Express & Star wins two awards at Midlands Media Awards

The paper won two awards on the night and was highly commended in two more - including the prestigious Newspaper of the Year category.

Grassroots and Shrewsbury Town reporter Lewis Cox won Sports Journalist of the Year for an array of top stories, including an exclusive around Town's safe standing campaign, while the Express & Star's zombie knives campaign was joint winner in the campaign of the year category.

After a series of stories, the campaign culminated in the law around the sale of zombie knives being changed.

David Jamieson, the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, said: "I would like to congratulate the Express & Star on their work to get dangerous zombie knives banned from our streets.

"The Express & Star is a campaigning newspaper, whose efforts on this issue have made their readers' streets safer.

"It was a pleasure to work with the Express & Star on this important issue and I was very pleased to see them receive the recognition they deserve."

Elsewhere on awards night, Jessica Labhart was highly commended in the Features Journalist of the Year category while the paper itself was also highly commended in the Newspaper of the Year category.

Of the 16 categories at the awards, the Express & Star and its staff were nominated in seven of them.

Diane Davies, deputy editor of the Express & Star, said: "To be recognised in four categories is very rewarding and we are of course delighted that we were highly commended in the newspaper of the year category. It is testament to all the people that work so hard day in and day out to publish quality news both in print and online.

"Well done in particular to Lewis Cox for winning Sports Journalist of the Year and Jess Labhart being highly commended in the Features Writer of the Year category."

The annual awards, for which there were more than 200 entries submitted from across the Midlands, took place at Canalside within The Cube in Birmingham City Centre.

The awards celebrate the best in print, online and broadcast journalism and photography across the West and East Midlands.