Patrick Cockburn scoops Orwell journalism prize, as secret policeman's blog rewarded

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Patrick Cockburn has won the 2009 Orwell Prize for political writing .

Each year, the prize in association with the Media Standards Trust, The Orwell Trust and Political Quarterly, awards a Book Prize and a Journalism Prize to recognise works that 'achieve George Orwell's ambition to make political writing into an art'.

Cockburn beat competition from Observer writer Catherine Bennett, the Daily Mail's Peter Oborne and Peter Hitchens from the Mail on Sunday to take the accolade, which this year included a special prize one-off for political blogging to celebrate the launch of the Orwell Diaries Blog. Anonymous blogger 'Jack Night' took the award in the blogging category, for his site NightJack .

In a speech made on his behalf, Jack said the last year had seen blogging become a more important part of the political reporting world.

The blogger, who ended his posting after being shortlisted for the award , donated his prize to the Police Dependants' Trust.

The winner of the book prize was Andrew Brown for 'Fishing in Utopia'. The full shortlist for the blogging, journalism and book prizes can be read at this link.