The Herald and its sister titles are celebrating after scooping prizes at the Scottish journalism Oscars last night.

Among the winners at the 40th Scottish Press Awards was Neil Mackay, of The Herald and Herald on Sunday, who took the Columnist of the Year gong.

And Barry Didcock took home the Arts/Entertainment Journalist of the Year award for The Herald and Herald on Sunday. Our own Brian Beacom was runner up. Karin Goodwin of The Ferret and Sunday National took the Nicola Barry award, established by Women in Journalism Scotland to celebrate the country’s female writers.

The ceremony held in Glasgow’s Doubletree by Hilton hotel is a celebration of Scottish journalism and newspapers, providing a chance for journalists’ work over the past year to be honoured.

A total of 27 prizes were up for grabs at the glittering event hosted by the Scottish Newspaper Society.

Niall Christie of the Evening Times was one of the first to get recognition, coming runner up in the Young Journalist of the Year category.

Meanwhile, the Evening Times’ successful bid to persuade Glasgow City Council to become the first UK local authority to teach every secondary pupils CPR, led by health reporter Caroline Wilson, was named runner-up in the Local/Weekly Campaign of the Year category.

The National was runner up in the Front Page of the Year category with its ‘Headline in Here’ front page after Theresa May refused to give the paper access to a press event in November.

Donald Martin, Herald and Times editor-in-chief, said: “This is a great reflection of all the hard work and dedication from our staff. Well done to them all.”

The event was sponsored by Clydesdale Bank, the Law Society of Scotland, VisitScotland, People’s Postcode Lottery, Scottish Water, Amazon, Openreach, the Scottish Newspaper Society, The Big Partnership, DoubleTree by Hilton Glasgow Central, Event Consultants Scotland, Women in Journalism Scotland and Johnnie Walker.