Weekly newspapers around the country are being given the chance to shout about their successes, with the launch of this year’s Weekly Newspaper Awards.

Organised by the Newspaper Society, the event is open to all paid-for and free weekly newspapers and their staff, and offers the chance to compete at both a regional and national level.

The competition is split to cover both advertising and editorial, with the editorial awards focusing on the service that local weekly newspapers give to the community and the all-round look, feel, empathy and relevance of the title.

These include community awards for the best campaigns championed by a newspaper working together with others in support of community issues, as well as categories for the best news journalist, feature journalist and photographer.

In each category there will be two awards, with one for paid-for newspapers and another for frees.

There are also prizes for the best paper in each region, and the winners of these will then compete for the titles of overall paid-for and free newspapers of the year.

Winners will be announced during a ceremony at the Marriott Forest of Arden Hotel in Warwickshire on Thursday, October 20.

For more details and to download an entry form visit www.newspapersoc.org.uk. The deadline for entries is Friday, September 16.