Over 30 nominations for DC Thomson news brands and journalists at Scottish Press Awards

As the shortlist for the 2023 Scottish Press Awards is announced, The Courier, The Press and Journal and The Sunday Post have all received a substantial number of nominations.

Both The Courier and The P&J are in the running for News Website of the Year award – an accolade The Courier won last year.

The Courier is nominated for best coverage of a live event, for its reporting of last October’s dramatic riots in Kirkton – which saw streets set on fire, a school smashed up and fireworks thrown at police officers.

It led to a ban on fireworks being sold in city supermarkets and a national conversation about anti-social behaviour.

In the same category, The P&J’s Live team has been nominated for coverage of the Skye shooting tragedy.

Two campaigns from The Sunday Post have won nominations. The In Plain Sight campaign looked at the unrecognised toll of violence against women, while the Post’s Women’s Health campaign successfully called for the urgent appointment of Scotland’s first Women’s Health Champion to tackle a host of deadly health inequalities.

Three P&J journalists are shortlisted for regional reporter of the year. Alastair Gossip is nominated for his extensive coverage of the Union Terrace Gardens saga, his world-exclusive on the route of the Queen’s cortege and Lord Provost Barney Crockett’s controversial Russian portrait.

He is up against Stuart Findlay, whose coverage of the Renee Macrae case, has already landed him the reporter of the year prize at the Highlands Press Awards in February.

Impact reporter Dale Haslam is also in the running in the same category for his investigations into the Stonehaven Rail Crash and the Hunt for Mr X documentary which investigated a North Sea diver behind £100m Highland cocaine plot.

The Sunday Post’s coverage of the war in Ukraine has resulted in a nomination in the journalism team of the year category and The Post has two nominations for reporter of the year with chief reporter Marion Scott and journalist Jen Stout shortlisted.

Marion is also nominated for the Scoop of the Year award, for her interview with rape victim Denise Clair.

Janet Boyle’s health reporting in The Sunday Post – including a stark first-hand account from a crisis-hit A&E ward – has earned her a nomination in the specialist reporter of the year category.

Both Janet and Marion are also nominated for the Nicola Barry Award, which recognises the best work by women journalists.

Alan Temple at The Courier, who led on coverage of David Goodwillie’s ill-fated move to Raith Rovers, is in the running for Sports Writer of the Year.

Two P&J staff photographers are nominated, with Wullie Marr shortlisted for best sports photographer and Jason Hedges named in the news category.

Justin Bowie from The Courier/The P&J’s politics team is up for young journalist of the year, alongside Sophie Goodwin and Brendan Duggan.

In The P&J, Sophie wrote about abuse in women’s football, wheelchair racing in Aberdeen and a profile on Aberdeen Women’s player Nadine Hanssen.

Writing across The P&J and The Courier, Brendan is shortlisted for his work on an investigation into abuse at Fornethy House and a tribute to David Lapage who died during Storm Arwen.

Jennifer McLaren is shortlisted for regional feature writer of the year for her work in The Courier, and Maria Gran – now The Courier’s food and drink journalist – has been nominated for Financial/Business Journalist of the Year following her previous work with the business team.

Formerly of The P&J politics team, Calum Ross has been shortlisted for his work on the sanctions-busting flight from Inverness to Moscow after Russia invaded Ukraine gaining a nomination in the political journalist of the year.

Two P&J writers vie for best columnist with Catherine Deveney – who won last year – and Kerry Hudson nominated.

Julia Bryce is up for food and drink writer of the year (which she won in 2021), and Jan Patience has been nominated for arts and entertainment journalist of the year, writing in The Sunday Post.

Paul English’s work for The Sunday Post sees him shortlisted for the feature writer award and in the regional feature writer of the year category, Ellie House (The P&J) and Peter Ranscombe (The Courier) have been shortlisted.

The awards are organised by the Scottish Newspaper Society, and the ceremony takes place in Glasgow on June 7.

Images show clockwise from top left: Highland League Cup Final (Wullie Marr), 51 Squadron RAF Regiment based at RAF Lossiemouth (Jason Hedges), a massive wave hitting the sea wall at Cullen (Jason Hedges), first day of Belladrum music festival (Jason Hedges), a skater taking to the air at Banchory Skate park (Wullie Marr) and fireworks thrown at police during the Kirkton riots (Kim Cessford).