With 27 categories featuring a mix of several long-standing award titles complemented by new-look categories, the Scottish Press Awards judges say they have received a flood of entries, representing talent from across the industry. 120 finalists will be hoping to scoop an award from a range of categories including politics, business, sport, and the arts.
Shortlists for the Scottish Newsbrand of the Year, Journalist of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement Award are not revealed as winners will be announced on the night of the ceremony.
This year’s judging panel was chaired by Richard Neville, former head of Newsbrands at DC Thomson and current director of Neville Robertson Communications.
Richard Neville said: “As ever, the quality of entries to the awards just keeps getting better and better.
“The diversification of skills is more evident than ever before and publications across the country are finding new ways to tell great stories, as well as serving their traditional audiences with the quality content they expect.”
The organisers say the 46th Scottish Press Awards are sponsored by, Diageo, Edrington, VisitScotland, Royal Bank of Scotland, Openreach, The Glenmorangie Company Ltd, The Law Society of Scotland, Caledonian MacBrayne, Muckle Media, Weber Shandwick, Women in Journalism Scotland, Media House International, Event Consultants Scotland and Newsbrands Scotland.
Overseen by Newsbrands Scotland, the awards ceremony and dinner will take place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Glasgow Central on May 22, 2025.
The shortlist is as follows:
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Matt Bendoris, The Scottish Sun
Janet Christie, The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday
Kenny Farquharson, The Jaggy Thistle
Brian Ferguson, The Scotsman
Neil Mackay, The Herald and Herald on Sunday
BEST COVERAGE OF A LIVE EVENT
Alloa Advertiser, Fatal Alloa Explosion
The Scotsman, Humza Yousaf's resignation
The Scottish Sun, Salmond
The Scottish Sun, Euros 2024
CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR
The Glasgow Times, End the Homeless Hostel Shame
The Press and Journal, Common Sense Compromise
The Press and Journal, Community Fund
The Scottish Sun, Sort the School Debt
The Sunday Post, Saving Mothers and Babies
COLUMNIST OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY EDRINGTON
Kenny Farquharson, The Times Scotland
Dani Garavelli, The Herald
John MacLeod, Scottish Daily Mail
Melanie Reid, The Times and Sunday Times Scotland
Mandy Rhodes, Holyrood Magazine
FEATURE WRITER OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY THE GLENMORANGIE COMPANY
Dani Garavelli, Freelance
Marc Horne, The Times and Sunday Times Scotland
Neil Mackay, The Herald and Herald on Sunday
Kevin McKenna, The Herald
Mandy Rhodes, Holyrood Magazine
FINANCIAL/BUSINESS JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND
Greig Cameron, The Times and Sunday Times Scotland
Keith Findlay, The Press and Journal
Paul Malik, The Courier
Martyn McLaughlin, The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday
Martin Williams, The Herald and Herald on Sunday
FOOD AND DRINK WRITER OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY DIAGEO
Sarah Campbell, The Herald
Rachel McConnachie, The Courier
Chitra Ramaswamy, The Times Scotland
Claire Sawers, The Times Scotland
Ailsa Sheldon, The Herald
FRONT PAGE OF THE YEAR
Scotland on Sunday
The Herald
The Press and Journal
The Scotsman
The Scottish Sun
INTERVIEWER OF THE YEAR
Jonathan Brocklebank, Scottish Daily Mail
Dani Garavelli, The Herald
Neil Mackay, The Herald and Herald on Sunday
Derek McGregor, The Scottish Sun
Mike Wade, The Times and Sunday Times Scotland
JOURNALISM TEAM OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY AMAZON
The Courier, Aberfeldy
The Herald, Legal Aid
The Press and Journal, Inverness Caley Thistle
The Scottish Sun, Salmond Death
The Scottish Sun, Stuart Hogg
NEWS PHOTOGRAPHER SPONSORED BY VISITSCOTLAND
Jane Barlow, Press Association
Mhairi Edwards, The Courier
Lisa Ferguson, The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday
Andrew Milligan, PA Media
Jeff Mitchell, Getty Images
NICOLA BARRY AWARD SPONSORED BY WOMEN IN JOURNALISM SCOTLAND
Lindsay Bruce, The Press and Journal
Adele Merson, The Press and Journal
Helen Puttick, The Times and Sunday Times Scotland
Marion Scott, The Sunday Post
Catriona Stewart, Freelance
PODCAST OF THE YEAR
Rachael Revesz, Coatbridge; The Disappearance of Moira Anderson
The Ferret, A Place to Heal
The Scotsman, Scran
The Scotsman, The Steamie
The Scottish Sun, One on One
POLITICAL JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY THE LAW SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND
Kieran Andrews, The Times and Sunday Times Scotland
Michael Blackley, Scottish Daily Mail
Georgia Edkins, Scottish Mail on Sunday
Adele Merson, The Press and Journal
Chris Musson, The Scottish Sun
REGIONAL JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Alasdair Clark, The Courier
Dale Haslam, The Press and Journal
Amanda Keenan, The Glasgow Times
Gordon McCracken, Greenock Telegraph
Bryan Rutherford, The Press and Journal
REPORTER OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY OPENREACH
Stuart Paterson, The Scottish Sun
Marion Scott, The Sunday Post
Catriona Stewart, Freelance
Martin Williams, The Herald and Herald on Sunday
Caroline Wilson, The Herald
SCOOP OF THE YEAR
Kieran Andrews, The Times Scotland
Michael Blackley, Scottish Daily Mail
Mark Howarth, The Sunday Post
Graham Mann, The Scottish Sun
Marion Scott, The Sunday Post
SPECIALIST REPORTER OF THE YEAR
Garrett Baylor Stell, The Herald
Graham Mann, The Scottish Sun
Helen McArdle, The Herald
Martyn McLaughlin, The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday
Bryan Rutherford, The Press and Journal
SPORTS COLUMNIST OF THE YEAR
Michael Grant, The Times and Sunday Times Scotland
Susan Egelstaff, The Herald
Craig Fowler, The Herald
Gary Keown, Scottish Mail on Sunday
Bill Leckie, The Scottish Sun
SPORTS JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Michael Grant, The Times and Sunday Times Scotland
Robert Grieve, The Scottish Sun
Alan Pattullo, The Scotsman
Rob Robertson, The Herald
Sean Wallace, The Press & Journal
SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
Darrell Benns, The Press and Journal and Evening Express
James Gunn, Highland News Media, freelance
Ian MacNicol, Getty Images
Andrew Milligan, PA Media
Alan Wilson, East Lothian Courier, Peeblesshire News, Border Telegraph
WEEKLY JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Chris Faulds, Alloa Advertiser
Luke Jarmyn, Stranraer and Wigtownshire Free Press
Scott Maclennan, The Inverness Courier
Lewis McBlane, The Northern Scot
Tristan Stewart-Robertson, Helensburgh Advertiser and Clydebank Post
WEEKLY NEWSBRAND OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY CALEDONIAN MACBRAYNE
Cumnock Chronicle
Dunfermline Press
East lothian Courier
The Inverness Courier
The Orcadian
YOUNG JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY MUCKLE MEDIA
Isaac Buchan, The Press and Journal
Ed Halford, The Times Scotland
Sian Maher, The Scottish Sun
Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco, Freelance
Andrew Robson, The Courier
Harry Williamson, The Scottish Sun
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