A regional publisher’s hyperlocal network has won a top award at The Association of Online Publishers (AOP) awards.

The awards celebrate the digital publishing industry’s top talent and the awards took place in-person this week.

There were 26 category winners with Reach plc’s InYourArea platform taking home the Best Publisher-led Social Good Initiative or Campaign award for the Cash for Connectivity campaign.

The campaign was launched to stop children from falling further behind in their education because they were unable to access online learning at home during lockdown.

Reach were also commended in the award for Best Use of Video, pictured, for their social video acceleration.

Ed Walker, editor-in-chief of InYourArea at the time of the Cash for Connectvity campaign, said: “January 2021 feels a lifetime ago.

“Thank you to all the journalists and editors within Reach titles across the North, other media organisations, and our partners in the campaign who supported making this all happen, at speed, in a very difficult time for many.

“Most importantly, we raised £50,000 very rapidly, which made a big difference to the lives of children in 5,000 households across the North of England to be able to connect to home-learning during lockdown.”

Richard Reeves, Managing Director at AOP, said: “We’re so excited to have welcomed back the Digital Publishing Awards in-person. 

“As the media landscape continues to change rapidly, it’s important we take the time to recognise the companies going above and beyond to deliver the highest possible quality for their audience. 

“A huge well done to all the inspiring individuals and teams who work so hard to drive creativity and light the way forward through hard work, resilience and determination.”

Also mong the winners on the night was Karl Flinders from Computer Weekly, who took home Journalist of the Year for his investigative journalism. He broke the story of the Post Office Scandal and saw it through to achieve justice for those involved. 

Brand Metrics won Best Media Technology Partner for its work helping digital publishers achieve better revenues for quality content.

Meanwhile, The Big Issue, together with O2, won Best Creative Solutions Led / Content Marketing Campaign.

The full list of winners was as follows:

INDIVIDUAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Editor of the Year

• Winner: Laurence Mozafari, Digital Spy, entered by Hearst UK
• Highly Commended: Jonathan Stapleton, Professional Pensions, entered by Incisive Media

Journalist of the Year

• Winner: Karl Flinders, Computer Weekly, entered by TechTarget

Rising Star

• Winner: Chloe Ash, entered by Hello!
• Highly Commended: Natasa Christofidou, entered by Autovia

Sales Person of the Year

• Winner: Emily Bird, entered by Immediate Media
• Highly Commended: Matt Slade, entered by Outfit7 Group

The Local Hero Award

• · Winner: Charles Thomson, Archant
• · Highly Commended: Rhiannon J Davies, Greater Govanhill CIC

TEAM EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Advertising Operations Team of the Year

• Winner: Telegraph’s Campaign Planning and Operations Team, entered by Telegraph Media Group

Audience Development Team of the Year

• Winner: The Sun, entered by News UK

Editorial Team of the Year: B2B

• Winner: Campaign, entered by Haymarket Business Media

Editorial Team of the Year: Consumer

• Winner: Women’s Health, entered by Hearst UK
• Highly Commended: PinkNews

Product Development Team of the Year

• Winner: Counterparty Radar, entered by Infopro Digital

Sales Team of the Year

• · Winner: HBM Recruitment Sales Team, entered by Haymarket Business Media
• · Highly Commended: Campaign, entered by Haymarket Business Media

PUBLISHING EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Best Creative Solutions Led / Content Marketing Campaign

• · Winner: The Big Issue together with O2: The National Databank Partnership, entered by The Big Issue
• Highly Commended: VICE Media Group and Levi’s Sustainability Partnership, entered by VICE Media Group

Best Digital Publishing Innovation

• Winner: Economist Education, entered by The Economist Group

Best Diversification of Commercial Strategy

• Winner: Propolis, entered by B2B Marketing

Best Media Technology Partner

• Winner: How Brand Metrics Is Helping Satisfy Buy-Side’s Relentless Demand for Effectiveness Data, entered by Brand Metrics
• Highly Commended: Video Intelligence

Best Publisher-led Social Good Initiative or Campaign

• Winner: InYourArea/Reach, Cash for Connectivity, entered by Reach

Best Research / Insight Project

• Winner: Making Change Happen, entered by Independent Digital News and Media

Best Use of Audio

• Winner: Making Charity Donations Easier with Alexa, entered by Octave Audio and Say it Now
• Highly Commended: VICE, Unfiltered History Tour, entered by VICE Media Group

Best Use of Data

• Winner: The Independent’s CRM Strategy, entered by Independent Digital News and Media
• Highly Commended: News UK, Nucleus Personalisation, entered by News UK

Best Use of Video

• · Winner: PinkNews, The Queer Catch-Up, entered by PinkNews
• Highly Commended: Social Video Acceleration, entered by Reach

The AOP Employer Excellence Award

• Winner: Texere Publishing

GRAND PRIX

Best Online Brand: B2B

• Winner: Campaign, entered by Haymarket Business Media

Best Online Brand: Consumer

• Winner: Homes & Gardens, entered by Future
• Highly Commended: The Independent

Small Digital Publisher of the Year

• Winner: B2B Marketing

Best Digital B2B Publishing Company 2022

• Winner: Haymarket Business Media, Haymarket Media Group

Best Digital Consumer Publishing Company 2022

• · Winner: Independent Digital News and Media