Staff of The Journal in Newcastle picked up the North East Newspaper of the Year title on the anniversary of the paper’s first issue 175 years ago.

They celebrated by scooping seven trophies in the Campaign North East England-sponsored Tom Cordner North East Press Awards, which covers titles from North Yorkshire to the Scottish border.

Journal editor Brian Aitken said it was a terrific night for the paper, as it was named Newspaper of the Year for the fourth time.

Other Journal winners were Daniel Cochlin (Hard News), Sam Wonfor (Arts), Alastair Gilmour (Business), Jane Hall (Consumer Affairs) and Babette Decker (Page Design). Chloe Griffiths was North East Young Journalist of the Year.

The Journal’s stable-mate the Evening Chronicle landed the overall Journalist of the Year honours for their investigative reporter Adam Jupp.

The Hexham Courant retained its title as North East Weekly Newspaper, and two of their staff repeated their success of last year: Lyndsey Wright, the Weekly Journalist award, and Brian Tilley as Columnist of the Year.

Paul Kingston of the Tyneside-based North News & Pictures agency, captured a brace of trophies as Photographer of the Year and for Picture of the Year. His winning image showed police officers mourning a colleague who was killed on duty.

Magazine of the year was North East Lifestyle.

An award for a lifetime contribution to journalism, which is made by the Society of Editors (North), was presented to Andrew Smith. Now a media relations consultant, he is a former editor of the Northern Echo, Bolton Evening News, Sunderland Echo, Hartlepool Mail, Northumberland Gazette and Times Free Press Group. He had also served as one of this year’s six judges for the regular Cordner awards.

Reporters, specialist writers, sub-editors, photographers and their editors from nearly 20 news organisations in the region, sent in 280 entries for the 26th annual Cordner contest. The total was slightly up on last year.

BBC journalist Jeremy Vine presented the awards and was guest speaker. He spoke of his admiration for ‘proper trained journalists’ in an age when anybody with a computer seemed to be able to call themselves a journalist.

He described the regional press as the “glorious side of journalism”, adding: “You are journalists, real journalists, and all worthy of these wonderful awards”.

The North East Press Awards began as a tribute by fellow journalists to Tom Cordner who was news editor of the Hartlepool Mail when died, aged 38, in 1976.

The judges were Rod Sibbald, picture editor and photographer; magazine journalist Pauline Covell Norris; freelances Olwyn Hocking and Christine Fieldhouse; Jon Smith, senior lecturer in journalism, Darlington College and national examiner in journalism; Andrew Smith, editorial consultant and former editor.

The winners:

North East Newspaper of the Year
The Journal

North East Journalist of the Year
Adam Jupp, Evening Chronicle

Graeme Stanton Award:
Lifetime contribution to journalism
Andrew Smith

North East Weekly Newspaper of the Year
The Hexham Courant

North East Weekly Newspaper Journalist of the Year
Lyndsey Wright, Hexham Courant

Tom Cordner Quill: Trainee Journalist of the Year
Chloe Griffiths, The Journal
Shortlisted:
Mitya Underwood, Evening Chronicle
Anthony McLean, News Guardian/News Post Leader
Adam Jupp, Evening Chronicle
Gareth Deighan, Evening Chronicle

Mike Gilligan Prize: NE Magazine of the Year
North East Lifestyle

Jim Merrington Prize: Photographer of the Year
Paul Kingston, North News & Pictures

Ian Weir Memorial Award: Picture of the Year
Paul Kingston, North News & Pictures

Consumer Affairs Prize
Jane Hall, The Journal

North East Business Prize
Alastair Gilmour, The Journal

North East Health Prize
Barry Nelson, Northern Echo

Thomas E Bergman Prize for the best arts reportage
Sam Wonfor, The Journal

Phillip Hickey Trophy: North East Columnist of the Year
Brian Tilley, Hexham Courant

Steve Jones Prize for reporting that contributes most to the community
Julie Martin, Evening Gazette

North East Women’s Writer of the Year
Liz Lamb, Evening Chronicle

Jeremy Bennington Prize: Scoop of the Year
Caroline Smith, Sunday Sun

Investigative Journalism Prize
Adam Jupp, Evening Chronicle

Kate Adie Award for Initiative in Journalism
Gavin Engelbrecht, Northern Echo

ABC Spike for overall newspaper page design
Babette Decker, The Journal

Splash Award for front and/or back page design & the Tony Dumphy trophy
Dave Hedley, Evening Chronicle

Fred Hurrell Prize For the best features writing
Barbara Argument, Evening Gazette

Maurice Brady Award For Hard News reporting
Daniel Cochlin, The Journal

Durhams Sporting Plate – Sports Writer of the Year
Mike Amos, Northern Echo

Eric Dobson Scroll NE Trainee with highest NCTJ exam marks
Gary Martin, Hartlepool Mail

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