The Times has received the highest number of nominations for this year's Press Awards, which recognise excellence in British newspaper journalism.

The paper has been shortlisted 17 times, including three columnist of the year nominations for Daniel Finkelstein, Caitlin Moran and Melanie Reid.

The Times iPad application is one of five nominees in the category of website of the year, alongside the Financial Times, Mail Online, The Sunday Times and Telegraph.co.uk

The news reporter of the year category is dominated by the Guardian, with three nominations for Rupert Neate, Paul Lewis and Nick Davies.

Nominations for the top prize of newspaper of the year will be announced later.

The awards, which are co-ordinated by the Society of Editors, will be announced at a ceremony in London on 20 March.

Chairman of the judges Bob Satchwell said in a release: "While 2011 may not go down in history as the newspaper industry's finest year its readers are still served by the world’s most vibrant and diverse national press.

"Despite unprecedented attention and negative comment the papers and their journalists produced many terrific stories that informed and entertained.
 
"Panels of independent judges and those nominated by their newspapers have pored over more than 650 entries to produce the shortlists. They have had the privilege of seeing and reading a mountain of brilliant journalism."


Young Journalist of the Year

George Arbuthnott, The Mail on Sunday
Simon Boyle, Daily Mirror
Laurie Penny, The Independent
Laura Pitel, The Times
Ruth Sherlock, The Daily Telegraph

Business & Finance Journalist of the Year
Alex Brummer, Daily Mail
John Gapper, Financial Times
Andrew Hill, Financial Times
James Quinn, The Sunday Telegraph
Harry Wilson & Philip Aldrick, The Daily Telegraph

Political Journalist of the Year
Matthew D’Ancona, The Sunday Telegraph
Isabel Oakeshott, The Sunday Times
Peter Oborne, The Daily Telegraph
Rachel Sylvester, The Times
Simon Walters, The Mail on Sunday

Foreign Reporter of the Year
Ian Birrell, Freelance
Martin Chulov, The Guardian
Andrew Gilligan, The Daily/Sunday Telegraph
Hala Jaber, The Sunday Times
Roula Khalaf, Financial Times

Showbiz Reporter of the Year
Nicola Methven, Daily Mirror
Sara Nathan, Daily Mail
Colin Robertson, The Sun
Gordon Smart, The Sun
Ben Todd, Daily Mail

Sports Journalist of the Year
David Conn, The Guardian
Martin Samuel, Daily Mail
Mark Souster, The Times
David Walsh, The Sunday Times
Martyn Ziegler, Press Association

Specialist Reporter of the Year
Amelia Gentleman, The Guardian
Robert Hardman, Daily Mail
Jeremy Laurance, The Independent
Sarah O’Connor, Financial Times
Jay Rayner, The Observer

Feature Writer of the Year – BROADSHEET
John Arlidge, The Sunday Times Magazine
Jon Henley, The Guardian
Jon Ronson, The Guardian
David James Smith, The Sunday Times Magazine
Amy Turner, The Sunday Times Magazine

Feature Writer of the Year – POPULAR
Paul Bracchi, Daily Mail
Martin Fricker, Daily Mirror
Oliver Harvey, The Sun
David Jones, Daily Mail
Ross Wynne-Jones, Daily Mirror

Interviewer of the Year – BROADSHEET
Lynn Barber, The Sunday Times Magazine
Robert Chalmers, The Independent on Sunday
Camilla Long, The Sunday Times Magazine
Deborah Ross, The Independent
Rachel Sylvester & Alice Thomson, The Times

Interviewer of the Year – POPULAR
Jane Fryer, Daily Mail
Louise Gannon, The Mail on Sunday
Angela Levin, The Mail on Sunday
Beth Neil, Fabulous
Melissa Thompson, Daily Mirror

Columnist of the Year – BROADSHEET
Daniel Finkelstein, The Times
Liz Jones, Mail on Sunday
Caitlin Moran, The Times
Peter Oborne, The Daily Telegraph
Melanie Reid, The Times

Columnist of the year - POPULAR
Craig Brown, Daily Mail
Sue Carroll, Daily Mirror
Richard Godwin, Evening Standard
Ephraim Hardcastle, Daily Mail
Melanie Phillips, Daily Mail

Critic of the Year
Craig Brown, The Mail on Sunday
AA Gill, The Sunday Times
Henry Hitchings, London Evening Standard
Caitlin Moran, The Times
Brian Sewell, London Evening Standard
Jim Shelley, Daily Mirror

Diarist of the Year
Atticus, The Sunday Times
Matthew Bell, The Independent on Sunday
Richard Kay, Daily Mail
Londoner’s Diary, London Evening Standard
Robert Shrimsley, Financial Times

Photographer of the Year
Chris Harris, The Times
Jack Hill, The Times
Dan Kitwood, Getty Images
Pete Nicholls, The Times
Oli Scarff, Getty Images

Sports Photographer of the Year
Shaun Boterill, Getty Images
Mike Egerton, Press Association
John Giles, Press Association
Andy Hooper, Daily Mail
Richard Pelham, The Sun

Cartoonist of the Year
Steve Bell, The Guardian
Peter Brookes, The Times
Matt Pritchett, The Daily Telegraph
Chris Riddell, The Observer
Gerald Scarfe, The Sunday Times

Campaign of the Year
Daily Mail, Stephen Lawrence
Financial Times, Care Homes
London Evening Standard, Literacy
The Sunday Telegraph, Forests
The Times, Adoption

Supplement of the Year
Culture, The Sunday Times
Fabulous, The Sun
FT Weekend Magazine, Financial Times
Observer Food Monthly, The Observer
Royal Wedding Special, The Daily Telegraph
The Times Magazine, The Times

Website of the Year
Financial Times
Mail Online
The Sunday Times
The Telegraph
Times iPad

Best of Humour Award
Peter Brookes, The Times
Craig Brown, Daily Mail
Jeremy Clarkson, The Sunday Times
Victoria Coren, The Observer
Hugo Rifkind, The Times

News Reporter of the Year
Sharon Churcher, The Mail on Sunday
David Collins, Daily Mirror
Nick Davies, The Guardian
Paul Lewis, The Guardian
Rupert Neate, The Guardian
Andrew Norfolk, The Times

Cudlipp Award
Daily Mirror: Real Britain series
Daily Mail: Humbling of a Bank Giant  
Daily Mirror: Bombardier campaign
London Evening Standard: Get London Reading campaign
Daily Mail: Stephen Lawrence murder campaign
The Sun: Get Britain Learning series