Murdered journalist Lyra McKee was honoured posthumously at the Regional Press Awards as one of the papers she wrote for was named Newspaper of the Year.

The Belfast Telegraph and Glasgow’s Sunday Herald were named as Daily/Sunday newspapers of the year for their work during 2018 as the industry came together to recognise excellence in journalism.

Also among the big winners were the Yorkshire Post, whose coverage of the 100th anniversary of the Armistice won Front Page of the Year, and the Manchester Evening News which was awarded the best website prize.

The HoldtheFrontPage-sponsored Young Journalist of the Year award went to Aamir Mohammed of Wales Online for a series of reports on Cardiff’s drug scene, the dark web and the abduction of a Welsh baby to war-torn Yemen.

Best weekly newspapers of the year were the Henley Standard in the under 10,000 circulation category and the Newbury Weekly News for those with over 10,000 weekly sales.

And following this week’s public vote to mark Journalism Matters week, the Yellow Advertiser won the ‘Making a Difference’ award for its expose into a child sex abuse ring in Essex.

Campaign of the Year went to the Yorkshire Post for leading the ‘One North’ initiative which saw more than 20 regional titles highlighting the poor state of northern train services.

Judges said the campaign had “demonstrated the collective power of Britain’s regional press.”

Lyra McKee’s mother Joan McKee and sister Nichola Corner attended today’s awards lunch in the heart of London to accept the Journalists’ Charity Award on her behalf.

The award, is in the gift of the charity, recognises a journalist or organisation who has made a significant contribution to the industry.

Lyra, who wrote for the Bel Tel among numerous other media outlets, was shot and killed while reporting on rioting in Derry/Londonderry a month ago aged just 29.

Society of Editors executive director Ian Murray said the award for Lyra recognised her achievements during her short career, but also highlighted the risks that journalists even at local level take in bringing news to their communities.

Added Ian: “The awards this year were never more needed to recognise the vital and on-going role of the regional and local press.

“They coincide with the launch of the Journalism Matters Campaign, launched by the News Media Association, and underscore the message there that communities would be immeasurably poorer but for the work carried out by their local newspapers and associated websites.

“From covering local democracy to ensuring open justice the length and breadth of the United Kingdom, the local media is alive and playing a vital role, and these awards prove what good shape the industry is in.”

Organised by the SoE on behalf of the industry, the awards are made possible by headline sponsors Facebook and United Utilities and are held in association with HoldtheFrontPage, the News Media Association and the Press Association.

The full list of the winners and highly commended entries, together with judges’ comments on the winners, is as follows:

JOURNALISTS’ CHARITY AWARD – Sponsored by Cision

Recipient:  Lyra McKee

YOUNG JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR – Sponsored by HoldtheFrontPage

Winner: Aamir Mohammed, WalesOnline

“Coverage of some big contemporary issues, from life in the underbelly of Cardiff’s drug scene, to the dark web.  Judges were particularly impressed by the extraordinary story of a Welsh girl abducted as a baby to war-torn Yemen.”

Highly Commended: Estel Farell-Roig, WalesOnline, Katie Timms, Plymouth Live

BUSINESS AND FINANCE JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR – Sponsored by Foot Anstey

Winner: Alistair Houghton, Liverpool Echo

“Analysis of Merseyside business issues told with unerring focus on the effects of key issues on the lives of readers.”

Highly Commended: Graham Huband, The Courier

SPECIALIST WRITER/ IMPACT JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Winner: Marion Scott, Sunday Post

“The winner produced immensely powerful journalism, the story of donated organs that gave transplant patients cancer instead of saving their lives, grabbed headlines at home and around the world.”

Highly Commended: Jennifer Williams, Manchester Evening News

SUPPLEMENT OF THE YEAR

Winner: Chalktalk, Evening Telegraph

“Few newspapers who try to involve school children pull it off as well as this entry did, combining the high production values of the daily title with the words of the young people themselves.”

Highly Commended: Weekend, Western Mail

COLUMNIST OF THE YEAR DAILY PAPERS – Sponsored by Asda

Winner: Carolyn Hitt, The Western Mail

“Her columns gave Wales a voice. Often personal and amusing this columnist knows her readers well.”

Highly Commended: Catriona Stewart, The Herald

COLUMNIST OF THE YEAR WEEKLY PAPERS – Sponsored by Asda

Winner: Mike Lockley, Sunday Mercury

 “With an easy and entertaining style this columnist uses well-crafted comedy and anecdote to make telling points.”

