The Sentinel Sunday has been named Newspaper of the Year at the Midlands Media Awards – the fourth year in a row that staff at the Stoke-based title, who also produce daily The Sentinel, have picked up the award.

The Sunday title or its sister paper have picked up the top prize at the event, organised by the Birmingham Press Club, every year since the competition was launched.

And judges this year said the accolade was fully deserved.

Andrew Pierce, assistant editor of The Times and chairman of judges, said: “They do it so well – it’s an easy read, a good mix, and has a very strong sports section.

“It’s still head and shoulders above everything else in the region.”

Sentinel Sunday editor Paul Dutton said: “If you look at the calibre of the other entrants, it’s an outstanding achievement to win four in a row.

“As ever, it’s all down to the quality of our writers, subs and photographers. We’re very pleased.”

The award was handed out during a ceremony at the Botanical Gardens, Edgbaston, Birmingham, and others celebrating on the night included staff from the Sunday Mercury.

The paper’s Jeanette Oldham did the double, scooping News Reporter of the Year (daily) and Scoop of the Year.

Her story was one of dozens that the judging panel reviewed about the demise of former Midland car maker Rover, but judges said her story was different as it revealed that, in the wake of the company’s crash, there were £100m-worth of new cars left rotting in airfields and other locations all over the country.

This was despite frequent claims having being made by Rover’s management to its workforce that every car they made went straight to a confirmed customer.

The Sunday Mercury also picked up a third top award, with reporter Adam Aspinall named Newcomer of the Year.

Other winners included Liz Gray of the Shrewsbury Chronicle, who picked up News Reporter of the Year (weekly); Jeremy Clay from the Leicester Mercury who was named Feature Writer of the Year; the Birmingham Post’s Brian Dick, who was named Sports Journalist of the Year; and Evening Mail business editor Jon Griffin who won the Business Journalist of the Year.

In the photographic categories, Richard Eaton of the Worcester News was named News Photographer of the Year and Trevor Roberts of the Birmingham Mail won Sports Photographer of the Year.

Paul Webb from the Hinckley Times scooped Headline of the Year; the Shropshire Magazine won Magazine of the Year; and photographer Dominic Lipinski from the Nottingham Evening Post collected the Trevor Roberts Award, which is handed out in memory of former Post and Mail picture editor Trevor Roberts, who died in 1991.

John Lamb, chairman of the Birmingham Press Club, said: “The judges were once again anxious to point out to me the wide range of talent that exists in the Midlands media industry.

“They told me that the conveyor belt still seems to be churning out some excellent journalists who have turned in some top rate work.”