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SJA members get to vote in 2015 Sports Awards

Adam Peaty won three world swimming titles, and broke an individual world record.

Alex Danson was the player of the tournament as England’s women won EuroHockey 2015.

Wayne Rooney broke Bobby Charlton’s all-time England scoring record.

Jessica Ennis: SJA Sportswoman of the Year in 2012. Could she win again in 2015?
Jessica Ennis: SJA Sportswoman of the Year in 2012. Could she win again in 2015?

Andy and Jamie Murray steered Britain to its first Davis Cup final for nearly 40 years.

AP McCoy took the jockeys’ title for a 20th time before retiring.

Helen Glover and Heather Stanning remain supreme rowing their coxless pairs boat.

Greg Rutherford added a world title to the Olympic, Commonwealth and European long jump crowns he already possesses.

And Steph Houghton captained England’s footballers to their best World Cup finish since 1966 and all that…

There’s them, and there’s many, many more top contenders for the titles of the 2015 SJA Sportsman, Sportswoman and Team of the Year, the winners of which will be revealed at a gala ceremony in London on December 17 sponsored by The National Lottery and attended by a glittering array of figures from the world of sport and media.

Double winner: AP AP McCoy and his wife, Chanelle, with the SJA Sportsman of the Year award in 2010. Odds-on in 2015, too?
Double winner: AP AP McCoy and his wife, Chanelle, with the SJA Sportsman of the Year award in 2010. Odds-on in 2015, too?

And it will be the members of the SJA who decide who are the winners of the longest-established sports awards in this country, in their 67th year, which their Association’s President, Patrick Collins, will be presenting on their behalf.

Last year, the leading awards went to golfer Rory McIlroy, runner Jo Pavey and the World Cup-winning England women’s rugby team.

The National Lottery presented Dame Kelly Holmes with the Spirit of Sport Award for her work encouraging youngsters into sport through the Dame Kelly Holmes Foundation, and Sir Michael Parkinson presented the SJA President’s Award for one final time, choosing Sir Chris Hoy to mark his outstanding cycling career.

Now is the time to choose the winners in 2015, and voting is now open for SJA members.

They can vote for their 1, 2, 3 in the Sportsman, Sportswoman and Team categories.

The deadline for all votes is Tuesday, December 1.

“Please do make sure you use your votes,” Steven Downes, the SJA Secretary, said today.

“Our awards are among the most prized by the nation’s sporting heroes and heroines because they are chosen by you – the nation’s sports journalists.”

Here is a selection of some of the outstanding contenders for the 2015 SJA British Sports Awards – though it is up to SJA members to choose who they vote for, including those not listed here.

SJA Sportsman of the Year contenders
Jimmy AndersonJimmy Anderson – Pictured right. Helped England win the Ashes, taking his 300th Test wicket along the way
Stuart Broad – His devastating bowling at Trent Bridge effectively decided the Ashes series
Mo Farah – World 5,000m and 10000m titles, another championship double
Chris Froome – The first Briton to win the Tour de France twice
James Guy – Set a marker for Rio races in the pool with world championship 400m freestyle gold
Lewis Hamilton – Past Sportsman of Year. Tops the F1 standings looking for back-to-back world titles
Wayne Rooney 2014AP McCoy – Past Sportsman of the Year. Retired at the top, after his 20th champion jockey’s title
Adam Peaty – World record-breaker and three gold medals at the world swimming championships
Wayne Rooney – Pictured left. Broke a goal-scoring record which has stood 45 years to become England’s top marksman
Greg Rutherford – Olympic, Commonwealth, European and now world long jump champion

SJA Sportswoman of the Year contenders
Nicola Adams – Pictured below, right. European Games gold for Britain’s finest female boxer
Lizzie Armitstead – Cycling’s road race world champion
Nicola Adams 2015Rachel Atherton – Victory in downhill race at mountain bike world championships
Alex Danson – chosen as player of the tournament in England’s EuroHockey triumph
Charlotte Dujardin – Without peer in dressage after double gold at European championships
Jessica Ennis-Hill – Past Sportswoman of the Year. Heptathlon world gold in Beijing
Steph Houghton – captained England to third in football World Cup
Jade Jones – Added European Games gold in taekwondo
Sarah Storey – Road race and time trial golds at the world para cycling championships
Lizzy Yarnold – Won skeleton world gold to complete a career Grand Slam

Jamie and Andy MurraySJA Team of the Year contenders
Britain’s Davis Cup team – Including Jamie and Andy Murray, pictured left. First final for Great Britain since 1978
Britain’s men rowing eight – Retained the world title
Britain’s men 4x200m freestyle relay – World championship gold
Britain’s mixed 4x100m medly relay – World gold in a world record time
Tom Daley and Rebecca Gallantree – World champions in mixed team diving
England men cricket – Confounded the odds by regaining the Ashes with a 3-2 series win
England women football – Third at World Cup, England’s best result since 1966 and all that
England women hockey – Won EuroHockey at Olympic Park to secure place in Rio
glover and stanningKaty French, Samantha Murray and Freya Prentice – women’s team gold at Modern Pentathlon Europeans
Helen Glover and Heather Stanning – Pictured right. Won world gold again in the coxless pair

“SJA members are spoilt for choice when it comes to voting, yet again, thanks undoubtedly to the impact of funding from The National Lottery on so many of our sports, helping great British talent compete and win on the world stage,” Downes said.

“We’re very grateful to The National Lottery for their help over the years with British sport, and especially so through their generous sponsorship of the SJA British Sports Awards, the thriving partnership now in its fourth year.”

Voting forms are being posted out to all SJA members. Or you can vote online now – it takes just a minute of your time.

To vote online, click here

  • The SJA is the largest member organisation of sports media professionals in the world. Join us: Click here for more details
  • This year, the SJA’s nominated good cause is The Journalists’ Charity. To find out more and how you can donate on a one-off or regular basis, go to www.journalistscharity.org.uk

UPCOMING SJA EVENTS

Tue Oct 20: Young sports journalists’ networking drinks – book your place here

Tue Dec 1: Young sports journalists’ networking drinks – Details to be announced

Thu Dec 17: SJA British Sports Awards, sponsored by The National Lottery

2016

Mon Feb 22: SJA British Sports Journalism Awards dinner, sponsored by BT Sport