News

Vote now in SJA Sports Awards to enter prize draw

Sports Journalists’ Association members who exercise their right to vote for the Sportsman, Sportswoman and Team of the Year before close of play (that’s 5pm) this Friday, November 6, will be entered in a free prize draw.

National Lottery Logo 1The terrific prize – and there is no cash alternative; who’d want it anyway? – is a pair of free tickets for the gala SJA British Sports Awards lunch in London on Thursday, December 17, hosted by Jim Rosenthal and sponsored by The National Lottery, when we will reveal the 2015 winners of our awards.

Full price for a pair of tickets to the glittering, all-star event at the Grand Connaught Rooms in Covent Garden, where there will be a champagne reception, sports photography exhibition and three-course lunch with wine, is £288.

Voting for the SJA British Sports Awards is limited to SJA members, and Association members have been choosing their Sportsman of the Year since 1949, making it the longest established sports awards staged in this country. As well as Sportswoman and Team of the Year, the SJA presents a range of prizes including international newcomer, performance of the year and Paralympic sport awards which have been established for more than 50 years, recognising the achievements in disability sport longer than any other organisation.

Our sponsors, The National Lottery, will also be making their special Spirit of Sport Award, which in the past has been won by Sir Ben Ainslie and Dame Kelly Holmes.

In an email to SJA members which went out this week, Steven Downes, the Association secretary, said, “We need your 1, 2, 3s of top British sports performers during the calendar year to help choose who will be announced as our Sportsman, Sportswoman and Team of the Year by our President, Patrick Collins.

“You may, of course, opt to wait to vote until closer to the Dec 1 deadline – but you just won’t be entered in to the free prize draw if you don’t vote this week.”

Voting can be done online, here.

Some suggestions as to who you might want to be considered can be found here

And here’s some personal recommendations from other SJA members:

  • Who do you think deserves SJA members’ votes for Sportsman, Sportswoman or Team of the Year? Send your pitch – no more than 400 words – to stevenwdownes@btinternet.com, with “SJA Sports Awards” in the subject field, and we may publish it 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 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