The Manchester Evening News is leading the way in the race for this year’s top industry honours with 11 Regional Press Awards nominations.

After earning widespread plaudits for its coverage of last May’s bombing in the city, the Trinity Mirror-owned title is nominated for a series of prizes at next month’s event including Newspaper of the Year, Website of the Year and Campaign of the Year.

Also in the hunt for honours are the Belfast Telegraph, Cambridge Independent, Eastern Daily Press, Sunday Post and Wales Online, all of which are nominated for six awards.

They are among 70 print and digital titles earning at least one nomination in the shortlist which is published here for the first time today.

The awards, designed to celebrate the best of British regional and local newspaper journalism in 2017 in print, online and any other news platform, will be handed out at a lunchtime ceremony on Friday 18 May.

Tickets and tables can now be booked to attend the event, organised on behalf of the industry by the Society of Editors and held in association with HoldtheFrontPage.

Other supporters and sponsors include Camelot, UK Power Networks, United Utilities, Foot Anstey, Asda, Google, the Press Association, the News Media Association and the Journalists’ Charity.

The awards ceremony, to be held at the IET, Savoy Place, London, will once again be hosted by LBC radio presenter Nick Ferrari.

Chairman of the judges Paul Horrocks said: “The depth and wide-ranging subjects displayed in the entries this year was excellent. Judges spent hours poring over the details, prompting lively debate which reflects the quality and passion of the regional and local press in the UK.

“As always, it was a difficult, but enjoyable task to separate so many outstanding, properly researched entries. The Society of Editors is delighted to be hosting these awards and raising a glass to the winners at the lunchtime event on May 18 ”

For individual tickets or tables for the event please contact Angela Varley at [email protected] or on 01223 304080. Tickets for industry members are £70 (+VAT).

The full list of nominations is as follows:

YOUNG JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Samantha Booth, Croydon Advertiser
Tom Deacon, WalesOnline
Richard Duggan, Essex Chronicle
Holly Lennon, Evening Times, Glasgow
Josh Parry, Liverpool Echo
Jess Walford, Wales Online

BUSINESS AND FINANCE JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Alistair Houghton, Liverpool Echo
Graham Huband, The Courier & Advertiser, Dundee
Robin Johnson, Derby Telegraph
Kevin Scott, The Herald, Glasgow
Graeme Whitfield, The Journal, Newcastle
Scott Wright, The Herald, Glasgow

SPECIALIST WRITER/ IMPACT JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Kieran Andrews, The Courier and Sunday Post
Paul Brackley, Cambridge Independent
Annie Gouk, Trinity Mirror Data Unit
Dan Grimmer, Eastern Daily Press
Pam McGowan, News & Star, Carlisle
Jennifer Williams, Manchester Evening News

FEATURE WRITER /LONG FORM JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Peter Barron, The Northern Echo
Aasma Day, Lancashire Post
Ruby Kitchen, The Yorkshire Post
Claire McNeilly, Belfast Telegraph
Chris Osuh, Manchester Evening News
Jennifer Williams, Manchester Evening News

COLUMNIST OF THE YEAR

Emma Clayton, Telegraph & Argus, Bradford
Will Hayward, South Wales Echo
Bill Heine, Oxford Mail
Carolyn Hitt, Western Mail
Paul Kirkley, Cambridge Independent
Gail Walker, Belfast Telegraph

WEEKLY SPORTS JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Richard Browne, Somerset County Gazette
Jon Colman, The Cumberland News
Daniel Evans, Bath Chronicle
Chris Harby, Melton Times
Les Reid, Coventry Observer
Mark Taylor, Cambridge Independent

DAILY/SUNDAY SPORTS JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Neil Allen, The News, Portsmouth
Paul Davis, The Star, Sheffield
Mark Edwards, Oxford Mail
John Laverty, Belfast Telegraph
Neil Loughran, The Irish News
Cahair O’Kane, The Irish News

SOCIAL MEDIA JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Zoe Chamberlain, Birmingham Mail
Brendan Hughes, The Irish News
Cathy Owen, WalesOnline
David Pritchard, Oxford Mail
Lee Ryder, The Chronicle, Newcastle

REPORTING COMMUNITIES AWARD

Sam Jackson, The Star, Sheffield
Mark Taylor, Cambridge Independent
Michael Yong, Bristol Post

