A weekly newspaper has notched up its fourth successive victory at a national awards scheme recognising excellence in news production and content.

The Cambridge Independent has been crowned Weekly Newspaper of the Year at the newsawards 2021, following on from its victories in the same category in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

The prize was not given last year after the awards were truncated due to the coronavirus crisis.

Other winners at this year’s ceremony, held last night, included the Irish News and the Liverpool Echo.

The Belfast-based News won Regional Daily Newspaper of the Year, with judges praising its “consistent top level content”, while the Echo won News Website of the Year.

The Hackney Citizen was named ICNN Independent Community Newspaper of the Year and the Isle of Wight’s Island Echo taking home the corresponding Community Website of the Year title.

Regional Supplement/Magazine of the Year went to the Greater Govanhill Community Magazine.

Gary Cullum, director of newsawards, said: “The pandemic has forced publishers to change their thinking and their working practices amid huge economic and social pressures.

“But publishers and printers have risen to the challenges. They have seized the opportunities to produce innovative, honest content that has served readers and advertisers well.

“It has been tough and huge challenges remain to be faced. But through the gloom, newsbrands have been there, day in, week out to keep their audiences informed both in print and online.”

The full list of winners is as follows:

Fujifilm Grand Prix
Daily Mirror

Newspaper Printer of the Year
The Irish Times (The Guardian, The Irish Times)

Regional Newspaper Printer of the Year
Mortons Print (Cage & Aviary Birds, Driffield & Wolds Weekly, The Moorlander, Teesdale Mercury)

Print Production Achiever of the Year
Rob Champion, assistant technical services manager, Newsprinters

National Newspaper of the Year
Financial Times

International Newspaper of the Year
Financial Times

Sunday Newspaper of the Year
Sunday Telegraph

Regional Daily Newspaper of the Year
Irish News

Weekly Newspaper of the Year
Cambridge Independent

National Supplement/Magazine of the Year (Non-weekly)
Luxx (The Times)

National Supplement/Magazine of the Year (Weekly)
Sunday Times Magazine

Regional Supplement/Magazine of the Year
Greater Govanhill Community Magazine

Niche Market Newspaper of the Year
Cage & Aviary Birds

ICNN Independent Community Newspaper of the Year
Hackney Citizen

ICNN Independent Community Website of the Year
Island Echo

News Website of the Year
Liverpool Echo

Digital Innovation of the Year
The Ozone Project

Most Creative Use of Data Journalism
The News Statesman

Best Use of Advertising Technology
News UK – PADN

Brand Partnership of the Year
The Sun/Barclaycard