With just under a month to go, the judging panel are busy deliberating the winners of this year’s NewsBrands Ireland Journalism Awards. An unprecedented 1,400 entries were submitted by journalists this year across 24 categories including News, Features, Investigative Journalism, Foreign Coverage, Business, Sport, Showbiz, Critic, Digital Excellence, and Politics.

The judging panel is made up of independent figures from inside and outside the newspaper industry, all chosen for their integrity and commitment to the highest journalistic standards. Among the new members of the judging panel are: Geraldine Kennedy, former editor of the Irish Times; Fergal Keane, BBC Foreign Correspondent; Brendan Keenan, former Irish Independent Business Editor; Tim Vaughan, former Irish Examiner Editor; Jane Suiter, Director of the Institute for Future Media in DCU; Jerry Kennelly, Entrepreneur and founder of Tweak.com; Michael O’ Kane, former Irish Daily Star Editor; and Catherine Halloran, deputy Government Press Secretary. The judging panel is chaired by Matt Dempsey, chairman of the Agricultural Trust and former editor of the Irish Farmer’s Journal. The full list can be viewed here http://journalismawards.ie/judging-panel/

Sponsored by the National Lottery, this year’s Journalism Awards will take place in the Mansion House on Thursday, 2 November. Good luck to all who’ve entered!