HALIFAX, May 8 /CNW/ - A celebration of excellence in Atlantic Canadian journalism was hosted tonight at the 30th Atlantic Journalism Awards, at the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel. Awards were presented in 30 categories. The gold and silver awards were as follows:

Spot News - Print

The gold winner was:

Brent Mazerolle - Times & Transcript, Moncton, NB - Knife-Wielding Man Holds Woman Hostage

The silver finalists in this category were:

The Telegram Newsroom, St. John's, NL - Hurricane Igor Coverage

Randy O'Donnell - Telegraph-Journal, Saint John, NB - Basebrawl

Spot News Reporting - Radio

The gold winner was:

CBC News - St. John's, NL - Hurricane Igor

The silver finalists in this category were:

Marc Genuist - CBC New Brunswick, Moncton, NB - Explosion at Riverview Daycare

Phonse Jessome - CBC Radio, Halifax, NS - Missing Crew

Spot News Reporting - Television

The gold winner was:

CBC News - St. John's, NL - Hurricane Igor

The silver finalists in this category were:

Dave Crase - Global Maritimes, Moncton, NB - Moncton Fire - Le Chateau à Pape

Sarah Konsmo - CBC New Brunswick, Saint John, NB - Flood Fury

Enterprise Reporting - Print

The gold winner was:

Linda Pannozzo/Bruce Wark - The Coast, Halifax, NS - Sable Island Seal Cull

The silver finalists in this category were:

Bruce Wark - The Coast - Halifax, NS - Blow Job

Jennifer Pritchett - Telegraph-Journal, Saint John, NB - Tobique First Nation Crisis

Enterprise Reporting - Radio

The gold winner was:

Vanessa Blanch - CBC New Brunswick, Moncton, NB - Fitting in

The silver finalists in this category were:

Joan Weeks - CBC Radio Maritime Magazine, Sydney, NS - Fenwick MacIntosh

Shaun Waters/Christina Harnett - CBC Radio Maritime Magazine, Fredericton, NB - The Big Split in Nackawic

Enterprise Reporting - Television

The gold winner was:

David Cochrane/Paul Pickett - CBC News, St. John's, NL - Dark Side of Prosperity

The silver finalists in this category were:

Catherine Harrop - CBC New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB - Youth Mental Health

Marc-Antoine Ruest/Paul Émile d'Entremont/Peter Dawson/Rena Moir - Radio-Canada Acadie, Halifax, NS - Être militaire et gai

Continuing Coverage - Print

The gold winner was:

The Telegram Newsroom - St. John's, NL - Hurricane Igor Coverage

The silver finalists in this category were:

Stephen Maher/Tim Krochak - The Chronicle Herald, Halifax, NS - Haiti Earthquake Aftermath

Sue Bailey - The Canadian Press, St. John's, NL - Hurricane Igor Coverage

Continuing Coverage - Radio

The gold winner was:

CBC News - St. John's, NL - Hurricane Igor Impact

The silver finalists in this category were:

Bob Power - CHCM Radio (Newcap Radio), Marystown, NL - Hurricane Igor

Chris O'Neill-Yates - CBC News, St. John's, NL - Sea Rose Evacuation

Continuing Coverage - Television

The gold winner was:

CBC News - Halifax, NS - MLA's Expense Scandal

The silver finalists in this category were:

CBC News - St. John's, NL - Hurricane Igor

NTV News - St. John's, NL - Hurricane Igor

Feature Writing - Print

The gold winner was:

Stephen Kimber - The Coast, Halifax, NS - Is Corey Wright the Wrong Man?

The silver finalists in this category were:

Lois Legge - The Chronicle Herald, Halifax, NS - Silent Teachers

Suzanne Robicheau - Saltscapes, Bedford, NS - The Newfoundland Pony

Feature Writing - Radio

The gold winner was:

Mary Lynk - CBC Radio Maritime Magazine, Halifax, NS - Habtom's Path

The silver finalists in this category were:

Connell Smith/Christina Harnett �� CBC Radio Maritime Magazine, Saint John, NB - Invasion of the Flyboys

Lezlie Lowe/Christina Harnett - CBC Radio Maritime Magazine, Halifax, NS - The Other Side of the Fist

Feature Writing - Television

The gold winner was:

Catherine Harrop - CBC New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB - Shelter Chef

The silver finalists in this category were:

Jacques Giguère/Michel Picard/Maurice Gaudreau - Radio-Canada Acadie, Moncton, NB - Et si je donnais - I'll Give you my Life

Julien Lafille/Mathieu Theriault - Radio-Canada Acadie, St. John's, NL - Second souffle pour Fogo

Online News Reporting

The gold winner was:

CBC News, St. John's, NL - Hurricane Igor

The silver finalists in this category were:

CBC News New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB - NB Power Deal Unplugged

CBC News New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB - December Storms

Business Reporting - Any Medium

The gold winner was:

Judy Myrden - The Chronicle Herald, Halifax, NS - The Cost of Going Green

The silver finalists in this category were:

Rebecca Penty - Telegraph-Journal, Saint John, NB  - Shale Gas Exploration

Rob Antle - The Telegram, St. John's, NL - Silver Anniversary for Black Gold

Tamsin McMahon - Telegraph-Journal, Saint John, NB - The Rise and Fall of Shawn Richard

Sports Reporting - Any Medium

The gold winner was:

Robin Short - The Telegram, St. John's, NL - He Stood on Guards, by Golly

The silver finalists in this category were:

John Jeffery/Angela Walker/Donna Allen - CBC PEI, Charlottetown, PEI - Nasty Hockey

