Other awards last night went to Hartlepool's Adam Boyd who picked up the awards for Coco-Cola League Player of the Year and Goal of the Season, for his superb chipped goal against Sheffield Wednesday
Newcastle's Shay Given won the Save of the Season and Sunderland boss Mick McCarthey was honoured with the 2005 Recognition Award for guiding Sunderland to the Championship title.
It was also announced over the weekend that Downing has won the North East Football Writers Player of the Year Award, beating Hartlepool's Adam Boyd and Sunderland's Julio Arca into second and third place respectively. The award will be presented later in the season at a dinner in Durham.