Four 'Independent' writers commended

Four journalists from The Independent were nominated at the annual What The Papers Say Awards yesterday.

Kim Sengupta, who covered the Damilola Taylor trial, the Burrell affair and the Iraq arms inspections for the paper, was nominated for reporter of the year. Robert Fisk, The Independent's distinguished Middle East correspondent, was shortlisted for foreign correspondent of the year. James Lawton was commended for sports writer of the year, while David Aaronovitch was among the pick of the year's columnists.

Paul Dacre, editor-in-chief of the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday collected the scoop of the year prize for stories of Cherie Blair and the conman Peter Foster. The judges described the Daily Mail's exposé of e-mails proving Mrs Blair's involvement with Mr Foster as a "dream front page" for the paper; Mr Dacre sarcastically thanked Alastair Campbell for being so kind to the paper after the award.

The Daily Star's Peter Hill won editor of the year after circulation rose to over 800,000.