Monty Mosher - The Chronicle Herald, Halifax, NS - Lost Boy Has Found Home

Arts & Entertainment Reporting  - Any Medium

The gold winner was:

Marty Klinkenberg -Telegraph-Journal, Saint John, NB - New Brunswick's First Lady of Art

The silver finalists in this category were:

Kathy Kaufield - Telegraph-Journal, Saint John, NB  - The Reinvention of Reg Noël

Steve Bartlett - The Telegram, St. John's, NL - Larry Harvey: He Was the Real Deal

Commentary - Any Medium

The gold winner was:

Alec Bruce - Atlantic Business Magazine, St. John's, NL - Wising up to our Energy Future

The silver finalists in this category were:

Dawn Chafe - Atlantic Business Magazine, St. John's, NL - Time to Fish or Cut Bait

Gisele McKnight - The Daily Gleaner, Fredericton, NB - The Things He Did Right

Best TV News Broadcast

The gold winner was:

CBC Television - Nova Scotia at Six, Halifax, NS

The silver finalists in this category were:

CBC PEI - CBC News Compass, Charlottetown, PEI

Global Maritimes - Global Evening News, Dartmouth, NS

Photojournalism Spot News - Newspaper

The gold winner was:

Viktor Pivovarov - Times & Transcript, Moncton, NB - Standoff

The silver finalists in this category were:

Brian McInnis - Charlottetown Guardian, Charlottetown, PEI - Harbour Rescue

Ryan Taplin - Metro News, Halifax, NS - Lunch with a View

Photojournalism Feature - Newspaper

The gold winner was:

Ron Ward - Times & Transcript, Moncton, NB - One Scary Ride

The silver finalists in this category were:

Cole Burston - Times & Transcript, Moncton, NB - Football Tackle

Steve Wadden - Cape Breton Post, Sydney, NS - Mourning their Fallen Hero

Video Journalist - Television

The gold winner was:

Peter Cowan - CBC News, St. John's, NL

The silver finalists in this category were:

Kerry Campbell - CBC PEI, Charlottetown, PEI

Natalie Kalata - CBC News, St. John's, NL

Editorial Cartooning

The gold winner was:

Bruce MacKinnon - The Chronicle Herald, Halifax NS

The silver finalists in this category were:

Greg Perry - Telegraph-Journal, Saint John, NB

Michael de Adder - Times & Transcript, Moncton, NB; The Daily Gleaner, Fredericton, NB

Atlantic Magazine Article

The gold winner was:

Alec Bruce - Atlantic Business Magazine, St. John's, NL - Dream Weaver

The silver finalists in this category were:

Heather White - Saltscapes, Bedford, NS - Country Roads

John Sylvester - Saltscapes, Bedford, NS - Torngat Safari

Atlantic Magazine - Best Cover

The gold winner was:

Progress Magazine- Halifax, NS - June 2010 The People Issue

The silver finalists in this category were:

Dalhousie Magazine - Halifax, NS - Fall 2010 Designing a Sustainable Seaport Market

Saltscapes - Bedford, NS - March/April 2010 Gannets

Atlantic Magazine - Best Profile Article

The gold winner was:

Sandra Phinney - Saltscapes, Bedford, NS - Only in Pubnico

The silver finalists in this category were:

Chad Lucas - Halifax Magazine, Halifax, NS - Across the Sea

Jon Tattrie - Halifax Magazine, Halifax, NS - That Far Shore

Best Page Presentation - Newspapers

The gold winner was:

Michael Landry/Angie Kippers - Telegraph-Journal, Saint John, NB - Molly Bobak

The silver finalists in this category were:

Jocelyne Comeau - HERE, Moncton, NB - HERE Cover Stories

Sonjya Schrick - Telegraph-Journal, Saint John, NB - Day in the Life of the ER

Community Reporting - Any Medium

The gold winner was:

The Packet  - Clarenville, NL - Hurricane Igor

The silver finalist in this category is:

Northern Pen - St. Anthony, NL  - Air Ambulance Relocation

The Jim MacNeill New Journalist Award

The gold winner was:

James McLeod - The Telegram, St. John's, NL

The silver finalists in this category were:

Brett Bundale - Telegraph-Journal, Saint John, NB

Lindsay Bird - CBC New Brunswick, Saint John, NB

Lifetime Achievement Award

Doug McGee, former associate editor at the Cape Breton Post, is the recipient of the 2010 AJAs Lifetime Achievement Award.  Doug retired in September of 2010 after serving 25 years as the Post's associate editor.  He was responsible for the paper's commentary pages and editorial writing.  It was his commentary and his respectful treatment of the submitted opinions of readers where Doug shone.

Though his editorials were not signed, Doug developed a broad reputation for his cogent arguments and his thoughtful consideration of the topics of the day.  For reporters in the newsroom, Doug served as an invaluable resource. He collected a wealth of information on virtually any topic imaginable, and he offered smart guidance on the direction a story should take. A soft spoken man, Doug was a quietly influential presence in the newsroom and led by example.

Province of Nova Scotia Scholarship

Anjuli Patil
Nova Scotia Community College

Province of New Brunswick Scholarship

Heather Walker Brewster
St. Thomas University

Prix d'Excellence BellAliant

Carolane Morneau
l'Université de Moncton

Atlantic Lottery Corporation Achievement Award

Bethany Horne
University of Kings College

Emera Achievement Award

Tara Chislett
St. Thomas University

AJAs Student Prize of Excellence

Mitch MacDonald
Holland College

CNW Group Prize of Excellence

Anjuli Patil
Nova Scotia Community College

AJAs Student Achievement Award

Kyle Dupont
New Brunswick Community College

Geoff Stairs
New Brunswick Community College