FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Monday February 25 2019
Paul Hayward of The Telegraph, Mark Thompson of Getty Images and ITV Sport’s Ed Chamberlin and Francesca Cumani were the big winners at the 2018 British Sports Journalism Awards sponsored by Canon, European Professional Club Rugby and the National Lottery.
Hayward was named SJA Sports Writer of the Year for a fifth time and presented with the John Bromley Trophy.
Thompson took the Ed Lacey Trophy as SJA Sports Photographer of the Year, sponsored by Canon, having also won the Specialist Portfolio and Sports Picture categories.
Chamberlin and Cumani were joint winners of the Broadcast Sports Presenter as the double act in front of ITV’s racing broadcasts.
“Francesca and Ed – fresh, fun, knowledgeable and accessible. They’re a classic racing double act whose passion and insight shine through every race meeting,” said one judge.
The Daily Mail snatched back the SJA Sports Newspaper of the Year title from The Guardian, winning it for the fifth time in six years.
The judges said: “When all’s said and done, there is nothing to beat hard news. In a fiercely competitive field, that ingredient enabled the Mail to edge the verdict in a photo-finish.”
The much-coveted title of SJA Broadcast Journalist of the Year went to Rob Dorsett of Sky News for his reporting on the Leicester helicopter tragedy.
The judges said: “Rob’s work at the Leicester helicopter crash – one of the biggest stories of the year – was quite outstanding. Sensitive, accurate, controlled and dignified, an object lesson in how to report a tragedy.”
The Independent’s Jonathan Liew, previously a young winner, was named Sports Columnist of 2018, beating a high-class field while John Richardson of The Sunday Mirror kept the tabloid flag flying as he won the SJA Sports News Reporter category and so ending Matt Lawton’s four-year monopoly.
The European Professional Club Rugby writer of the year is Owen Slot of The Times for the second successive year.
John Murray of BBC Radio 5Live made it two Sports Commentator awards in three years. One judge said: “No pictures needed with John Murray on the microphone. Informative, funny and insightful, it feels like a fan’s sitting next to you chatting through the action.”
There was a new Sports Pundit category this year and the inaugural winner was Osi Umenyiora of Whisper Films.
More than 600 guests were at the gala dinner at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, hosted by Jim Rosenthal, including 10 places given by sponsors, the National Lottery, to next-generation journalists.
Visit the www.sportsjournalists.co.uk for the latest news and information about the awards, find us on Facebook (sportsjournalistsgb), Twitter (@sportsja) and Instagram (@sjainsta)
2018 SJA BRITISH SPORTS JOURNALISM AWARDS WINNERS
Doug Gardner Award for Services to Sports Journalism and the SJA
Winner: Barry Davies
SJA Sports Writer of the Year 2018 (The John Bromley Trophy)
Winner: Paul Hayward – The Telegraph
SJA Sports Photographer of the Year 2018 (The Ed Lacey Trophy) sponsored by Canon
Winner: Mark Thompson – Getty Images
SJA Sports Newspaper of the Year 2018
Winner: Daily Mail
Highly commended: The Telegraph
Highly commended: The Sunday Times
Broadcast Sports Presenter
Winner: Ed Chamberlin & Francesca Cumani – ITV Sport
Highly commended: Adrian Durham – talkSPORT
Highly commended: Hazel Irvine – BBC Sport
WRITING AWARDS
Cricket Journalist
Winner: Scyld Berry – The Telegraph
Highly commended: Paul Newman – Daily Mail
Highly commended: Michael Atherton – The Times
Football Journalist
Winner: Daniel Taylor – The Guardian
Highly commended: Jonathan Northcroft – The Sunday Times
Highly commended: Sam Wallace – The Telegraph
Regional Journalist
Winner: Neil Allen – Portsmouth News
Highly commended: James Olley – The Evening Standard
Highly commended: Jon Colman – Cumbrian Newspapers
Rugby Journalist sponsored by European Professional Club Rugby
Winner: Owen Slot – The Times
Highly commended: Mick Cleary – The Telegraph
