The Cambrian News won three of the most prestigious awards at the annual Welsh Media Awards gala, with journalist Debbie Luxon winning two reporting prizes.
Our news brand for Mid Wales, serving Cardigan Bay, Ceredigion, Gwynedd and North Powys, was named Weekly Newspaper of the Year on Friday.
Reporter Debbie Luxon was acclaimed as News Writer of the Year and named the Journalist of the Year in Wales.
Around 200 guests attended the awards ceremony at Cardiff’s Parkgate Hotel which showcased “excellence in print, online and broadcast journalism” in both English and Welsh.
“Wow,” Cambrian News Editor Mick O’Reilly said in a news report for the Cambrian News.
Community knowledge
“We know we produce hard-hitting stories online and in print each week, but for Debbie to be named Journalist of the Year in Wales, win News Writer of the Year, and for the paper to win Weekly Newspaper of the Year, confirms the quality of our work.”
The Cambrian News was commended for its “strength of writing talent, of journalists working on their patch, dedicated to their community, delivering news with unrivalled gusto and packed with personality and opinion — a must-read example of local journalism at its best.”
In their commendation, the judges said of Debbie Luxon: “Our Journalist of the Year is a local journalist, providing a vital service for readers and shining a light on important issues. [She] constantly goes behind cold statistics to give a human face to issues, combining objectivity with empathy and an overriding commitment to the communities being served.”
Cambrian News Reporter Debbie Luxon receives the Journalist of the Year award
The judges described the three awards as a triumph for weekly journalism at a time when the whole industry is facing significant challenges.
They said Debbie delivered “a masterclass” when it came to her news writing, noting she “was able to combine outstanding reporting with truly outstanding writing, setting a benchmark for the industry. Their work proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that long-form journalism still holds a vital and important place in a world dominated by soundbites and fleeting social media posts.”
Tindle Newspapers Managing Editor Scott Wood said that he was extremely proud of the Cambrian News team and Debbie for winning the awards. “These incredible results underline our commitment to local news,” he said.
Winners honoured
“How we deliver news is changing but the over-arching principle is covering news and events that matter first and foremost in our communities. And Debbie and Cambrian News deliver quality journalism online and in print on a daily and weekly basis.”
Other winners honoured on the night included: Elen Wyn, Television News Journalist of the Year; Wyre Davies, Audio News Journalist of the Year; Will Hayward, Political Journalist of the Year; Wales Online’s Conor Gogarty, Specialist Journalist of the Year; and ITV News Wales’ Hamish Auskerry, Self-Shoot Journalist of the Year.
The trophy for Television News and Current Affairs Programme of the Year went to BBC Wales Investigates for its expose of extreme far right factions. BBC Radio Cymru’s investigation into Islam, Cymru a Ni took the prize for Audio News and Current Affairs Programme of the Year.