Highlands & Islands
Press Ball & Media Awards 2023

Ball ready to roll

BUY TICKETS HERE

THE HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS PRESS BALL AND MEDIA AWARDS WILL RETURN FOR A 34TH EDITION

NEXT YEAR.

The premier media event in the north of Scotland will be held at the Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness on

Friday February 3rd 2023.

Principal sponsors Diageo, along with major supporter Statkraft, have confirmed they are again on board for
the event.

Long-time partner Highlands and Islands Enterprise, along with Hub North Scotland, Highland Tourism CIC, Bòrd na Gàidhlig and the National Union of Journalists, will again be providing support for the Highlands and Islands Media Awards.

Tickets priced £30 for journalists and £45 for corporate guests, are now available here. Tables are a maximum of 10 people.

HIPBMA is the only event that brings together the media industry across the vast and dispersed Highlands and Islands region.

TICKETS, TERMS AND CONDITIONS

To ensure HIPBMA remains primarily a media occasion, only journalists and PR managers based in, or regularly working in, the Highlands and Islands may book tickets. 

Corporate tables must consist primarily of PR managers and senior managers in regular contact with the media.  

Corporate tables MUST contain at least one H&I journalist, and preferably more.  

Ticket prices will include a complimentary drink on arrival, three-course meal and a ceilidh featuring our resident band The Black Isle Peas. 

HIGHLANDS AND ISLAND MEDIA AWARDS

Look out for a separate announcement coming shortly about the Highlands and Islands Media Awards.

All inquiries about the media awards should be made to Peter Kane pkane@kanepartnership.com Suzanne Kane skane@kanepartnership.com at the Kane Partnership or awards chairman Gordon Fyfe.

Thank you

We would like to thank everyone who attended the 2022 Highlands and Islands Press Ball and Media Awards.

To see everyone out and enjoying the event was great. We've had a fantastic amount of lovely feedback on how well the event went, which we very much appreciate.

We owe sincere thanks to our sponsors: Diageo, with support from Kane Partnership, Statkraft, Chivas Brothers, National Union of Journalists, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Hub North Scotland, Highland Tourism and Bòrd na Gàidhlig.

We'd also like to thank the Kingsmills Hotel for their excellent food, service and great teamwork.

Congratulations to the winners who showed there is a superb range of talent working in the region's media.

We look forward to 2023!

FAQs

Get all the information you need from timings and dress code, to Covid-19 restrictions guidance and everything in between here on our FAQs page!

The Winners

The Stornoway Gazette was named Newspaper of the Year at the annual Highlands and Islands Media Awards. The publication was presented with the prestigious award at the Highlands and Islands Press Ball in Inverness on Friday 4 February. The prize of £500 is presented to a charity of the editor’s choice.

Gordon Fyfe, chairman of the media awards judging panel, said: “The Stornoway Gazette has undergone a remarkable transformation under the leadership of joint editors Murray MacLeod and Brian Wilson. It is a confident, community-focused publication. It is well designed and provides its readers with a wealth of news and views, features and photographs.”

Loch a Tuath News, Lewis, was named Community Newspaper of the Year, receiving a cheque for £300, £100 of which goes to a charity of the choice of editor Jayne MacArthur.

Orcadian Chief Reporter Sarah Sutherland won the top individual prize of the night, being chosen as the Diageo Journalist of the Year. She wins £500, £300 of which goes to charity.

Journalists from Highland News and Media Ltd picked up two honours. Daniel Forsyth, was named Photographer of the Year while Alasdair Fraser, won the Jim Love Memorial Award for being Reporter of the Year.

Stan Arnaud won Business Reporter of the Year for his articles in the Press and Journal. Stan has moved on to work in public relations with Morrison Media. Susy Macaulay, Press and Journal, is Feature Writer of the Year.

Angus Peter Campbell, West Highland Free Press, won the Bòrd na Gàidhlig award for Best Use of Gaelic, while his colleague Kirsty Watt made it a double for the West Highland Free Press by winning the new Highland Tourism Environment and Sustainability Award.

The Young Journalist of the Year Award and the Alex Main Trophy went to Abigail Taylor, digital reporter with Am Paipear, which serves Uist and the Outer Hebrides. Eilidh Davies of the BBC is Sports Reporter of the Year.

Jim Tait, recently retired News Editor of the Shetland Times, received the Barron Trophy for lifelong achievement in journalism.

The Highlands and Islands Press Ball and Media Awards was held at the Kingsmills Hotel, Inverness. Principal sponsor was Diageo, and a new sponsor this year, Highland Tourism provided additional support along with the Kane Partnership, Statkraft, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Chivas Brothers, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the National Union of Journalists and Hub North Scotland. The ball’s charity fundraising will benefit four local organisations, namely Alzheimer Scotland, Macmillan Cancer Support, Action for Children and the Journalists' Charity.

The full list of award winners is:

Environment and Sustainability (Highland Tourism Award)

Kirsty Watt, West Highland Free Press

Business Reporter of the Year
Stan Arnaud, Press and Journal

Best Use of Gaelic (Bòrd na Gàidhlig Award)
Angus Peter Campbell, West Highland Free Press

Young Journalist of the Year (Alex Main Trophy)
Abigail Taylor, Am Paipear

Sports Reporter of the Year
Eilidh Davies, BBC

Photographer of the Year
Daniel Forsyth, Highland News and Media Ltd

Reporter of the Year (Jim Love Memorial Trophy)
Alasdair Fraser, Highland News and Media Ltd

Feature Writer of the Year
Susy Macaulay, Press and Journal

Community Newspaper of the Year
Loch a Tuath News

Newspaper of the Year
Stornoway Gazette