Young talent recognised at the O2 Media Awards
Rising stars to go head to head against seasoned journalists
Rising young stars will take on some of the biggest names in regional journalism at this year’s O2 Media Awards for Yorkshire and The Humber.
BBC Look North’s veteran presenter Harry Gration heads the broadcaster’s charge for honours in both the Community Journalism and Team of the Year Awards, but the pros face challenges from journalism students at Leeds University who have made the shortlist in five of this year’s 20 award categories.
BBC Radio Sheffield’s iconic daytime host Rony Robinson, now in his 74th year and celebrating 20 uninterrupted years on air is nominated as Broadcast Presenter of the Year. He’ll go head-to-head with fellow BBC Sheffield presenter Toby Foster, ITV Calendar’s anchorwoman Christine Talbot and 21-year-old University radio student James Hanson.
Calendar’s Jon Hill makes the top three in the TV reporter category. He’ll face Look North’s Danni Hewson, an O2 winner last year and her BBC colleague Kate Bradbrook, who also has a second nomination as News Reporter of the Year.
In the print categories, the Hull Daily Mail with eight nominations and Yorkshire Post with six lead the pack but still have the Bradford Telegraph and Argus, Huddersfield Examiner, The Press York and Yorkshire Evening Post to overcome.
There will definitely be a new name on the Weekly Newspaper of the Year crown after last year’s winner, the Barnsley Chronicle narrowly missed out on one of the top spots. Fighting for the 2014 title will be the Worksop Guardian, Wakefield Express and Scarborough News
With almost 300 individual entries the O2 Awards are the biggest regional press awards in the country. Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on June 26 at The Royal Armouries in Leeds. BBC Breakfast presenter Louise Minchin will host the evening’s celebrations.
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.
For the third year, the awards will recognise the work of media students across Yorkshire and the Humber with a prize for Emerging Talent.
Paul James, acting Director of Communications and Reputation at O2 UK, said the judging panel were hugely impressed by the tremendous examples of community journalism across Yorkshire and the Humber.
“This year we’ve introduced some new categories to reflect the popularity of the awards and the changing face of media organisations. The presentation evening will be a celebration of all that is good about regional media.”
Capita, a UK leader in business process management and outsourcing solutions, will also support the Awards. Last year, O2 extended its existing partnership with Capita to include the running of O2’s call centres across the UK. This included the Customer Service teams at the Arlington Business Centre in Leeds.
Bob Buiaroski, 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 that will allow the fantastic work of even more regional journalists across Yorkshire to be showcased.”
Successful nominees should contact o2mediaawards@rossitermedia.co.uk for more details about the awards evening and to arrange for their tickets. Alternatively ring Rossiter Media Limited on 01829 741371 or e-mail Liz@rossitermedia.co.uk
O2 Media Awards Yorkshire and the Humber 2014 finalists
News Reporter of the Year
Rob Waugh – Yorkshire Post
Kevin Shoesmith – Hull Daily Mail
Kate Bradbrook – BBC Look North
Emma Glasbey – BBC Look North
Specialist Publication of the Year
One & Other – York
Tell the World – Hull Daily Mail
Yorkshire Living – Newsquest
Yorkshire Post Magazine
Specialist Writer of the Year
Katie Baldwin – Yorkshire Evening Post
Tony Earnshaw – Yorkshire Post
Jenna Thompson – Hull Daily Mail
Community Journalism Award
BBC Radio Humberside – David Burns ‘The Rank House’
BBC Look North – Tandem Tour De Yorkshire
Bradford Telegraph & Argus – Save National Media Museum
New Media Award
Graham Walker – Sheffield Star
Bradford Telegraph & Argus
Worksop Guardian
Weekly News Reporter of the Year
Don Mort – Wakefield Express
Mike Cotton – Barnsley Chronicle
Lauren Ballinger – Spenborough Guardian
Darren Burke – Doncaster Free Press
Weekly Sports Reporter of the Year
Paul Goodwin – Doncaster Free Press
Chris Sumpter – Scunthorpe Telegraph
Hayley Paterson – Doncaster Free Press & Epworth Bells
Weekly Paid For Newspaper of the Year
Worksop Guardian
Wakefield Express
Scarborough News
Young Journalist of the Year
David Harrison – BBC Radio Humberside
Laura Hill – Harrogate Advertiser
Michael Muncaster – Batley News
Jonathan Brown – Yorkshire Evening Post
Feature Writer of the Year
Karl Hansell – Whitby Gazette
Sarah Freeman – Yorkshire Post
Angus Young – Hull Daily Mail
Photographer of the Year
Stephen Garnett – Craven Herald
Anthony Chappel-Ross – The Press, York
Mike Simmonds – Bradford Telegraph & Argus
Sports Journalist of the Year
James Smailes – Hull Daily Mail
Daniel Gregory – Scarborough News
Chris Dawkes – ITV Calendar
Radio Broadcast Journalist of the Year
Johnathan i’Anson, BBC Radio Leeds
Charlie Frost, Radio Aire
Tracy Gee, BBC Radio Leeds
Television Broadcast Journalist of the Year
Kate Bradbrook – BBC Look North
Danni Hewson – BBC Look North
Jon Hill – ITV Calendar
Broadcast Presenter of the Year
Christine Talbot – ITV Calendar
Rony Robinson – BBC Radio Sheffield
James Hanson – Leeds Student Radio
Toby Foster – BBC Radio Sheffield
Scoop of the Year
Yorkshire Post – Police pay and perks investigation
Leeds Student Newspaper – ‘Violate a fresher’
Hull Daily Mail – ‘We will be called Hull Tigers’
Editorial Team of the Year
Hull Daily Mail – City of Culture
Leeds Student Newspaper
BBC Look North – Tandem Tour De Yorkshire
Daily Newspaper of the Year
Huddersfield Examiner
Yorkshire Post
Bradford Telegraph & Argus
Hull Daily Mail
Weekly Free Newspaper of the Year
Leeds Student Newspaper
Dearne Valley Weekender
Emerging Talent Award
Salma Haidrani – University of Sheffield
Andrew Seddon – University of Leeds
James Weston – Wyke Sixth Form College
For more information, contact
| Ann McCrackenO2 Communications Manager, NorthAnn.mccracken@o2.com+44 (0)7850 708009 | Mark RossiterRossiter Mediamark@rossitermedia.co.uk+44 (0)1829 741371 |
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