THE DORSET Echo is celebrating after receiving three top nominations at the EDF Awards.

The EDF Energy London and South of England Media Awards 2014 shortlist was announced yesterday.

Held in association with journalism website Hold the Front Page the awards aim to honour the best in journalism across London, Kent, East and West Sussex, Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire and Dorset.

Dorset Echo’s chief reporter Samantha Harman and senior reporter Rachel Stretton have both been nominated for the Daily Print Journalist of the Year award.

The Dorset Echo’s new-look website has been nominated for the Website of the Year.

Across Dorset Echo and its sister paper the Bournemouth Echo, there are ten award nominations in total, and the winners will be revealed at an awards ceremony at the Brighton and Hove Albion Amex Stadium on Thursday November 13.

Group Editor Toby Granville said he was delighted.

He said: “These award nominations for Samantha, Rachel and the team are well deserved for their excellent work providing the best quality news and information first to our readers.

“I’m delighted the industry has recognised that.

“I’m a very proud editor with a brilliant team.”

Rachel Stretton was nominated for her stories during the past year, including coverage of David Cameron’s visit to storm-hit families on Portland and an exclusive story on the fact that school meals were being delivered from more than 200 miles away.

She said: “I’m really pleased to have been shortlisted and it makes the experience even better to have Samantha there as well.

“The Dorset Echo has a very close, talented and hardworking team and it’s a pleasure to be a part of that.”

Samantha Harman’s three investigations into a variety of issues from the cost of stress in public services, to an investigation into missing sex offenders in Dorset, won her a nomination in the same category.

She said: “It's an honour to have been nominated for such a prestigious award.

“I'd like to thank the whole team who work so hard to make the paper what it is – a fantastic example of local journalism.

“We’re determined to work even harder to bring our readers even more of the exclusives, breaking news and multi-media coverage they have now come to expect from the Dorset Echo.”