A regional journalist who exposed poor housing conditions following a toddler’s death has been nominated for four prizes at the Media Freedom Awards.

Manchester Evening News reporter Stephen Topping has been shortlisted in both the Regional Journalist of the Year and Young Regional Journalist of the Year categories at the awards, while his probe into the death of Rochdale child Awaab Ishak is up for Regional Investigation of the Year.

In addition, The MEN’s subsequent and successful Awaab’s Law campaign, which will compel social landlords to face strict time limits to inspect and repair damp and mould, is nominated for Regional Campaign of the Year.

Stephen, pictured, faces competition from the Carlisle News & Star’s Phil Coleman, Wales Online duo Conor Gogarty and Lucy John, Sharon O’Neill, of Belfast’s Sunday Life, and Charles Thomson, who works for Newsquest in London, for the Regional Journalist of the Year title.

Conor and Lucy also join Stephen on the Young Regional Journalist of the Year shortlist, alongside East Anglian Daily Times journalist Dolly Carter, DC Thomson’s Brendan Duggan, the Northern Echo’s Daniel Hordon, and Josh Sandiford, of the Birmingham Mail.

Conor is also up for a hat-trick of awards, with his probe into exploitation and pressure-selling at direct sales firm being among the other nominees for Regional Investigation fo the Year.

Investigations conducted by Phil and Charles also appear in that category.

Elewhere, there is regional representation in the Photojournalist of the Year category, courtesy of MyLondon’s Facundo Arrizabalaga and Kirsten Elder, of the Belfast Telegraph.

The Bel Tel also appears in the nominations for Regional News Media Organisation of the Year, along with fellow Northern Irish titles Sunday Life and the detail.

The Jersey Evening Post, Liverpool Echo and Wales Online complete that shortlist.

The winners will be revealed on 8 November.

The full shortlist is as follows:

Young Journalist of the Year National
Harriet Barber, The Telegraph
Ashni Lakhani, BBC
Lucy Marley, The News Movement
Sabrina Miller, Daily Mail/The Mail on Sunday
Ruben Reuter, Channel 4 News
Marianna Spring, BBC News

Young Journalist of the Year Regional
Dolly Carter, East Anglian Times and Ipswich Star
Brendan Duggan, The Courier and Press and Journal
Conor Gogarty, Wales Online
Daniel Hordon, The Northern Echo
Lucy John, Wales Online
Josh Sandiford, Birmingham Mail and BirminghamLive
Stephen Topping, Manchester Evening News

Investigation of the Year – Broadcast National
Sex For Work: The True Cost of Our Tea, BBC Africa Eye and BBC Panorama
Shocking culture of UK Fire Services, ITV News
Stephen Lawrence, The Sixth Suspect, BBC News
Under Poisoned Skies, BBC News and BBC Arabic
Undercover Hospital: Patients At Risk, BBC Panorama
Westminster Accounts, Sky News and Tortoise Media

Investigation of the Year – Broadcast Regional
British Judo, ITV News Central
Claims of toxic corruption within the Metropolitan police, ITV News London
Disclosure: The Great Ferries Scandal, BBC Scotland
SEND investigation, ITV News Anglia
The Right to Learn, ITN News Central
Windrush 75, ITV News Central

Investigation of the Year National
British Gas breaking into homes of the vulnerable, The Times
Confederation of British Industry, The Guardian
Crispin Odey investigation, Financial Times
Lockdown Files, The Telegraph
Phillip Schofield, Mail Newspapers
Privatised water, The Guardian
The BBC Chairman, the Prime Minister and the £800,000 loan guarantee, The Sunday Times

Investigation of the Year Regional
Exploitation and pressure-selling at direct sales firm, Wales Online
Jason Moore Murder Case, Romford Recorder
Mobuoy Scandal, Belfast Telegraph
Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, Manchester Evening News
Taser use, News & Star
Wingate Grave Blunder, The Northern Echo

Commentator of the Year
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, The i
Hadley Freeman, The Sunday Times
Marina Hyde, The Guardian
Nesrine Malik, The Guardian
Camilla Long, The Sunday Times
Sonia Sodha, The Observer

Journalist of the Year – National
Ian Birrell, Daily Mail/UnHerd
David Conn, The Guardian
Anna Isaac, The Guardian
Paul Morgan-Bentley, The Times
Gabriel Pogrund, The Sunday Times
Gordon Rayner, The Daily Telegraph

Journalist of the Year – Regional
Phil Coleman, News & Star
Conor Gogarty, Wales Online
Lucy John, Wales Online
Sharon O’Neill, Sunday Life
Charles Thomson, Islington Gazette, Newham Recorder and Romford Recorder
Stephen Topping, Manchester Evening News

Journalist of the Year – Broadcast
Paul Brand, ITV News
Tessa Chapman, 5 News
Alex Crawford, Sky News
Rohit Kachroo, ITV News
Piers Morgan, TalkTV
Stuart Ramsay, Sky News

Foreign Correspondent of the Year
Molly Blackall, The i
Louise Callaghan, The Sunday Times
Alex Crawford, Sky News
Christina Lamb, The Sunday Times
Yogita Limaye, BBC News
Stuart Ramsay, Sky News
Bel Trew, The Independent

Innovation Award
Inside North Korea, BBC News
Isis jailbreak in Syria, VICE News
Lockdown Files, The Telegraph
The Trial of Lucy Letby, MailPlus
Transvaginal Ultrasound investigation, VICE News
Westminster Accounts, Sky News and Tortoise Media

Political Journalist of the Year
Pippa Crerar, The Guardian
Sam Coates, Sky News
Gabriel Pogrund, The Sunday Times
John Stevens, The Mirror
Steven Swinford, The Times
Harry Yorke, The Sunday Times

Freelance Journalist of the Year
Joshua Baker, BBC
Liz Cookman, The Economist 1843
Katie McQue, The Guardian
Tom Odula, BBC Africa Eye
Samira Shackle, The Guardian and Washington Post
Hannah Summers, The Guardian

Podcast of the Year
Hunting Mr X, DC Thomson
Partygate: The Inside Story, ITV News
The Open Secret, Sky News
The Shamima Begum Story, BBC Long Form Audio
The Slow Newscast, Tortoise Media
The Trial of Lucy Letby, MailPlus

Campaign of the Year – National
Act Now on Asbestos, The Sunday Times
Baby, Bank on Us, The Sun
Clean It Up, The Times
End this injustice, Daily Express
Pre-payment metres, The i
School Hunger, Evening Standard, The Independent

Campaign of the Year – Regional
Awaab’s Law, Manchester Evening News
Knife Crime Taskforce, The Northern Echo
No Hungry Kids This Summer, Newsquest Media Group
Our Communities Together – A cost of living crisis appeal, South Wales Argus & others
Save Bolton Hospice, The Bolton News
The Save Withnell Health Centre, Lancashire Telegraph

Photojournalist of the Year
Facundo Arrizabalaga, MyLondon
Charlie Bibby, Financial Times
Mike Egerton, PA Media
Kirsten Elder, Belfast Telegraph
Gareth Fuller, PA Media
Alessio Mamo, The Guardian
Simon Townsley, Telegraph Media Group

National News Media Organisation of the Year
Daily Mail
Financial Times
PA Media
The Guardian
The Telegraph
Times Media

Regional News Media Organisation of the Year
Belfast Telegraph
Jersey Evening Post
Liverpool Echo
Sunday Life
The Detail
Wales Online

International News Media Organisation of the Year
Africa Uncensored
Bellingcat
Bloomberg News
CNN Africa
Investigate Europe