The Yorkshire Post retained its title as the region’s premier newspaper at this year’s O2Media Awards for Yorkshire and The Humber.
The Post was voted best daily newspaper and O2’s best overall newspaper at the awards, designed to celebrate the work of the region’s most talented writers, broadcasters and photographers.
The Post also won the Scoop of the Year award for exposing the cavalier use of public money by a major Yorkshire university; and Post journalist David Behrens retained the Digital Journalist of the Year title he claimed last year.
The Press, York also won a hat-trick of awards, reporter Stephen Lewis taking the Feature Writer title and Jennifer Bell the Young Journalist of the Year crown for daily newspapers. Anthony Chappel-Ross was named Photographer of the Year.
Other winners included the Keighley News which was named weekly of the year, the Hull Daily Mail, BBC Look North, BBC Radio Leeds and the Doncaster Free Press.
A special Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Nigel Scott, the former Business Editor of the Yorkshire Evening Post who died on Boxing Day after a battle against cancer. Nigel, who was 47, was one of the country’s best-known and award-winning regional journalists and spent his last months chronicling his illness to help fellow sufferers. His award was collected by his widow Melanie and teenage daughters Emily and Eleanor.
The awards evening was held at the The Loft in Leeds city centre. It is the latest in a series of media awards contests launched by O2 across the North and North West to honour local and regional press.
In the television category, BBC Look North’s Tom Ingall scooped Broadcast Journalist of the Year for an exciting portfolio mixing hard news, in depth features and funny ‘And finally’ moments.
BBC journalist Kate Bradbrook of Radio Leeds was crowned Radio Journalist of the Year and the Sports Reporter of the year went to Paul Walker of BBC Radio Sheffield.
This year O2 also introduced the Think Big award to mark the work of young people who were using communication skills to improve their communities. The winning entry was from Voxx, a group of teens who make TV shows and produce a magazine aimed at 13 to 25-year-old on topics such as healthy eating, alternative sports and work options.
The judging panel included Richard Catlow of the Society of Editors, Maria McGeoghan, Editor of the Manchester Evening News; Ian Savage, Editor of the Bolton News; Nicola Priest, Editor of the Warrington Guardian; Jan Lever, Managing Director of Newsquest Blackburn and Bolton; Bill Gleeson, Business Editor of the Liverpool Echo; Steve Hothersall, News and Sports Editor of Radio City; Chris Moorcroft of Sky TV; HBO filmmaker Dave Ellison; award-winning photographer Stephen Shakeshaft, Charlotte Hill, Communications Director from UK Youth; Andy Callard from the National Youth Agency and Jamie Coley from the Think Big Youth Advisory Panel.
Glenn Manoff, O2’s Director of Communications and Reputation, said the awards recognised outstanding media coverage of issues affecting communities.
“We are delighted to celebrate the huge service local and regional journalists provide to communities across Yorkshire and The Humber,’ he added.
O2 is the largest single site employer in Leeds employing more than 2,500 people.
O2 Media Awards Winners and Finalists
Digital Journalist of the Year
Winner – David Behrens ‘ Yorkshire Post
Highly Commended
Nick Westby ‘ Yorkshire Post
Rick Burin ‘ Harrogate Advertiser
Feature Writer of the Year
Winner – Stephen Lewis ‘ The Press, York
Highly Commended
Tom Richmond ‘ Yorkshire Post
Ian Midgley ‘ Hull Daily Mail
Photographer of the Year
Winner – Anthony Chappel-Ross ‘ The Press, York
Highly Commended
Stephen Garnett ‘ Craven Herald
Simon Hulme ‘ The Yorkshire Post
Sports Journalist of the Year
Paul Walker ‘ BBC Radio Sheffield
Highly Commended
Mike Russell ‘ The Star Sheffield
Tom Richmond ‘ Yorkshire Post
Radio Broadcast Journalist of the Year
Winner – Kate Bradbrook ‘ BBC Radio Leeds
Highly Commended
Mick Lunney ‘ BBC Radio Sheffield
Television Broadcast Journalist of the Year
Winner – Tom Ingall – BBC Look North
Highly Commended
Emma Blackburn ‘ BBC Look North
Young Journalist of the Year ‘ Dailies
Winner – Jennifer Bell ‘ The Press, York
Highly Commended
Emma Blackburn ‘ BBC Look North
Laura Bowyer ‘ Yorkshire Evening Post
Young Journalist of the Year ‘ Weeklies
Winner – Kate Mason ‘ Doncaster Free Press
Highly Commended
Rick Burin ‘ Harrogate Advertiser
Kate Liptrot ‘ Doncaster Free Press
Reporter of the Year
Winner – Louise Eccles ‘ Hull Daily Mail
Highly Commended
Gavin Aitchison ‘ The Press, York
David Roberts ‘ Northern Echo
Business Journalist of the Year
Winner – Chris Holland ‘ Telegraph and Argus
Highly Commended
Greg Wright ‘ Yorkshire Post
Bernard Ginns ‘ Yorkshire Post
Scoop of the Year
Winner – Yorkshire Post
Highly Commended
The Star, Sheffield
Radio York
Editorial Team of the Year
Winner – Rotherham Advertiser
Highly Commended
BBC Radio Leeds
Newspaper of the Year ‘ Weekly
Winner – Keighley News
Highly Commended
South Yorkshire Times
Newspaper of the Year – Daily
Winner – Yorkshire Post
Highly Commended
The Star, Sheffield
Hull Daily Mail
O2 Newspaper of the Year
Winner – Yorkshire Post
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