The Irish News has been nominated for News Brand of the Year in the 2024 Regional Press Awards, which has also recognised the work of late journalist Dawn Egan with a posthumous nomination.
Hosted by the Society of Editors, the annual awards recognise the titles publishing the most “innovative, exciting and erudite journalism on a regional level”, and the Irish News has received three nominations, including for News Brand of the Year.
The nomination follows the Irish News reaching the number one position in the UK regional newspaper industry for combined print and digital sales, and it is in the running for the award alongside titles including the Belfast Telegraph and the Yorkshire Evening Post.
Meanwhile, late veteran Irish News production journalist Dawn Egan, who died in October of last year after a short illness, has been nominated in the Designer of the Year category.
One of the first women to work as a compositor in Belfast’s print newspaper industry, Dawn’s career with the Irish News spanned almost 40 years after she retrained as a journalist and worked with the features department.
Originally from west Belfast, the mother-of-four and grandmother-of-four was remembered as one of the “longest serving and most important members of staff” at the Irish News by editor Noel Doran following her death.
Her nomination for the award states: “Dawn was not only highly experienced but also had the design flair that made her a perfect fit for features. Any newsroom would miss a page designer of Dawn’s qualities but perhaps above all, her colleagues were always in awe of both her speed and the volume of pages she could produce.”
It adds: “Highly skilled, unflappable and a wonderful colleague and servant of The Irish News and its readers, Dawn did not seek plaudits and praise during her illustrious career. It would be a fitting tribute if her remarkable contribution received wider recognition.”
Also nominated this year is Irish News columnist Chris Donnelly, who is in the running for Opinion Writer of the Year.
His hard-hitting pieces regularly spark debate, and he said of his work: “I believe my role as columnist is to inform, engage and challenge, leaving an impression upon readers regardless of their political outlook or preference.”
A Society of Editors spokesperson said: “With decades of history and a host of acclaimed journalists and titles among their past winners, the Regional Press Awards are the pinnacle of the UK’s local journalism sector.”
The winners of the 21 categories will be announced at the awards ceremony in London on April 16.
