THE Worcester News has been shortlisted in five categories for the prestigious Midlands Media Awards.

Our reporters have made the final shortlists in four individual categories, while the new look Worcester News is in the running for the coveted Newspaper of the Year title.

Catherine Phillips, our social media editor, is in the running for the News Reporter of the Year (Daily) title, while our political reporter Tom Edwards has been shortlisted for Scoop of the Year, following his sensational reveal of then Worcestershire County Council leader Adrian Hardman's arrest for drink-driving.

Trainee reporter Matthew Dresch, the newest member of our reporting team, has been shortlisted as Newcomer of the Year and sports reporter Geoff Berkeley, our Worcester City FC correspondent, is among the final contenders vying to be Sports Journalist of the Year.

This year's judging panel is being chaired by ITN newsreader Suzanne Virdee and the winners will be announced during the awards ceremony at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre on October 20.

Tarik Al Rasheed, head of content at the Worcester News, said: "We are proud and delighted that the efforts of our hard working reporters have been recognised.

"Their stories make headlines not just locally but nationally and we are delighted to be recognised and to be competing with some of the very best daily regional newspapers for these awards.

"The Worcester News has undergone a major redesign this year, giving it a bold new look and more of the content that you, our readers, have told us you want. Feedback from the public has been overwhelmingly positive and we are pleased to now receive this recognition from our peers in the industry."

The Midlands Media Awards is the Birmingham Press Club's largest and most prestigious annual event.

Previous Worcester News success stories include James Forrest, who was named Newcomer of the Year in 2015 and picture editor Jonathan Barry, was highly commended in the News Photo of the Year category in 2014 for his dramatic photo of people being evacuated from their homes during flooding in Worcester.