The Impartial Reporter has picked up two awards at the UK Regional Press Awards for 2020.

The prestigious awards celebrates the best of Regional Daily and Weekly newspapers produced across the UK and are more significant as many were produced during challenging times throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

Across the 30 award there were three Northern Ireland winners with The Impartial Reporter picking up two of them.

Photographer John McVitty was awarded UK Weekly Photographer of the Year for his photos which included the Dean of Clogher, the Very Reverend Kenneth Hall, preaching to an empty St. Macartin's Cathedral during the Covid-19 lockdown and images of the North West Mountain Rescue Team and burial of the first person to die of Covid-19 in Fermanagh.

The judges in awarding John said: "The image of a priest preaching to an empty church is well-composed, John's choice in positioning underscoring the loneliness and surreality many of us experienced during lockdown. The image of the mountain rescue searching in horrendous conditions is fantastic and highlights John's sheer dedication skill and instinct."

The second award for the newspaper was for Front Page of the Year - UK Weekly Papers.

This was the front page of the April 16, 2020 edition - 'We didn't get to say goodbye' as three more people in Fermanagh died of Covid-19.

Commenting on the front page, the Press Award judges said: "A stark image of funeral directors in hazmat suits as they buried a Covid victim brought home the cruel impact of the pandemic on ordinary families.

"Stunning and packed with emotion this is a great use of photography. This is a standout front page on the newsstand."

Speaking about the awards, The Impartial Reporter, Mark Conway said: "I am delighted for all the team. To win two accolades at these prestigious awards is tremendous recognition for the journalism at The Impartial Reporter.

"In particular, our photographer John McVitty who won the UK Weekly Photographer of the Year, he is quite simply exceptional at his job and goes above and beyond to get the photos that, time and again, tell the story. For our work to be recognised in the middle of the global pandemic is also testament to the entire team and we pay tribute also to the families who trusted us to tell their stories at their darkest hour."