Young talent recognised at the O2 Media Awards

Rising stars to go head to head against seasoned journalists

 

Rising young stars will take on some of the biggest names in regional journalism at this year’s O2 Media Awards for Yorkshire and The Humber.

 

BBC Look North’s veteran presenter Harry Gration heads the broadcaster’s charge for honours in both the Community Journalism and Team of the Year Awards, but the pros face challenges from journalism students at Leeds University who have made the shortlist in five of this year’s 20 award categories.

 

BBC Radio Sheffield’s iconic daytime host Rony Robinson, now in his 74th year and celebrating 20 uninterrupted years on air is nominated as Broadcast Presenter of the Year. He’ll go head-to-head with fellow BBC Sheffield presenter Toby Foster, ITV Calendar’s anchorwoman Christine Talbot and 21-year-old University radio student James Hanson.

 

Calendar’s Jon Hill makes the top three in the TV reporter category. He’ll face Look North’s Danni Hewson, an O2 winner last year and her BBC colleague Kate Bradbrook, who also has a second nomination as News Reporter of the Year.

 

In the print categories, the Hull Daily Mail with eight nominations and Yorkshire Post with six lead the pack but still have the Bradford Telegraph and Argus, Huddersfield Examiner, The Press York and Yorkshire Evening Post to overcome.

 

There will definitely be a new name on the Weekly Newspaper of the Year crown after last year’s winner, the Barnsley Chronicle narrowly missed out on one of the top spots. Fighting for the 2014 title will be the Worksop Guardian, Wakefield Express and Scarborough News

 

With almost 300 individual entries the O2 Awards are the biggest regional press awards in the country. Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on June 26 at The Royal Armouries in Leeds. BBC Breakfast presenter Louise Minchin will host the evening’s celebrations.

 

Judging was conducted over three separate days and the panels were made up of working editors and senior news executives from print, radio and television.

 

For the third year, the awards will recognise the work of media students across Yorkshire and the Humber with a prize for Emerging Talent.

 

Paul James, acting Director of Communications and Reputation at O2 UK, said the judging panel were hugely impressed by the tremendous examples of community journalism across Yorkshire and the Humber.

 

“This year we’ve introduced some new categories to reflect the popularity of the awards and the changing face of media organisations. The presentation evening will be a celebration of all that is good about regional media.”

 

Capita, a UK leader in business process management and outsourcing solutions, will also support the Awards. Last year, O2 extended its existing partnership with Capita to include the running of O2’s call centres across the UK. This included the Customer Service teams at the Arlington Business Centre in Leeds.

 

Bob Buiaroski, Capita O2 Partnership Director, said the Awards were one of the most prestigious of their type in the UK.

 

“We are delighted to sponsor these awards that will allow the fantastic work of even more regional journalists across Yorkshire to be showcased.”

 

Successful nominees should contact o2mediaawards@rossitermedia.co.uk for more details about the awards evening and to arrange for their tickets. Alternatively ring Rossiter Media Limited on 01829 741371 or e-mail Liz@rossitermedia.co.uk

 

 O2 Media Awards Yorkshire and the Humber 2014 finalists

News Reporter of the Year

 

Rob Waugh – Yorkshire Post

Kevin Shoesmith –  Hull Daily Mail

Kate Bradbrook – BBC Look North

Emma Glasbey – BBC Look North

 

Specialist Publication of the Year

 

One & Other – York

Tell the World – Hull Daily Mail

Yorkshire Living – Newsquest

Yorkshire Post Magazine

 

Specialist Writer of the Year

 

Katie Baldwin – Yorkshire Evening Post

Tony Earnshaw – Yorkshire Post

Jenna Thompson – Hull Daily Mail

 

Community Journalism Award

 

BBC Radio Humberside – David Burns ‘The Rank House’

BBC Look North – Tandem Tour De Yorkshire

Bradford Telegraph & Argus – Save National Media Museum

New Media Award

 

Graham Walker – Sheffield Star

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

Worksop Guardian

Weekly News Reporter of the Year

 

Don Mort – Wakefield Express

Mike Cotton – Barnsley Chronicle

Lauren Ballinger – Spenborough Guardian

Darren Burke – Doncaster Free Press

Weekly Sports Reporter of the Year

Paul Goodwin – Doncaster Free Press

Chris Sumpter – Scunthorpe Telegraph

Hayley Paterson – Doncaster Free Press & Epworth Bells

Weekly Paid For Newspaper of the Year

Worksop Guardian

Wakefield Express

Scarborough News

 

Young Journalist of the Year

 

David Harrison – BBC Radio Humberside

Laura Hill – Harrogate Advertiser

Michael Muncaster – Batley News

Jonathan Brown – Yorkshire Evening Post

 

Feature Writer of the Year

 

Karl Hansell – Whitby Gazette

Sarah Freeman – Yorkshire Post

Angus Young – Hull Daily Mail

 

 

Photographer of the Year

 

Stephen Garnett – Craven Herald

Anthony Chappel-Ross – The Press, York

Mike Simmonds  – Bradford Telegraph & Argus

Sports Journalist of the Year

 

James Smailes – Hull Daily Mail

Daniel Gregory – Scarborough News

Chris Dawkes – ITV Calendar

 

 

Radio Broadcast Journalist of the Year

 

Johnathan i’Anson, BBC Radio Leeds

Charlie Frost, Radio Aire

Tracy Gee, BBC Radio Leeds

 

Television Broadcast Journalist of the Year

 

Kate Bradbrook – BBC Look North

Danni Hewson – BBC Look North

Jon Hill – ITV Calendar

 

 

Broadcast Presenter of the Year

 

Christine Talbot – ITV Calendar

Rony Robinson – BBC Radio Sheffield

James Hanson – Leeds Student Radio

Toby Foster – BBC Radio Sheffield

 

 

Scoop of the Year

 

Yorkshire Post – Police pay and perks investigation

Leeds Student Newspaper – ‘Violate a fresher’

Hull Daily Mail – ‘We will be called Hull Tigers’

 

Editorial Team of the Year

 

Hull Daily Mail – City of Culture

Leeds Student Newspaper

BBC Look North – Tandem Tour De Yorkshire

 

Daily Newspaper of the Year

 

Huddersfield Examiner

Yorkshire Post

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

Hull Daily Mail

 

 

Weekly Free Newspaper of the Year

 

Leeds Student Newspaper

Dearne Valley Weekender

 

Emerging Talent Award

Salma Haidrani – University of Sheffield

Andrew Seddon – University of Leeds

James Weston – Wyke Sixth Form College

 

 

 

For more information, contact

 

Ann McCrackenO2 Communications Manager, NorthAnn.mccracken@o2.com+44 (0)7850 708009 Mark RossiterRossiter Mediamark@rossitermedia.co.uk+44 (0)1829 741371

 

O2 Press Office contacts

 

t +44 (0)1753565656

e: pressoffice@o2.com

 

All O2 news releases can be accessed at our website: www.o2.co.uk/news

Journalists can contact the Virgin Media O2 press office on:
press@virginmediao2.co.uk 01753 565656
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