The Argus has scooped five top awards at the EDF Energy London and the South of England Media Awards 2007, run in association with holdthefrontpage.

Its haul included Daily Newspaper of the Year, Website of the Year, Sports Journalist of the Year, News Photographer of the Year and Environmental Journalist of the Year.

Other big winners were the Gravesend Messenger, which won Community Campaign of the Year and Front Page of the Year.

BBC South East came out best of the broadcasters, with an award for Television Journalist of the Year and Television News/Current Affairs Programme of the Year.

More than 160 journalists were at the event at Sandown Park Racecourse in Surrey, to find out what the judges had decided after a record 250 entries were submitted.

The Brighton Argus ranked very highly with every judge for its Daily Newspaper of the Year entry, “grabbing the news agenda and willing to take risks for great stories”.

The judges said: “Its entry included its coverage of the fireworks factory blast in which two firefighters died; its 28-page wrap-around souvenir supplement on the Queen’s visit to Brighton; and its coverage of Brighton and Hove Albion’s battle – and eventual victory – to get a new football stadium.

“The judges thought the whole paper was very readable, with a great mix of hard and light news.”

Argus editor Michael Beard said: “It is a reflection of a year’s hard work where we have all pulled together to produce a great newspaper and website. I am extremely proud of my team.”

The Paid-For Weekly Newspaper of the Year was the Hampshire Chronicle, “a ‘proper’ weekly with fantastic content”, according to the judges.

They said: “It had a string of exclusives, along with strong features, sport, a leisure guide, columnists, nostalgia and reader input, all backed by a good website. It’s all helped achieve two back-to-back six monthly ABC-audited sales increases. The judges said they would definitely buy it.”

Free Weekly of the Year was the Bexley Times, re-launched last year as a lively title in Archant’s stable of well-established Times editions.

The judges said: “Its strong news, sport and lifestyle content have made it a hit with its 70,000 readership.

“Hard-hitting campaigns at the paper have included one to save Queen Mary’s Hospital accident and emergency unit. From the start the campaign involved local people, with many stepping forward to give their stories on the much-loved hospital.

“The paper’s bold, new design has given it the nickname of ‘Sexley Bexley’ with its staff.”

Full roll call of winners and runners-up:

Daily Newspaper of the Year

WINNER: The Argus

Shortlisted
The News, Portsmouth
Daily Echo, Bournemouth
Southern Daily Echo

Weekly Newspaper of the Year (Paid-for)

WINNER: Hampshire Chronicle

Shortlisted
Kentish Express
Gravesend Messenger
Croydon Advertiser
Kent Messenger

Weekly Newspaper of the Year (Free)

WINNER: Bexley Times

Shortlisted
Crawley News
Bexley Extra

Front Page of the Year

WINNER: Gravesend Messenger – BNP

Shortlisted
The Argus – Teenage Kicks
Kentish Express – Shaken but not stirred
Daily Echo, Bournemouth – Scarred for life
Gravesend Messenger – SNAP!

Print Journalist of the Year (Daily)

WINNER: Emily Pykett The News, Portsmouth

Shortlisted
Lawrence Marzouk, The Argus
Louise Acford, The Argus

Print Journalist of the Year (Weekly)

WINNER: Dhruti Shah, Harrow Observer

Shortlisted
Graham Russell, Gravesend Messenger
Michael Adkins, Kentish Times
Vicky O’Hare, Gazette Newspapers

Television Journalist of the Year

WINNER: Richard Smith, BBC South East Today

Radio Journalist of the Year

WINNER: Ed Cook BBC Radio Kent

Shortlisted
Paul Jenner, BBC Southern Counties Radio
Kathryn Langley, Southern FM
Ben Taylor, LBC Radio
Thomas Cheal, LBC Radio

Newcomer of the Year

WINNER: Rob Gillett, Southern FM

Shortlisted
Ellie Dyer, Kensington and Chelsea News
Mark McQuillan, LBC Radio
Chloe Mayer, Barking and Dagenham Recorder
Jocelyn Cook, Crawley News

TV News/Current Affairs Programme of the Year

WINNER: BBC South East Today

Radio News/Current Affairs Programme of the Year

WINNER: David Drozdiak, LBC Nightly News

Shortlisted
Claire Mewse, Eagle Radio 96.4
BBC Radio Kent, John Warnett Breakfast

Website of the Year

WINNER: The Argus

Shortlisted
Daily Echo, Bournemouth
yourlocalguardian

Feature Writer of the Year

WINNER: Tim Harrison, London Informer

Shortlisted
Robert Leslie, BBC Kent
Sarah Nicholls, Western Gazette
Natalie Bruckner, Daily Echo, Bournemouth

Columnist of the Year

WINNER: Neal Butterworth, Daily Echo, Bournemouth

Shortlisted
Melody Ryall, Kentish Times
Ed Perkins, Daily Echo, Bournemouth

News photographer of the Year

WINNER: Simon Dack, The Argus

Shortlisted
Terry Applin, The Argus
Stuart Emmerson, Harrow & Wembley Observer
Richard Crease, Daily Echo, Bournemouth

Sports Journalist of the Year

WINNER: Andy Naylor, The Argus

Shortlisted
Sam Munnery, East Surrey & Sussex News and Media
Daniel Jones, Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser
Neil Allen, Portsmouth News

Business Journalist of the Year

WINNER: Gareth Lewis, Southern Daily Echo

Shortlisted
Trevor Sturgess, Kent Messenger

Environmental Journalist of the Year

WINNER: Sarah Lewis, The Argus

Community Campaign of the Year

WINNER: Gravesend Messenger – Axe the tax

Shortlisted
Yellow Advertiser – new limbs campaign
Kentish Express – Save the farm
Sevenoaks Chronicle – Make the station safer
Basingstoke Gazette – Rubbish collections