Sunday Tribune Northern Editor Suzanne Breen has been named Northern Ireland feature journalist of the year. She was presented with her trophy at an awards ceremony in Belfast's Europa Hotel on Friday night.

Suzanne won both the 2009 newspaper feature journalist of the year category and the overall feature journalist award, which encompasses both print and broadcast media. The runner-up was BBC Northern Ireland's Kevin Magee.

Suzanne was described as an "excellent interviewer" by the 15-strong judging panel at the awards organised by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

"The winner shows great empathy and compassion in her interviews. The prize that that garners is to tease out very human detail," the judges said.

The award-winning articles were: 'The Informers', an exclusive interview with IRA informers Raymond Gilmour and Marty McGartland at a secret location in England; 'We're not going to let our wee brother down now' on the aftermath of the Robert McCartney murder trial; and 'Massacre at La Mon', which included emotional interviews with those injured and bereaved on the 30th anniversary of the IRA atrocity.

The awards ceremony was compèred by Gordon Burn, former presenter of ITV's The Krypton Factor. The judging panel, made up of respected figures from the Irish and British media, was chaired by Bob Satchwell, executive director of the Society of Editors.

It's the fifth time Suzanne has won the award. She has been the Sunday Tribune's Northern Editor since 2005.