Inverness Courier and fellow Highland News & Media sister title The Northern Scot win six titles in the Highlands and Islands News & Media Awards; there was also a moving win for late, great Inverness Courier and Press & Journal reporter Neil MacPhail
The Inverness Courier is celebrating after it won numerous awards including local website of the year in a prestigious industry competition.
It, and another newspaper within the Highland News and Media group, were honoured on Friday night in the annual Highlands and Islands Press Ball & Media Awards - with its titles landing six separate honours between them
There was also an emotional win for the late, great Inverness Courier and Press & Journal reporter Neil MacPhail, who sadly passed away in November, and was named Diageo Journalist of the Year in honour of his five decades of fine work within the industry.
In total the Courier picked up three awards at the glittering ceremony inside Inverness’s Kingsmill Hotel. As well as the already mentioned local website of the year title - which it took home for the second year in a row - the paper also saw reporter Val Sweeney win the feature writer of the year award, and Annabelle Gauntlett pick up the young journalist of the year honour.
Fellow HNM title, The Northern Scot, which is based in Elgin, also had much to celebrate. It was also a big winner on the night after being named newspaper of the year and picking up reporter of the year for Lewis McBlane, and photographer of the year for Daniel Forsyth.
Elsewhere, former BBC and MFR journalist Jackie O’Brien received this year’s Barron Trophy in recognition of outstanding journalism achievements in the Highlands and Islands. Fios, meanwhile, was named community newspaper of the year, Peter Ranscombe of the Press & Journal won the business award, the West Highland Free Press' John White secured the environment and sustainability honour, Shona MacDonald of the BBC was named Gaelic writer of the year, Eric MacKinnon of the Stornoway Gazette was named sports reporter of the year, and the West Highland Free Press received the campaign of the year title.
