THE Inverness Courier has been named Newspaper of the Year at the Highlands and Islands Media Awards.
The awards – held last night in Inverness – also saw its long-time chair, former Scotsman Highlands correspondent, John Ross, recognised with a ‘services to journalism’ gong.
Now in its 25th year, the awards this year saw Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Michael Russell MSP, hand out the prizes, including to Journalist of the Year, Murray MacLeod, of the West Highland Free Press.
The Highlands and Islands Press Ball in its current form was started by Ross in 1989. A previous event had been running for many years in Inverness, but its latest incarnation extended the event to include the Northern and Western Isles, Argyll and Moray as well as the Highland mainland.
Collecting the Newspaper of the Year award on behalf of his team (pictured) was editor, Robert Taylor.
Winner of the Best Use of Digital Media prize was the website, shetlandnews, set up in 1995 by former Shetland Times editor, Jonathan Wills, and internet entrepreneur Graeme Storey, who – says a Shetland News media release – “created the first internet-only news website in the UK”.
Adds the release: “Shetland News was mothballed in the late 1990s as the world was not ready for such a model, which was unable to generate the online income needed to sustain it.
“The website was relaunched in March 2003 by freelance journalists Hans J Marter and Pete Bevington, of Shetland News Agency, with the help of Storey.”
Several of last night’s winners were among those to pick up prizes at last year’s event.
Please note: Briefly today, it was reported that Tom Morton is editor of Shetland News. He is, of course and as reported yesterday, editor of Shetland Life.
Pic: Ewen Weatherspoon.
The winners’ list reads:
Barron Trophy, for services to journalism
John Ross
Bòrd na Gàidhlig Award for Best Gaelic entry
Winner: Andreas Wolff, BBC ALBA
Highly commended: Monster FM
Highly commended: MFR – The Scottish Chart
Best use of Digital Media
Winner: Shetland News
Highly commended: Inverness Gigs
Highly commended: Stornoway Gazette
Photographer of the Year
Winner: Willie Urquhart, West Highland Free Press
Highly commended: Gary Anthony, Scottish Provincial Press
Highly commended: Trevor Martin, Freelance
Top Shot of the Year
Winner: Alasdair Allen, Scottish Provincial Press
Highly commended: Trevor Martin, Freelance
Highly commended: Willie Urquhart, West Highland Free Press
Young Journalist of the Year and the Alex Main Trophy
Winner: Kaye Nicolson, Press and Journal
Highly commended: Jenny Kane, Stornoway Gazette
Sports Writer of the Year
Winner: Keith MacKenzie, West Highland Free Press
Highly commended: Ian Auld, Moray Firth Radio
Highly commended: Eric Mackinnon, Stornoway Gazette.
Reporter of the Year and the Jim Love Memorial Trophy
Winner: Jenna Conti, Highland News
Highly commended: Murray MacLeod, West Highland Free Press
Highly commended: Michelle Robson, Stornoway Gazette
Top Story of the Year
Winner: Eric Mackinnon, Stornoway Gazette
Highly commended: Moira Kerr, Freelance
Highly commended: MFR News Team
Feature Writer of the Year
Winner: Dave Flanagan, Freelance
Highly commended: Alan Hendry, Scottish Provincial Press
Highly commended: Murray MacLeod, West Highland Free Press
Community Newspaper of the Year
Winner: Fios
Highly commended: Black Isle Chatterbox
Highly commended: Kilmallie Community News
Newspaper of the Year
Winner: Inverness Courier
Highly commended: Strathspey and Badenoch Herald
Highly commended: West Highland Free Press
The Classic Malts Journalist of the Year
Murray MacLeod, West Highland Free Press
