Wells Voice was applauded at a gala occasion in London to celebrate some of the country’s finest print publications and printers.
The paper was one of the finalists in The ICNN Independent Community Newspaper of the Year category at the 2023 Newspaper Awards.
There were dozens of entries for this category from all around the country, which the judges whittled down to a shortlist of eight: Wells Voice, Enfield Dispatch, Hackney Citizen, Hailsham News, The Ambler, The Bristol Cable, The Peckham Peculiar and West Leeds Dispatch. The eventual winner was London publication The Peckham Peculiar, while The Bristol Cable was highly commended, and Wells Voice and the others on the shortlist were commended.
The Newspaper Awards celebrate excellence and innovation in the printed newspaper.
Other winners included: National Newspaper of the Year: Financial Times; Regional Newspaper of the Year: Yorkshire Post; Local Weekly Newspaper of the Year: Cambridge Independent.
Wells Voice Editor Andy Vallis and his wife Sally attended the awards ceremony at Hilton London Bankside on March 28.
“It was a thrill to be nominated, and then to attend the ceremony and be in such distinguished company,” said Andy.
He added: “The independent newspapers do such an important job providing a news service for their local communities, and it is heartening for any of us to get recognition in this way.”
Gary Cullum, director of The Newspaper Awards, said: “The overall quality of entries was outstanding and proves that our news media market remains one of the strongest and most diverse in the world.”