Granada Reports triumphs in O2 awards

Echo retains daily newspaper crown

 

ITV Granada Reports took away the lion’s share of the prizes in this year’s O2 Media Awards North West.

Correspondent Matt O’Donoghue was named TV Journalist of the Year and overall News Reporter of the Year. Judges praised his exclusive investigation into abuse at a children’s care home and sympathetic reporting of Alan Henning’s brutal murder by ISIS.

Granada anchorwoman Lucy Meacock was crowned the region’s top Broadcast Presenter, while the team also picked up the Scoop of the Year trophy for their exclusive story on Derek Hatton’s bid to rejoin the Labour Party, 30 years after being expelled. Hatton, the former political firebrand turned millionaire businessman, presented the award at the cermony in Chester.

BBC North West Tonight’s Richard Askam was presented with the award for top Sports Broadcaster by racehorse owner and rugby league boss Marwan Koukash. BBC colleague Clare Fallon was the unluckiest nominee of the night. Despite a hat-trick of individual nominations she narrowly missed out on the top spot, despite being roundly praised by the judging panels.

In the print categories the Liverpool Echo maintained its grip on the Daily Newspaper title. Judges praised the way editor Ali Machray had listened to reader comments and changed the look and feel of the paper for a digital age. The Echo added a brace of other awards winning Best Website and Weekly Newspaper of the Year with the Sunday Echo. The Sentinel, Stoke put in a stong performance, winning awards for their Specialist Publications paying tribute to World War Two veterans. The paper also won the Feature Writer trophy through Jenny Amphlett.

Commercial radio stations dominated the radio categories. Juice FM presenter Chris Chambers was named Radio Journalist of the Year and the station was also named Broadcast Team of the Year. Michelle Livesey of Key 103 won the Community Journalism award for the station’s Street Angels campaign, launched after the death of 17-year-old Adam Pickup in Manchester. Adam’s parents Chris and Chantal presented the award.

More than 25 working editors and executives from newspapers, magazines, broadcasters and on-line publications were involved in the judging process.

With more than 360 individual entries the O2 Awards in the North West is the biggest regional press awards of the year. BBC Breakfast presenter Louise Minchin hosted the evening’s celebrations.

Nicola Green, Director of Communications and Reputation at O2 UK, said the judging panel was hugely impressed by journalists working across different media organisations in the North West.

 

“Congratulations to those who made the final line up, but also a huge thank you to everyone who entered this year’s competition. The evening was a celebration of some superb journalism and a reminder of how important the regional media is to local communities.”

Capita, a UK leader in business process management and outsourcing solutions, will also support the Awards. O2 extended its existing partnership with Capita to include the running of O2’s call centres across the UK.

Ben Tolhurst, Capita O2 Partnership Director, said the Awards were one of the most prestigious of their type in the UK.

“We are delighted to sponsor these awards. The event enables us to look back at how the press brought news events to life for readers, viewers and listeners across the region.”

 

 

 

O2 Media Awards North West 2015 finalists

Broadcast Presenter of the Year

Lucy Meacock – ITV News Granada Reports

 

Highly Commended

Mick Coyle – Radio City

Vicky Warham – Wire FM

Peggy Walker – BBC Radio Cumbria

 

Community Journalism Award

Michelle Livesey – Key 103

 

Highly Commended

Neal Keeling – Manchester Evening News

The Sentinel, Stoke – Our Big Read

Sarah Rogers – ITV News Granada Reports

Nicola Adam – Lancaster Guardian

 

Daily Newspaper of the Year

Liverpool Echo

 

Highly Commended

The Sentinel, Stoke

News & Star

Lancashire Evening Post

 

Team of the Year (Broadcast)

Juice FM

 

Highly Commended

ITV News Granada Reports

Radio City

BBC North West Tonight

 

Team of the Year (Print)

Warrington Guardian

 

Highly Commended

Lancashire Evening Post

Mid Cheshire Guardian

Carlisle Living

 

