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Winners announced for the Kent Press & Broadcast Awards 2020

November, 2020

The sixth annual Kent Press & Broadcast Awards ceremony took a different shape this year as the winners of more than 30 awards were announced during a virtual ceremony.

Celebrating the best of broadcast, digital and print in local journalism, the annual July event was postponed and then remodelled to ensure the winners could be safely recognised. This took place on Friday, 20 November.

Organised by Kent-based PR and marketing agency, Maxim, the event had an irreverent edge as Account Director Rachel Knight and Director Andrew Metcalf took on the challenge of hosting the event.

Click on this image to watch the virtual ceremony.

Rachel explained: “Our previous awards ceremonies have been hosted by well-known faces from the media industry but the pandemic meant that wasn’t possible this year. So instead of attempting to live up to Cathy Newman’s professionalism or Simon McCoy’s light-hearted delivery, we decided to be ourselves: we opened a bottle of wine, opened some envelopes announcing the winners and had a socially distant laugh.

“I’m not sure anyone will be inviting us to be the next stars of the small screen, but the feedback has been great. There was so much excitement when the shortlist was announced, and to be able to make a fuss of the finalists and in particular the winners at a time when we could all do with a little cheer was really important to us.”

More than 50 finalists, sponsors, judges and the Maxim team took part in a Zoom call while the ceremony was broadcast.

The not-for-profit event is made possible thanks to the support of sponsors, with their representatives also taking part in the ceremony.

The Kent Press & Broadcast Awards entries are judged by an independent, 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 Graham Jones; 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.

This year one of the categories – Feature Journalist – was split into two in recognition of the diversity of the entries, and two new awards, the Golden Pen and Golden Microphone, were also created.

Rachel adds: “The two golden awards came about because the judges felt that while all the entries were of a high standard, there were times when a nominee was deserving of recognition but did not necessarily match the criteria of the award they had entered.”

The full results are as follows:

Best Use of Digital Media, sponsored by Eurotunnel

Winner: Lizzie Massey, BBC South East (Digital)
Highly Commended: Stuart Maisner, BBC South East (Digital)
Finalists:
Andy Robinson, Kent Live
KentOnline

Kent Magazine of the Year

Winner: ’cene Magazine
Highly Commended: The Margate Mercury
Finalists:
Bygone Kent
Isle Magazine

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

Winner: Juliette Parkin, BBC South East Today
Highly Commended: Joe Coshan, KMTV
Finalists:
Ben Watts, BBC Radio Kent
Matthew Panting, KM Media Group

Commitment to the Community, sponsored by Saga
Winner: The Isle of Thanet News
Highly Commended: kmfm – Project Kent
Finalists:
Sevenoaks Sport & Wellbeing Magazine

Kent Designer of the Year

Winner: Jonathan Brewer, BBC South East Today
Highly Commended: Jim Lyons, ’cene Magazine
Finalists:
Anna Hamer, BBC South East Today
Dave Hobday, Medway Messenger

Kent Media Innovation of the Year, sponsored by BAE Systems

Winner: Mark Simmonite, KMTV
Highly Commended: James Dunham, ITV Meridian
Finalists: Jo Burn, BBC Radio Kent

Kent Feature Journalist of the Year (print), sponsored by MHA MacIntyre Hudson

Winner: Jack Dyson, Kentish Gazette
Highly Commended: Lauren MacDougall, Kent Live
Finalists:
Lydia Chantler-Hicks, Kentish Gazette
Marijke Hall, Thanet Extra
Mike Gunnill, Bygone Kent

Kent Feature Journalist of the Year (broadcast), sponsored by MHA MacIntyre Hudson

Winner: Claudia Sermbezis, BBC South East Today
Highly Commended: Joe Coshan, KMTV
Finalists: Piers Hopkirk, BBC South East Today
Samuel Supple, Inside Out South East 
Yvette Austin, BBC South East Today

Kent Photographer of the Year, sponsored by Brachers

Winner: Andy Jones, freelance
Highly Commended: Lewis Durham, freelance
Finalists:
Andy Aitchison, freelance
Frank Leppard, freelance

Kent Columnist of the Year

Winner: Jane Wenham-Jones, The Isle of Thanet News
Highly Commended: Mary Harris, Kent and Sussex Courier
Finalists: Melissa Todd, The Isle of Thanet News
Seb Reilly, The Isle of Thanet News

Kent Print Journalist of the Year

Winner: Lydia Chantler-Hicks, Kentish Gazette
Highly Commended: Marijke Hall, Thanet Extra
Finalists:
Chloe Holmwood, Sheerness Times Guardian / Sittingbourne News
Jack Dyson, Kentish Gazette
Simon Finlay, Downs Mail

Kent Broadcast Journalist of the Year

Winner: Josie Hannett, BBC South East Today
Highly Commended: Sarah Saunders, ITV News Meridian
Finalists:
Yetunde Yusuf, BBC South East Today & BBC Radio Kent
Zoie O’Brien, BBC South East Today

Kent News Website of the Year, sponsored by Port of Dover

Winner: KentOnline
Highly Commended: The Isle of Thanet News
Finalists:
Kent Live
Shepway Vox

Kent Newspaper of the Year, sponsored by Southeastern

Winner: Kentish Gazette
Highly Commended: Kent Messenger
Finalists:
East Kent Mercury
The Isle of Thanet News

Kent Programme of the Year, sponsored by Digitom Video Production

Winner: BBC South East Today
Highly Commended: ITV News Meridian
Finalists:
Kent Non-League Podcast
KMTV – Kent Decides

Kent New Journalist of the Year, sponsored by EKC Group

Winner: Brad Harper, Kentish Gazette
Highly Commended: Megan Carr, Gravesend Messenger / Dartford Messenger / Medway Messenger

Finalists:
Brittany Tijou-Smith, Kent & Sussex Courier Newspaper Series
Isabelle Miller, Kent Tonight
Katya Fowler, Kent Tonight

The Golden Pen Award: Shepway Vox

The Golden Microphone Award: Samuel Supple

For more information visit www.kpbawards.co.uk.

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