Highly Commended: Mandy Rhodes, Sunday Post

SPORTS JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR DAILY PAPERS

Winner: Paul Abbandonato, WalesOnline

“A clutch of classic articles, from in-depth analysis and brilliant interviews to genuine exclusives. Judges were impressed by the Ryan Giggs managerial appointment exclusive that even some Welsh FA officials were unaware of. “

Highly Commended: Neil Loughran, The Irish News

SPORTS JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR WEEKLY PAPERS

Winner: Jon Colman, The Cumberland News

“A consistently strong spread of stories, highlights included an exclusive on the Syrian billionaire trying to buy Carlisle football club.”

Highly Commended: Chris Harby, Melton Times, Paul Ferguson, Sunday Life

SOCIAL MEDIA JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Winner: Mal McCann, The Irish News

“The winner expertly used image and video to tell stories and engage with audiences.”

Highly Commended: Joshua Knapman, WalesOnline

DATA JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Winner: Martin Williams, The Herald

“The winner mixed strong journalism with reader interaction to create engaging reads on topics such as ScotRail’s timetable shambles and the decline of Scottish salmon.”

Highly Commended: Claire Miller, Reach Data Unit

DIGITAL LIVE NEWS REPORTER OF THE YEAR

Winner: Kristian Johnson, Leeds Live

“The winner’s portfolio showcased impressive short documentary skills along with interesting and untold stories.“

Highly Commended: Cathy Owen, Media Wales

DIGITAL LIVE SPORTS REPORTER OF THE YEAR

Winner:  Michael Bailey, The Pink Un

“The winner is a polished and professional presenter, following Norwich City with personality and humour.”

Highly Commended: Gareth Hanna, Belfast Telegraph Digital

REPORTING COMMUNITIES AWARD – Sponsored by Penny Appeal

Winner: BirminghamLive, Birmingham Live

“Well-crafted coverage that focused on major festivals in the Muslim calendar, informing the wider readership of events and their background.”

Highly Commended: Hull Live, Hull Daily Mail, Will Hayward, WalesOnline

WEEKLY PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR – Sponsored by Facebook

Winner: Keith Heppell, Cambridge Independent

“The winner had a portfolio of superbly timed photography, that expertly captured the magnitude of big local moments.”

Highly Commended: Mark Williamson, Stratford-upon-Avon Herald

DAILY/SUNDAY PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR – Sponsored by Facebook

Winner: Simon Hulme, The Yorkshire Post

“The winner produced stunning images, capturing moments that others have overlooked, judges praised the canny use of lighting and lenses throughout the portfolio.”

Highly Commended: Mal McCann, The Irish News

FEATURE WRITER /LONG FORM JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Winner: Jennifer Williams, Manchester Evening News

“The winner showed that painstaking and solid research underpins quality journalism, judges were impressed by the thorough investigation into Manchester homelessness.”

Highly Commended: Laura Davis, Liverpool Echo

WEEKLY REPORTER OF THE YEAR

Winner: Charles Thomson, Yellow Advertiser

“The winner impressed judges with the depth of investigative journalism displayed in the entries with stories that amply demonstrate the tremendous value of local reporting.”

Highly Commended: Jon Macpherson, Accrington Observer and Rossendale Free Press

DAILY/SUNDAY REPORTER OF THE YEAR

Winner: Martyn McLaughlin, The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday

“The winner’s painstaking research and dogged determination led to a marvellous investigation into Donald Trump’s golfing activities in Scotland, a story of local, national and international interest.”

Highly Commended: Phil Coleman, News and Star

DESIGNER OF THE YEAR: NEWSPAPER

Winner: Kelly Leung, The Journal

“The winner’s portfolio showcased a superb use of graphics as well as excellent design techniques for easy on the eye visual work.”

Highly Commended: Gus Proctor, The Courier and Advertiser,  Ian Bond, Hull Daily Mail

DESIGNER OF THE YEAR: MAGAZINE

Winner: Gus Proctor, The Courier and Advertiser

“The winner submitted a portfolio demonstrating clean and expressive work which made features leap out of the page. The entries were brilliantly conceived as well as executed.”

Highly Commended:  Lindsay Molloy, Essex Living

MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR – Sponsored by No 1 Lounges

Winner: Cumbria Life magazine, Cumbria Life

“Confident, authoritative and full of engaging content. With great writers, strong production values and a clear passion for their patch.”

Highly Commended: Altrincham Today, Altrincham Today

FRONT PAGE OF THE YEAR DAILY PAPER

Winner: Armistice 100, The Yorkshire Post

“The winning front page perfectly captured the importance of the Armistice centenary with a dignified and elegant touch.”

Highly Commended: The Anniversary of the Manchester Bomb, Manchester Evening News

FRONT PAGE OF THE YEAR WEEKLY PAPER

Winner: Here’s one chimney Santa didn’t climb down, Cambridge Independent

“The winning front page held a fantastic image capturing a truly impressive demolition of a historic brickwork chimney, supplied with a nice touch of seasonal humour.”

