AFTER 25-and-a-bit years I can still count the things I've won with one hand.

They include a prize for the best fancy dress at a Sunday school competition, circa 1990, a certificate I got for a short story which impressed the judges of a national competition at the turn of the milennium, and a bottle of wine I jointly won last week after ending up on a victorious pub quiz team last week. That's the sum total of the awards I've won to date.

However, I might be slightly closer to winning something after I discovered last Friday that an exclusive I wrote for The Ormskirk Champion back in April has been shortlisted for an award at this year's O2 Awards.

I am hopeful that I'll be able to go along to the awards ceremony in Blackpool next month and bring back a certificate and a cheesy picture for the paper, but in the interests of fairness I should point out I'm up against two great entries from The Liverpool Echo and the Lancashire Evening Post, and that fellow journalists from across the region have been nominated for a string of other gongs on the night.

The nominees are, in full:


Young Journalist of the Year (Weekly Newspapers)

Ellie Cullen, Crewe Chronicle
Natalie Banks, Chorley and Leyland Guardian
Tom Bristow, Southport Visiter
Matthew Hobbs, Warrington Guardian

Young Journalist of the Year (Daily Newspapers)

Will Metcalfe, North West Evening Mail
David Pickthall, North West Evening Mail
Katie Robinson, North West Evening Mail
Miranda Newey, Bolton News

Scoop of the Year

Ormskirk Champion
Lancashire Evening Post
Liverpool Echo

Radio Broadcast Journalist of the Year

Jimmy McCracken, BBC Radio Merseyside
Janine Bolton , Rock FM
Michelle Ponting, Key 103

Digital Journalist of the Year

Liverpool Echo, Jo Kelly
Granada Reports, Adam McClean
Liverpool Echo, Dan Kay
Manchester Evening News, Peter Bainbridge

TV Broadcast Journalist of the Year

Matt O’Donoghue, Granada Reports
Andy Gill, BBC North West Tonight
Jacey Normand, BBC Inside Out

Business Reporter of the Year

Alistair Houghton, Daily Post and Echo
Peter Elson, Daily Post and Echo
Shelina Begum, Manchester Evening News
Adam Jupp, Manchester Evening News

Feature Writer of the Year

Alistair Houghton, Daily Post and Echo
Paddy Shennan, Liverpool Echo
Roger Lytollis, Cumberland News
Sarah Newstead, Cumberland News

Photographer of the Year

Colin Lane, Daily Post and Echo
Paul Heyes, Manchester Evening News
Sean Hansford, Manchester Evening News/Rochdale Observer
Vincent Cole, Manchester Evening News/Rochdale Observer

Sports Reporter of the Year

Chris Hall, Granada Reports
Jon Colman, Cumberland News
Kelly O’Donnell, Tower FM/Wish FM
Amanda Little, Cumberland News

News Reporter of the Year

Liza Williams, Daily Post and Echo
Ben Rossington, Liverpool Echo
Neal Keeling, Manchester Evening News
Vanessa Cornall, Lancashire Telegraph

Editorial Team of the Year

Saddleworth Independent
Evening Leader (Chester/Wrexham)
Key 103
Granada Reports

Weekly Newspaper of the Year

Warrington Guardian
Chester Chronicle
Cumberland News
Crosby Herald
Rossendale Free Press

Daily Newspaper of the Year

Lancashire Evening Post
Bolton News
Liverpool Echo
Lancashire Telegraph


The news that The Champion had been shortlisted meant that not only was there a little piece on this morning's front pages about the nomination but also a bit of a headache for the subs, who apparently discovered every picture featuring Yours Truly in The Champion photo archive also features either pyjamas, an embarrassing lifejacket or - most prominently of all - a car of some sort...

The results of the O2 Awards will be announced on Thursday, November 3.

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