Regional journalists have been recognised for their work by a new awards scheme celebrating the best digital newsletters.

The Publisher Newsletter Awards, which launched this year, has announced its inaugural shortlist, with both National World and Reach plc featuring among the nominations in several categories.

National World head of customer loyalty Sam Shedden, pictured, is up for Newsletter Hero of the Year, alongside Reach journalists Ben Allenby, of MyLondon, Federica Bedendo, of Lancs Live, and Jillian Macmath, of Wales Online.

The Best Local & Community category is also dominated by Reach titles, with Lancs Live, Untold Stories, Brummie Mummies, LGBT!+ Bulletin and MyLondon’s E17 accounting for five of the eight nominations.

Brummie Mummies will also compete for the Best Family & Lifestyle prize.

Birmingham Live’s UK Sikhs is further shortlisted for Best Newsletter Launch, while fellow Reach newsletters Business Live North West appears in the Best B2B nominations.

In the Best Entertainment/Culture category, Reach’s Everything Outlander and Scotland Now face competition from National World’s What to Watch.

The Best Food & Drink category contains four Reach nominations – Bake On Bake Off, Birmingham Live’s Brum Food Club, MyLondon’s Going Out, Out! and Wales Online Food & Drink – while Best Hobbies & Special Interest contains two in the form of Secret Elves Club and Testimony.

National World’s Trending Today and Woman’s Football Now are up for Best News and Best Sport respectively, while Reach’s The Northern Agenda and Wales Matters will vie for the Best Politics prize.

The winners will be revealed at a ceremony in London in July 2023.