Newspaper of the Year

Hawke's Bay Today has been named a Newspaper of the Year at the Qantas Media Awards.
The paper took the top prize for daily newspapers with circulation up to 30,000 against tough competition at the awards held at Sky City Grand, in Auckland, last night.
Hawke's Bay Today's comprehensive coverage of the drama around the Napier siege in May 2009 was a big factor in its win. With its photography and reporting on the siege, Hawke's Bay Today demonstrated the power and relevance of a regional daily newspaper to its readership.
Natalie Gauld, who was editing the paper through 2009, accepted the award on behalf of staff.
"Hawke's Bay Today is a strong regional daily newspaper which connects with its community," Ms Gauld said.
"That strong connection was evident during the 2009 Napier siege and in the weeks following. The community turned to its paper in a time of tragedy and the paper was there for them.
"Some of the staff covering the siege knew the families involved but showed true professionalism as they continued to file photos and stories in difficult circumstances."
The other category finalists were APN's Rotorua Daily Post, the Marlborough Express and Southland Times.
APN Regionals chief operating officer Rick Neville said the award was well-deserved recognition of the improvements made to Hawke's Bay Today in recent times.
"Natalie Gauld and her team brought renewed energy to the paper's news coverage, and this has continued this year under the editorship of Antony Phillips," Mr Neville said.
He said APN editors and circulation staff worked hard on improving their newspapers' relevance to their communities and this was showing in strengthened local content and improved sales.
"The fact that Hawke's Bay Today won the Qantas award this year, and its APN stablemate Daily Post, Rotorua, won the same award last year, speaks volumes about the dedication and skill of APN journalists and the company's commitment to a programme of continuous improvement."
Two Hawke's Bay Today photographers were finalists for their work at the Qantas Media Awards last night.
Chief photographer Warren Buckland was a finalist for the award for Best Breaking News Picture in the Canon Senior Category for his stirring photograph of officers attending Len Snee's funeral service.
Photographer Glenn Taylor was a finalist in the Best Portfolio of Six Pictures in the Canon Junior Category for his portfolio of work for Hawke's Bay Today in 2009.
He was also a finalist in the Open Category for Arts photography with a four-picture portfolio.
Editor Antony Phillips said the paper's success at the awards was welcome recognition for one of the hardest-working and most talented teams in New Zealand newspapers.
"Every day, our photographers are out in the community of Hawke's Bay documenting the life of the region. They are a huge asset to our daily paper," Mr Phillips said.