The ceremony, held at Quaglino's, London, celebrated the best of regional journalism. According to the organisers, the “event was a fantastic showcase of talent, passion, and dedication, highlighting the remarkable achievements of journalists from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The energy and pride in the room was truly inspiring.”
The winners of the Regional Press Awards 2026 were:
Individual Awards
CATHRYN NICHOLL AWARD
Millie Bowles, KentOnline
CRIME & INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER OF THE YEAR
Charles Thomson, Newsquest Media Group
DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
Gary Beckwith, Reach plc
FEATURE WRITER OF THE YEAR
Steve Dinneen, City AM
OPINION WRITER OF THE YEAR
Aoife Moore, The Irish News
PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
Jonathan Gawthorpe, The Yorkshire Post
DAILY REPORTER OF THE YEAR
Sam McBride, Belfast Telegraph
WEEKLY REPORTER OF THE YEAR
Will Hayward, The Will Hayward Newsletter
SPECIALIST JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Liam Thorp, Liverpool Echo
SPORTS JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Matthew Lindsay, The Herald
YOUNG JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Ben Roberts-Haslam, Liverpool Echo
Team Awards
BEST LIVE COVERAGE
Liverpool Echo
CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR
Hillsborough Law, Liverpool Echo
DIGITAL INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR
MyLondon
FRONT PAGE OF THE YEAR
Birmingham Mail
NEWS WEBSITE OF THE YEAR
Belfast Telegraph
REPORTING COMMUNITIES AWARD
Manchester Evening News
SCOOP OF THE YEAR
Top cop quits amid probe into 'Affairs', Southern Daily Echo
SUPPLEMENT OF THE YEAR
Weekend magazine, Belfast Telegraph
Organisations Award
SMALL NEWS BRAND OF THE YEAR
The Will Hayward Newsletter
LARGE NEWS BRAND OF THE YEAR
CornwallLive
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