The Highlands and Islands Press Ball was revived by John Ross in 1989 after a period in abeyance. A previous event had been running for many years in Inverness, but its latest incarnation extended the event to include the Northern and Western Isles, Argyll and Moray as well as the rest of the Highland mainland.

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The 2024 ball was the 34h consecutive year the event had been held since its revival. In 1991 the event incorporated the Highlands and Islands Media Awards to recognise excellence in journalism in the region.

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Due to the scattered nature of the area, the Highlands and Islands Press Ball and Media Awards (HIPBMA) continues to be the only event that brings together the region's media in its various forms.

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Each year we welcome colleagues working in print, broadcasting and online media outlets from Shetland, Orkney, the Outer Hebrides, Caithness, Sutherland, Ross-shire, Inverness, Nairn, Moray, Strathspey, Lochaber, Argyll and Skye, as well as from Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh and beyond.

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Principal sponsor of the 2024 HIPBMA is Diageo, with other support from Statkraft and Chivas Brothers.