“STRATHY” WINS NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR AWARD
The Strathspey and Badenoch Herald has been voted Newspaper of the Year by the Highland and Islands Media Awards' judging panel. Editor Gavin Musgrove will receive a cheque for £500, to be donated to a charity of the newspaper's choice, from the Rt Hon George Reid, MSP, Presiding Officer, Scottish Parliament, at the Highland and Islands Press Ball being held at the Newton Hotel, Nairn on Friday 4 February.
Kingussie-based reporter Jane Candlish completed a double for the “Strathy” by winning the Young Journalist of the Year award – the Alex Main Trophy.
Community Newspaper of the Year is Rudhach, Point, Lewis. The 10 issues per year newspaper, established in January 2001 with a circulation of 900, will receive a cheque for £300, £100 of which will go to local charity.
The Northern Scot, Elgin, also recorded a double success. Leanne Carter won the Local Newspaper Reporter of the Year Award and Bob Bruce is Local Newspaper Photographer of the Year.
Editor of the John O'Groat Journal/Caithness Courier, Alan Hendry, is Feature Writer of the Year. His reporter Ally McGilvray was highly commended in the Young Journalist of the Year category.
Former Journalist of theYear, Lorraine Shearer, is Reporter of the Year pipping Moray News Agency's Peter Jones into second place.
The Sports Writer of the Year Award went to Charles Bannerman, a freelance writer, for his contributions to the Highland News. Highly commended was Eric Mackinnon of the Hebridean, Stornoway.
Photographer of the Year is Iain Ferguson from The Write Image, Fort William . Highly commended is Trevor Martin, an Inverness freelance.
Highly commended Feature Writer is Rachael Cox, Executive Magazine; highly commended Local Newspaper Photographer is Ken Amer, Orkney Photographic; and highly commended Local Newspaper Reporter is Donald Wilson, Inverness Courier .
The awards attract prizemoney of £2,000. The main sponsors are Diageo, the world's premier drinks company. For the first time, the UHI Millennium Institute is sponsoring the prize for the Community Newspaper of the Year Award.
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HIGHLAND AND ISLANDS MEDIA AWARDS
To be made by the Rt Hon George Reid MSP, Presiding Officer, Scottish Parliament, at the Highlands and Islands Press Ball on Friday 4 February 2005 at the Newton Hotel, Nairn.
Local Newspaper Photographer of the Year:
Winner: Bob Bruce, Northern Scot
Highly Commended: Ken Amer, Orkney Photographic
Photographer of the Year:
Winner: Iain Ferguson, The Write Image, Fort William
Highly Commended: Trevor Martin, freelance, Inverness
Young Journalist of the Year
Winner: Jane Candlish, Strathspey and Badenoch Herald
Highly Commended: Ally McGilvray , John O'Groat Journal
Sportswriter of the Year:
Winner: Charles Bannerman, freelance contributing to the Highland News
Highly Commended: Eric Mackinnon, Hebridean
Local Reporter of the Year:
Winner: Leanne Carter, Northern Scot, Elgin
Highly Commended: Donald Wilson, Inverness Courier
Reporter of the Year:
Winner: Lorraine Shearer, Orcadian
Highly Commended: Peter Jones, Moray News Agency
Feature Writer of the Year:
Winner: Alan Hendry, John O'Groat Journal
Highly Commended: Rachael Cox, Executive Magazine
Community Newspaper of the Year:
Rudhach, Point, Lewis
Newspaper of the Year:
Strathspey and Badenoch Herald
Journalist of the Year:
To be announced at the Press Ball on Friday 4 February 2005 .