Mail's Sarah Vine wins her FOURTH award as Lucy Letby podcast is acclaimed at ... trends now

As a dedicated reader, you already know the outstanding quality of the journalism that has made the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday Britain's biggest- selling newspapers.

With the best scoops, finest columnists, superlative features and unmissable supplements, it's little wonder we have left our rivals trailing in our wake.

And now the excellence of that journalism has been recognised once more with a host of top honours at the Press Awards – the Oscars of journalism.

Sweeping all before her was our all-conquering columnist Sarah Vine. The must-read writer – who also sets the agenda with new talk show The Reaction, alongside fellow Mail columnist Andrew Pierce – picked up the prestigious Tabloid Columnist of the Year award for a record fourth time in five years, a feat unprecedented in recent times in that or any other category.

Brave, mischievous and brilliantly clever, Vine's winning submission showcased her exceptional range, touching on subjects as diverse as the Coronation; the parlous state of Britain; slimming drugs; and the threat of extremism following the Hamas terrorist attacks.

Heaping praise on her work, judges said her pieces 'often trigger political and social debate' and were 'a masterclass in writing tabloid columns'.

The strength in depth of our unbeatable roster of columnists was underlined by the number of Mail writers shortlisted in the same category, including previous winner Jan Moir, Andrew Neil, Jenni Murray and The Mail on Sunday's Dan Hodges.

The Mail's trailblazing podcast, The Trial Of Lucy Letby, picked up the award in the News Podcast of the Year category. Already recognised by judges at the London Press Club, Liz Hull and Caroline Cheetham's pioneering series was the first to follow a live jury trial as it progressed, winning widespread acclaim and highlighting the vital role court reporting plays in the pursuit of open justice.

Over 11 months and 64 episodes, the podcast registered a staggering 19 million downloads, shooting to the top of the Apple and Spotify UK charts in four different countries when the verdict was announced.

Judges said The Trial podcast – now a major series into its fourth season – 'brilliantly paired new technology with one of the oldest disciplines in journalism, court reporting', perfectly illustrating 'how traditional journalism can reach a whole new audience'.

The Mail's utter dominance in feature writing guaranteed the paper a win in the Tabloid Feature Writer category after judges took the unprecedented step of awarding Mail journalists all six spots on the shortlist. The award went to courageous writer Ian Birrell for a series of colourful and insightful reports from the frontline in Ukraine.