Shetland Times Wins Newspaper Of The year Award
THURSDAY 19 JANUARY 2006
SHETLAND TIMES WINS NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR AWARD
The Shetland Times has been voted Newspaper of the Year by the Highland and Islands Media Awards’ judging panel. Editor Vaila Wishart will receive a cheque for £500, to be donated to a charity of the newspaper’s choice, at the Highland and Islands Press Ball being held at the Newton Hotel, Nairn on Friday 3 February. The most northerly local newspaper in the area caught the eye of the judges with its excellent coverage of the Islands Games in August, last year, and its all round coverage of news and sports.
Shetland’s John Johnston of the BBC will receive £500 to go to a charity of his choice for winning a prize - donated by UKAEA, Dounreay, to mark their jubilee - for the best three articles on the environment.
Community Newspaper of the Year is Westword, Morar/Mallaig. The paper will receive a cheque for £300, £100 of which will go to local charity.
Islanders also won two other categories. Leah Seator of the Orcadian won the Young Journalist of the Year award – the Alex Main Trophy - and Maggie Fraser, Stornoway Gazette, was chosen as the Feature Writer of the Year.
The Northern Scot, Elgin, also recorded a double success. Stuart Scott won the Sports Reporter of the Year Award and Eric Cormack is Local Newspaper Photographer of the Year.
Moray News Agency’s Peter Jones was Reporter of the Year. Lorraine Shearer, Orcadian, was highly commended in this category.
Gordon Calder, of the John O’Groat Journal/Caithness Courier, is Local Newspaper Reporter of the Year, pipping Caroline Rham, the former editor of the Ross-shire Journal, who was highly commended.
Photographer of the Year is Ewen Weatherspoon, a freelance photographer from Inverness. Highly commended is John Paul, an Inverness freelance.
Highly commended Feature Writer is Bruce Sandison, Tongue. Highly commended Local Newspaper Photographer is Ken Amer, Orkney Photographic; highly commended Local Sports Reporter is Ross Reid, Orcadian and highly commended Young Journalist is Cameron Hay, Highland News.
The awards attract prizemoney of £2,000. The main sponsors are Diageo, the world’s premier drinks company. The UHI Millennium Institute is sponsoring the prize for the Community Newspaper of the Year Award.
HIGHLAND AND ISLANDS MEDIA AWARDS
PLEASE NOTE THIS INFORMATION IS EMBARGOED UNTIL 00.01 HOURS ON THURSDAY 19 JANUARY 2006
To be made at the Highlands and Islands Press Ball on Friday 3 February 2006 at the Newton Hotel, Nairn.
Local Newspaper Photographer of the Year:
Winner: Eric Cormack, Northern Scot
Highly Commended: Ken Amer, Orkney Today
Photographer of the Year:
Winner: Ewen Weatherspoon, freelance, Inverness
Highly Commended: John Paul, freelance, Inverness
Young Journalist of the Year
Winner: Leah Seator, Orcadian
Highly Commended: Cameron Hay, Highland News
Sportswriter of the Year:
Winner: Stuart Scott, Northern Scot
Highly Commended: Ross Reid, Orcadian
Local Reporter of the Year:
Winner: Gordon Calder, John O’Groat Journal
Highly Commended: Caroline Rham, Ross-shire Journal
Environment Writer of the Year
Winner: John Johnston, BBC, Shetland
Reporter of the Year:
Winner: Peter Jones, Freelance, Moray
Highly Commended: Lorraine Shearer, Orcadian
Feature Writer of the Year:
Winner: Maggie Fraser, Stornoway Gazette
Highly Commended: Bruce Sandison, Freelance, Sutherland
Community Newspaper of the Year:
Westword, Mallaig
Newspaper of the Year:
Shetland Times
Journalist of the Year:
To be announced at the Press Ball on Friday 3 February 2006.