Paxman wins presenter of the year

The judges praised Paxman's broad range of styles Recent interviews

Jeremy Paxman has been named presenter of the year at the Royal Television Society's awards for journalism.

The judges said they were impressed with the Newsnight presenter's "compelling" interviewing style.

The BBC won eight awards, including a judges' award for its former Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston, who was held hostage last year.

Channel 4 and Sky News teams won three awards each at the London ceremony, while ITV programmes won two awards.

Veteran newsreader John Suchet collected the lifetime achievement award at the ceremony, hosted by Julie Etchingham of ITV's News at Ten.

The brother of actor David Suchet, he started his career with Reuters in 1968, covering the Paris riots. He joined ITN in 1972, and retired from its ITV news team in 2004. Suchet returned to the screen two years later, with Five News.

'Brilliantly handled'

BBC business correspondent Robert Peston was awarded scoop of the year for his pursuit of Northern Rock's financial problems, while political correspondent Nick Robinson was honoured as best specialist journalist.

The Zimmers gathered at Abbey Road to record their song

The BBC also picked up a current affairs award for The Great Granny Chart Invasion, following The Zimmers - a rock band made up of senior citizens.

The judges praised its "original way of tackling an important, but often neglected issue," and said it was "funny, sensitive and brilliantly handled".

Sky News was named news channel of the year and its reporter Alex Crawford picked up the award for television journalist at the ceremony.

ITV's Evening News won news programme of the year for the second consecutive year, beating Five News and the BBC's Ten O'Clock News.

Lifetime achievement: John Suchet

Judges' award: Alan Johnston

Presenter of the year: Jeremy Paxman - Newsnight, BBC Two

Young journalist of the year: Hamish MacDonald - Al Jazeera English News Hour

Specialist journalism: Nick Robinson - BBC News

Television journalist of the year: Alex Crawford - Sky News

News programme of the year: ITV Evening News - ITN for ITV News

News channel of the year: Sky News

News - international: Iraq: Apache Company - ITN & Guardian Films for Channel 4 News

News - home: The Crevice Trial: Links To 7/7 - ITN for Channel 4 News

News event: Battle of Gaza - Reuters Television

Scoop of the year: Northern Rock - BBC News

Current affairs - home: The Great Granny Chart Invasion - Power To The People - BBC Current Affairs for BBC Two

Current affairs - international: China's Stolen Children - Dispatches Special, True Vision for Channel 4

Camera operator of the year: Darren Conway - BBC News

National regional current affairs: The Pit Bull Sting - Spotlight, BBC Northern Ireland

Nations and Regions news coverage: The Lesley Molseed Trial - Granada Reports, ITV Granada

Multimedia: The Floods BBC News / BBC Nations and Regions

Innovation: Sky.com - Sky News

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