Celebrating the success of Scotland's top women journalists at annual Press Awards
WiJS chair Gabriella Bennett (L) with Marion Scott (centre), winner of the Nicola Barry Award. Picture by Andrew Barr - andybarr.com
Women in Journalism Scotland (WiJS) is celebrating the work of a raft of women journalists being recognised at the annual Scottish Press Awards, including many members of our network.
The winner of the Nicola Barry Award, which is sponsored by WiJS, was Marion Scott of The Sunday Post for the second year - and she made it a hat-trick by also picking up Reporter of the Year and Scoop of the Year.
Runner-up for the award - which reflects Nicola’s lifelong passion to standing up to injustice - was Karin Goodwin of The Ferret.
Committee member Jen McLaren was named Regional Reporter of the Year, with another committee member Catriona Stewart was also nominated in this category.
Heather Dewar, who is also on the WiJS committee, received two runner-up awards for Sports News Writer and Sports Columnist of the Year,
WiJS mentor Chitra Ramaswamy of The Times Scotland won Food and Drink Writer of the Year, while another mentor Vicky Allan was runner-up in Interviewer of the Year. WiJS mentee Christiana Opoku was nominated in the Student of the Year category.
WiJS member Jen Stout, a freelancer who has extensively covered the war in Ukraine, was runner-up in Reporter of the Year and former WiJS chair Jan Patience was nominated in the Arts and Entertainment Journalist of the Year category.
The winners of the 44th Scottish Press Awards. Picture by Andrew Barr - andybarr.com
Gabriella Bennett, chair of WiJS said: "It's thrilling to see so many of our members acknowledged for their brilliant journalism at this year's press awards.
"In particular the Nicola Barry Award - sponsored by Women in Journalism Scotland - highlighted two journalists at the very top of their game.
“Both Marion Scott and Karin Goodwin continue to give a platform to marginalised voices. The Scottish media landscape is richer for their writing.”
The extensive list of female winners at the awards also included Press Association photographer Jane Barlow, who became the first ever photographer to win the Journalist of the Year category for her portrait of Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral - the last public picture before her death. She also won News Photographer of the Year.
Feature Writer of the Year went to Patricia Kane of the Daily Mail and Emma Cowing from the same title picked up Interviewer of the Year.
Janet Christie of The Scotsman/Scotland on Sunday won Arts and Entertainment Journalist of the Year and Constance Kampfner of The Times Scotland picked up the Young Journalist of the Year award.