The Bath Chronicle and the MK News scooped the top prizes at the annual Newspaper Society Weekly Newspaper Awards last night.

The Chronicle picked up paid-for weekly newspaper of the year while the MK News walked away with the equivalent prize for free weeklies at the awards ceremony in Leeds last night.

Bath Chronicle editor Sam Holliday said: “We are delighted for every member of the Chronicle staff who has contributed to helping us win this award.

“When we relaunched the Chronicle as a weekly, we ambitiously told our readers we would produce the best such paper in Britain and now we can say that we have.

“We are all absolutely delighted that the best city in the UK can now claim to have the best newspaper.”

Jon Colman from the Cumberland News won best sports writer on a paid-for title while his colleague Roger Lytollis won best feature writer. The News itself won paid for weekly newspaper of the year in the North West, North East and Yorkshire region.

The top news journalists were the Tamworth Herald’s Helen Machin and the Weston and Worle News’ Alex Ross while the Maidenhead Advertiser was crowned best website.

NS communications director Lynne Anderson said: “This year saw an excellent selection of work submitted for the Weekly Newspaper Awards which drew high praise from the judging panel. “The awards provide a fantastic opportunity for the innovation and creativity in the industry to be recognised and rewarded.”

The awards ceremony was hosted by joint managing director of the Newark Advertiser Joanna Parlby and presented by NS president Michael Pelosi.

The winners in full are:

Newspaper of the Year (Paid-for)

GOLD: Bath Chronicle
SILVER: Cumberland News
BRONZE: Shrewsbury Chronicle

Newspaper of the Year (Free)

GOLD: MK News
SILVER: Hunts Post
BRONZE: Clevedon Mercury, Chester and District Standard

News Journalist of the Year (Paid-for)

GOLD: Helen Machin, Tamworth Herald
SILVER: Cherry Wilson, Rotherham Advertiser
BRONZE: Tom Bevan, Western Gazette

News Journalist of the Year (Free)

GOLD: Alex Ross, Weston and Worle News
SILVER: John Elworthy, Cambs Times
BRONZE: Natasha Young, Maghull Champion

Sports Journalist of the Year (Paid-for)

GOLD: Jon Colman, Cumberland News
SILVER: Amanda Little, Cumberland News
BRONZE: David Rimmer, Bishop Stortford Observer

Feature Journalist of the Year (Paid-for)

GOLD: Rogery Lytollis, Cumberland News
SILVER: Reg Little, Oxford Times
BRONZE: Cherry Wilson, Rotherham Advertiser

Feature Journalist of the Year (Free)

GOLD: Robert Bridge, Walsall Advertiser
SILVER: George Makin, Walsall Advertiser
BRONZE: Bethan Dorsett, Trafford Metro News

Photographer of the Year (Paid-for)

GOLD: Andy Lambert, Stockport Express
SILVER: Marisa Cashill, Derbyshire Times
BRONZE: Jonathan Becker, Cumberland News

Photographer of the Year (Free)

GOLD: Allan Williamson, Lichfield Mercury
SILVER: Paul Johnson, Sutton Coldfield Observer
BRONZE: Andy Lambert, South Manchester Reporter

Sports Photographer of the Year (Paid-for)

GOLD: Laura Jones, Western Gazette
SILVER: David Hollins, Cumberland News
BRONZE: Paul Barber, Tamworth Herald

Sports Photographer of the Year (Free)

GOLD: Allan Williamson, Lichfield Mercury
SILVER: Andy Handley, MK News
BRONZE: John Fryer, South Manchester Reporter

Website of the Year

GOLD: Maidenhead Advertiser
SILVER: Newbury Weekly News
BRONZE: Welwyn and Hatfield Times

Newspaper of the Year in the South East, including Greater London (Paid-for)

GOLD: Wood & Vale (Hampstead & Highgate Express Series)
SILVER: Newbury Weekly News
BRONZE: Romford Recorder

Newspaper of the Year in the South East, including Greater London (Free)

GOLD: MK News
SILVER: Camden Gazette
BRONZE: Croydon Guardian

Newspaper of the Year in Wales and the South West (Paid-for)

GOLD: Bath Chronicle
SILVER: North Devon Journal
BRONZE: Cambrian News

Newspaper of the Year in Wales and the South West (Free)

GOLD: Clevedon Mercury
SILVER: Weston and Worle News
BRONZE: North Somerset Times

Newspaper of the Year in the West and East Midlands and Eastern Region (Paid-for)

GOLD: Shrewsbury Chronicle
SILVER: Lowestoft Journal
BRONZE: Tamworth Herald

Newspaper of the Year in the West and East Midlands and Eastern Region (Free)

GOLD: Hunts Post
SILVER: Sutton Coldfield Observer
BRONZE: The Comet

Newspaper of the Year in the North West, North East and Yorkshire (Paid-for)

GOLD: Cumberland News
SILVER: Rotherham Advertiser
BRONZE: Wakefield Express

Newspaper of the Year in the North West, North East and Yorkshire (Free)

GOLD: Chester Standard
SILVER: South Manchester Reporter
BRONZE: Salford Advertiser

Newspaper of Year in Scotland (Paid-for)

GOLD: Southern Reporter
SILVER: Falkirk Herald
BRONZE: Berwickshire News

Newspaper of Year in Scotland (Free)

GOLD: Aberdeen Citizen
SILVER: East Kilbride Mail
BRONZE: Allanwater News

Supplement or Section of the Year (Paid-for)

GOLD: Islington Gazette, Trends Magazine
SILVER: Slough and Windsor Observer, ABC to PHD
BRONZE: Reading Chronicle, Options for Education 2008

Supplement or Section of the Year (Free)

GOLD: Wigan Reporter, NHS 60 Years
SILVER: East Kilbride Mail, EK Works 08
BRONZE: Aberdeen Citizen, Take a Drive

Niche Publication of the Year (Paid-for)

GOLD: Chichester Observer, etc.
SILVER: Falkirk Herald, Brides & Grooms
BRONZE: Ham & High, North London Restaurant Guide

Niche Publication of the Year (Free)

GOLD: Stourbridge News, I Will
SILVER: North Wales Pioneer, We Love Llandudno
BRONZE: MK News, MK Christmas Magazine 2007