Entries are flooding in for the Regional Press Awards for 2019, which will be staged in London this coming June. Included in the awards is the Cathryn Nicoll Award, an accolade to young journalists who have demonstrated great vibrancy and skill in an interview piece they have conducted. The award, which is one of many categories included in the Regional Press Awards, carries a substantial cash prize of £500.

Criteria for the award are as follows:

• Entrant must have worked for a weekly or daily or local regional newspaper in the UK
• Entrant must be aged between the age of 18-25 years old on the entry closing date of 2 March 2020
• Entrant must have submitted a published feature or news story based on an interview that they have carried out with a well-known person or celebrity between 1 January 2019- 31 December 2019

This is a fantastic opportunity for young journalists in the industry to receive praise from the premier awards for their skill and hard work. The award will highlight and reward brilliant interviewing and feature writing by young journalists, with a cash prize of £500 for the winner.

Molly Williams of the Sheffield Star, and winner of the inaugural Cathryn Nicoll award last year said:

“It was an amazing surprise to win the award, a really proud moment that I will cherish throughout my journalism career. 

“It’s important to take a step back every now and then to recognise the hard work done in regional newsrooms every day. This event is a fabulous way to celebrate that and makes for a very inspiring day that also brings journalists together from across the country.

“As a young reporter who is in the early stages of her career it was a huge confidence boost to be a part of the awards and then to be the first winner of the Cathryn Nicoll Award was incredible. 

“To anyone on the fence about entering, I’d say go for it. My editor encouraged me to take a chance and it was one of the best things I’ve done.”

The award pays tribute to journalist, Cathryn Nicoll who held the position of news editor at the Croydon Advertiser where she was in charge of 21 reporters. Her colleagues have said that she was a good and fair interviewer who believed passionately in journalistic standards and training and would devote her time to young journalists in the newsroom who showed promise. 

Cathryn, who was married to former Bletchley Park codebreaker and GCHQ deputy director Douglas Nicoll, died in 2016 and made provision in her will for an annual award for young journalists to be set up by the News Media Association (NMA). 

Deadline for all entries into the Regional Press Awards are fast approaching. Journalists have until Monday 2 March to submit their entries through the Society of Editors website. A full list of categories, including Newspaper of the Year and Campaign of the Year- which will also be automatically entered into the NMA’s Making a Difference Award- can be found here.