The Burton Mail is set to defend its Newspaper of the Year Crown at this year’s Midlands Media Awards – but judges have admitted they hoped to see more titles entering for the prize.

The paper faces competition from the Birmingham Mail and its sister title the Sunday Mercury, as well as Wolverhampton-based daily the Express & Star and weekly publications the Hereford Times and Uttoxeter Advertiser.

This will be the 17th edition of the annual awards, organised by the Birmingham Press Club, with 16 categories up for grabs.

Applications from the West Midlands have dominated this year’s shortlist, and the winners will be announced in a ceremony to be held at Edgbaston Stadium, in Birmingham, on Friday 23 November.

Laurie Upshon, head of the judging panel, said: “We were very impressed by both the volume and the quality of entries this year. In particular we were delighted to see strong competition in the newcomer category. Here entries came from all branches of the media and across the Midlands, making the selection for the shortlist very difficult.

“We were also pleased to see the difference starting to be made by the introduction of local democracy reporters in helping to scrutinise those in authority.”

He added: “The judges would have liked to have seen more entries for the Newspaper of the Year, but those we have nominated were of very high quality, showcasing regional journalism at its very best. In fact the range of entries across all categories emphasised the diversity of our region and the different issues affecting the lives of those in the villages, towns and cities in the Midlands.

“Finally, I would like to thank everyone who entered for the awards, and for their continuing support, and offer our congratulations to those who have made the shortlists.”

The full shortlist is as follows:

Blogger/Columnist (including hyperlocals)
Anton Rippon, Derby Telegraph
Gabrielle Miller, Cool as Leicester
Jenny Amphlett, The Sentinel
Mike Lockley, Birmingham Mail & Sunday Mercury
Nigel Hastilow, Express & Star
Peter Rhodes, Express & Star
Ross Hawkes, Lichfield Live

Business Journalist of the Year
Jonathan Gibson, BBC West Midlands
Justine Halifax, Leicester Mercury
Kurt Jacobs, Midlands Business Insider
Mark Gough, ITV Central
Robin Johnson, Derby Telegraph
Simon Penfold, Express & Star

Campaign of the Year
Emma Ray, Coventry Live – ‘Help the Homeless’
Express & Star – ‘Feed a Family’
Jenny Amphlett, The Sentinel – ‘Ryan Evans Tragedy & Swimsafe Campaign’
Mitch Rushton, Free Radio – ‘Dying to Diet’
Rupert Upshon, BBC WM – ‘Make a Difference’
Siobhan Harrison, BBC Coventry & Warwickshire – ‘2Tone Taxi’

Features Journalist of the Year
Andy Bevan, ITV Central
Enda Mullen, Coventry Telegraph
Graham Young, Birmingham Live
Nicholas Reid, Derby Telegraph
Peter Bearne, ITV Central
Zoe Chamberlain, Birmingham Mail/Birmingham Live

Headline of the Year
James Iles, Bromsgrove & Droitwich Standard
Mike Lockley, Sunday Mercury
Richard Jackson, Birmingham Mail

Magazine/Supplement of the Year
Birmingham Mail supplement. “Tribute to Cyrille Regis.”
Express & Star supplement. “Wolves Golden Day.”
Midlands Business Insider
Shropshire Business
Taste the Seasons
Focus (Stratford Herald)

Newcomer of the Year
Awo Tarabi, ITV Central
Bethany Pridding, Burton Mail
Charlotte Winfield, Global’s Newsroom Midlands
Edna Hills, Tamworth Informed
Fionnula Hainey, Coventry Telegraph
Paige Oldfield, Burton Mail

News Reporter of the Year (Daily)
Alex Ross, Express & Star
Alison Stacey, Birmingham Mail
Enda Mullen, Coventry Telegraph
Jenny Moody, Burton Mail
Katy Hallam, Coventry Telegraph
Martin Naylor, Derby Telegraph

News Reporter of the Year (Weekly)
Bev Holder, Stourbridge News
Mike Lockley, Sunday Mercury
Nick Horner, Sutton Coldfield Observer
Rebecca Miles, Hereford Times
Richard Castle, Uttoxeter Advertiser

Newspaper of the Year
Birmingham Mail
Burton Mail
Express & Star
Hereford Times
Sunday Mercury
Uttoxeter Advertiser

Online/Digital Journalist of the Year
Caroline Lowbridge, BBC East Midlands
Hannah Stokes, ITV Central
James Rodger, Birmingham Live
Katy Hallam, Coventry Telegraph
Lisa Wright, BBC West Midlands
Nathan Judah, Express & Star
Zoe Chamberlain, Birmingham Mail/Birmingham Live

Radio Journalist of the Year
Adrian Goldberg, BBC
Jordan Eggington, Global’s Newsroom Midlands
Kathryn Stanczyszyn, BBC WM
Lindsey Alder, Touch fm
Megan Jones, Free Radio
Mitch Rushton, Free Radio

Sports Journalist of the Year
Gregg Evans, Birmingham Live
Mark Edwards, Oxford Mail
Matt Wilson, Express & Star
Michael Sibert, ITV Central
Steve Clamp, ITV Central
Tim Spiers, Express & Star

Story of the Year
Balvinder Sidhu, ITV Central. – ‘Asian Grooming’
Global’s Newsroom Midlands – ‘Knife Crime on the Rise’
Global’s Newsroom Midlands – ‘Hinckley Road Explosion’
Jeanette Oldham, Birmingham Mail – ‘Investigation into Highly-sensitive Official Secrets’
Mitch Rushton, Free Radio – ‘Alfie Dingley’s Journey’
News Reporting team, Coventry Live/Coventry Telegraph – ‘Nuneaton Siege’
Rupert Upshon, BBC WM – ‘Knife Crime’

Television Reporter of the Year
Balvinder Sidhu, ITV Central
Jonathan Gibson, BBC West Midlands
Kathryn Stanczyszyn, BBC Midlands Today
Mark Gough, ITV Central
Navtej Johal, BBC East Midlands Today
Stacey Foster, ITV Central

Tony Flanagan Photographer of the Year Award
Darren Quinton, Birmingham Post
Richard Harris
Steve Bould, The Sentinel
Tim Easthope, Birmingham Mail/Birmingham Live
Tim Thursfield, Express & Star
Tim Sturgess, Express & Star

The President’s Award
To be announced on the night