SURREAL. That's probably the best way to describe it.

After all, it's not every day you get to meet the broadcasting legend that is Gordon Burns, share jokes with a Nolan sister and - most publicly of all - get given a prestigious journalism award by the lovely Nikki Sanderson (aka Candice off Coronation Street). But then it's not every day you beat off stiff competition from the regional dailies to win Scoop of the Year at the O2 Media Awards.

A nine-strong party of us Champion types had made the drive over to Blackpool - always a delight, given I'm originally from there - for the bash at the Pleasure Beach, which saw journalists from across the region being recognised for their hard work and achievements over the past 12 months. My sea rescue scoop, which appeared back in The Champion in April, was up against two excellent entries from The Liverpool Echo and the Lancashire Evening Post, so I was surprised and delighted in equal measure when Nikki announced that The Champion actually was the champion!

An O2 spokesperson said of the award during the presentation at Blackpool Pleasure Beach:

"Judges said The Champion landed the scoop every print and broadcast organisation wanted when reporter David Simister broke the story of how an elderly grandmother was dropped into icy seas while being lifted from a Norwegian cruise ship into a lifeboat after being taken ill on board.

"The exclusive was later used extensively across national newspapers and television. One judge said ‘a scoop we all wished we'd had!'"

What particularly inspired me on the night was not how well we at The Champ had done with our story but at the sheer strength and quality of the stories which proved to be winners; Liverpool Echo reporter Ben Rossington, who was also up for the scoop award, deservedly went home with the News Reporter of the Year award, while Visiter reporter Tom Bristow, who's gone on to work for a paper in Norwich, picked up the Young Journalist of the Year (Weekly) prize. And the Lancashire Evening Post? Well, they got Daily Newspaper of the Year, which is another great achievement.

But by far the best moment of the night was the Outstanding Contribution award, for which there was only ever going to be one candidate.... Gordon Burns. The BBC North West Tonight anchor, who'd been told he was going to be giving an award to Gee Walker, but he was given a standing ovation when he discovered that in fact she was giving him the award. It was a moving moment in a night packed with good news, and I feel priveliged to have met someone who is a household name.

The media's had a lot of bad press this year, but as a now award-winning journalist I'm delighted to say that the north west's journalists are still able to come up with some brilliant publications and some world-beating stories.

The winners, in full:

O2 Business Journalist of the Year

Adam Jupp – Manchester Evening News

Runners Up

Peter Elson – Liverpool Daily Post

Alistair Houghton - Liverpool Daily Post & Liverpool Echo

Shelina Begum - Manchester Evening News

O2 Digital Journalist of the Year

Adam McClean – Granada Reports

Runners Up

Dan Kay – Liverpool Daily Post and Echo

Jo Kelly - Liverpool Daily Post and Echo

Peter Bainbridge – Manchester Evening News

O2 Young Journalist of the Year – Daily

Miranda Newey – Bolton News

Runners Up

Will Metcalfe – Northwest Evening Mail

Katie Robinson – Northwest Evening Mail

David Pickthall – Northwest Evening Mail

O2 Young Journalist of the Year – Weekly

Tom Bristow – Southport Visiter

Runners Up

Ellie Cullen – Crewe Chronicle

Natalie Banks - Chorley and Leyland Guardian

Matthew Hobbs – Warrington Guardian

O2 Feature Writer of the Year

Sarah Newstead – Cumberland News

Runners Up

Roger Lytollis – Cumberland News

Alistair Houghton – Liverpool Daily Post and Echo

Paddy Shennan - Liverpool Echo

O2 News Reporter of the Year

Ben Rossington – Liverpool Echo

Runners Up

Neal Keeling – Manchester Evening News

Liza Williams – Liverpool Daily Post and Echo

Vanessa Cornall – Lancashire Telegraph

O2 Photographer of the Year

Colin Lane – Liverpool Daily Post and Echo

Runners Up

Paul Heyes – Manchester Evening News

Vincent Cole - Manchester Evening News (Rochdale Observer)

Sean Hansford - Manchester Evening News (Rochdale Observer)

O2 Radio Broadcast Journalist of the Year

Janine Bolton – Rock FM

Runners Up

Michelle Ponting – Key 103

Jimmy McCracken – BBC Radio Merseyside

O2 Scoop of the Year

Champion Newspapers

Runners Up

Liverpool Echo

Lancashire Evening Post

O2 Sports Journalist of the Year

Jon Colman – Cumberland News

Runners Up

Amanda Little – Cumberland News

Chris Hall – Granada Reports

Kelly O’Donnell – Tower and Wish FM

O2 TV Broadcast Journalist of the Year

Matt O’Donoghue – Granada Reports

Runners Up

Andy Gill – BBC North West Tonight

Jacey Normand – BBC Inside Out

O2 Editorial Team of the Year

Key 103

Runners Up

Granada Reports

Saddleworth Independent

The Leader

O2 Daily Newspaper of the Year

Lancashire Evening Post

Runners Up

Bolton News

Lancashire Telegraph

Liverpool Echo

O2 Weekly Newspaper of the Year

Cumberland News

Runners Up

Chester Chronicle

Crosby Herald

Rossendale Free Press

Warrington Guardian

O2 Newspaper of the Year

Cumberland news

Outstanding ContributionAward

Gordon Burns – BBC North West Tonight

For more on the O2 Media Awards see next Wednesday's Champion, published November 9, 2011.

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