Gloucester daily The Citizen was today named daily newspaper of the year in the annual competition to find the ‘best of the west.’

But honours were shared at today’s EDF Energy South West Media Awards with prizes going to most of the region’s major titles.

The Bristol Post, which led the way in the race for nominations with 12, won two awards, for Designer of the Year and Environment Journalist of the Year.

There were also doubles for the Western Morning News with the Columnist of the Year and Feature Writer of the Year prizes, the Swindon Advertiser which triumphed in the Front Page and News Photographer categories, and the Western Gazette which won Paid for Weekly Newspaper of the Year and Newcomer of the Year.

The Daily Print Journalist of the Year prize went to Tristan Nichols, former defence correspondent of The Herald, Plymouth, for a series of reports from the frontline in Afghanistan where he was embedded with British troops.

Tristan was not present to collect his award as he has now left The Herald to live in Mexico.  It was collected on his behalf by Phil Bowern, deputy editor of sister title the Western Morning News.

The awards, held in association with HoldtheFrontPage, were handed out in a lunchtime ceremony today at the National Trust’s Assembly Rooms in Bath.

The full list of winners was as follows:

Newcomer of the Year: Nicholas Webster, Western Gazette

Environmental Journalist of the Year: Suzanne Savill, Bristol Evening Post

Business Journalist of the Year: Jonathan Gibson, ITV Westcountry

News Photographer of the Year: James Douglas, Swindon Advertiser

Sports Journalist of the Year: Nick Purewal, Gloucestershire Media

Feature Writer of the Year: Janet King, Western Morning News

Columnist of the Year: Becky Sheaves, Western Morning News

Designer of the Year: David Lewins, Bristol News & Media

Radio Journalist of the Year: Graham Smith, BBC Radio Cornwall

Television Journalist: Matthew Hill, BBC West

Print Journalist of the Year (Weekly): Ginette Davies, West Briton

Print Journalist of the Year (Daily): Tristan Nichols, The Herald, Plymouth

Website of the Year: Bristol 24-7

Community Campaign of the Year: The Cornishman – Hands Off Our Hospital

Front Page of the Year: Swindon Advertiser – Handchuffed

Television News/Current Affairs Programme of the YearITV West – M5 Crash, and ITV Westcountry Tonight – America’s Cup Special

Radio News/Current Affairs Programme of the Year: BBC Radio Cornwall – Laurence Reed’s Lunchtime Phone-In

Weekly Newspaper of the Year (Free): Midweek Herald

Weekly Newspaper of the Year (Paid-for): Western Gazette

Daily Newspaper of the Year: The Citizen