Entries Now Open For Regional Press Awards

A call for entries for the Regional Press Awards, including the News Media Association’s Cathryn Nicoll and Making a Difference awards, has been launched by the Society of Editors.

The awards celebrate the best of British regional and local newspaper journalism and this year use JICREG audience data for the categories for the first time.  

SoE executive director Ian Murray said: “The industry has moved on and quite correctly recognises the total audience its titles reach with their superb news, sports and features coverage. The Regional Press Awards will now recognise those figures also as part of this celebration of the vital role the vibrant regional press plays in the communities the length and breadth of the UK.”

Journalists have until 2 March to submit their entries and the awards will be held on 5 June at the IET, Savoy Place, London.  

The NMA’s Cathryn Nicoll Interviewer of the Year Award will run for its second consecutive year. The award was launched last year in memory of Cathryn Nicoll who held the position of the news editor at the Croydon Advertiser during her career as a journalist.

Paul Sinker, NMA, said: “During her career, Cathryn Nicoll devoted a significant amount of time to training and mentoring young journalists who showed promise.

“The launch of an award in her name at last year’s Regional Press Awards highlighted some brilliant examples of interviewing and feature writing by young journalists, and we hope to build on this with even more entries for the 2020 award.”

The award is open to any journalist working for a weekly or daily local or regional newspaper published in the UK, who is aged between 18 and 25 and rewards a £500 cash prize to its winner.

The awards will celebrate regional and local journalism in print or as part of a corresponding digital platform and will include the Making a Difference ~ People’s Choice public vote organised by the NMA for Journalism Matters. 

Early registration and entries are encouraged so that any issues can be attended to in advance of the deadline. The entry price has been kept at the same level as last year.

A shortlist will be announced in April.