It was triumphant night for the Belfast Telegraph at this year’s Northern Ireland Media Awards as was named Newspaper of the Year the fourth time in five years.
The paper’s editor Mike Gilson, left, was also named Journalist of the Year as the prizes were handed out at the Mac Theatre in Belfast on Friday.
The judges said: “The Belfast Telegraph stands out in front of all the other papers every day. It displays amazing front page leads and features — it wins hands down.”
Mike, now in his sixth year as editor, described it as a “fantastic night for the paper.”
He said: “I am very proud of the entire team at the newspaper. They’re an extremely dedicated and talented bunch of people.
“Whether it be in the newspaper, online or on app we will continue to endeavour to deliver the best news service in Northern Ireland.”
Other Bel Tel journalists among the prizes included political editor Liam Clarke who won the Newspaper Journalist of the Year award while reporter Joanne Sweeney won Scoop of the Year for “a sensational international” story about Dungannon
drugs mule Michaella McCollum Connolly.
Business editor Margaret Canning won the Business Journalist of the Year award and Environment Correspondent Linda Stewart won Features Journalist of the Year.
Awarding the Journalist of the Year prize to Mike, the judges said: “This award was for the Belfast Telegraph’s bravery and its overall editorial performance across all parts of the paper and all its news platforms.
“Mike Gilson has clearly created and leads a formidable team of journalists who are either winners or were extremely hard to
beat in most categories of the awards”
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Ah yes, the annual kiss-ass awards. An event that is organised and ran by a Northern Ireland PR agency that needs the BT for their publicity, hmm…
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Didn’t win again showbeastie!
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Wouldn’t want to Dave. Can’t think of anything more sickening than some PR telling me I’m great. Where’s me bucket?
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If you ain’t in it, you can’t win it, Showbeastie.
Nothing wrong with entering competitions, if you’re lucky to win it can give your talented, hard-working team a well deserved boost.
I very much doubt your favourite PR people were on the judging panel, you plonker.
As for Mike, he will not need me to defend him although having seen him at work I know what a fine journalist and top operator he is.
No doubt a well deserved Journalist of the Year accolade. Nice one.
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Why does this article only mention the winners from the Belfast Telegraph?
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