Highly Commended: River of Tears, Carmarthen Journal

SCOOP OF THE YEAR

Winner: Bogus doctor’s life of lies, News & Star

“The winner was a story of significant public interest with major ramifications. The judges called this a classic: a local reporter has a hunch, follows it up and scoops the world.”

Highly Commended: Hidden Homeless, Manchester Evening News

WEBSITE OF THE YEAR

Winner: Manchester Evening News

“The winner combined elegant headlines and compelling storytelling with smart use of audience engagement to stand out in the digital crowd.”

Highly Commended: The Yorkshire Post

CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR DAILY PAPER

Winner:  One North, The Yorkshire Post

“The winner was chosen by judges for leading more than 20 regional titles in uniting against the poor northern train services. This entry demonstrated the collective power of Britain’s regional press.”

Highly Commended: BrumFeeds, Birmingham Live

CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR WEEKLY PAPER

Winner: Newry Clean-Up, Newry Reporter

“The winner goes to an environmental campaign that showed the power of hands-on collaboration between the public and environmental groups to engage in a transformative and lasting clear-up.”

Highly Commended: We Need It Now, Devon Live

MAKE A DIFFERENCE ~ People’s Choice Award – #JournalismMatters

Winner: Yellow Advertiser, Shoebury Sex Ring Exposed

“An investigatory campaign into child sex abuse that required tenacity, intelligence and courage. Hours of work has led to the police investigation being reopened and the victims’ stories being told at last.”

SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM OF THE YEAR

Winner: WalesOnline

“The winner demonstrated powerful storytelling using innovative and original ideas to publish breaking news. Judges liked the overall tone of the content and experimental nature of much of the work.”

Highly Commended: Chronicle Live

DIGITAL INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR – Sponsored by Google

Winner: Geraint the Robot Reporter, WalesOnline

“The winner is an innovative piece of technology that dramatically saves reporters’ time, using Amazon’s text-to-speech service to make software that transforms a written report into an mp3 file for audio news reports.”

Highly Commended: Instagram Initiative, Manchester Evening News

THE OVERALL DIGITAL AWARD

Winner: Liverpool Echo

“The winner is an excellent example of quality journalism thriving online. A comprehensive digital offering with impressive co-ordination across various online tools to engage audiences. ”

Highly Commended: Reach Data Unit

INNOVATION AND INITIATIVE AWARD

Winner: Norfolk Day, Eastern Daily Press

“The winner was a well-executed initiative that produced some excellent content culminating in the creation of a day celebrating the community spirit in the county of Norfolk.”

Highly Commended: Oxford United 125 Years, Oxford Mail

THE CATHRYN NICOLL INTERVIEWER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Winner: Molly Williams, Sheffield Star

“The winner showed a classic example of public interest journalism, an extensive interview that gave readers a unique glimpse into the world of Sheffield City Council’s leader.”

FREE WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR

Winner: Slough & Windsor Express

“The winner’s coverage of two royal weddings and a visit by President Trump put them in the international spotlight. Owned by a charitable trust that puts 80 percent of its profits back into the community it serves.”

Highly Commended: Islington Tribune, The Jewish News

PAID FOR WEEKLY NEWSPAPER (BELOW 10,000) – Sponsored by Facebook

Winner: Henley Standard

“The winner is a paper that has maintained its tradition of solid, in depth reporting with a variety of news, features, diary items, investigations and campaigns. Its small team covers it all.”

Highly Commended: Hexham Courant,  Impartial Reporter

PAID FOR WEEKLY NEWSPAPER (ABOVE 10,000) – Sponsored by Facebook

Winner:  Newbury Weekly News

“The winning paper features a comprehensive package of strong stories, in-depth community news pages, a vibrant entertainment section and lively letters pages.”

Highly Commended: Bucks Free Press

DAILY/SUNDAY NEWSPAPER (BELOW 15,000) – Sponsored by United Utilities

Winner: Herald on Sunday

“The winner was a paper that emerged in the summer of 2018, creating a new, fresh, and modern approach that packed a punch but didn’t follow the crowd. Excellent journalism with fresh and powerful designs.”

Highly Commended: Jersey Evening Post, Birmingham Mail

DAILY/SUNDAY NEWSPAPER (ABOVE 15,000) – Sponsored by United Utilities

Winner:Belfast Telegraph

“The winner had a truly exceptional year. The paper prides itself as Northern Ireland’s leading daily in print and online, with an outstanding 148-year reputation for impartial, in depth coverage. Selling across the sectarian and political divides to unionists and nationalists, Catholics and Protestants, this paper demands to be read.”

Highly Commended: Eastern Daily Press