The shortlist for the EDF Energy East of England Media Awards 2011 has been announced today.

Norwich-based publisher Archant Norfolk leads the field with 12 nominations ahead of the Essex Chronicle and Archant Suffolk with eight shortlisted entries each and seven for ITV Anglia.

The Cambridge News, Brentwood Gazette and Peterborough Evening Telegraph have six nominations each and BBC Essex has been shortlisted five times.

The awards, held in partnership with HoldtheFrontPage, are designed to recognise the best in local newspaper and broadcast journalism across the East of England region.

Judges analysed and debated the merits of more than 240 entries for the awards, which are now in their seventh year in the region.

The prestigious Newspaper of the Year category will see the Eastern Daily Press, Ipswich Evening Star, Cambridge News and Norwich Evening News vying for top honours.

A host of weekly papers including Beds on Sunday, St Neots News and Crier, The Hunts Post, Brentwood Gazette, Essex Chronicle, Great Yarmouth Mercury and Welwyn Hatfield Times are also in the running for awards.

And Jon Austin of Basildon daily The Echo is going for a record sixth win on the trot in the Daily Print Journalist of the Year category.

All those shortlisted, along with their guests, will be invited to a celebration presentation event, courtesy of EDF Energy, where individual award winners will receive a £100 cheque, certificate and trophy.

The judging panel, which met on Thursday 9 December included Michael Beard, editor at The Argus, Simon Dack, chief photographer at The Argus, Ian Murray, editor at Southern Daily Echo, Leo Whitlock, editor at Kentish Gazette, Richard Osley, editor at Camden New Journal, Charlotte Wilkins, reporter for ITV Meridian, Mark Carter, BBC Radio Surrey and Dan Pritchard, EDF Energy regional media manager.

The full shortlist is as follows:

Newcomer of the Year

Gavin Caney, Cambs Times / Wisbech Standard
Georgina Cotton, Essex Chronicle
James Drummond, Essex Chronicle
Luke Farrington, ITV Anglia
Faye McBride, Essex Chronicle
Sam Smith, Brentwood Gazette

Environmental Journalist of the Year

Jon Austin, Basildon Echo
Emma Baker, ITV Anglia
Phil Harrison, Essex Enquirer

Business Journalist of the Year

Jenny Chapman, Cambridge News
Annabelle Dickson, Archant Norfolk

News Photographer of the Year

Sarah Lucy Brown, East Anglian Daily Times & Evening Star
Ben Davis, Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Simon Finlay, Archant Norfolk
Rowland Hobson, Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Brian Purdy, Cambs Times/ Wisbech Standard

Sports Journalist of the Year

David Arnold, Essex Chronicle / Brentwood Gazette
Donovan Blake, ITV Anglia
Gavin Caney, Cambs Times / Wisbech Standard
Chris Phillips, Southend Echo
Nicky Price, BBC Radio Norfolk

Feature Writer of the Year

Wendy Brading, Essex County Standard
Alice Hutton, Cambridge News
Rowan Mantell, Eastern Daily Press
Keiron Pim, Eastern Daily Press / Norwich Evening News

Columnist of the Year

Stacia Briggs, Norwich Evening News
Dave Bromage, Herts & Essex Observer
Lizzy Dening, Cambridge News
Ken Hurst, Eastern Daily Press
Lynne Mortimer, East Anglian Daily Times

Designer of the Year

Daren Francis, Archant Norfolk
Annette Hudson, Archant Norfolk
Alex Leys, Essex Chronicle
Andrew Ormiston, Cambridge News
Le-Anne Reeves, East Anglian Daily Times

Radio Journalist of the Year

Robin Davies, Heart Essex
Richard Martin, BBC Essex
James Melley, BBC Essex
Felicity Simper, BBC Essex
Andrew Turner, BBC Radio Norfolk

Television Journalist of the Year

Neil Bradford, ITV Anglia
Natalie Gray, ITV Anglia
Elodie Harper, ITV Anglia
Debbie Tubby, BBC Look East

Print Journalist of the Year (Weekly)

Paul Ainsworth, Brentwood Gazette
Gemma Gardner, Hertfordshire Mercury Series
Iain Johnson, Brentwood Gazette
Keeley Knowles, Beds on Sunday
Faye McBride, Essex Chronicle
Piers Meyler, Brentwood Gazette

Print Journalist of the Year (Daily)

Jon Austin, Basildon Echo
Ben Truslove, Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Adam Uren, Peterborough Evening Telegraph

Website of the Year

www.cambridge-news.co.uk
www.pinkun.com

Community Campaign of the Year

Safe to School – BBC Radio Norfolk
Make it Marham – Eastern Daily Press
Save Abbots Activity Centre – Essex County Standard
Save Our Fire Crews – Evening Star
Olympic Torch – Haverhill Echo

Front Page of the Year

After 12,000 safe deliveries here’s the final baby to be born at St John’s Hospital – Essex Chronicle
Gambling and Me – Evening Star
We’re watching you – Evening Star
Gunfight at the MK Corral – Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Gunpoint – Peterborough Evening Telegraph

Radio News/Current Affairs Programme of the Year

The Ray Clark Breakfast Show, BBC Essex
The Sadie Nine Show, BBC Essex

Television News/Current Affairs Programme of the Year

BBC East – Britain’s Great Reef
BBC East – Inside Out
ITV Anglia – Anglia Tonight

Weekly Newspaper of the Year (Free)

Beds on Sunday
St Neots News and Crier
The Hunts Post

Weekly Newspaper of the Year (Paid-for)

Brentwood Gazette
Essex Chronicle
Great Yarmouth Mercury
Welwyn Hatfield Times

Daily Newspaper of the Year

Cambridge News
Eastern Daily Press
Evening Star, Ipswich
Norwich Evening News