Feature Writer of the Year

Jenny Amphlett – The Sentinel, Stoke

 

Highly Commended

Tom Belger – Liverpool Echo

Roger Lytollis – Cumberland News

David Prior – Altrincham Today

 

Free Distribution Newspaper

St Helens Star

 

Highly Commended

Champion Newspapers

Wirral Globe

 

On-Line Media Award

Lancashire Telegraph

 

Highly Commended

Chester Chronicle

ITV Granada

North West Business Insider

Juice FM

 

News Reporter of the Year

Matt O’Donoghue – ITV News Granada Reports

 

Highly Commended

John Siddle – Liverpool Echo

Clare Fallon – BBC Look North West

Samantha Yarwood – Daily Post

 

Images of the Year

Stuart Walker – Cumbrian Newspapers

 

Highly Commended

Emma Boyd – Westmorland Gazette

Ian Cooper – Liverpool Echo

Ian Robinson  – Lancashire Evening Post

 

Radio Journalist of the Year

Chris Chambers – Juice FM

 

Highly Commended

Michelle Livesey – Key 103

Sarah Poole – Global Radio

Vicky Glover – 2BR & The Bee

 

Scoop of the Year

Party People – ITV News Granada Reports

 

Highly Commended

Clare Fallon – BBC North West Tonight

Claire Smyth – The Sentinel, Stoke

Adam Phillips – Rock FM

 

Specialist Publication of the Year

The Sentinel – Echoes of WW2/Salute to the Few

 

Highly Commended

Cumbria Life – CN Magazines

The Sentinel, Stoke – Sir Stanley Matthews

Cumbrian Newspapers – Proud to be Cumbrian / 200 Anniversary

 

 

Best Website

Liverpool Echo

 

Highly Commended

Wirral Globe

Westmorland Gazette

Warrington Guardian

 

Specialist Writer of the Year

Aasma Day  – Lancashire Evening Post

 

Highly Commended

Dave Blackhurst – The Sentinel, Stoke

John Siddle – Liverpool Echo

Michaela Robinson-Tate – Cumbria Life

Victoria Glover – 2 BR & The Bee

 

Sports Reporter of the Year – Broadcast

Richard Askam – BBC North West Tonight

 

Highly Commended

Mike Hall – ITV News Granada Reports

Ian Haslam – BBC North West Tonight

Chris Hall – ITV News Granada Reports

 

Sports Reporter of the Year – Print

Suzanne Geldard – Lancashire Telegraph

 

Highly Commended

James Pearce – Liverpool Echo

Will Watt – Blackpool Gazette

Jon Colman – Cumberland News/News &Star

 

Television Journalist of the Year

Matt O’Donoghue – ITV News Granada Reports

 

Highly Commended

Adam McClean – ITV Granada Reports

Dan Hewitt – ITV News Granada Reports

Clare Fallon – BBC North West Tonight

Dave Guest – BBC North West Tonight

 

 

Weekly Journalist of the Year

Kenny Lomas – Northwich Guardian

 

Highly Commended

Max Wieland – Tameside Reporter

Carmella De Lucia – Chester Chronicle

Emma Rigby – Wirral Globe

 

Weekly Newspaper of the Year

Sunday Echo

 

Highly Commended

Cumberland and Westmorland Herald

Macclesfield Express

Cumberland News

 

Young Reporter of the Year

Rhiannon Hilton – Crewe Chronicle

 

Highly Commended

Dan Hewitt – ITV Granada Reports

Josh Parry – Liverpool Echo

Matt Jones – Radio City

Natasha Carter – ITV News Granada Reports

 

 

 

For more information, contact

 

Mark Rossiter Rossiter Media mark@rossitermedia.co.uk +44 (0)1829 741371

 

O2 Press Office contacts

 

t +44 (0)1753565656

e: pressoffice@o2.com

 

All O2 news releases can be accessed at our website: www.o2.co.uk/news