Stuff.co.nz was judged best website at a glittering Canon 2013 Media Awards dinner in Auckland last night.

Stuff, the country's most read news website, beat back nzherald.co.nz to take the award at a ceremony at Auckland's Pullman Hotel, while its rival won for best news website.

Weekly newspaper of the year went to The Dominion Post Weekend, and newspaper of the year to The New Zealand Herald. Kapi-Mana News won best community newspaper, and The Bay of Plenty Times was deemed best newspaper with a circulation of under 30,000.

Sam Boyer of The Dominion Post won junior reporter, with Simon Plumb of Sunday Star-Times claiming sports reporter. Phil Kitchin of The Dominion Post took awards for politics and his investigative work, exposing a mass privacy breach at ACC.

Adam Dudding of the Sunday Star-Times claimed senior feature writer, Fairfax Media political editor Tracy Watkins wrote the best political feature, while John Armstrong of the Herald was best columnist.

Watkins won for her coverage of radical plans to modernise the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade; a Fairfax Media/Ipsos poll asking voters' views on life in New Zealand and a Your Weekend profile on constitutional law expert Mai Chen.

Stephen Parker of the Daily Post in Rotorua was deemed best photographer, Kent Blechynden of The Dominion Post took the best news picture, Iain McGregor of the The Press the best sports photo, Natasha Martin of Timaru Herald was deemed best feature photographer, while The Manawatu Standard's Robert Kitchin took the best portrait photo, of embattled Education Minister Hekia Parata.

North & South magazine writer Mike White capped an evening of awards by winning the Wolfson Fellowship to Cambridge, in England. Best newsstand magazine went to New Zealand Geographic, with Young Country rated the best trade or professional magazine.

Winners at the Canon 2013 Media Awards:

Photography: Press Photographer of the Year, Senior: Stephen Parker, Daily Post, Press Photographer of the Year, Junior: Emma Allen, Marlborough Express, Best News Picture, Kent Blechynden: The Dominion Post, Best Sports Picture, Iain McGregor: The Press, Best Photo Essay or Slideshow, Richard Robinson: The New Zealand Herald, Best Feature Photo: Natasha Martin, Timaru Herald, Best Portrait: Robert Kitchin, Manawatu Standard.

Online: Best Digital Breaking News Coverage: West Auckland tornado, The New Zealand Herald, Best Innovation in Multimedia Storytelling: The Press, Zone Life, Best Innovation in New Technologies: The New Zealand Herald, windows 8 app, Best Digital Community Interaction: The Press, Zone Life, Best News Site: nzherald.co.nz, Best Website: stuff.co.nz, Best Video: Mike Scott, Waikato Times.

Magazines: Best Newsstand Magazine: New Zealand Geographic, Best Trade or Professional Magazine: Young Country, Best Magazine Design: Home, Magazine Feature Writer of the Year: Mike White, North & South, Magazine Feature Writer, Business & Science: Rebecca Macfie, NZ Listener, Magazine Feature Writer, Politics: Mike White, North & South, Magazine Feature Writer, Arts and Entertainment: Mike White, North & South, Magazine Feature Writer, Social Issues: Aaron Smale, Mana, Magazine Feature Writer, Sport: Duncan Greive, Metro, Magazine Feature Writer, Lifestyle: Donna Chisholm, North & South.

Newspapers: Canon Newspaper of the Year: The New Zealand Herald, Newspaper of the Year (over 30,000 circulation): The New Zealand Herald, Newspaper of the Year (up to 30,000 circulation): Bay of Plenty Times, Weekly Newspaper of the Year: The Dominion Post Weekend, Community Newspaper of the Year: Kapi-Mana News, Best Newspaper Design: The New Zealand Herald, Best Newspaper Inserted Magazine: The Business _ The New Zealand Herald, Senior Reporter of the Year: David Fisher, The New Zealand Herald, Junior Reporter of the Year: Sam Boyer, The Dominion Post, Reporter Science and Environment: Jamie Morton, The New Zealand Herald, Reporter Sport: Simon Plumb, Sunday Star-Times, Reporter Politics: Phil Kitchin, The Dominion Post, Reporter Human Relations: Jared Savage, The New Zealand Herald, Reporter Business: Rob Stock, Sunday Star-Times, Reporter Arts & Entertainment: Seamus Boyer, The Dominion Post, Reporter Lifestyle: Bronwyn Torrie, The Dominion Post, Senior Newspaper Feature Writer of the Year: Adam Dudding, Sunday Star-Times, Junior Newspaper Feature Writer of the Year: Aimie Cronin, Waikato Times, Newspaper Feature Writer, Science and Environment: Russell Blackstock, Herald on Sunday, Newspaper Feature Writer, Sport: Ben Stanley, Sunday Star-Times, Newspaper Feature Writer, Politics: Tracy Watkins, Fairfax Media, Newspaper Feature Writer, Human Relations: Tony Wall, Sunday Star-Times, Newspaper Feature Writer, Business: Geoff Cumming, Weekend Herald, Newspaper Feature Writer, Arts and Entertainment: Catherine Woulfe, Sunday Magazine, Newspaper Feature Writer, Lifestyle: Aimie Cronin, Waikato Times.

General: Best Investigation: Phil Kitchin, The Dominion Post, Student Journalist of the Year: Jenna Lynch, Waikato Times, Best Artwork: Anna Crichton, The New Zealand Herald, Cartoonist of the Year: Peter Bromhead, Herald on Sunday, Best Columnist: John Armstrong, The New Zealand Herald, Editorial Writer of the Year: Virginia Larson, North & South, Best Headline: Jonathan Milne, Herald on Sunday, Reviewer of the Year: Diana Wichtel, NZ Listener, Wolfson Fellowship to Cambridge: Mike White, North & South.