The News & Star and the Cumberland News were among the big winners at this year’s North West Newspaper Awards.

The sister newspapers, published by Cumbrian Newspapers, were named Daily Newspaper of the Year and Weekly Newspaper of the Year respectively.

Journalist Anne Pickles completed a hat-trick for the group, being named Feature Writer of the Year.

Neal Keeling from the Manchester Evening News was named News Reporter of the Year, and Jennifer Hollamby from the Oldham Evening Chronicle won the Young Journalist of the Year title.

The Liverpool Echo’s Chris Bascombe scooped the Sports Reporter of the Year prize and Liverpool Daily Post & Echo colleague Colin Lane was chosen as this year’s Photographer of the Year.

All the individual winners received a cheque for £700 and a certificate, while the two runners-up in each category were awarded a cheque for £150 and a certificate.

The event was held at the Radisson SAS Hotel Manchester Airport on Friday, and was sponsored by Sellafield Ltd.

The day was hosted by Bill Anderton, head of Sellafield Communications who was joined by British Airways Pilot Captain Mark Jealous who presented the awards.

Bill said: “This year’s event was again a great success.

“Visiting the Radisson SAS Hotel for the first time, the Awards were enjoyed by all the guests who had the chance to look round Concorde and listen to a presentation from Mark Jealous.”

A full list of winners and runners-up is below:

News Reporter of the Year
Winner: Neal Keeling, Manchester Evening News

Runners-up: Phil Colmean, Cumbrian Newspapers
Shelagh Parkinson, Blackpool Gazette

Feature Writer of the Year
Winner: Anne Pickles, Cumbrian Newspapers

Runners-up: Simon Donohue, Manchester Evening News
Paddy Shennan, Liverpool Echo