Keeling named top newsman in O2 Awards
Emotional finale as murdered soldier’s parents praise regional press
The parents of murdered soldier Lee Rigby have named Manchester Evening News Chief Reporter Neal Keeling, as the North West’s leading news reporter in an emotional finale to this year’s O2 Media Awards.
Lyn and Ian Rigby from Greater Manchester joined other special guests at the Imperial War Museum at Salford Quays on Thursday night to praise the work of regional journalists.
Lyn said: “We’ve got to know well a number of journalists from across the region and they have been so supportive. The reception we received was overwhelming and we were so pleased to be asked to present the award in Lee’s honour.
“We never want Lee forgotten and you could genuinely feel the love in the room. I couldn’t say anything on the night because I was too emotional but we were so pleased to be asked to attend and Ian and I would like to say thank you to all the journalists from the North West who have helped us.”
Chancellor George Osborne announced BBC North West Tonight’s Jayne McCubbin as TV Reporter of the Year. Granada Reports front man Mike Hall was crowned Broadcaster of the Year by ITV newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky, while Everton boss Roberto Martinez revealed Mick Coyle of Radio City as the North West’s top sports reporter.
Other special guests included veterans of World War Two, who received a fanfare from the Duke of Lancaster’s Regimental Band as they took to the stage, Sir Tom Finney’s son Brian and daughter Barbara and former Page 3 girl Lou Varley. Emmerdale’s on-screen couple Fiona Wade and Pasha Boccarie presented the Warrington Guardian with its Weekly Newspaper of the Year trophy.
The Liverpool Echo retained its crown as Daily Newspaper of the Year and picked up a joint winners award for its week-long series of First World War supplements. They shared the Supplement of the Year crown with The Sentinel who were praised for their coverage of the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings. Echo photographer, Gareth Jones, was named Photographer of the Year. His award was presented by BBC Breakfast’s Mike Bushell.
The Echo also picked up the award for the year’s best scoop for its investigation into how Government computers were used to post internet slurs about the victims of the Hillsborough on Wikipedia. BBC Breakfast’s Charlie Stayt presented the trophy.
Team of the Year was the Lancashire Evening Post for their in-depth coverage of the death of football legend Sir Tom Finney. Oldham Evening Chronicle Managing Editor Dave Whaley received the Judges’ Special Award for his moving accounts of his fight to beat throat cancer.
This year’s awards attracted an audience of 180 media professionals across print, digital and broadcast organisations. BBC Breakfast presenter Louise Minchin hosted the event with O2’s Head of Communications Strategy and Reputation Dave Massey.
With more than 350 individual entries the O2 Awards are the biggest regional press awards in the country. Capita, a UK leader in business process management and outsourcing solutions, provided additional sponsorship. Judging was conducted over three separate days and the panels were made up of working editors and senior news executives from print, radio and television.
Nicola Green, Director of Communications and Reputation at O2 UK, said the judging panel were hugely impressed by the tremendous examples of community journalism across the North West.
“The O2 awards are a celebration of all that is good about regional media.”
Bob Buiaroski, Capita O2 Partnership Director, said the Awards were one of the most prestigious of their type in the UK.
“The fantastic work of regional journalists across North West needs to be showcased,” he added.
O2 Media Awards North West 2014 winners:
Free Distribution Newspaper
St Helens Star
Highly Commended
Wirral Globe
Runcorn and Widnes World
Midweek Visiter
Champion Newspapers
Team of the Year
Lancashire Evening Post
Highly Commended
Global Radio North West
BBC Radio Lancashire
The Sentinel
2BR
Young Reporter of the Year
Adam McClean – ITV Granada
Highly Commended
Dan Hewitt – ITV Granada
Samantha Yarwood – Flintshire Chronicle
Georgina Stubbs – Southport Visiter
Nick Smith – Radio City
Feature Writer of the Year
Diane Cooke – Lancashire Telegraph
Highly Commended
Paddy Shennan – Liverpool Echo
Richard Ault – The Sentinel
Dave Whaley – Oldham Evening Chronicle
Judges’ Special Award
Dave Whaley – Oldham Evening Chronicle
Weekly News Reporter of the Year
Anna Smith – Westmorland Gazette
Highly Commended
Jamie Bowman – Crosby Herald
Rachel Flint – Chester Chronicle
Carmella De Lucia – Chester Chronicle
Matthew Hobbs – Warrington Guardian
Radio Journalist of the Year
Michelle Livesey – Key 103
Highly Commended
Tim Padfield – BBC Radio Lancashire
Andy Downton – Global Radio North West
Specialist Writer of the Year
Aasma Day – Lancashire Evening Post
Highly Commended
Gill Johnson – Lancashire Telegraph
Jayne McCubbin – BBC North West Tonight
Maureen Hodges – Cumberland News
Community Journalism Award
Juice FM
Highly Commended
The Sentinel
Blackpool Gazette
Cumbrian Newspapers
Weekly Sports Reporter of the Year
Jon Colman – Cumberland News
Highly Commended
Adam Lord – The Visitor & Lancaster Guardian
Ross McLean – Westmorland Gazette
Specialist Publication of the Year
Carlisle Living
Highly Commended
Lancashire Life
North West Business Insider
All Together Now
Scoop of the Year
Liverpool Echo (Hillsborough Wikipedia slurs)
Highly Commended
Granada Reports (BNP leader in ‘crip’ row)
Lancashire Evening Post (Dog ate my face but saved my life)
Photographer of the Year
Gareth Jones – Liverpool Echo
Highly Commended
Andy Lambert – Manchester Evening News
Darren Robinson – Oldham Evening Chronicle
Harry Atkinson – North West Evening Mail
Supplement of the Year
Liverpool Echo – Great War 100 Years
Stoke Sentinel – D Day the Final Salute
Highly Commended
Cumberland News – Cumbria Remembers
Lancashire Telegraph – Letters from the Front Line
New Media Award
Chester Chronicle
Highly Commended
Mike Price – Liverpool Echo
Ben Turner – Liverpool Echo
Cumbria Live
Broadcast Presenter of the Year
Mike Hall – ITV Granada
Highly Commended
Michelle Ponting – Key 103
Annabel Tiffin – BBC North West Tonight
Weekly Newspaper of the Year
Warrington Guardian
Highly Commended
Chester Chronicle
Westmorland Gazette
Sports Reporter of the Year
Mick Coyle – Radio City
Highly Commended
Chris Hall – ITV Granada
Matthew Chambers – Oldham Evening Chronicle
Stuart Pollitt – BBC North West Tonight
Daily Newspaper of the Year
Liverpool Echo
Highly Commended
The Sentinel
North West Evening Mail
News and Star
TV Journalist of the Year
Jayne McCubbin – BBC North West Tonight
Highly Commended
Mel Barham – ITV Granada
Dave Guest – BBC North West Tonight
Abbie Jones – BBC North West Tonight
Dan Hewitt – ITV Granada
News Reporter of the Year
Neal Keeling – Manchester Evening News
Highly Commended
Ashley Derricott – ITV Granada
Michelle Livesey – Key 103
Phil Coleman – News & Star
Helen Hunt – Liverpool Echo
Here are the photos from the night-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/o2ukofficial/sets/72157648869371659/
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