The cream of the press and media gathered yesterday at the SAS Radisson Hotel, Stansted Airport, for the EDF Energy East of England Media Awards 2009, run in association with HoldtheFrontPage.

Among the winners were Jon Austin from the Basildon-based Echo, who was crowned top daily newspaper journalist for the fourth consecutive year, and the Essex Chronicle which picked up best paid-for weekly and front page of the year.

• Click through to read main news story.
• And see here what the judging panel said about our winners.

Trophies, certificates and cheques were handed out to prize winners by Bob Lane, EDF Energy’s director of network operations, and Ben Marsden, England and GB Olympic hockey player.

• Photos courtesy of John Connor Press Associates.

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• Print Journalist of the Year (Daily)
  Jon Austin, Echo, Basildon

 

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• Print Journalist of the Year (Weekly)
  Lui Straccia, Luton and Dunstable Express

 

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• Newcomer of the Year
  Sarah Calkin, Echo, Basildon

 

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• Daily Newspaper of the Year
  East Anglian Daily Times, collected by editor Terry Hunt

 

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• Weekly Newspaper of the Year (Paid-for)
  Essex Chronicle, collected by editor Alan Geere and colleagues

 

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• Weekly Newspaper of the Year (Free)
  The Hunts Post, collected by deputy editor Angela Singer and colleagues

 

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• Front Page of the Year
  Essex Chronicle, collected by news editor Paul Dent-Jones

 

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• Website of the Year
  Pink ‘Un, Archant Norfolk, collected by website editor Peter Raven

 

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• Feature Writer of the Year
  Keiron Pim, Eastern Daily Press

 

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• Designer of the Year
  Daren Francis, Archant Norfolk (collected by colleague Emma Harrowing)

 

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• Columnist of the Year
  Martin Newell, East Anglian Daily Times

 

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• News Photographer of the Year
  Alex Fairfull, East Anglian Daily Times/Archant Suffolk

 

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• Sports Journalist of the Year
  Chris Lakey, Eastern Daily Press (collected by colleague Michael Bailey)

 

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• Business Journalist of the Year
  Jenny Chapman, Cambridge News

 

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• Community Campaign of the Year
  The Kids Are Alright – Cambs Times/Wisbech Standard, collected by editor John Elworthy and colleagues

 

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• Environmental Journalist of the Year
  Tara Greaves, Eastern Daily Press/Norwich Evening News

 

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• Television Journalist of the Year
  Kevin Burch, BBC Look East

 

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• Television News/Current Affairs Programme of the Year
  ITV Anglia News, collected by news editor Simon Wright

 

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• Radio Journalist of the Year
  Nikki Fox, BBC Radio Norfolk (collected by colleague David Clayton)

 

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• Radio News/Current Affairs Programme of the Year
  Ray Clark Breakfast Show, BBC Essex

 

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• Brian Ager from the Journalists’ Charity receives a £500 donation from EDF Energy

 

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• All the winners from the EDF Energy East of England Media Awards