Double award joy for former newspaper student

By UKJournalism

Newspaper Journalism graduate Nick Owens is celebrating after winning two major industry awards in one day for his work on Prestonís Lancashire Evening Post ñ and he has not even been working there for a year!

The former Postgraduate Diploma student beat off competition from people from over 250 newspapers to win the Press Gazetteís UK Young Journalist of the Year 2005 at the London Hilton. He also came out on top of 50 newspapers to land North West Reporter of the Year 2005, awarded by British Nuclear Fuels at the JJB Stadium in Wigan.

For the BNFL awards Nick had to send in a portfolio of his best ten pieces of work during a nine month period, and for the national awards the Lancashire Evening Post nominated him and sent judges of a portfolio of his work.

Winning stories

His winning stories included investigation into Preston Prison, a story about a Thai brides dating agency being run from the bedroom of a council flat in Preston and a story about a pensioner who shot himself hours after his wife died in hospital.

Press Gazette Judges said: "Nick shone with a well observed portfolio of stories. He is a young reporter with energy and panache who would be a credit to any newsroom. He has the ability to get many different types of people to open up to him."

Nick was understandably thrilled: "It was a real surprise to win - especially scooping two in one day but I will never forget it. When I turned up at The Hilton for the national awards I thought I was at the wrong do because it was far too posh for an Essex boy!

Great feeling

"But when my name was read out as the winner it was just a great feeling. It made the last 12 months and all the hard work seem so worthwhile. I know how highly coveted the award is so to get it and see my name on the list of winners and be recognised as the best young journalist in Britain is a tremendous honour.

"I am also really excited about being named North West reporter of the year. I beat senior journalists from papers like the Manchester Evening News, the Liverpool Echo, the Liverpool Daily Post and the Lancashire Evening Telegraph so the competition was very fierce and it was satisfying to come out on top. It was a real coup for the Evening Post too."

"I really want to take this chance to thank my family and my girlfriend Gemma - they are the people who have encouraged me to believe I could win these awards and have supported me all year. I also want to thank my colleagues and bosses at The Evening Post.

"I have had a really enjoyable year at the paper - it has been the perfect first job. The reporters are all a great bunch, many being ex-UClan students, and I think the paper is as good now as it has been for many years.

Special thanks

"But I would like to reserve special thanks to the people from within the Department of Journalism at UClan. There is no way I would be getting near an award if it was not for the training I received from the people in the department during my time there.

"From year one as a student with Cathy Darby right through to my post-graduate course with Guy Hodgson and Mike Nally I was equipped with the key skills needed to succeed in the industry.

"When people asked me at the London awards what paper I had been on before the Evening Post I was really proud to tell them The Preston Courant! To those not in the know that is the postgraduate paper I worked on last Easter before graduating.

"I've come a long way since then but it is thanks, in no small part, to what I learned at UClan. I hope it shows any current journalism student what you can do in 12 months if you believe, get your head down and go for it."

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