TWO Observer reporters have been recognised for their talent in the O2 Media Awards.

Reporter Lucy McGuire picked up Feature Writer of the Year in the latest awards for Greater Manchester and Lancashire, held at Manchester’s Urbis last Thursday.

And Vanessa Cornall was highly commended in the Scoop of the Year category for a story which went worldwide.

Lucy, 25, who submitted features from her time at sister paper The Salford Advertiser, has been writing news and features for the Observer since she joined the paper in the spring of this year.

She was described by judges as a ‘young journalist with a bright future’.

She said: "I’m so pleased to have received this award and even more so because feature writing is what I love doing.

"I hope readers continue to support the paper and the work reporters do to make it an interesting read."

Vanessa, 24, was commended for her front page story in the Observer, which revealed how a disgruntled husband used Facebook to tell his wife he wanted a divorce.

It was picked up by both the UK and world media.

She said: "It is a real privilege just to be nominated for an award. I would like to thank all my colleagues, past and present, as it really is a team effort every week to get the paper out."

Observer editor Vince Hale, who was also Lucy’s editor in Salford before moving to the Observer earlier this year, said: "Vanessa’s story about an Accrington man divorcing his wife via a Facebook status update was a great exclusive which was picked up by many national newspapers after we broke the story at the Observer.

"Vanessa should be delighted with her honour in the highly competitive Scoop of the Year category."

He added: "Lucy has consistently displayed a real flair for feature writing, taking the reader to the heart of the story.

"We are all proud of her well-deserved success."

A number of writers, broadcasters and photographers were honoured at the inaugural event.

Our sister daily paper The Manchester Evening News picked up the Newspaper of the Year award. Judges said it was as good as any regional newspaper you might find anywhere in the country and was putting out quality editions day after day.