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Kent’s top journalists announced

July, 2022

The county’s top journalists found themselves making the headlines after the winners of the 2022 Kent Press & Broadcast Awards (KPBA) were announced.

For the first time in two years, a 110-strong audience of finalists, sponsors and judges met in person for the award ceremony to celebrate the winners across 16 categories.

Now in its eighth year, the not-for-profit award scheme is organised by Kent PR and marketing agency Maxim. KPBA recognises and celebrates local journalism and the media’s commitment to serving local communities. 

The ceremony returned to The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, Canterbury on Friday 15 July and was hosted by award-winning journalist Ben Brown (pictured below). Born and bred in Kent, Ben is a familiar face on the BBC News Channel, the BBC One O’Clock News and weekend news bulletins. 

The results in full were:

Kent Broadcast Journalist of the Year, sponsored by Eurotunnel
Winner: Colin Campbell, BBC South East Today 
Highly commended: Josie Hannett, BBC South East Today 
Finalists 
James Dunn, BBC South East Today 
Joe Coshan, ITV News Meridian 

Kent Columnist of the Year, sponsored by Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce 
Winner: Susan McGowan, Kent Life 
Highly commended: Matthew Munson, The Isle of Thanet News 
Finalists 
Melissa Todd, Thanet Extra 
Simon Finlay, Downs Mail 

Kent Designer of the Year 
Winner:
Lizzy Tweedale, Brightside Publishing 
Highly commended: James Black, KM Media Group 
Finalists:
Ashley Austen, KM Media Group/KMTV 
Paul Acres, KM Media Group 
 
Best Use of Digital Media, sponsored by Discovery Park
Winner: KentLive 
Highly commended: KentOnline 
Finalists: 
Henry Collier, KentLive   
Megan Carr, Sheerness Times Guardian and Sittingbourne News   

Kent Feature Journalist of the Year – Broadcast, sponsored by Digitom Video Production
Winner: Jo Burn, BBC Radio Kent 
Highly commended: Sara Thornton, BBC South East Today 
Finalists: 
Derek Johnson, ITV News Meridian 
Colin Campbell, BBC South East Today 

Kent Feature Journalist of the Year – Print & Online, sponsored by MHA MacIntyre Hudson 
Winner: Chris Hunter, Medway Messenger / KentOnline 
Highly commended: Jack Dyson, Kentish Gazette Series 
Finalists: 
Lydia Chantler-Hicks, Kentish Gazette 
Marijke Hall, Thanet Extra & ‘Cene  
 
Kent Magazine of the Year 
Winner: ‘Cene 
Highly commended: The Margate Mercury 
Finalists: 
insideKent 
The Next Step 
  
Kent New Journalist of the Year, sponsored by EKC Group 
Winner: Jadzia Samuel, KMTV  
Highly commended: Emily-Jane Heap, KentLive / Kent & Sussex Courier  
Finalists: 
Laoise Gallagher, KentOnline 
Adam McGroarty, KentLive  

Kent News Website of the Year, sponsored by Port of Dover 
Winner: KentOnline 
Highly commended: KentLive  
Finalists: 
The Isle of Thanet News 
Downs Mail 
  
Kent Newspaper of the Year, sponsored by Southeastern 
Winner: Kent Messenger  
Highly commended: Sheerness Times Guardian 
Finalists: 
The Isle of Thanet News 
Kentish Gazette 
  
Kent Photographer of the Year 
Winner:
Frank Leppard, freelance  
Highly commended: Andy Jones, freelance  
Finalists: 
Matt Walker, freelance  
Martin Apps, freelance 

Kent Print & Online Journalist of the Year, sponsored by Ashford Designer Outlet  
Winner: Lydia Chantler-Hicks, Kentish Gazette 
Highly commended: Marijke Hall, Thanet Extra 
Finalists: 
Joe Wright, Kentish Gazette 
Mary Harris, KentLive/Kent & Sussex Courier   
  
Kent Programme of the Year, sponsored by NIAB 
Winner: The Wake Up Call, BBC Radio Kent
Highly commended: BBC South East Today 
Finalists: 
Kent Pro Wrestling, KMTV 
Kent Tonight Special, KMTV 
  
Kent Scoop of the Year, sponsored by Panattoni
Winner: Joe Coshan, ITV News Meridian 
Highly commended: Alex Jee, Kentish Express, Folkestone and Hythe Express & KentOnline  
Finalists: 
BBC Radio Kent  
The Isle of Thanet News  

The Neil Bell Kent Sports Journalist of the Year, supported by Kent Cricket 
Winner: Jon Phipps & Matt Gerrard, Kent Non-League Podcast 
Highly commended: Juliette Parkin, BBC South East Today 
Finalists: 
Ben Watts, BBC Radio Kent  
Tommaso Dimiddio, KMTV  
  
Kent Voices Award, sponsored by BAE Systems 
Winner: KentLive 
Highly commended: Laoise Gallagher, KentOnline 
Finalists: 
Joe Coshan, ITV News Meridian 
The Isle of Thanet News  

This year, two further awards were presented for entries that really stood out, but didn’t win the category they were shortlisted for. The Golden Pen 2022 was awarded to Joe Wright of the Kentish Gazette, and the Golden Microphone 2022 was presented to the team at the KentOnline Podcast.


Winners and those highly commended at this year's Kent Press & Broadcast Awards.  

Commenting at the event, Maxim Director Rachel Knight said: “It was so good to be able to celebrate the achievements of Kent’s media in person again. It’s been a difficult couple of years but we were pleased to be able to keep KPBA going throughout the pandemic. 

“That wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the KPBA sponsors so we must say a huge thank you to them, and to our independent industry judges who review every single entry.”

The judging panel brought together Susie Boniface, a national journalist known as Fleet Street Fox; digital consultant Patrick Fuller; journalist and lecturer Dr Sarah Lonsdale Rebecca Smith, former senior editor for Kent Regional News and Media; Leo Whitlock, a local newspaper journalist for more than 20 years; as well as new judges for 2022: Kiran Bhangal of Sky News Radio and Sian Elvin Deputy News Editor of Metro and former Kent Young Journalist of the Year.

For more information on the Kent Press & Broadcast Awards, and to see all the photos from this year's ceremony, visit www.kpbawards.co.uk
 

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