The Hull Daily Mail retained its crown as top daily newspaper at the Yorkshire and Humber 02 media awards last night.

The Local World-owned title overcame opposition from the Yorkshire Post and Sheffield Star to win the prize for the second year running.

Editor Neil Hodgkinson paid tribute to the hard work of his “brilliant editorial team” after the ceremony at Leeds Metropolitan University last night.

Judges praised the Mail team for  “delivering a newspaper completely in tune with the communities it served.”

Mail journalists Pheobe Jackson-Edwards and Jim Coldwell added to the paper’s haul, picking up the titles of Feature Writer and Young Journalist of the Year respectively.

And the ceremony saw a special award presented to Peter Charlton, who stepped down as editor of the Yorkshire Post in July after 40 years in regional newspapers.

Messages of congratulation from deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Labour MP David Blunkett were read out as Peter received an Outstanding Contribution Award for his services to the media.

The former YP boss, who also edited the Blackpool Gazette and Sheffield Star in the course of his long career, received a standing ovation from his peers.

Peter Charlton receives his Outstanding Achievement award at last night's 02 ceremony.

Another special award was created to mark what the judges called a “terrific example of community journalism.”

Selina Maycock and the Scunthorpe Telegraph were applauded for helping a terminally ill cancer sufferer realise his dying wish to marry his childhood sweetheart. Liam Thompson’s 21-year-old widow Alice presented the award.

In the Weekly Newspaper category it was the Barnsley Chronicle, one of the country’s few remaining broadsheets, which took top honours. Judges said they loved the paper’s approach to news and willingness to introduce new features.

“This was a well designed, well considered and thought through newspaper with good use of pictures and high story count.  An excellent package,” they added.

Bradford City manager Phil Parkinson handed the Specialist Publication of the Year award to the Bradford Telegraph and Argus for its “superb” coverage of the club’s run to the League Cup final.

And Rob Waugh, who is due to leave the Yorkshire Post shortly, was named News Reporter of the Year for a “superb portfolio containing some of the best exclusives of the year.”

Local communities Minister Eric Pickles praised O2 for supporting and highlighting the work of the regional press through the awards.

“The local media is the lifeblood of our communities,” he told the 170-strong audience of journalists and guests.

The full list of winners was as follows:

New Media Journalist of the Year:  Stuart Goulden – One&Other York

Feature Writer of the Year: Phoebe Jackson-Edwards – Hull Daily Mail

Photographers of the Year:  Andy Garbutt – Bradford Telegraph & Argus, Stephen Garnett – Craven Herald

Sports Journalist of the Year: Chris Dawkes – ITV Yorkshire Calendar

Specialist Publication of the Year:  Bradford Telegraph and Argus (City at Wembley)

Radio Broadcast Journalist of the Year:  Elly Fiorentini – BBC Radio York

Television Broadcast Journalist of the Year:  Charlotte Leeming – BBC Yorkshire Look North

Young Journalist of the Year: Jim Coldwell – Hull Daily Mail

News Reporter of the Year: Rob Waugh – Yorkshire Post

Business Journalist of the Year: Danni Hewson – BBC Look North

Scoop of the Year: Dan Johnson, BBC Look North / Inside Out – Police collusion during miners’ strike

Judges’ Special Award: Selina Maycock – Scunthorpe Telegraph

Editorial Team of the Year:  BBC Radio Sheffield

Weekly Free Newspaper of the Year:  Leeds Student Newspaper

Weekly Paid For Newspaper of the Year: Barnsley Chronicle

Daily Newspaper of the Year: Hull Daily Mail

Outstanding Contribution to Journalism:  Peter Charlton

All the winners from last night's 02 awards in Leeds.