WRITERS working for The Northern Echo have again been honoured at the North-East Press Awards.

Mike Amos was among the awards yet again, being named North-East Columnist of the Year, a category he has dominated over the years.

Mike was also on a shortlist of three for the North-East Journalist of the Year award which he has won a record six times. He also made the final list for sport, features and consumer affairs.

Business editor Mike Parker, who edits the paper's award-winning Business Echo supplement, was judged to be North-East Business Writer of the Year.

And features editor Nick Morrison became North-East Feature Writer of the Year, the third year running The Northern Echo has won the main prize for feature writing.

Liz Lamb came close to major honours, joining Mike Amos on the shortlist for North-East Journalist of the Year. Liz, who exposed allegations of bullying at Catterick Garrison, was also shortlisted for hard news and initiative in journalism.

Christen Pears was shortlisted in the North-East Women's Writer of the Year section.

The Northern Echo's sister paper the Darlington & Stockton Times was again named North-East Weekly Newspaper of the Year.

There was a poignant moment when the Graeme Stanton Award for individual contribution to journalism was presented to Heather Miller. Heather is the widow of Mr Stanton, the late editor of the Evening Chronicle.

Guest speaker at the awards ceremony at Newcastle Civic Centre was former Northern Echo journalist Yvonne Ridley who was taken prisoner by the Taliban in Afghanistan three years ago and is now standing in the forthcoming European elections for the anti-war party - Respect: the Unity Coalition.

The full roll of honour: Consumer affairs - Sarah Stoner, Sunderland Echo; Business- Mike Parker, The Northern Echo; Health - Julie Cush, Evening Chronicle; Arts - Matt McKenzie, Sunday Sun; Columnist - Mike Amos, The Northern Echo; Community - Bethany Usher, Sunderland Echo; Women - Linda Colling, Sunderland Echo; Scoop - John Corney & Team, Sunderland Echo; Investigative - Patrick Lavelle, Sunderland Echo; Initiative - Evening Chronicle; Overall Page Design - Susan Taylor, The Journal; Front/Back Page Design - Evening Gazette; Features - Nick Morrison; Hard News - Angus Hoy, Evening Gazette; Sport - Anthony Vickers, Evening Gazette; Picture of the Year - Ian Cooper, Evening Gazette; Photographer of the Year - Raoul Dixon, North News and Pictures; Magazine - A Love Supreme; Weekly Journalist - Brian Tilley, Hexham Courant; Weekly Newspaper - The Darlington & Stockton Times; Highest marked trainee in NCTJ examinations - David Crosby, Sunderland Echo; Young Journalist - Hannah Davies, Evening Chronicle; Journalist of the Year - Angus Hoy, Evening Gazette; Lifetime of Achievement - Heather Miller; Newspaper of the Year - Evening Gazette.