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Winners announced for the Kent Press & Broadcast Awards 2018

July, 2018

Awards have been presented in 15 categories to recognise the efforts of print, broadcast and digital journalists at this year’s Kent Press & Broadcast Awards (KPBA).

Friday, 13 July, proved lucky for many when the ceremony to celebrate local journalism took place at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, Canterbury. The awards are organised by Kent PR agency Maxim, and were this year hosted by the BBC’s Simon McCoy. Popular for his straight talking when it comes to stories that are not news, Simon was a hit with the audience, sharing anecdotes from his experience and commenting on the media landscape today.

The BBC's Simon McCoy was the host of the fourth Kent Press & Broadcast Awards ceremony.

After the event, Simon McCoy tweeted about his experience: “Have just shared a room with a lot of young journalists at the start of what I hope will be – like mine – a fantastic journey. I respect and envy them!”

Maxim’s Rachel Knight said: “Working in local media can be a challenging and often thankless task, which is why we feel it is so important to recognise the efforts of our county’s journalists. This year was our most popular ever with 148 entries, which we believe shows that the media finds these awards as important as we do. Those entries came in as audio, film, print and online examples, which really shows how diverse the reporter’s role has become – as was shown by the variety of winners on the day.”

In memory of the only triple KPBA winner, the sports award was this year renamed as a tribute to BBC sports journalist Neil Bell, who died earlier this year. 

Rob Smith of BBC South East paid tribute to Neil Bell, three times winner at KPBA.

The Kent Press & Broadcast Awards entries are judged by an expert panel consisting of: Susie Boniface, a national journalist known as Fleet Street Fox; PA photographer Gareth Fuller; digital consultant Patrick Fuller; Gillian Hargreaves, who spent 25 years with BBC news; journalist and lecturer Dr Sarah Lonsdale; sports journalist and lecturer Paul Majendie; Rebecca Smith, former senior editor for Kent Regional News and Media; and Leo Whitlock, a local newspaper journalist for more than 20 years, much of which was spent at the KM Media Group. 

The full results are as follows: 

Best Use of Social Media, sponsored by Eurotunnel

Winner: Kent Live – Kent Traffic & Travel        
Highly commended: Tom Darby, BBC South East
Finalists:    
KM Charity Team
Save Our Buses, Kent Live


Kent Broadcast Journalist of the Year, sponsored by Barretts Motor Group

Winner: Leanne Rinne, BBC South East Today    
Highly commended: Lauren Moss, BBC South East Today
Finalists:
John Ryall, ITV News Meridian
Louisa Britton, KMTV


Kent Columnist of the Year, sponsored by Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce

Winner: Chris Hunter, Medway Messenger
Highly commended: Stringer, Gravesend Messenger
Finalists:    
Nikki White, Medway Messenger
Seb Reilly, The Isle of Thanet News 


Kent Design/er of the Year, sponsored by Westwood Cross

Winner: Samantha Barton, Kent Life
Highly commended: ‘cene magazine
Finalists:    
Matthew Panting, KM Media Group
Paul Acres, Kent Messenger/Gravesend Messenger


Kent Feature Journalist of the Year, sponsored by Saga

Winner: Mike Gunnill, Bygone Kent
Higly commended: Samuel Supple, BBC South East Today & Inside Out
Finalists:
Jo Burn, BBC Radio Kent
Joe Walker, Kentish Gazette


Kent Front Page of the Year, sponsored by Yoyo Design

Winner: Ashley Austen, Kent Messenger
Highly commended: Kent Life
Finalists:
Gravesend Messenger
Kent & Sussex Courier


Kent Magazine of the Year, sponsored by Shepherd Neame

Winner: ‘cene magazine
Highly commended: Isle Magazine
Finalists:
Bygone Kent
Kent Life


Kent New Journalist of the Year, sponsored by EKC Group

Winner: Katie Boyden, Kent Live
Highly commended: Keilan Webster, KMTV 
Finalists: 
Andy Robinson, Kent Live
Harry Peet, KMTV


Kent News Website of the Year, sponsored by LKM Recycling

Winner: The Isle of Thanet News
Highly commended: KentOnline
Finalists: 
Kent Live
The Canterbury Journal


Kent Newspaper of the Year, sponsored by Southeastern

Winner: Kent Messenger
Highly commended: Kentish Gazette
Finalists: 
Dartford & Gravesend Messengers
Medway Messenger


Kent Photographer of the Year, sponsored by Clive Emson Auctioneers

Winner: Matt Walker, Freelance/KM Media Group
Highly commended: Frank Leppard, Kent Live/Isle of Thanet Gazette
Finalists:
Andy Jones, Freelance/KM Media Group
Gary Browne, Kentish Gazette/Folkestone & Hythe Express/Kent Messenger


Kent Print Journalist of the Yearsponsored by Benenden Hospital Trust

Winner: Guy Bell, Kent Messenger
Highly commended: Marijke Hall, Kentish Gazette Series
Finalists:
Dan Wright, Kentish Express 
Ed McConnell, Gravesend & Dartford Messenger


Kent Programme of the Year, sponsored by Digitom Video Content Agency

Joint winner: ITV News Meridian
Joint winner: kmfm Drivetime with Rob Wills ‘Make Someone’s Christmas’
Finalists:         
BBC South East Today  
Kent Non-League Podcast


The Neil Bell Kent Sports Journalist of the Year, supported by Kent Cricket

Winner: Keilan Webster, KMTV
Highly commended: Benjamin Watts, BBC Radio Kent
Finalists:         
Cameron Tucker, KMTV 
Stephen Page, Kent & Sussex Courier/Folkestone Herald/Sevenoaks Chronicle/Isle of Thanet Gazette/Dover Express


Kent Young Journalist of the Yearsponsored by Port of Dover

Winner: Sian Elvin, Kent Live
Highly commended: Harry Peet, KMTV
Finalists:
Andy Robinson, Kent Live 
Luke May, Kent Messenger

For more information and to view all the photos from the ceremony, visit www.kpbawards.co.uk.


The winners and highly commended finalists at the Kent Press & Broadcast Awards 2018.

posted in: maxim/client news, media relations,

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