Sunday Mercury tops the Midlands Media Awards

Jun 21 2009 by Paul Cole, Sunday Mercury

Midlands Media Awards

MERCURY IS MIDLANDS’ No. 1 PAPER

THE Sunday Mercury has been named Newspaper of the Year at the prestigious Midlands Media Awards.

Judges were knocked out by the Mercury’s unmissable mix of investigations, hard news, sports, features and fun.

The big exclusives which caught the panel’s eye included a moving interview with the parents of murdered newsboy Carl Bridgewater, a probe into the events leading to the death of Khyra Ishaq, and the exposé of abuse in a children’s home.

Chairman of the judges Keith Parker – former editor of the Express & Star – said: “The Sunday Mercury’s journalists have been as exceptional at their work as ever – inventive, passionate and enthusiastic.

“They have done what they are best at, using their skills, imagination and professionalism to cover every aspect of life in the region.

Crusading

“The judges were impressed at the Mercury’s crusading spirit, cussed persistence and sheer determination, consistently able to come up with the rattling good exclusive.

“A former winner, the judges were once again particularly impressed with the quality of the Sunday Mercury with its balance of news, features and photography, all of the highest standard. We congratulate the paper once more on winning this flagship category.”

The paper took a hat-trick of awards at last night’s ceremony, staged at Birmingham’s New Bingley Hall.

Adam Aspinall was named Reporter of the Year and Mike Lockley took the award for Columnist of the Year.

Aspinall’s awards portfolio included an investigation into how an entire village was ripped off by credit card fraudsters, the story of a bigamist vicar with three wives and an exposé of a Premiership charity chief’s football hooligan past.

Said Parker: “The judges felt all the pieces demonstrated Adam’s talent for perseverance in seeking out the truth in difficult circumstances, which is exactly the role of a great news reporter.”

Lockley – our self-styled ‘family man from the sticks’ – submitted a selection of his humorous columns.