Scotsman writers win clutch of awards

THE Scotsman newspaper last night scooped Scotland’s Newspaper of the Year award at the 33rd Scottish Press Awards ceremony last night.

Aidan Smith, of The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday, won two prestigious awards displaying his talent for writing across different genres.

Smith won the Sports Feature Writer of the Year, earning special praise from the judging panel.

The judges, chaired by Dame Elish Angiolini, former Lord Advocate, described his writing as showing “exuberance and a love for sport in his writing”.

He also won the award for Arts and Entertainment Journalist of the Year.

Bill Jamieson, who was executive editor with The Scotsman for 11 years until his retirement last month, won the Lifetime Achievement award for his outstanding contribution to Scottish journalism. Jamieson remains a regular contributor to The Scotsman, writing about business and economic affairs.

The Scotsman was runner-up in the Front Page of the Year category for the “Revenge” front page on the death of Bin Laden. Once again the Scotland on Sunday’s Peter Ross was awarded Magazine Writer of the Year and his colleague on The Scotsman, Claire Black took second place.

The Edinburgh Evening News team was named winner of the Journalist Team of the Year for its on-going coverage of the Edinburgh Trams Project.

Kenny Farquharson, deputy editor of Scotland on Sunday, was runner-up in the Columnist of the Year category.

Stephen Emerson, of Scotsman.com, was runner up in the Website/Digital Product of the Year section. Frank Boyle of the Edinburgh Evening News, took second place in the Cartoonist of the Year category.

The ceremony at the Radisson BLU hotel in Glasgow was compered by comedian Des Clarke.