A business editor has dedicated a national award to all regional journalists “continuing to battle through these tough and uncertain times”.

The Derby Telegraph’s Robin Johnson has been named Local/Regional Journalist of the Year at this year’s Headlinemoney Awards.

The awards, described as “financial journalism’s equivalent of the “Oscars”, were held virtually on Wednesday due to the coronavirus crisis.

Robin, pictured, was joined on the shortlist by the Bristol Post’s Hannah Baker, three Yorkshire Post journalists – Conal Gregory, Mark Casci and Greg Wright – and BBC Birmingham’s Jonathan Gibson.

He told HTFP: “I’m absolutely delighted to win this award.

“The calibre of nominees in my category was extremely high – and proof alone of the excellent business coverage provided by regional titles across the country. To come out on top is very humbling.

“It has been well documented that the regional press, as a whole, is going through some challenging times at the moment due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I’d like to dedicate this award to all of the hard-working regional journalists across the country who are continuing to battle through these tough and uncertain times with grace and professionalism.”

Andrew Michael, 2020 chairman of judges, said: “Congratulations to all the winners. We switched to a virtual awards broadcast after the pandemic prevented us from staging our usual ceremony in the spring.

“But whether they’re online or face-to-face, these trophies continue to matter to financial journalists and the titles they work for alike.

“The awards are regarded as our ‘Oscars’ and all the categories were hugely competitive. Making it to a shortlist was an achievement in itself.”