KentOnline has been named Kent News Website of the Year while several of its reporters are also celebrating success at the county’s annual awards ceremony.

This website picked up the accolade at the 2024 Kent Press and Broadcast Awards, which were held on Friday to champion local journalism across the county.

Meanwhile, four of our sister newspaper titles locked out the nominations for Kent Newspaper of the Year.

It was won by Folkestone and Hythe Express - the first year it had reached the final - while our Canterbury edition Kentish Gazette was highly commended.

The Maidstone edition Kent Messenger and Ashford’s Kentish Express were both finalists.

A host of individual awards were bestowed on KM Group newspaper and KentOnline journalists who cover all parts of the county on a daily basis.

Millie Bowles was named Kent Print and Online Journalist of the Year in just her second year as a journalist. She was also highly commended in the Kent Story of the Year category, which was won by Ruth Cassidy.

The Kent Feature Journalist of the Year for press and online was also locked out by four KentOnline nominees.

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Max Chesson and Rhys Griffiths were finalists, while Keely Greenwood was highly commended and Megan Carr was named the winner.

There was further success for KM Group’s young reporters in the Kent New Journalist of the Year Award.

KMTV newsreader Abby Hook won the category with Max Chesson highly commended, while Ruth Cassidy and Ollie Leonard were finalists.

There was further recognition for KM Group print designer James Black, who was highly commended in the Kent Designer of the Year category, which was won by KMTV’s Rhodri Andrews.

Abby Hook was also highly commended as Kent Broadcast Presenter of the Year and KMTV came highly commended in Kent Programme of the Year for its News Nuggets production.

Max Chesson was again highly commended in the Kent Investigation of the Year following his lengthy and in-depth exposé into Gilda Scarfe - a Canterbury grammar school governor who resigned after KentOnline revealed she falsely claimed to hold a doctorate in psychology from Cambridge University.

Davina Jethwa was highly commended for her work reporting on diverse communities in the Kent Voices Award.

The kmfm campaign Tonnes of Tins which has worked with 18 foodbanks to deliver 16,000 tins of beans to families across Kent during the cost-of-living crisis was given the special award for broadcasters in the Golden Microphone category.

There was a record number of entries for the 2024 awards, held at Kent County Cricket Club’s Spitfire St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury.

The event, organised by Kent public relations and marketing agency Maxim, was also celebrating a landmark 10th year this year.

BBC News presenter Martine Croxall hosted the ceremony which featured 163 entries across 16 categories including four new ones for the 2024 awards.

Ian Carter, Illife Media’s chief operating officer, said: “The KM Group has continued to invest in journalism despite a difficult time for the industry and it is gratifying to receive recognition in this way.

“We have an exceptional team of journalists producing fantastic content across our websites, newspapers, radio and TV stations and I am delighted for them.”

Maxim director Rachel Knight said: “This year’s awards demonstrate that the standard of journalism continues to be strong in Kent.

“Congratulations to everyone who attended the Kent Press and Broadcast Awards 2024 and to the worthy winners.

“We also need to thank the generous sponsors, who recognise the important role that the press plays in our communities. As KPBA is a not-for-profit event, we really couldn’t run it without them.

“Last but definitely not least, these awards wouldn’t have been possible without our judges who give up their free time - we’re grateful for their support.”