The Belfast Telegraph emerged as the big winner at this year’s Regional Press Awards, scooping eight of the 21 prizes on offer.

The Mediahuis-owned title was named large News Brand of the Year and also won the Website of the Year and Best Live Coverage awards in addition to five individual prizes.

Three of those went to Sam McBride, left, who was named daily Reporter of the Year, Feature Writer of the Year and Opinion Writer of the Year, while Raymond Esteban was Designer of the Year for the second year running.

There was also a notable double for Newsquest’s Charles Thomson who picked up the weekly Reporter of the Year and Crime and Investigative Reporter of the Year awards.

The awards were handed out today at a celebration dinner attended by hundreds of journalists and editors at Quaglinos in London.

Judges said of the Bel Tel: “The Belfast Telegraph is a “big brand, doing what it should be doing – and doing it brilliantly with impressive audience growth figures.

“The Telegraph doesn’t just excel at hard news – it puts business, sport, entertainment and human interest stories at the heart of its output.”

Judges also praised the publication’s BelTel podcast, which celebrated its first birthday in April and has now hit 30,000 downloads a week, calling it “a strong indication that the title is adapting to the changing demands of the readership. ”

Elswehere, the Small News Brand of the Year award went to the Cambridge Independent after a successful campaign with Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust to raise £1m for a surgical robot.

And the Manchester Evening News won Campaign of the Year for spearheading Awaab’s Law, which led to urgent action to tackle damp and mould in public housing following the death of a toddler.

Abi Whistance, who joined Mill Media start-up the Liverpool Post last year after two years on the Yorkshire Evening Post was named Young Journalist of the Year in a notable coup for the growing hyperlocal sector.

And the Front Page of the Year prize, sponsored by HTFP, went to Belfast’s Sunday World for its front page headlined Blind Courage, telling the shocking story of a Craigavon mum who stood up to a gangland boss after he blinded her in a brutal attack.

Also among the prizes was Conor Gogarty, investgations editor for Wales Online, who was named Specialist Reporter of the Year for his undercover probe in the door-to-door selling.

The investigation, which exposed misleading job adverts, lies told on doorsteps to sign elderly people up for charity payments, and appalling treatment of young sales reps, also won the Scoop of the Year prize for Wales Online.

The awards are produced by Haymarket Media Group on behalf of the News Media Association, in partnership with Openreach and HoldtheFrontPage

The full list of winners was as follows:

Young Journalist of the Year: Abi Whistance, Mill Media Co

Specialist Journalist of the Year: Conor Gogarty, WalesOnline

Sports Journalist of the Year: Steven Beacom, Belfast Telegraph

Feature Writer of the Year: Sam McBride, Belfast Telegraph

Crime & Investigative Reporter of the Year: Charles Thomson, Newsquest

Opinion Writer of the Year: Sam McBride, Belfast Telegraph

Photographer of the Year: Simon Hulme, The Yorkshire Post

Designer of the Year: Raymond Esteban, Belfast Telegraph

Cathryn Nicholl Award: Bridget Dempsey, Newsquest

Reporter of the Year (Weekly): Charles Thomson, Newsquest

Reporter of the Year (Daily): Sam McBride, Belfast Telegraph

Supplement of the Year: BUSINESSiQ, The Northern Echo

News Website of the Year: Belfast Telegraph

Reporting Communities Award: Greater Govanhill

Front Page of the Year: Blind Courage – Sunday World

Digital Initiative of the Year: Public Notice Portal (PNP)

Best Live Coverage: Belfast Telegraph

Campaign of the Year: Awaab’s Law, Manchester Evening News

Scoop of the Year: Exposed: Our hidden camera uncovers exploitation and pressure-selling at direct sales firm, WalesOnline

News Brand of the Year (Small): Cambridge Independent

News Brand of the Year (Large): Belfast Telegraph

The following were highly commended in their categories:

Young Journalist of the Year: Lucy John, WalesOnline

Specialist Journalist of the Year: Ciaran Barnes, Sunday Life and Kirsten Elder, Belfast Telegraph

Sports Journalist of the Year: Joe Thomas, Liverpool Echo

Feature Writer of the Year: Ruby Kitchen, The Yorkshire Post and Ffion Lewis, WalesOnline

Crime & Investigative Reporter of the Year: Jonathan Humphries, Liverpool Echo

Opinion Writer of the Year: Catriona Stewart, Herald & Times

Reporter of the Year (Weekly): Ellis Whitehouse, Essex Live

Reporter of the Year (Daily): Phil Coleman Newsquest Cumbria and Lucy John, WalesOnline

Supplement of the Year: Amazing Welsh Homes, Western Mail

Front Page of the Year: South Wales Echo and the Wiltshire Times.

Digital Initiative of the Year: The Northern Agenda, Reach plc

Best Live Coverage: EssexLive

News Brand of the Year (Small): Camden New Journal and Cambrian News

News Brand of the Year (Large): WalesOnline and Yorkshire Evening Post