Trinity Mirror Regional Awards Winners

Trinity Mirror has announced the winners of its Regional Editorial Awards.

The awards, now in their fifth year, recognise editorial achievement across Trinity Mirror's regional titles.

On the judging panel were Professor Peter Cole of Sheffield University, formerly deputy editor of the Guardian and editor of the Sunday Correspondent (chair); Bob Satchwell, director of the Society of Editors; and Peter Genower, editorial consultant and former editor of TV Times.

Prizes were awarded across 11 categories including Daily/Sunday Newspaper of the Year, Paid Weekly Newspaper of the Year, Free Weekly Newspaper of the Year, Front Page of the Year, Campaign of the Year and Scoop of the Year.

The Liverpool Echo scooped two awards - Daily/Sunday Newspaper of the Year and Best Sports Pages. Judges commented on an "all-round fine performance from an all-round fine newspaper."

The Paid Weekly Newspaper of the Year award went to the Chester Chronicle, while the Bangor and Anglesey Mail picked up the award for Free Weekly Newspaper of the Year.

Front Page of the Year went to the Sunday Mercury for its story on the Rover plant closure, with 'Rust in Peace' as its headline. Judges described it as a "powerful epitaph to the Rover closure - one of the year's biggest stories in the Midlands."

Campaign of the Year was awarded to The Birmingham Mail. Judges praised its 'Stop the Bullies' campaign as a "short, sharp, well-focused anti-bullying campaign at the beginning of the school year."

The Journal also had a good evening, picking up four awards. It won Best Feature Pages and Scoop of the Year for its "Prisoners Open your Mail" story, which judges said was a "shocking yet amusing story with the key ingredient for a scoop - you couldn't make it up."

Best News Pages for Daily and Sunday titles went to the Evening Chronicle.

The judges said this was a particularly strong year, with tough competition in all categories.

Regionals Editorial Director Neil Benson said: "The quality of entries for our awards this year, endorsed by the judging panel, illustrates that our editorial teams really have delivered."

Front Page of the Year
Winner: Sunday Mercury - Rust in peace
Highly-commended: Liverpool Echo - Shrine to a dead chicken
Commended: Rutherglen Reformer - Left to get home alone

Campaign of the Year
Winner: Birmingham Mail - Stop the Bullies
Highly-commended:  Liverpool Echo - Save Alder Hey
Commended: Huddersfield Examiner - Carbon monoxide

Scoop of the Year
Winner: The Journal - Prisoners open your mail
Highly-commended:  Liverpool Echo - I did it (Bulgaria murder confession)
Commended: Woodley & Earley Chronicle - I gave him my kidney, now he's left me

Best news pages - Daily & Sunday titles
Winner: Evening Chronicle
Highly-commended: Birmingham Mail
Commended: Sunday Mercury

Best features pages - Daily & Sunday titles
Winner: The Journal
Highly-commended: South Wales Echo
Commended: Wales on Sunday

Best sports pages - Daily & Sunday titles
Winner: Liverpool Echo
Highly-commended: The Journal
Commended: Wales on Sunday

Best news & features pages - Weekly titles
Winner: Chester Chronicle
Highly-commended: Surrey Herald
Commended: Croydon Advertiser

Best sports pages - Weekly titles
Winner: Croydon Advertiser
Highly-commended: Chester Chronicle series
Commended: Rutherglen Reformer

Daily/Sunday Newspaper of the Year
Winner: Liverpool Echo
Highly-commended: The Journal
Commended: Birmingham Mail

Paid Weekly Newspaper of the Year
Winner: Chester Chronicle series
Highly-commended: Croydon Advertiser
Commended: Rutherglen Reformer

Free Weekly Newspaper of the Year
Winner: Bangor & Anglesey Mail
Highly-commended: The Press, Barnet
Commended: Birkenhead News