As Lady Bracknell might say: "To lose one set of awards, Wilmington, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness."
Steve Busfield on MediaGuardian reports today that the Wilmington Group, one time owner of Press Gazette, has lost its grip on the British Press Awards, the annual bash for national newspapers.
Instead, they are in future to be run by the Newspaper Publishers Association, with any surplus from the event going to the Journalists' Charity and the Society of Editors.
The news comes in the same week the NUJ ran the Regional Press Awards for the first time after Wilmington decided not to go ahead with the event on the grounds they were "not viable".
Busfield reports: "The Newspapers Publishers Association said it is to take over the running of the awards from next year. Wilmington was told of the move today. The NPA has asked the Society of Editors to organise the awards."
The NPA said: "The plan is to provide an editorial and journalism awards scheme for national newspapers in the UK that is independent of any one newspaper, fair and cost-effective, with proceeds retained within the industry.
"It is intended that the awards will generate a surplus which will be retained within the newspaper industry helping to fund campaigning by the Society of Editors on behalf of the media and to support the Journalists' Charity."
The awards will be be overseen by SoE executive director Bob Satchwell.
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