WEEKLY REPORTER OF THE YEAR

Phil Coleman, The Cumberland News
William McLennan, Camden New Journal
Les Reid, Coventry Observer
Stuart Rust, Witney Gazette
Charles Thomson, Yellow Advertiser
Emma Youle, Archant Investigations Unit

DAILY/SUNDAY REPORTER OF THE YEAR

Ciaran Barnes, Sunday Life
Gordon Blackstock, Sunday Post
Julia Breen, The Northern Echo
Jeanette Oldham, Birmingham Mail
Liz Perkins, South Wales Evening Post
Marion Scott, Sunday Post

WEEKLY PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

Phil Cannings, Newbury Weekly News
Michael Gillen, The Falkirk Herald
Ian Longthorne, Maidenhead Advertiser
Kate Buckingham, Hexham Courant
Stuart Walker, The Cumberland News
Mark Williamson, Stratford-upon-Avon Herald

DAILY/SUNDAY PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

Andrew Cawley, Sunday Post
Jonathan Gawthorpe, The Yorkshire Post
James Hardisty, The Yorkshire Post
Jonathan Myers, Media Wales
Kevin Scott, Belfast Telegraph
Tim Thursfield, Express & Star, Wolverhampton

DESIGNER OF THE YEAR

Gary Beckwith, The Chronicle, Newcastle
Simon Hill, Express & Star, Wolverhampton
David Lewins, Bristol Post
Marianna Longo, Trinity Mirror Data Unit
Tracey Renowden, Western Morning News
Adam Walker, Trinity Mirror Regionals

SUPPLEMENT OF THE YEAR

Farming & Country, Hexham Courant
The Spirit of Manchester, Manchester Evening News
Weekend, Belfast Telegraph
Weekend, Western Mail
West, Western Morning News
YL, The Press & Journal, Aberdeen

FRONT PAGE OF THE YEAR

Cambridge as a Smart City, Cambridge Independent
Devastation, The Mail
Massacre, Manchester Evening News
Our hearts go out to you, Bristol Post
She was planning a wedding as he was planning a murder, Cambridge News
The stories that every islander should read, Jersey Evening Post

SCOOP OF THE YEAR

33 police officers say they were abused by disgraced force doctor, Eastern Daily Press
Cardiff dad named as mosque terror suspect, WalesOnline
Harrowing zoo death statistics revealed, The Mail
Hundreds of orphans buried in mass grave, Sunday Post
Jailed for 40 years, Liverpool Echo
Uni boss to be paid £230k for 6 months’ research, Bath Chronicle

CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR

#WeStandTogether, Manchester Evening News
Cleaner Coastlines, Weston, Worle and Somerset Mercury
Frank’s Law, The Courier & Advertiser, Dundee
Opt For Life, Evening Times, Glasgow
Reaching out to rough sleepers, South Wales Echo
Your Right to Know, Hexham Courant

WEBSITE OF THE YEAR

Gazette Live
KentOnline
Manchester Evening News
The Yorkshire Post
WalesOnline
Warrington Guardian

SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM OF THE YEAR

Birmingham Live
ChronicleLive
Eastern Daily Press
Hull Daily Mail
Manchester Evening News
WalesOnline

DIGITAL INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR

Belfast Telegraph
Birmingham Mail
Eastern Daily Press
Manchester Evening News
Media Wales
Trinity Mirror Regionals

THE OVERALL DIGITAL AWARD

Birmingham Mail
Eastern Daily Press
Liverpool Echo
Manchester Evening News
Media Wales
Trinity Mirror Data Unit

INNOVATION AND INITIATIVE AWARD OF THE YEAR

Eastern Daily Press
The Bristol Cable
The Yorkshire Post
Trinity Mirror Data Unit

WEEKLY NEWSPAPER (BELOW 15,000)

Accrington Observer
Bucks Free Press
Bury Times
Cambridge Independent
Hexham Courant
Newry Reporter

WEEKLY NEWSPAPER (ABOVE 15,000)

Camden New Journal
Hereford Times
Kent Messenger
Stourbridge News
The Cumberland News
The Westmorland Gazette

DAILY/SUNDAY NEWSPAPER (BELOW 20,000)

Cambridge News
News & Star, Carlisle
South Wales Echo
South Wales Evening Post
The Journal, Newscastle
The Mail

DAILY/SUNDAY NEWSPAPER (ABOVE 20,000)

Belfast Telegraph
Hull Daily Mail
Manchester Evening News
Sunday Life
Sunday Post
The Press and Journal, Aberdeen