The Hull Daily Mail has been crowned the Daily Newspaper of the Year at the O2 Media Awards for Yorkshire and The Humber.

The paper beat off competition from the Yorkshire Post and York’s The Press to win the coveted prize at the awards, which were held at Leeds’ Northern Ballet Theatre last night.

It also won the title of Editorial Team of the Year for its work producing a special edition remembering those killed in the Second World War bombing raids on Hull, while reporter Nicky Harley was awarded the News Reporter of the Year crown.

Award judges described the Mail as “exciting… a newspaper that took risks and believed wholeheartedly in speaking out for the communities it served.”

Hull Daily Mail editor Neil Hodgkinson is presented with two of the awards by Emmerdale stars Fiona Wade and Bhasker Patel.

The Rotherham Advertiser retained its Weekly Newspaper of the Year title beating off the Bridlington Free Press, Dewsbury Reporter and Wakefield Express.

Judges praised the Advertiser’s editorial team for their consistent approach to news, sport and features and for delivering a comprehensive, value for money newspaper.

The award for Outstanding Contribution to the Media Industry this year went to Cyril Skinner of the Bridlington Free Press, who at 80 years old is believed to be Britain’s oldest sports reporter.

A new category of O2 Specialist Publication was won by the Leeds Student newspaper, which beat off challenges from the Yorkshire Post and Bradford Telegraph and Argus.

O2’s Emerging Talent Award, which is aimed at media students across the region, was won by NCTJ press photography student Alex Whitehead.

Other winners from last night’s ceremony included Graham Walker of the Sheffield Star who was named Multimedia Journalist of the Year and Stephen Garnett of the Craven Herald who won the Photographer of the Year title.

Yorkshire Post reporter Greg Wright was named Business Journalist of the Year while his Post newsroom colleague Emily Heward took the title of Young Journalist of the Year.

Nicola Green, head of Communications and Reputation for O2 UK, said: “Since the awards first launched in Yorkshire and the Humber four years ago we’ve seen the media industry go through huge changes but one thing has remained constant … the tremendous role that regional journalists perform in their communities.

“Whether they work in print, digital or broadcast mediums or increasingly these days across all of these spectrums, regional journalists continue to inform, entertain and protect the villages, towns and regions they serve.”

The full list of winners is:

Multi Media Journalist of the Year

Graham Walker, Sheffield Star

Feature Writer of the Year (Joint winners)

Stephen Lewis, The Press, York
Rod McPhee, Yorkshire Evening Post

Photographer of the Year

Stephen Garnett, Craven Herald

Sports Journalist of the Year

Paul Walker, BBC Radio Sheffield

Specialist Publication of the Year

Leeds Student Newspaper

Radio Broadcast Journalist of the Year (Joint winners)

Claire Warren, Radio Aire
Johnathan l’Anson, BBC Radio Leeds

Television Broadcast Journalist of the Year

Nicola Rees, BBC Yorkshire Look North

Young Journalist of the Year

Emily Heward, Halifax Courier/Yorkshire Post

News Reporter of the Year

Nicky Harley, Hull Daily Mail

Business Journalist of the Year

Greg Wright, Yorkshire Post

Scoop of the Year

ITV Yorkshire Calendar – In search of Ben Needham

Editorial Team of the Year

Hull Daily Mail

Newspaper of the Year – Weekly

Rotherham Advertiser

Newspaper of the Year – Daily

Hull Daily Mail

Outstanding Contribution Award

Cyril Skinner, Bridlington Free Press

Emerging Talent Award

Alex Whitehead, Sheffield College