Australia’s newspapers and news sites copped a serve from awards host Julia Zemiro at tonight’s PANPA Newspaper of the Year presentations.

Between the handing out of gongs, the feisty star of RocKwiz and SBS’ coverage of the Eurovision song contest used her platform to take issue with a journalist’s suggestion that she was drunk while reporting on this year’s songfest.

Having a go at the ‘have a go’ journalist she named only as ‘Nick’, she told her side of the story – involving giant stairways and a beaker of soft drink – to those who were celebrating the successes of the publications concerned. You can Google the report and its author online.

There was also a parting shot from Zemiro, quoting a line from Broadcast News about the Devil “lowering standards, a bit at a time”.

As it turned out, robust journalism was in fashion on the night, with Brisbane’s Courier-Mail – which has made the often-unacknowledged Photoshop manipulation of images a celebrated artform – declared Newspaper of the Year in the top national/metro category.

Judges said the newspaper “brilliantly articulated” a strategy its identified as “aiming to surprise” readers every day. In a top class field, it edged the rest through its “lively and original approach to journalism”.

The gala event at Sydney’s Ivy Ballroom was the climax of a two-day Future Forum organized by industry group The Newspaper Works.

Publishers in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan were among winners as awards went for best newspapers, web sites, apps and digital innovation, photography and technical excellence. Awards for advertising and marketing were presented the previous night.

Among technical awards, Fairfax Media’s North Richmond site was named inaugural print centre of the year.

Winner of this year’s Hegarty Scholarship is Mark Baker (right) of Fairfax’s Launceston Examiner, named young executive of the year.

Awards were as follows:

NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR

DAILY NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR

National / Metro                   The Courier-Mail

Regional                                  Newcastle Herald

Community                             The Gympie Times

WEEKEND NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR

The Weekend Australian

NON-DAILY NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR

Regional                                  The Land

Community                             St George & Sutherland Shire Leader

TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE

PRINT CENTRE OF THE YEAR

Fairfax Media Print & Distribution, North Richmond, NSW

SINGLE-WIDTH

National / Metro                    Apple Daily Printing (Hong Kong)

Regional                                  The Geraldton Guardian

Community                             Bairnsdale Advertiser

DOUBLE-WIDTH

National / Metro                    The West Australian

Regional                                  Sunshine Coast Daily

Community                             New Zealand Chinese Herald

PRE-PRINT OR SUPPLEMENT

Northern Daily Leader                        Tamworth Regional Council Supplement

ENVIRONMENT

News Corp Australia                       1 Degree's FY2014 Environmental Awareness Campaign

PHOTOGRAPHY

PORTRAIT

National / Metro                    Chef Trois – Matt Turner, The Advertiser, Adelaide

Regional                                  Brave Shaylene – Addison Hamilton, Daily Advertiser

Community                             Girl & Her Horse – Matt Bedford, Armidale Express

FEATURES AND LIFESTYLE

National / Metro                    From Victoria with Love – Jason Edwards, Sunday Herald Sun

Regional                                  Making a Splash – Brendan Radke, Gold Coast Bulletin

Community                             King Rocco – Justin Brierty, The Centralian Advocate

SPORT

National / Metro                    Hair Apparent – Wayne Ludbey, The Courier-Mail

Regional (TIE)                         Cricket at the Speed of Fright – Jon Gellweiler, South

                                                Western Times

Heat Stroke – Jim Aldersey, Bendigo Advertiser

Community                             Jesse Rodgers – Jon Hewson, Mandurah Coastal Times

NEWS

National / Metro                    Haiyan Typhoon – Brendan Esposito, The Sydney Morning

Herald

Regional                                  Fires – Phil Hearne, Newcastle Herald

Community                             Ugly Side of Footy – Geoff Jones, Hawkesbury Gazette

DIGITAL

BEST MOBILE SITE

mX –  App for Smartphones

BEST NICHE / SPECIALITY APP OR MICROSITE

The Canberra Times                        The Silent War

DIGITAL INNOVATION OF THE YEAR

The Straits Times, Singapore        Communities Platform

NEWS SITE OF THE YEAR

National / Metro (TIE)            Apple Daily, Taiwan (appledaily.com.tw)

The Advertiser, Adelaide (advertiser.com.au)

Regional                                  Newcastle Herald (theherald.com.au)

HEGARTY INDUSTRY SCHOLARSHIP     

Mark Baker, Launceston Examiner, Fairfax Media

The 2014 Advertising & Marketing were announced in Sydney on Wednesday night.  The full list of winners are:

ADVERTISING AWARDS WINNERS:

PRINT AWARDS

BEST SINGLE ADVERTISEMENT FOR A CLIENT

National/Metro                     Sunday News, Fairfax NZ – Turbo

Regional                                  The Cairns Post – Active Health

Community                             Noosa News – Franks Noosa Fitness

BEST PRINT CAMPAIGN FOR A CLIENT

National/Metro                     News Corp Australia – Touring Tasmania

Regional                                  Geelong Advertiser – Geelong Travel Expo

Community                             Coffs Coast Advocate – Parkbeach Plaza Shop for Coffs Coast Schools

