The CN Group enjoyed a bumper afternoon today after its journalists scooped up half the prizes at the 18th annual North West Newspaper Awards.
The Carlisle-based publisher’s Cumberland News retained the weekly newspaper of the year title while Barrow’s North West Evening Mail was crowned best title with a circulation under 20,000.
Individual gongs were handed out in the feature writer, sports reporter and photographer categories.
The other winners from today’s ceremony were Blackpool’s Gazette, which won daily newspaper of the year, the Liverpool Echo took best news reporter and the Liverpool Daily Post can boast the young journalist of the year.
Crain’s Manchester Business and the Lancashire Evening Post won the top weekly and daily newspaper website prizes respectively.
Finalists were given a guided tour of Sellafield Ltd, the award’s main sponsors, before the ceremony in Chester.
Each individual winner took home £700 and a certificate, with two runners-up in each category pocketing £150 and a certificate.
Sellafield stakeholder relations director Iain Irving said: “The awards proved to be as popular as ever, with ever category fiercely contested.
“The standard of entry proved beyond any doubt that while times may be hard in regional journalism the highest quality is still being consistently produced.”
The awards are organised by the North West branch of the Society of Editors. The full list of winners is below and click through to read the full shortlist.
News Reporter of the Year
Ben Rossington, Liverpool Echo
Feature Writer of the Year
Anne Pickles, News and Star, Carlisle
Sports Reporter of the Year
Jon Coleman, News and Star/Cumberland News
Photographer of the Year
Stuart Walker, News and Star/Cumberland News
Young Journalist of the Year
David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post
Daily Newspaper of the Year
The Gazette, Blackpool
Weekly Newspaper of the Year
Cumberland News
Daily Newspaper Website of the Year
Lancashire Evening Post: lep.co.uk
Weekly Newspaper Website of the Year
Crains Manchester Business: crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk
Newspaper of the Year (circ. up to 20,000)
North West Evening Mail