Three sister newspapers will compete for the Daily Newspaper of the Year crown for the second year running at an annual awards ceremony.

Reach plc titles the North Wales Daily Post, South Wales Echo and Western Mail are all shortlisted for the title at the forthcoming Wales Media Awards.

Last year the Cardiff-based Mail triumphed at the annual prizegiving.

Almost 240 entries were received this year, an increase of around 20pc on the previous year.

A team of 36 independent judges worked their way through submissions in 21 categories covering individual print, online, radio and television journalists and from newspapers, web outlets and broadcasters.

The winners of each category, along with the winners of the Journalist of the Year and Outstanding Contribution Awards, will be announced at a black tie ceremony at the Mercure Holland House Hotel, Cardiff, on 22 March 2019, hosted by BBC Cymru Wales presenter Lucy Owen and ITV Cymru Wales’ Jonathan Hill.

The full shortlist is as follows:

Camera Operator of the Year sponsored by Celf
Dani Thomas – BBC Cymru Wales
Dai Baker – C4 News
Gareth Shoulder – BBC Cymru Wales

Campaign of the Year sponsored by Spencer David
Monnow Media/BBC Cymru Wales – British Steel Pensions Scandal
South Wales Argus – War on Litter
South Wales Echo – Homelessness in Cardiff

Columnist of the Year sponsored by Specialist Models
Carolyn Hitt – Western Mail
Matthew Paul – Carmarthenshire Herald
David Williamson – Western Mail
Professor Laura McAllister – Western Mail
Ruth Mosalski Media Wales

Daily/Sunday Newspaper of the Year sponsored by Western Power Distribution
Daily Post
South Wales Echo
Western Mail

Feature Writer of the Year sponsored by Mercure Holland House Hotel
Ceri Jackson – BBC Cymru Wales
Matthew Southcombe – Media Wales
Ruth Mosalski – Media Wales
Will Hayward – Media Wales

Magazine of the Year
Aberystwyth EGO
Swansea Bay Business Life
Wales Business Insider

News Photographer of the Year sponsored by Natasha Hirst Photography
Joann Randles – Wales and Co Media
Jonathan Myers – South Wales Evening Post
Chris Fairweather – Huw Evans Picture Agency

News Website of the Year sponsored by Google
BBC Wales News on Line
Y Clwb Pel Droed
WalesOnline
BBC Cymru Fyw

Newspaper Journalist of the Year sponsored by Camelot
Chris Pyke – Media Wales
Estel Farell-Roig – WalesOnline
Kelly Williams – Daily Post
Will Hayward – WalesOnline

Political Journalist of the Year
Arwyn Jones – BBC Cymru Wales
David Williamson – Western Mail
Owain Phillips – ITV Cymru Wales
Paul Martin – BBC Cymru Wales

Radio News & Current Affairs Programme of the Year sponsored by The Journalists’ Charity
BBC Radio Wales – Eye on Wales: Loan sharks
BBC Radio Wales – Eye on Wales: Child sex abuse
BBC Radio Cymru – Manylu
BBC Radio Cymru – Post Cyntaf

Radio News Journalist of the Year sponsored by Camelot
Aled Dyfed Scourfield – BBC Radio Wales
Brendon Williams – BBC Radio Wales
Colette Hume – BBC Radio Wales
Stephen Fairclough – BBC Radio Wales

Specialist Journalist of the Year sponsored by Welsh Government
Aled Dyfed Scourfield – BBC Cymru Wales
James Crichton-Smith – ITV Cymru Wales
Rachel Flint – BBC Cymru Wales
Steffan Messenger – BBC Cymru Wales

Sports Journalist of the Year sponsored by Cleartech Live
Ben James – WalesOnline
Chris Wathan – BBC Cymru Wales
Mark Orders – WalesOnline
Matthew Southcombe – Media Wales
Paul Abbandonato – Media Wales

Television News Journalist of the Year sponsored by Camelot
Andy Davies – Channel 4 News
Jenny Rees – BBC Cymru Wales
Rob Osborne – ITV Cymru Wales
Siân Lloyd – BBC News
Steffan Messenger – BBC Cymru Wales

The Ed Townsend Student of the Year sponsored by National Union of Journalists
Anwen Jones – Cardiff University
Emilia Belli – Cardiff University
Sophie Davies – Swansea University
Jake Horton – Cardiff University

TV News & Current Affairs Programme of the Year sponsored by The Journalists’ Charity
ITV Cymru Wales/S4C – Ein Byd
BBC Cymru Wales – “Confession” of a Serial Killer
BBC Wales Live

Vlog/Blog of the Year
Blakey’s Bootroom – WalesOnline
Cwmbran Life
Y Clwb Pêl-droed

Weekly Newspaper of the Year sponsored by Western Power Distribution
Western Telegraph
Cambrian News
Powys County Times

Young Journalist of the Year sponsored by Aston Martin
Katie Ann Gupwell – Media Wales
Katie Bellis – WalesOnline
Lydia Morris – Daily Post
Siôn Jenkins – ITV Cymru Wales
Thomas Deacon – WalesOnline

Community Journalism of the Year sponsored by ITV Cymru Wales
Grangetown News
Liz Perkins – South Wales Evening Post
Caerphilly Observer