The Cumberland News retained its title as the North West’s Newspaper of the Year at last night’s O2 awards ceremony in Blackpool.

The CN Group-owned weekly saw off opposition from the Lancashire Evening Post,  which won the daily newspaper prize.

Judges described the Carlisle title as “one of the outstanding newspapers in Britain today.”

They said:  “You cannot fail to be impressed by this title. Totally comprehensive … a paper to be applauded and admired for its content and design. It has the gravitas to rival any weekly newspaper and also any large regional daily in the UK.”

Top individual awards went to Ben Rossington of the Liverpool Echo, who was named News Reporter of the Year, and Sarah Newstead, of the Cumberland News, who won the title of Feature Writer of the Year.

The full list of winners was as follows:

Business Journalist of the Year
Adam Jupp – Manchester Evening News

Digital Journalist of the Year
Adam McClean – Granada Reports

Young Journalist of the Year – Daily
Miranda Newey – Bolton News

Young Journalist of the Year – Weekly
Tom Bristow – Southport Visiter

Feature Writer of the Year
Sarah Newstead – Cumberland News

News Reporter of the Year
Ben Rossington – Liverpool Echo

Photographer of the Year
Colin Lane – Liverpool Daily Post and Echo

Radio Broadcast Journalist of the Year
Janine Bolton – Rock FM

Scoop of the Year
Champion Newspapers

Think Big Award
Ben Osu

Sports Journalist of the Year
Jon Colman – Cumberland News

TV Broadcast Journalist of the Year
Matt O’Donoghue – Granada Reports

Editorial Team of the Year
Key 103

Daily Newspaper of the Year
Lancashire Evening Post

Weekly Newspaper of the Year
Cumberland News

Newspaper of the Year
Cumberland News

Outstanding Contribution Award
Gordon Burns – BBC North West Tonight