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Bel Tel scoops 10 gongs at media awards ceremony

The Belfast Telegraph emerged as the big winner at the CIPR Northern Ireland Media Awards held on Friday.

The Independent News and Media title won 10 gold awards at the ceremony, including daily newspaper of the year, while Sunday Life took both the Sunday and overall newspaper of the year titles.

The Bel Tel took front page of the year for its tribute to politician Ian Paisley, as well as supplement of the year for its Tele Recommends guide to living in Northern Ireland and digital news platform of the year.

Journalists from the paper to take individual prizes include Heather Byrne, production journalist of the year, Ivan Little, feature journalist of the year, Maureen Coleman, specialist journalist of the year, and John Mulgrew, business journalist of the year.

The Bel Tel team (from top row, from left) Adrian Rutherford, Jonathan McCambridge, Peter Rainey and John Mulgrew, (bottom row, from left) Claire Williamson, Kerry McKittrick, Gail Walker, Kevin Scott, Margaret Canning and Maureen Coleman

The Bel Tel team (from top row, from left) Adrian Rutherford, Jonathan McCambridge, Peter Rainey and John Mulgrew, (bottom row, from left) Claire Williamson, Kerry McKittrick, Gail Walker, Kevin Scott, Margaret Canning and Maureen Coleman

Bel Tel editor Gail Walker was awarded columnist of the year.

She said: “It was wonderful to see the Belfast Telegraph’s team of journalists sweep the board at the CIPR awards on Friday night, as well as lift the highly coveted daily newspaper of the year title.

“Our tally of wins — our biggest ever number on a single night — is a recognition not only of the great and diverse talent of our individual journalists, but also of the immense team effort that goes into producing the best possible newspaper for our readers every day.

“The fact that our awards went right across news, features, sport, and both our print and digital platforms was a further endorsement of all that hard work.

“Our readers — people across Northern Ireland — are at the heart of every single story we write and we are looking forward to bringing them more exclusive news stories, engaging and entertaining features and, of course, sports coverage that is always first past the post both in paper and online.”

Sunday Life’s Ciaran Barnes was awarded the newspaper journalist of the year title while David Kelly, who writes for both newspapers, won sports journalist of the year.

The Down Recorder took the local newspaper of the year gong and its reporter Joanne Fleming won local newspaper journalist of the year.

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  • June 30, 2015 at 8:26 am
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    The CIPR ass-kissing awards already?
    I’m sure it’s nothing to do with the fact the Bel Tel is their biggest outlet for their PR

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