The winners of the 2025 Kent Press & Broadcast Awards (KPBA), organised by Kent PR and marketing agency Maxim, have been announced.
The not-for-profit awards event took place at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, Canterbury on Friday 20 June.
This year’s awards celebrated the best stories, investigations, features, news websites, magazines and programmes of the year, as well as everyone working behind the scenes and the newest recruits to the county’s media.
Hosted by Maryam Moshiri, a chief presenter at BBC News, the winners of the 11th annual KPBA were selected from among 140 entries received across 16 categories by a team of eight independent judges.
The finalists and sponsors welcomed Maryam, who gave an insight into her journey in journalism, which includes her show The World Today on the BBC’s news channel.
This year, the ‘Golden Microphone’ award was won by Derek Johnson and Siobhan Hart of ITV News Meridian for their year-long digital journalism project, covering the 80th anniversary of D-Day. The pair filmed 100 interviews with veterans, which were all uploaded to a specially-commissioned ITV webpage.
The ‘Golden Pen’ award was awarded to Megan Carr, who works on KentOnline and Sheerness Times Guardian, for how she told her own story after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer. The judges congratulated Megan for what was an extremely well-written piece of editorial content.
Maxim director Rachel Knight said: “We want to thank everyone who made this year’s ceremony such a success. Maryam was a fantastic host, and we’ve already had some great feedback. Knowing how much KPBA means to people and seeing such big smiles on the day makes all the hard work worthwhile.
“A big thank you must also go to the generous sponsors, who recognise the important role the press still plays in our communities. Without them, we couldn’t run the awards.
“And last but definitely not least, these awards wouldn’t have been possible without our judges, who give up their free time – we are so grateful for their support.”
To ensure the awards retain their reputation, Maxim recruits independent judges from across the media.
This year’s panel comprised Susie Boniface, a national journalist known as Fleet Street Fox; Elaine Bruce, a former BBC News journalist and editor; Sian Elvin, a national journalist and editor; Anthony France, crime correspondent for the Evening Standard; Rebecca Smith, former senior editor for Kent Regional News and Media; John Warnett, a retired radio journalist with more than 30 years’ experience; Leo Whitlock, a former local newspaper journalist for more than 20 years, much of which was spent at the KM Media Group; and Adrian Wills, a former newspaper and ITV broadcast journalist.
2025’s Kent Press & Broadcast Awards winners
‘Kent Broadcast Journalist of the Year’, sponsored by Le Shuttle
Winner: Joe Coshan, ITV News Meridian | Highly commended: Charlotte Wright, BBC South East | Finalists: Josie Hannett, BBC South East Investigations; James Dunham, ITV News Meridian
‘Kent Broadcast Presenter of the Year’, sponsored by CPL Films
Winner: Claudia Sermbezis, BBC South East | Highly commended: Rob and Numi, kmfm | Finalists: Charlotte Wright, BBC South East; Kit Bradshaw, ITV News Meridian
‘Kent Design(er) of the Year’, sponsored by Ashford Designer Outlet
Winner: Rhodri Andrews, KMTV | Highly commended: Jonathan Brewer, BBC South East | Finalists: Harry Twyman, CommunityAd magazines; Lizzy Tweedale, Brightside Publishing
‘Kent Feature Journalist of the Year (Broadcast)’, sponsored by Shepherd Neame
Winner: Ben Moore, BBC South East Investigations | Highly commended: Oliver Leader de Saxe, KMTV | Finalists: Claudia Sermbezis, BBC South East; Fiona Irving, BBC South East
‘Kent Feature Journalist of the Year (Print & Online)’, sponsored by MHA
Winner: Chris Britcher, KentOnline | Highly commended: James Pallant, KentOnline | Finalists: Ed Jennings, Local Authority; Rhys Griffiths, KentOnline; Megan Carr, KentOnline/Sheerness Times Guardian/Sittingbourne News
‘Kent Investigation of the Year’, sponsored by Panattoni
Winner: Brad Harper, KentOnline | Highly commended: Yvette Austin, BBC South East | Finalists: Chris Britcher, KentOnline; Josie Hannett, BBC South East Investigations
‘Kent Magazine of the Year’, sponsored by Stagecoach South East
Winner: ’cene Magazine | Highly commended: Broadstairs Beacon / Deal Despatch / Canterbury Courier / Folkestone Foghorn / Margate Mercury / Ramsgate Recorder / Whitstable Whistler | Finalists: Local Lifestyle Tunbridge Wells / Local Lifestyle Sevenoaks; MMM Magazine
‘Kent Making it Happen Award’, sponsored by Gallagher Group
Winner: Susan Brewer, BBC South East | Highly commended: Daisy Page, KMTV | Finalists: Alex Bish, BBC Radio Kent; Nikki White, KM Media Group
‘Kent New Journalist of the Year,’ sponsored by East Kent Colleges Group
Winner: Robert Boddy, KentOnline / Medway Messenger | Highly commended: Georgia Poncia, BBC South East Investigations | Finalists: Elli Hodgson, KentOnline; Josh Bailey, Greatest Hits Radio
‘Kent News Website of the Year’, sponsored by Port of Dover
Winner: KentOnline | Highly commended: The Isle of Thanet News | Finalists: KentLive; Local Authority
‘Kent Newspaper of the Year’, sponsored by Southern Water
Winner: East Kent Mercury | Highly commended: Kentish Gazette | Finalists: Folkestone & Hythe Express; Kent Messenger
‘Kent Print & Online Journalist of the Year’, sponsored by Caxtons
Winner: Alex Langridge, KentOnline | Highly commended: Davina Jethwa, KentOnline | Finalists: Brad Harper, KentOnline; Sean McPolin, KentOnline
‘Kent Programme of the Year’, sponsored by Countrystyle Recycling
Winner: ITV News Meridian – Water Special | Highly commended: KMTV – Albania: Why do we go from here? | Finalists: BBC South East Today – D-Day Special; KMTV – Kent Politics Show Special: Election 2024
‘Kent Story of the Year’, sponsored by Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce
Winner: Brad Harper, KentOnline | Highly commended: Alan Smith, KentOnline / Kent Messenger | Finalists: Gabriel Morris, KMTV/Local Democracy Reporting Service; Gerry Warren, KentOnline/Kentish Gazette; Siobhan Hart & Derek Johnson, ITV New Meridian
‘The Neil Bell Kent Sports Journalist of the Year’, supported by Kent Cricket
Winner: Matt Cole & Ben Watts, BBC Radio Kent | Highly commended: Joe Coshan, ITV News Meridian | Finalists: James Dunn, BBC South East; Bartholomew Hall, KMTV
‘Kent Voices Award’, sponsored by Southeastern
Winner: Megan Samrai, ITV News Meridian | Highly commended: Henry Luck, KMTV | Finalists Davina Jethwa, KentOnline; James Dunn & Juliette Parkin, BBC South East
‘Golden Pen’
Megan Carr, KentOnline/Sheerness Times Guardian/Sittingbourne News for her own cancer story
‘Golden Microphone’
Siobhan Hart & Derek Johnson, ITV New Meridian for D-Day’s 80th anniversary website
