magazines, broadcasters and online publications involved in the judging process.

Nicola Green, director of communications and reputation at O2 UK, said the judging panel was hugely impressed by journalists working across different media organisations in the North West.

“Congratulations to those who made the final line up, but also a huge thank you to everyone who entered this year’s competition. The evening was a celebration of some superb journalism and a reminder of how important the regional media is to local communities,” she said.

Ben Tolhurst, of co-sponsor Capita added: “We are delighted to sponsor these awards. The event enables us to look back at how the press brought news events to life for readers, viewers and listeners across the region.”

The full list of winners was as follows:

Broadcast Presenter of the Year: Lucy Meacock – ITV News Granada Reports

Community Journalism Award: Michelle Livesey – Key 103

Daily Newspaper of the Year: Liverpool Echo

Team of the Year (Broadcast): Juice FM

Team of the Year (Print): Warrington Guardian

Feature Writer of the Year: Jenny Amphlett – The Sentinel, Stoke

Free Distribution Newspaper: St Helens Star

Online Media Award: Lancashire Telegraph

News Reporter of the Year: Matt O’Donoghue – ITV News Granada Reports

Images of the Year: Stuart Walker – Cumbrian Newspapers

Radio Journalist of the Year: Chris Chambers – Juice FM

Scoop of the Year: Party People – ITV News Granada Reports

Specialist Publication of the Year: The Sentinel – Echoes of WW2/Salute to the Few

Best Website: Liverpool Echo

Specialist Writer of the Year: Aasma Day  – Lancashire Evening Post

Sports Reporter of the Year – Broadcast: Richard Askam – BBC North West Tonight

Sports Reporter of the Year – Print: Suzanne Geldard – Lancashire Telegraph

Television Journalist of the Year: Matt O’Donoghue – ITV News Granada Reports

Weekly Journalist of the Year: Kenny Lomas – Northwich Guardian

Weekly Newspaper of the Year: Sunday Echo

Young Reporter of the Year: Rhiannon Hilton – Crewe Chronicle