The Phnom Penh Post swept the breaking news category as it took home four awards at last week’s annual Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) gala in Hong Kong.

The paper’s first prize of the night came in Excellence in Lifestyle Coverage, which went to former Post Weekend editor Poppy McPherson for "Reign of the Quiet King", her look at the largely secret life of King Norodom Sihamoni.

Earning top honours for Excellence in Breaking News was the Post’s coverage of the Roka commune HIV outbreak, which judges described as a “horrible topic” presented “in an even-handed way, void of sensationalism” and “very transparent” in its sourcing.

The category was rounded out by the Post team’s coverage of the garment protest on Veng Sreng Boulevard and subsequent killing of at least five people during a violent crackdown by security forces.

Stories included in the category represented the work of more than a dozen reporters and photographers.

In the Excellence in Investigative Reporting category, a series of articles unveiling shocking new facets of the sprawling logging empire of Try Pheap earned a silver nod for Post reporters May Titthara and Daniel Pye, whom judges praised for their “gutsy and detailed reporting”.

The prizes, handed out last Wednesday, are voted on by a panel of judges comprised of more than 100 senior reporters, editors and journalism school faculty. A record-setting number of entries were received this year from across SOPA’s more than 40 member news organisations.

Since 2008, the Post has accumulated more than 25 honours in international competition.