The shortlist for the 18th annual North West Newspaper Awards has been revealed.

Among those with a strong showing are the Manchester Evening News and Liverpool Daily Post and Echo.

Iain Irving, director of stakeholder relations with sponsors Sellafield, said: "We are delighted to receive so many entries, this represents the amount of talent there is around the North West.

"The judges had a difficult task to come up with the shortlist, given that there were more than 130 entries to be considered and the standard was so high across the board.

"These may be difficult times for the newspaper industry, but the reporting across our regional daily and weekly newspapers, and indeed their websites, continues to be of the very best quality."

The awards are organised through the North West region of the Society of Editors.

The judging panel comprised Professor Peter Cole, from Sheffield University, retired editor Mervyn Kay and Richard Catlow, from the Society of Editors.

Individual prize categories offer £700 to the winner and £150 for each of the two runners-up, with trophies for the newspaper and websites categories.

The winners will be announced at St David's Park Hotel, near Chester, on 19 June.

The full list shortlist is:

News Reporter of the Year

Mike Keegan, Manchester Evening News
Paul Keaveny, Bolton News
Ben Rossington, Liverpool Echo

Feature Writer of the Year

Simon Donohue, Manchester Evening News
Anne Pickles, News and Star, Carlisle
Jade Wright, Liverpool Daily Post and Echo

Sports Reporter of the Year

Tony Barrett, Liverpool Echo
Andy Cryer, Lancashire Telegraph
Jon Coleman, News and Star/Cumberland News

Photographer of the Year

Jason Roberts, Liverpool Daily Post and Echo
Dominic Salter, Stockport Express
Stuart Walker, News and Star/Cumberland News

Young Journalist of the Year

David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post
Amanda Crook, Manchester Evening News
Stefanie Hall, Lancashire Evening Post

Daily Newspaper of the Year

Liverpool Echo
The Gazette, Blackpool
Manchester Evening News

Weekly Newspaper of the Year

Skelmersdale Advertiser
Crains Manchester Business
Cumberland News

Daily Newspaper Website of the Year

Lancashire Telegraph
Lancashire Evening Post
The Gazette, Blackpool

Weekly Newspaper Website of the Year

Warrington Guardian
Crains Manchester Business
Cumberland News

Newspaper of the Year (circ up to 20,000)

Liverpool Daily Post
Chorley Guardian
North West Evening Mail