The hunt is on again for the cream of journalistic talent in the North-East as the region’s premier press awards clock up their 30th year.

The Tom Cordner North East Press Awards began in 1980 in memory of a former news editor of the Hartlepool Mail who had died four years earlier aged just 38.

One of the founding journalists John Bailey, former NUJ President and Cordner Awards treasurer, has been involved in organising the event every single year.

After scaling down the number of categories for the past two years, some of the prizes are back in the line-up this year, including awards for business coverage and community journalism.

The deadline for entries is Friday 18 November and the prizes will be handed out at the University of Sunderland early in 2012.

Full details about the categories and how to enter can be found on the awards website www.northeastpressawards.org.uk

Organiser Keith Seacroft said:  “Many of this year’s contenders were not even born when the Cordner Awards started out, and the industry has seen a lot of changes.

“There was a reality check when we emailed journalists with the call for entries and got several undelivered mail messages back because they and their jobs have gone.

“But the quality of professional journalism in the North East still rides high and the Cordners offer a chance to celebrate that,” he added.

Eligible material must have been published by North East newspapers and magazines or on their associated websites between 1 October 2010 and 30 October 2011.