The county’s top journalists found themselves making the headlines after the winners of the 2022 Kent Press & Broadcast Awards (KPBA) were announced. For the first time in two years, a 110-strong audience of finalists, sponsors and judges met in person for the award ceremony to celebrate the winners across 16 categories.
Discovery Park joined other leading businesses and organisations in sponsoring the awards and helping make them a success. Now in its eighth year, the not-for-profit award scheme is organised by Kent PR and marketing agency Maxim. KPBA recognises and celebrates local journalism and the media’s commitment to serving local communities.
The ceremony returned to The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, Canterbury on Friday 15 July and was hosted by award-winning journalist Ben Brown. Born and bred in Kent, Ben is a familiar face on the BBC News Channel, the BBC One O’Clock News and weekend news bulletins. Chris Broom, Head of Business Development, presented the Best Use of Digital Media trophy, sponsored by Discovery Park to the team at KentLive.
Commenting at the event, Maxim Director Rachel Knight said: “It was so good to be able to celebrate the achievements of Kent’s media in person again. It’s been a difficult couple of years, but we were pleased to be able to keep KPBA going throughout the pandemic. That wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the KPBA sponsors so we must say a huge thank you to them, and to our independent industry judges who review every single entry.”
The results in full were:
Kent Broadcast Journalist of the Year, sponsored by Eurotunnel
Winner: Colin Campbell, BBC South East Today
Highly commended: Josie Hannett, BBC South East Today
Finalists:
James Dunn, BBC South East Today
Joe Coshan, ITV News Meridian
Kent Columnist of the Year, sponsored by Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce
Winner: Susan McGowan, Kent Life
Highly commended: Matthew Munson, The Isle of Thanet News
Finalists:
Melissa Todd, Thanet Extra
Simon Finlay, Downs Mail
Kent Designer of the Year
Winner: Lizzy Tweedale, Brightside Publishing
Highly Commended: James Black, KM Media Group
Finalists:
Ashley Austen, KM Media Group/KMTV
Paul Acres, KM Media Group
Best Use of Digital Media, sponsored by Discovery Park
Winner: KentLive
Highly commended: KentOnline
Finalists:
Henry Collier, KentLive
Megan Carr, Sheerness Times Guardian and Sittingbourne News
Kent Feature Journalist of the Year – Broadcast, sponsored by Digitom
Winner: Jo Burn, BBC Radio Kent
Highly Commended: Sara Thornton, BBC South East Today
Finalists:
Derek Johnson, ITV News Meridian
Colin Campbell, BBC South East Today
Kent Feature Journalist of the Year – Print & Online, sponsored by MHA MacIntyre Hudson
Winner: Chris Hunter, Medway Messenger / KentOnline
Highly Commended: Jack Dyson, Kentish Gazette Series
Finalists:
Lydia Chantler-Hicks, Kentish Gazette
Marijke Hall, Thanet Extra & ‘Cene
Kent Magazine of the Year
Winner: ‘Cene
Highly Commended: The Margate Mercury
Finalists:
insideKent
The Next Step
Kent New Journalist of the Year, sponsored by EKC Group
Winner: Jadzia Samuel, KMTV
Highly Commended: Emily-Jane Heap, KentLive / Kent & Sussex Courier
Finalists:
Laoise Gallagher, KentOnline
Adam McGroarty, KentLive
Kent News Website of the Year, sponsored by Port of Dover
Winner: KentOnline
Highly Commended: KentLive
Finalists:
The Isle of Thanet News
Downs Mail
Kent Newspaper of the Year, sponsored by Southeastern
Winner: Kent Messenger
Highly Commended: Sheerness Times Guardian
Finalists:
The Isle of Thanet News
Kentish Gazette
Kent Photographer of the Year
Winner: Frank Leppard, freelance
Highly Commended: Andy Jones, freelance
Finalists:
Matt Walker, freelance
Martin Apps, freelance
Kent Print & Online Journalist of the Year, sponsored by Ashford Designer Outlet
Winner: Lydia Chantler-Hicks, Kentish Gazette
Highly Commended: Marijke Hall, Thanet Extra
Finalists:
Joe Wright, Kentish Gazette
Mary Harris, KentLive / Kent & Sussex Courier
Kent Programme of the Year, sponsored by NIAB
Winner: The Wake Up Call, BBC Radio Kent
Highly Commended: BBC South East Today
Finalists:
Kent Pro Wrestling, KMTV
Kent Tonight Special, KMTV
Kent Scoop of the Year, sponsored by Panattoni
Winner: Joe Coshan, ITV News Meridian
Highly Commended: Alex Jee, Kentish Express, Folkestone and Hythe Express & KentOnline
Finalists:
BBC Radio Kent
The Isle of Thanet News
The Neil Bell Kent Sports Journalist of the Year, supported by Kent Cricket
Winner: Jon Phipps & Matt Gerrard, Kent Non-League Podcast
Highly Commended: Juliette Parkin, BBC South East Today
Finalists:
Ben Watts, BBC Radio Kent
Tommaso Dimiddio, KMTV
Kent Voices Award, sponsored by BAE Systems
Winner: KentLive
Highly Commended: Laoise Gallagher, KentOnline
Finalists:
Joe Coshan, ITV News Meridian
The Isle of Thanet News
This year, two further awards were presented for entries that really stood out, but didn’t win the category they were shortlisted for. The Golden Pen 2022 was awarded to Joe Wright of the Kentish Gazette, and the Golden Microphone 2022 was presented to the team at the KentOnline Podcast.
The judging panel brought together Susie Boniface, a national journalist known as Fleet Street Fox; digital consultant Patrick Fuller; journalist and lecturer Dr Sarah Lonsdale Rebecca Smith, former senior editor for Kent Regional News and Media; Leo Whitlock, a local newspaper journalist for more than 20 years; as well as new judges for 2022: Kiran Bhangal of Sky News Radio and Sian Elvin Deputy News Editor of Metro and former Kent Young Journalist of the Year.
For more information on the Kent Press & Broadcast Awards, visit www.kpbawards.co.uk .