BEST FEATURE / SUPPLEMENT / NATIVE ADVERTISING ENVIRONMENT

National/Metro                      The Daily & Sunday Telegraph / Herald Sun / Courier-Mail + 82 community publications – Shop Small, American Express

Regional                                  Newcastle Herald – DisabilityCare Australia               

Community                             The Courier, Narrabri – Centenary Edition

BEST PRINT IDEA OR INNOVATION PRESENTED TO A CLIENT OR AGENCY

National/Metro                     Sunday News – Turbo

Regional                                  Manning Great Lakes Extra – The Tradies Toolbox

Community                             Leader Community Newspapers – Hoyts Ribbon

DIGITAL ADVERTISING

BEST SINGLE ADVERTISEMENT FOR A CLIENT

National/Metro                      The Sydney Morning Herald – South Australian Tourism Commission

Regional                                  Illawarra Mercury – Three Chimneys

BEST DIGITAL CAMPAIGN FOR A CLIENT

National/Metro                     The New Zealand Herald – Silver Fern Farms

Regional                                  The Examiner, Launceston – Tasmanian Turf Club

BEST DIGITAL IDEA OR INNOVATION

The Sydney Morning Herald – Lego Blockbuster

BEST MICROSITE / NATIVE ADVERTISING 

The New Zealand Herald – Tourism Australia – Wish It Win It

TRANSMEDIA – BEST INTEGRATED CAMPAIGN FOR A CLIENT

news.com.au / Herald Sun / Daily Telegraph / Courier-Mail / The Advertiser, Adelaide – NAB Traveller Card Campaign

CRAFT

BEST COPYWRITING

The Australian Magazine, The Weekend Australian – ANZ Campaign

MARKETING AWARDS WINNERS

TRADE CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR

National/Metro                     Fairfax Media – Weekend Compact Launch

Regional                                  Sunshine Coast Daily – Town Proud

Community                             Community Newspaper Group – Food for Thought

CONSUMER CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR

National/Metro                      The Sydney Morning Herald & The Age – Clique, Photographers’ Association                   

Regional                                  Bendigo Advertiser - News Now              

Community                             Leader Community Newspapers – Leader Local Grants 

BEST CAUSE-RELATED CAMPAIGN OR COMMUNITY SERVICE

National/Metro                      The Daily Telegraph & The Sunday Telegraph – We’re For The Bush

Regional                                  The Land – Glove Box Guide to Mental Health                    

Community                             Community Newspaper Group – HBF Junior Sports Hero Awards

SPONSORSHIP OF THE YEAR

National/Metro                      stuff.co.nz – Round the Bays

Regional (TIE)                         Post-Courier, Papua New Guinea – Sponsorship of United Bougainville Training Institute

The Courier – Run Ballarat Sponsorship

Community                             Hutt News / Upper Hutt Leader – Great Toyota Giveaway

BEST YOUNG READER PROGRAM

The Fiji Times – Kaila! – Design Your Own Newspaper Project

EXECUTIVE EXCELLENCE WINNERS

TEAM COLLABORATION / TEAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR

News Corp Australia; Herald Sun / heraldsun.com.au / mX / Leader Community Newspapers / The Australian – Melbourne Now Campaign

CREATIVE SERVICES TEAM OF THE YEAR

Advertising Creative Team, APN News & Media, New Zealand

SALES PERSON OF THE YEAR

Edwina Sahhar, Fairfax Media

SALES TEAM OF THE YEAR

National Agency Sales Team, Fairfax Media

DESIGNER / CREATIVE SERVICES PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR

TIE       Melanie Yun, News Corp Australia

Clare Catt, News Corp Australia

SALES MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Chris Gallichio, Herald & Weekly Times / Leader Community Newspapers

MARKETING TEAM OF THE YEAR

National Trade Marketing Team, Fairfax Media

MARKETER OF THE YEAR

Johnson Goh, Swee Gim - Singapore Press Holdings

The Judges for the 2014 awards were:

Gai Le Roi, Paul Dovas, Simon Wake, Sunita Gloster, Nicole Boyd, Sophie Madden, Denise Shrivel, Peter Miller, Jane Schulze, John Sintras, Mark Harricks, Ray Black, Allison Whitelaw, Matthew Green, Rick Slowgrove, Grant Booker, Jenny Stiles, Dean Gould, Ashadi Hopper, Tom Cooper, Herbert Kieleithner, Scott Player, Jay Morgan, Ian Perrin, John Kroll, Kim Dalton, Warren Beeby, Rick Neville, Tony Gillies, Darrell Mullen, Peter Clark, Steve Packham, Peter Coleman, John Hancock, David Hovenden, Doug Wills, Gavin Ellis, Peter Cornelius, Glen Frost, Chris Pash, Justin Stone, Tim Burrowes, Brad Howarth, Marcelo Silva, Claudia Sagripanti, Joe Zeff, Andre Slade,  Simon Sharwood, Mark Challinor, Richard De Nys, Stuart Cameron, Karyn Crawford, Bill Cain, Cheryl Senter, David Leeson, Geoff Hiscock, Jeff Darmanin, Andy Moger, Hugh Martin, Samantha Amjadhali, Malcolm Alder, Ian Moore (non-voting chair of Newspaper of the Year panel).