The sporting guest of honour at this week’s EDF Energy South West Media Awards awards is to be Paralympic double gold medal-winning swimmer Ellie Simmonds, MBE.

At just 13, Ellie won gold in the 100m and 400m freestyle events at Beijing 2008, where she was Britain’s youngest athlete. She also competed in the 50m freestyle, 50m butterfly and 200m individual medley.

She became the youngest ever recipient of the MBE, when she was just 14, in the 2009 New Year’s Honours list, in recognition of her achievement. She also won the 2008 BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year Award.

Now 15, Ellie will hand out the prizes at Thursday’s ceremony at the Winter Pavilions, Weston-Super-Mare. The awards, held in partnership with HoldtheFrontPage, attracted more than 250 entries.

Judging took place in April and Thursday’s event will see trophies, cheques and certificates handed out to winners in a range of print and broadcast categories including best daily and weekly print journalists, photographer, columnist and feature writer, broadcast journalist and news/current affairs programme.

More than 200 shortlisted candidates and other industry figures will be attending the awards in Somerset.

Guests are reminded that they will need to bring their written invitations with them to gain entry.