The Yorkshire Post and Western Mail newspapers were among the top winners at the Regional Press Awards for 2019.

As well as the accolade for daily newspaper of the year (above 400,000 monthly reach), The Yorkshire Post also collected the supplement of the year award for its TdY Magazine.

Reporter Greg Wright was named business and finance journalist of the year while Simon Hulme won the daily photographer of the year award.

The Western Mail was also crowned daily newspaper of the year (below 400,000 monthly reach), with journalist Carolyn Hitt winning the columnist of the year award for a daily paper (alongside Allison Morris of The Irish News) and Amanda Powell being dubbed feature writer/long form journalist of the year.

They were among the winners across some 38 award categories announced by the Society of Editors on Friday.

Nearly 700 entries were received covering all aspects of local journalism, including sports, data, social media, campaigns and photography.

Due to the coronavirus crisis, a planned awards gala was replaced by a live online YouTube video event on Friday afternoon.

With local journalism one of the industries put under strain by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Society of Editors has been celebrating the important work of the regional press through its #LoveLocalMedia campaign.

Supporters are encouraged to share the hashtag on social media.

Other winners from the 2019 awards include the Bucks Free Press collecting the paid for weekly/Sunday newspaper of the year title (above 50,000 monthly reach) and the Farnham Herald winning the same award for a paper below 50,000 monthly reach.

The free weekly newspaper of the year award went to the Islington Tribune while HullLive scooped the website of the year gong.

The Birmingham Mail was chosen as joint winner for the daily newspaper campaign of the year category for its focus on the Birmingham pub bombings.

The judges also gave top marks to the Power up the North campaign run jointly by titles from publishers Newsquest, Reach and JPIMedia.

ChronicleLive was honoured as social media team of the year and Daniel Russell of the Nottingham Post and Nottinghamshire Live received the social media journalist of the year award.

Harriet Clugston, of RADAR AI (a news service using artificial intelligence to help create stories which forms part of the PA news agency), and Aimee Stanton, of JPI Media, were both named as data journalist of the year.

Joseph Hook, editor of RADAR AI, said: “Harriet’s consistent, high-quality public interest journalism has seen her land impactful data-driven stories in papers across the country over the last year. Many were on essential subjects that would not have come to light without her investigation.”

Judges handed the Cambridge News the daily paper front page of the year award for its “They tried to make the world a better place” splash honouring two young victims of the London Bridge terror attack, Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones.

The Herald on Sunday scooped the weekly paper front page of the year award for its “Choose something” issue, calling on MPs to be decisive on Brexit.

In a video message, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden paid tribute to the regional press and the “unique role” it plays in “holding local politicians to account and in building a sense of community”.

Mr Dowden said he found questions asked by local journalists at the regular coronavirus government briefings among the trickiest to deal with as they came from reporters close to their communities.

The full list of award winners were:

– JOURNALISTS’ CHARITY AWARD WINNERWinner: Dan Carrier, Camden New Journal

– YOUNG JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY AMAZON PRIME VIDEOWinner: Jessie Mathewson, East London GuardianWinner: Jack Dyson, Kentish GazetteHighly commended: Marcus Hughes, WalesOnline

– SPECIALIST WRITER/IMPACT JOURNALIST OF THE YEARWinner: Liam Thorp, Liverpool EchoHighly commended: Ciaran Barnes, Sunday Life

– FEATURE WRITER/LONG FORM JOURNALIST OF THE YEARWinner: Amanda Powell, the Western MailHighly commended: Joe Thomas, Liverpool Echo

– BUSINESS & FINANCE JOURNALIST OF THE YEARWinner: Greg Wright, The Yorkshire PostHighly commended: Robin Johnson, Derby TelegraphHighly commended: Margaret Canning, Belfast Telegraph

– COLUMNIST OF THE YEAR – DAILY PAPERWinner: Carolyn Hitt, the Western MailWinner: Allison Morris, The Irish NewsHighly commended: Catriona Stewart, The Herald

– COLUMNIST OF THE YEAR – WEEKLY PAPERWinner: Peter Grant, Wirral GlobeHighly commended: Mike Kelly, Sunday Sun

– SPORTS JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR – DAILY PAPERWinner: Neil Allen, The News, PortsmouthHighly commended: Paul Abbandonato, WalesOnline

– SPORTS JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR – WEEKLY/ SUNDAY PAPERWinner: Paul Ferguson, Sunday LifeHighly commended: Mark Taylor, Cambridge Independent

– DATA JOURNALIST OF THE YEARWinner: Harriet Clugston, RADAR AIWinner: Aimee Stanton, JPI MediaHighly commended: Annie Gouk, Reach Data Unit

– SOCIAL MEDIA JOURNALIST OF THE YEARWinner: Daniel Russell, The Nottingham Post and Nottinghamshire LiveHighly commended: Will Hayward, WalesOnline

– DIGITAL LIVE NEWS REPORTER OF THE YEARWinner: Kristian Johnson, LeedsLiveHighly commended: Neil Docking, Liverpool EchoHighly commended: Cathy Owen, Media Wales

