STAFF at what is believed to be the UK’s only employee-owned newspaper have recorded three successes at this year’s annual awards celebrating the best media in the Highlands and Islands, but it was not to be for the West Highland Free Press in the race to be named ‘Newspaper of the year’.
That accolade went to Orkney Today, with the West Highland Free Press having to content itself with the ‘Photographer of the year’ title (for Willie Urquhart), the ‘Sportswriter of the year’ prize (for Keith Mackenzie) and a highly-commended for Alasdair Campbell in the Gaelic section of the prizes.
For Orkney Today editor, Catherine Turnbull, she 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 in Nairn next month, with the awards’ judges commending the paper for its “good lay out and all round coverage of news, features and sports”.
Among the other prizes, the ‘Community newspaper of the year’ title has gone to Am Paipear, produced on Benbecula, with Louise Lee, of the Oban Times, winning the Jim Love Memorial Trophy as ‘Reporter of the year’.
The Dunoon Observer appeared on the list of winners for the first time, with Aileen MacNicol being chosen as the ‘Feature writer of the year’, while Moray Firth Radio’s Fiona Miller has been named ‘Young journalist of the year’.
The full list of winners is:
Bord Na Gaidhlig Award for best Gaelic entry
Winner: Andreas Wolff, BBC Alba.
Highly Commended: Alasdair Campbell, West Highland Free Press
Best use of journalism on the web
Winner: Steven Mckenzie, BBC
Local newspaper photographer of the year
Winner: Gary Anthony, Scottish Provincial Press
Highly Commended: Eric Cormack, Northern Scot
Photographer of the year
Winner: Willie Urquhart, West Highland Free Press
Highly Commended: Trevor Martin, freelance, Inverness
Young journalist of the year and the Alex Main Trophy
Winner: Fiona Miller, Moray Firth Radio
Highly Commended: Jenny Morrison, Inverness Courier
Sportswriter of the year
Winner: Keith Mackenzie, West Highland Free Press
Highly Commended: Eric Mackinnon, Stornoway Gazette
Local reporter of the year
Winner: Andy Dixon, Inverness Courier
Highly Commended: Gavin Musgrove, Strathspey and Badenoch Herald
Reporter of the year and the Jim Love Memorial Trophy
Winner: Louise Lee, ObanTimes
Highly Commended: Donald Wilson, Highland News
Feature writer of the year
Winner: Aileen MacNicol, Dunoon Observer
Highly Commended: Lorraine Shearer, Orcadian
UHI Millennium Institute community newspaper of the year
Am Paipear, Benbecula
Newspaper of the year
Orkney Today
Journalist of the year
To be announced at the Press Ball on February 5.
