Sheffield daily The Star was last named Yorkshire’s top paper as a murder victim’s family praised the regional media.

The sister of a schoolteacher murdered by a classroom killer has praised the “complete professionalism” of the regional media as the O2 Media Awards for Yorkshire and the Humber were handed out in York.

Denise Courtney, whose sister Ann Maguire was stabbed as she taught a Spanish lesson at Corpus Christi College in Leeds, said the regional media had shown “compassion and empathy” for the family.

Mrs Maguire was 61 and about to retire when she was repeatedly stabbed by schoolboy Will Cornick in April last year.

“The way the media in Yorkshire handled the story demonstrated complete professionalism. Dealing with our loss was traumatic enough but then we found ourselves at the centre of a global media spotlight. Many regional journalists helped us through this difficult time,” she told the audience at York Racecourse.

The event saw the Sheffield Star crowned Daily Newspaper of the Year after three years of the title going to the Hull Daily Mail.

Sister title The Yorkshire Post was highly commended in the daily category and was voted Team of the Year in the print and digital catgories for its coverage of the Tour de France.

Hull Daily Mail staffer Kevin Shoesmith triumphed as the region’s top news reporter, health writer Allison Coggan won the specialist writer award and the Mail also won the best specialist publication award.

Best weekly newspaper was the Scunthorpe Telegraph, while weekly journalists Ruby Kitchen (Harrogate Advertiser) and Lynsey Bradford (Barnsley Chronicle) also picked up awards.

Nicola Green, Director of Communications and Reputation at O2 UK, said: “With record numbers of entries his year the panel found it even harder to select the shortlists and eventual winners.

“The presentation evening was a celebration of some superb journalism and a reminder of how important the regional media is to local communities. Congratulations to everyone who entered and made this year’s event so competitive.”

The full list of winners was as follows:

Broadcast Presenter of the Year: Christine Talbot – ITV Calendar

Community Journalism Award: Vicky Johnson – BBC Look North East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Daily Newspaper of the Year: Sheffield Star

Team of the Year (Broadcast): ITV Calendar

Team of the Year (Print): Yorkshire Post

Feature Writer of the Year: Ruby Kitchen – Harrogate Advertiser

Online Media Award: Huddersfield Examiner

News Reporter of the Year: Kevin Shoesmith – Hull Daily Mail

Images of the Year: James Hardisty – Yorkshire Post

Moving Images of the Year: Brian Punter-Mathews – BBC Look North

Radio Journalist of the Year: Ella Griffith – Capital FM Yorkshire

Scoop of the Year: Emma Glasbey – BBC Look North

Specialist Publication of the Year: Humber Street Sesh – Hull Daily Mail

Best Website: BBC Radio Leeds

Specialist Writer of the Year: Allison Coggan – Hull Daily Mail

Sports Reporter of the Year: Matt Slater – BBC Look North

Television Journalist of the Year: James Vincent – BBC Look North

Weekly Journalist of the Year: Lynsey Bradford – Barnsley Chronicle

Weekly Newspaper of the Year: Scunthorpe Telegraph

Young Reporter of the Year: Jack Gevertz – York Vision