– DIGITAL LIVE SPORTS REPORTER OF THE YEARWinner: Gareth Hanna, Belfast TelegraphHighly commended: Beren Cross, LeedsLive

– REPORTING COMMUNITIES AWARDWinner: Rakeem Omar Hyatt, BirminghamLiveWinner: Kathryn Williams, WalesOnlineHighly commended: Will Hayward, WalesOnline

– THE CATHRYN NICOLL AWARD – IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE NMAWinner: Joseph Locker, The Nottingham Post & Nottinghamshire Live

– WEEKLY/SUNDAY REPORTER OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY LUTHER PENDRAGONWinner: Rodney Edwards, The Impartial ReporterHighly commended: Charles Thomson, Yellow Advertiser

– DAILY REPORTER OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY LUTHER PENDRAGONWinner: Martyn McLaughlin, The ScotsmanHighly commended: Liam Thorp, Liverpool EchoHighly commended: Kelly Williams, Daily Post

– WEEKLY/SUNDAY PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY PA MEDIAWinner: Stuart Walker, The Cumberland NewsHighly commended: Mark Williamson, Stratford-upon-Avon Herald

– DAILY PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY PA MEDIAWinner: Simon Hulme, The Yorkshire PostHighly commended: James Hardisty, The Yorkshire Post/Yorkshire Evening Post

– DESIGNER OF THE YEAR – NEWSPAPERWinner: Debbie Rodman, Bury Free PressHighly commended: Simon Hill, Express & Star

– DESIGNER OF THE YEAR – MAGAZINES/SUPPLEMENTWinner: David Lewins, Bristol Post: Weekend MagazineHighly commended: Clarke Cooper, The Press and Journal

– SUPPLEMENT OF THE YEARWinner: TdY Magazine, The Yorkshire PostHighly commended: Back Where We Belong, Express & Star

– MAGAZINE OF THE YEARWinner: ecoJersey, Jersey Evening PostHighly commended: Life, Jewish News

– FRONT PAGE OF THE YEAR – DAILY PAPER, SPONSORED BY HOLDTHEFRONTPAGEWinner: They tried to make the world a better place, Cambridge NewsHighly commended: La Tragedie de Notre Dame, The Scotsman

– FRONT PAGE OF THE YEAR – WEEKLY PAPER, SPONSORED BY HOLDTHEFRONTPAGEWinner: “Choose something”, The Herald on SundayHighly commended: Shameless/ Killed for the Cameras, Sunday Life

– SCOOP OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY CISIONWinner: Senior teacher bombarded pupil, 15 with flirty messages, Daily PostHighly commended: Evil Eyes, Sunday Life

– CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR – DAILY PAPERWinner: Power up the North campaign, across Reach Plc, JPI Media & Newsquest titlesWinner: Birmingham pub bombing inquest campaign, Birmingham Mail

– CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR – WEEKLY/SUNDAY PAPERWinner: Save Kentish Town City Farm, Camden New JournalWinner: Paedophile police informant campaign, Yellow AdvertiserHighly commended: Save Reading Gaol, Reading Chronicle

– WEBSITE OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY GOOGLE NEWS INITIATIVEWinner: HullLive, Hull Daily MailHighly commended: Irishnews.com, The Irish NewsHighly commended: manchestereveningnews.co.uk, Manchester Evening News

– SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY FACEBOOK JOURNALISM PROJECTWinner: ChronicleLiveHighly commended: WalesOnline

– DIGITAL INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY FACEBOOK JOURNALISM PROJECTWinner: Brexit Voices from Northern Ireland, Belfast TelegraphHighly commended: Shaped by a River: Tales of the Tay, The Courier

– THE OVERALL DIGITAL AWARD – SPONSORED BY FACEBOOK JOURNALISM PROJECTWinner: liverpoolecho.co.uk, Liverpool EchoHighly commended: KentOnline, IM News

– INNOVATION & INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY FACEBOOK JOURNALISM PROJECTWinner: Statement, The Irish NewsHighly commended: Radar AI | Local News Wire, RADAR AI

– FREE WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY CAMELOTWinner: Islington TribuneHighly commended: Slough & Windsor Express

– PAID FOR WEEKLY/SUNDAY NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR ABOVE 50,000 MONTHLY REACH – SPONSORED BY CAMELOTWinner: Bucks Free PressHighly commended: Newbury Weekly News

– PAID FOR WEEKLY/SUNDAY NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR BELOW 50,000 MONTHLY REACH – SPONSORED BY CAMELOTWinner: Farnham HeraldHighly commended: The Impartial Reporter

– DAILY NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR ABOVE 400,000 MONTHLY REACH – SPONSORED BY CAMELOTWinner: The Yorkshire PostHighly commended: Express & Star

– DAILY NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR BELOW 400,000 MONTHLY REACH – SPONSORED BY CAMELOTWinner: Western MailHighly commended: Yorkshire Evening Post