Another prestigious award for journalism

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David McKittrick, The Independent's Ireland correspondent, added to the paper's recent haul of awards when he was presented with the Orwell Prize for journalism at the Reform Club in London last night.

The judges of the award, which aims to recognise outstanding political writing, said of McKittrick: "He has committed a long career to putting the issues relating to Northern Ireland at the centre of the British political agenda. We found that his columns for The Independent consistently provided an invaluable basis upon which readers could arrive at their own understanding of the ongoing situation. With this award, we honour a great political journalist in a great British tradition."

Last year's winner of the Orwell Prize was Robert Fisk, The Independent's Middle East correspondent, while also on this year's short list were two other Independent journalists, Richard Lloyd-Parry and Yasmin Alibhai-Brown.

In the book category, this year's prize went to the former Independent journalist Brian Cathcart.

McKittrick's award adds to recent triumphs. The Independent won two top prizes at the prestigious What The Papers Say Awards. Deborah Orr was named columnist of the year and Fisk foreign correspondent of the year.

Last month, the paper's editor-in-chief, Simon Kelner, was given the London Press Club's Edgar Wallace Trophy for outstanding journalism.