A weekly newspaper launched a little over six months ago has been named the nation’s best at a prestigious awards ceremony.

The Cambridge Independent, launched by Iliffe in September last year, triumphed in the Weekly Newspaper of the Year category at the newsawards 2017, which aim to highlight excellence in print and digital production.

Judges applauded the Independent, edited by former Cambridge News editor Paul Brackley, for its “potent combination of contemporary magazine style design, strong content and crisp printing. A premium 112-page product that is a bargain at only £1.”

The Stratford Herald was highly commended in the same category, while Aberdeen’s Press & Journal was highly commended for the Regional Daily Newspaper of the Year prize, which was won by London’s Evening Standard.

Swansea Life took the Regional Supplement/Magazine of the Year title, with Cornwall Today highly commended.

The winners received their awards at a ceremony held at the London Lancaster last night.

Gary Cullum, director of newsawards, said: “With our free press under attack from those in the corridors of power and those who would shackle or seek to censor us, we need our purveyors of quality journalism and hard-hitting headlines as much as ever before.

“This year’s crop of newsawards winners and nominations is testament to the fact that ours is a resilient and strong industry that is pioneering and innovating both online and in print.”

The newsawards, formerly known as The Newspaper Awards, celebrate excellence in both print production and digital innovation.

The full list of winners is:

Grand Prix – The Total Package
The Sun

THE PRINT AWARDS

National Newspaper Printer of the Year
Newsprinters Broxbourne (The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Times)

Regional Newspaper Printer of the Year
Mortons Print (Driffield & Wolds Weekly, Teesdale Mercury, Newark Advertiser)

National Newspaper of the Year
The Daily Telegraph

International Newspaper of the Year
Aftenposten Junior (Norway)

Regional Daily Newspaper of the Year
London Evening Standard

International Printed Innovation of the Year
Aftenposten Junior (Norway)

Sunday Newspaper of the Year
The Sunday Times

Weekly Newspaper of the Year
Cambridge Independent

National Supplement/Magazine of the Year
How to Spend It (Financial Times)

Regional Supplement/Magazine of the Year
Swansea Life

Niche Market Newspaper of the Year
First News

THE DIGITAL AWARDS

News Website of the Year
FT

News App of the Year
The Guardian

International Digital Innovation of the Year
The Guardian – 6×9 Virtual Reality journalism

THE BUSINESS AWARDS

Best Use of Advertising Technology
MNA – Insight & Enquire proprietary advertising platform

Brand Partnership of the Year
The Telegraph/Kia – UEFA Euro 2016

Commercial Advertising Initiative of the Year
The Sun – Popcorn and Sky Cinema