Highly commended: Stephen Jones – The Sunday Times
Special Sports Edition
Winner: 100 Greatest Heavyweight Boxers – Boxing News
Highly commended: Lev Yashin: From bullet maker to Balon d’Or Winner – BBC Sport
Highly commended: World Cup 2018 – The Telegraph
Specialist Correspondent
Winner: Jonathan McEvoy – Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday
Highly commended: Ewan Murray – The Guardian
Highly commended: Matt Majendie – The Evening Standard
Sports Columnist
Winner: Jonathan Liew – The Independent
Highly commended: Daniel Taylor – The Guardian
Highly commended: Marina Hyde – The Guardian
Sports Feature Writer
Winner: Donald McRae – The Guardian and Observer
Highly commended: Alex Mead – The Rugby Journal
Highly commended: Neil Squires – Daily Express
Sports News Reporter
Winner: John Richardson – Sunday Mirror
Highly commended: David Conn – The Guardian
Highly commended: Neil Ashton – The Sun
Sports Scoop
Winner: James Olley – The Evening Standard – Wembley for Sale
Highly commended: Every Premier League club asked to cough up £250,000 in golden handshake for Richard Scudamore – Matt Lawton – Daily Mail
Highly commended: Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona – Lee Clayton – Daily Mail
Sports Website
Winner: MailOnline
Highly commended: The Independent
Highly commended: The Times
BROADCAST AWARDS
Broadcast Journalist
Winner: Rob Dorsett – Sky Sports News
Highly commended: Des Kelly – BT Sport
Highly commended: Richard Conway – BBC Sport
Broadcast Production Team
Winner: Bobby Robson: More than a Manager – Noah Media Group
Highly commended: World Cup 2018 – BBC Sport
Highly commended: Leicester City Helicopter Crash – Sky Sports News
Radio Sport Factual or Feature
Winner: Football Forum – BBC Radio Leicester
Highly commended: Pep Music – BBC Radio 5Live
Highly commended: Super G: How Geraint win the Yellow Jersey – BBC Sport Wales
Radio Sport Live Broadcast
Winner: Sri Lanka Cricket Tour – talkSPORT
Highly commended: World Cup 2018 – talkSPORT
Highly commended: World Cup 2018 – BBC Radio 5Live
Sports Commentator
Winner: John Murray – BBC Radio 5Live
Highly commended: Guy Mowbray – BBC Sport
Highly commended: Mike Costello – BBC Radio 5Live
Sports Pundit
Winner: Osi Umenyiora – Whisper Films
Highly commended: Alex Scott – BBC Sport
Highly commended: Nasser Hussain – Sky Sports
Television Sport Factual or Feature
Winner: Bobby Robson: More than a Manager – Noah Media Group
Highly commended: McAteer: Through the Storm – Liverpool Football Club
Highly commended: Shoulder to Shoulder – TBI Media and 3 Rock Productions for BT Sport
Television Sport Live Broadcast
Winner: Cricket – Sky Sports
Highly commended: Royal Ascot Gold Cup Day – ITV Sport
Highly commended: Winter Paralympic Games for Channel 4 – Whisper Films
PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS
Away from the Action
Winner: Eddie Keogh – Freelance
Highly commended: Edward Whitaker – Racing Post
Highly commended: Marc Aspland – The Times
Sport Picture
Winner: Mark Thompson – Getty Images
Highly commended: Richard Pelham – The Sun
Highly commended: Anna Gowthorpe – Freelance
Canon Sports Portfolio
Winner: Julian Finney – Getty Images
Highly commended: Alex Livesey – Getty Images
Highly commended: Clive Mason – Getty Images
Specialist Sports Portfolio
Winner: Mark Thompson – Getty Images
Highly commended: Alex Whitehead – SWpix
Highly commended: Edward Whitaker – Racing Post
Football Portfolio
Winner: Julian Finney – Getty Images
Highly commended: Eddie Keogh – Freelance
Highly commended: Michael Regan – Getty Images
Editors’ notes
- The Sports Journalists’ Association was founded in 1948 and is the world’s largest national membership organisation of sports media.
- Rights-free images from today’s SJA British Sports Journalism Awards are available via Getty Images or alternatively please contact: james@s2fevents.co.uk
- For media or general enquiries regarding the SJA contact: Nick Townsend on 07801183766 or nick.townsend@virgin.net