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Names in the frames for SJA Photo Awards

James Maloney - Trinity Mirror
Thousands of spectators line “Cote de Buttertubs” as the Tour de France got underway in Yorkshire. Photo by James Maloney of Trinity Mirror, a short-listed entry in the Sports Picture of the Year category

SJA BRITISH SPORTS JOURNALISM AWARDS 2014: The short-lists – Photography

The four photography categories in the SJA’s British Sports Journalism Awards, sponsored by BT Sport, have all been judged, with the top six in each category named here, after what the chairman of judges has described as “a good without being vintage” year. The entries comprised in total more than 1,000 images.

The Sports Photographer of the Year will be chosen from the outstanding entries in the two portfolio categories below, and together with all our other winners, their name will be announced at our prestigious awards dinner in London on Monday, March 23, where the SJA President, Sir Michael Parkinson, and Jim Rosenthal will welcome nearly 400 guests to the Grand Connaught Rooms to celebrate excellence in sports photography, broadcasting and writing from 2014.

The awards date back to 1976, and the past winners include some of the biggest names in British sports writing, photography and broadcasting.

Steve Etherington's entry for the Sports Picture of the Year captures a hair-raising moment during the F1 Grand Prix season
Freelance photographer Steve Etherington’s entry for the Sports Picture of the Year captures a hair-raising moment during the F1 Grand Prix season

Doug Gardner Award-winner Patrick Eagar chaired our photography judging panel earlier this month: “This year’s panel of experts spent Friday 13th minutely considering a thousand sports images.

“As chairman I could only look on dispassionately, and it was just very occasionally that a tiny touch of the tiller became necessary. I was impressed by the care that was taken and the knowledge that was brought to bear in their assessments. It was a very good judging panel.

“The standard of entries was good without being vintage. Nevertheless there is no doubt that the prize winners can be congratulated on their skill, expertise and good luck in producing what I hope all will agree were superlative photographs. The Ed Lacey Trophy winner for 2014, for the Sports Photographer of the Year, will be in good hands.”

The photographs used to illustrate this article are the six short-listed entries in the Sports Picture category. The order of use and selection implies nothing about the judges’ decision or outcome of the competition.

Carl Recine, of Action Images, captured this moment in Chelsea's match with Liverpool for his Sports Picture entry
Carl Recine, of Action Images, captured this moment in Chelsea’s match with Liverpool for his Sports Picture entry

Sports News Picture

Andrew Boyers – Action Images
Henry Browne – Action Images
Graham Chadwick – Daily Mail
David Davies – Press Association
Laurence Griffiths – Getty Images
Dylan Martinez – Reuters

Specialist Sports Portfolio

Gareth Copley – Getty Images
Steve Etherington – Freelance
Carl Recine – Action Images
Clive Rose – Getty Images
Simon Stacpoole – Offside Sports Photography
Edward Whitaker – Racing Post

Dwayne Bravo of the West Indies catches James Faulkner of Australia off the bowling of Krishmar Santokie during the ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014 match between the West indies and Australia at Sher-e-Bangla Mirpur Stadium on March 28, 2014 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.  (Photo by Matthew Lewis-IDI/IDI via Getty Images
Dwayne Bravo of the West Indies makes a spectacular catch during the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, captured in turn by Getty Images’ Matthew Lewis

Sports Picture

Steve Etherington – Freelance
Paul Gilham – Getty Images
Matthew Lewis – Getty Images
James Maloney – Trinity Mirror
Carl Recine – Action Images
Simon Stacpoole – Offside Sports Photography

18th October 2014 - Barclays Premier League - Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur - Sergio Aguero of Man City tries an acrobatic shot - Photo: Simon Stacpoole / Offside.
Simon Stacpoole, of Offside Sports Photography, was very much onside when he photographed Sergio Aguero making this acrobatic effort on goal for his Sports Picture entry

Sports Portfolio

David Davies – Press Association
Adrian Dennis – AFP
Tom Jenkins – Guardian
Alex Livesey – Getty Images
Ian MacNicol – Freelance
Lee Smith – Action Images

 Nelli Zhiganshina and Alexander Gazsi of Germany compete during the Figure Skating Ice Dance Short Dance on day 9 of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Iceberg Skating Palace on February 16, 2014 in Sochi, Russia.  (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
Nelli Zhiganshina and Alexander Gazsi of Germany in the ice dance competition at the Sochi Winter Olympics comprises the Sports Picture entry from Getty Images’ Paul Gilham

UPCOMING SJA EVENTS

Mon Mar 23: SJA British Sports Journalism Awards, sponsored by BT Sport, at the Grand Connaught Rooms. Details of how to book your tickets can be found here

Wed, Apr 1: BT Sport/SJA lunch with Olympic champion rower Andrew Triggs Hodge. Booking details here

Mon Apr 13: SJA Spring Golf Day, Wimbledon Park GC. Booking details here

Wed May 13: SJA York Races Day, sponsored by Ladbrokes, at the Dante Festival. Click here to book your places

Mon Sep 14: SJA Autumn Golf Day, Muswell Hill Golf Club