The results of the Press Awards for 2019 have been announced, with big wins for The Telegraph, Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday as well as the Guardian, Times and Sunday Times.
The Telegraph won News Website of the Year as well as Scoop of the Year, Investigation of the Year and Front Page of the Year. The Daily Mail was crowned Daily Newspaper of the Year, with The Mail on Sunday awarded the Sunday Newspaper of the Year title.
The awards, announced online today, are in recognition of work published during 2019 and are organised by the Society of Editors (SoE).
Ian Murray, executive director at the SoE and chair of the judges, said the decision to announce the results online and not postpone until an awards dinner could take place later in the year was not taken lightly, but was felt to be appropriate with the nation facing the Covid-19 crisis and the challenges to the media industry.
“The awards dinner, scheduled to take place this week in London, had been postponed in the hope the crisis would pass quickly. While we all hope the situation will improve rapidly there is the likelihood it could continue for some time and it was felt more appropriate to cancel the event altogether and announce the results,” said Murray.
“While the battle to defeat the Covid-19 virus and support the UK public at this time eclipses all other considerations, I do feel it is important to ensure the hard work and professionalism shown by the national press during 2019 does not go unrecorded.
“We can see the tremendous work the press is carrying out at this difficult time which is yet more evidence of the vital role our industry plays in our national life.”
The judges said that 2019 was a sensational year for the Daily Mail with unforgettable scoops, campaigns and front-page splashes. 2019 also saw the paper post record monthly market shares of UK retail sales, extending its lead as the highest-selling paper in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Mail on Sunday, meanwhile, delivered as the most-read Sunday newspaper during 2019. World-beating scoops included the Washington Files – leaked secret cables which revealed exactly what Britain’s ambassador to the US thought about Donald Trump, and in-depth analysis of Prince Andrew’s links to disgraced Jeffrey Epstein.
The Telegraph’s extensive coverage of the Sir Philip Green scandal also paid dividends and the paper has been awarded the best news website of 2019. The Daily Telegraph has been awarded the Scoop of the Year, Investigation of the Year and Front Page of the Year also in recognition of its extensive coverage into allegations against the Topshop boss.
Other big winners include The Guardian, The Times and The Sunday Times whose correspondents have been recognised in numerous individual categories. Campaign of the Year during 2019 has been awarded for the Daily Express’ coverage of the cystic fibrosis drugs scandal and The Sun has been recognised for its showbiz coverage and lifestyle podcast. The FT was deemed to have had the best business and finance team during 2019 with the Daily Mirror recognised for its environmental coverage.
Society of Editors President Alison Gow said: “It’s absolutely right that we celebrate the brilliant journalism of the past year and show our appreciation of those reporters, photographers, digital specialists and designers who work so hard to inform, challenge and entertain.
“Congratulations to the winners – I hope you take a little time amid all the craziness to celebrate what you’ve achieved.
“And thank you to our judges; the calibre of entries increases every year and the task of judging gets tougher, but their commitment never wavers.
“We thought 2019 was a busy year for news – 2020 has made an early bid for that crown. As a result (whether they appreciate them or not) audiences have never needed journalists more. From fast, accurate delivery of breaking news to the escapism of a fantastic long read or podcast that takes us outside of our little lockdown bubbles for a few minutes, the role of the journalist is as vital as it’s ever been.
“And we will be back, celebrating those roles in all their forms, next year as usual.”
A list of winners and highly commended entrants can be found here.
Trophies for winners and highly commended certificates will be posted out when it is practical to do so.
Sponsors for the awards include Camelot which has supported the Society of Editors since 2001, Google, Amazon Prime Video, Luther Pendragon, Cision, Wiggin, the Journalists’ Charity, PA Media, Reuters and the British Journalism Review.
It is a custom of the awards ceremony for collections to be made for the Journalists’ Charity. If you are able support the JC during this difficult time, donations can be made at https://journalistscharity.org.uk/
Anyone seeking further comment should contact Executive Director Ian Murray at ian.murray@societyofeditors.org
