LOCAL Redland Bayside News and sister publication Local Ipswich News have celebrated a major night of success at the 2026 Queensland Country Press Awards.
The awards recognised the strength of independent regional journalism with both newspapers acknowledged among Queensland’s leading community publications.
Local Redland Bayside News secured the Marketing Campaign of the Year award for its successful Champions of the Coast campaign, which promoted the Redlands Coast Sporting Hall of Fame and Sports Awards.
The publication was also awarded second place in the highly competitive Journalistic Team Excellence Award for a Newspaper category, recognising the collective efforts of the newsroom in delivering strong local coverage across the Redlands Coast and Bayside.
Group Editor Andrew Jefferson also received individual recognition on the night, taking out first place for Best Single Story by an Individual Journalist, while also earning third place in the same category for another piece of reporting.
Meanwhile, Local Ipswich News enjoyed a breakthrough evening, claiming the Best Editorial Campaign award for its widely supported Bring Ed Sheeran to Ipswich campaign, which captured strong community attention and
engagement across the region.
The Ipswich publication also won the Journalistic Team Excellence Award for a Newspaper, highlighting the quality and consistency of its reporting team, while additionally receiving third place in the Best Free Newspaper.
The results marked a significant achievement for both independent newspapers, reinforcing the continued importance of locally focused journalism and community storytelling across regional Queensland.
The awards also reflected the growing influence of free community newspapers in connecting with readers through campaigns, investigative reporting, sport, civic issues and grassroots community coverage across the state.
