Kelly Cates (BBC Radio 5 Live / Sky Sports) emerges from Presenter pack as category winner; The Athletic wins Sports Content Organisation award for the first time; CNN’s Amanda Davies is Broadcast Journalist of the Year; three YouTube category prizes and two Content Creator awards presented…
By the SJA
All three co-hosts taking the BBC Match of the Day reins from next season were in the running for the Presenter of the Year honours at the SJA British Sports Journalism Awards 2024.
The judges selected Kelly Cates (BBC Radio 5 Live / Sky Sports) as the category winner, the first time that she has claimed a trophy at the “industry Oscars”.
Her “warmth and ability to put guests at ease, even when asking difficult questions” made her the standout on the shortlist, according to the judges.
One of the night’s biggest awards is Sports Content Organisation, now in its third year. Taking the prize for 2024 is The Athletic, which was praised for its desire to do things differently, to go more in-depth, and to deliver investigative journalism of the highest quality.
Amanda Davies (CNN) and Chris Jones (BBC Radio 5 Live) were also first-time winners on the night, in the Broadcast Journalist and Commentator categories respectively, while Roy Keane (Sky Sports / ITV Sport) was voted by SJA members as the Pundit of the Year.
Keane’s fearlessness was summed up in one comment made by a voting member – “no prisoners taken” – but he was also described as “entertaining” when delivering his verdicts, with qualities that shone through on television – “humour, wit, genuine insight and authority.”
Sven (Whisper & Up&Away Film Studios for Amazon) was the winner of the TV Documentary category, while BBC Sport’s Paris Olympics progamming took TV Live Event Coverage honours. The TV Show of the Year was Deadline Day from Sky Sports News.
In the Audio categories, talkSPORT took two categories – Live Event Coverage for its radio and digital reportage from the Paris Olympics, and White & Jordan was named Show of the Year for the third time in four years.
Stak’s The English Disease took the Podcast prize, with Confessions of a Match Fixer (BBC Scotland) doing the business in Audio Documentary.
There were a number of new Broadcast categories, which provided a host of new winners at the SJA Awards.
Three were YouTube dedicated, with United View taking Channel; Jordan Macauley of The Long Play winning Newcomer; and Stick to Football from The Overlap securing Show.
AFTV’s interview with Keir Starmer was named the Content Creator Exclusive of the Year, while The Content Club’s Miles Addy won the Content Creator category.
The Telegraph‘s reporting of Jurgen Klopp’s announcement that he would be leaving Liverpool took the honours in Breaking News Coverage, a new category that crossed over between Writing and Broadcast.
The winners of the two ‘Ones to Watch’ categories in Broadcast had previously been announced and were presented with their awards on the night. Mail Sport reporter Charlotte Daly (On Air) and Sky Sports assistant producer Harshini Mehta (Off Air) were the recipients.
SPORTS CONTENT ORGANISATION
BBC Sport; Guardian Sport; Mail Sport; Sky Sports; Telegraph Sport; The Athletic
Winner: The Athletic
AUDIO DOCUMENTARY
Dangerous Games: Red Bull’s Killer PR – Tortoise Media; Iconic: The Rise of the Women in Red – BBC Radio Wales; Olympics out of Cobb – BBC Sport for BBC World Service; Sport’s Strangest Crimes: Confessions of a Match Fixer – BBC Scotland; The English Disease – Stak; The Quiet Place – BBC Radio 5 Live; The Story of the Guinea Stadium Disaster – The Athletic
Bronze: The Quiet Place – BBC Radio 5 Live; Silver: The Story of the Guinea Stadium Disaster – The Athletic; Winner: Confessions of a Match Fixer – BBC Scotland
AUDIO LIVE EVENT COVERAGE
2024 England tour of India – talkSPORT; Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois – Left Peg Media for BBC Radio 5 Live; Olympic Games Paris 2024 – BBC Radio 5 Live; Olympic Games Paris 2024 – talkSPORT; UEFA Euro 2024 – talkSPORT; UEFA Euro 2024 – BBC Radio 5 Live
Bronze: Olympic Games Paris 2024 – BBC Radio 5 Live, and UEFA Euro 2024 – BBC Radio 5 Live; Silver: Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois – Left Peg Media for BBC Radio 5 Live; Winner: Olympic Games Paris 2024 – talkSPORT
AUDIO SHOW
GameDay – talkSPORT; Monday Night Club – BBC Radio 5 Live; Saturday 5 Live Sport – BBC Radio 5 Live; Sportshour – BBC Sport for BBC World Service; Test Match Special – BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra; White & Jordan – talkSPORT
Bronze: Saturday 5 Live Sport – BBC Radio 5 Live; Silver: Sportshour – BBC Sport for BBC World Service; Winner: White & Jordan – talkSPORT
BROADCAST JOURNALIST
Alex Aljoe – Sunset+Vine for Prime Video; Amanda Davies – CNN; Craig Slater – Sky Sports News; Dan Roan – BBC Sport; Patrick Davison – Sky Sports; Rob Harris – Sky News
Bronze: Dan Roan – BBC Sport; Silver: Craig Slater – Sky Sports News; Winner: Amanda Davies – CNN
COMMENTATOR
Alistair Bruce-Ball – BBC Radio 5 Live; Ally McCoist – ITV Sport; Andrew Cotter – BBC Sport; Gigi Salmon – BBC Radio 5 Live; John Murray – BBC Radio 5 Live; Chris Jones – BBC Radio 5 Live; Peter Drury – Sky Sports
Bronze: Alistair Bruce-Ball – BBC Radio 5 Live; Silver: John Murray – BBC Radio 5 Live; Winner: Chris Jones – BBC Radio 5 Live
PODCAST
5 Live Football Daily At The Euros – BBC Radio 5 Live; F1: Chequered Flag – BBC 5 Live / IMG; Sky Sports: Real Talk – Sky Sports; Sporting Giants – BBC Sport/BBC Sounds; The English Disease – Stak; The Sports Agents – Global
Bronze: The Sports Agents – Global; Silver: Sporting Giants – BBC Sport/BBC Sounds; Winner: The English Disease – Stak
PRESENTER
Ade Oladipo – Freelance; Adrian Durham – talkSPORT; Clare Balding – BBC Sport; Gabby Logan – BBC Sport; Kelly Cates – BBC Radio 5 Live / Sky Sports; Mark Chapman – BBC; Orla Chennaoui – Eurosport / TNT Sports
Bronze: Orla Chennaoui – Eurosport / TNT Sports; Silver: Clare Balding – BBC Sport; Winner: Kelly Cates – BBC Radio 5 Live / Sky Sports
PUNDIT
Ally McCoist – talkSPORT; Ian Wright – ITV Sport; Jamie Carragher – Sky Sports; Jason Bell – Sky Sports; Karen Carney – ITV Sport; Micah Richards – BBC Sport, Sky Sports, CBS Sport; Michael Johnson – BBC Sport; Nasser Hussain – Sky Sports; Roy Keane – Sky Sports / ITV Sport; Victoria Pendleton – BBC Radio 5 Live
Bronze: Ally McCoist – talkSPORT; Silver: Nasser Hussain – Sky Sports; Winner: Roy Keane – Sky Sports / ITV Sport
TELEVISION DOCUMENTARY
Finding Hope: Sir Chris Hoy – BBC Breakfast; Sir Alex – BBC Sport; Sven – Whisper & Up&Away Film Studios for Amazon; The Club That George Built – whynow Studios & TNT Sports; There’s Only One Rob Burrow – BBC Breakfast; Unbreakable: England 2003 – TNT Sports & Buzz 16
Bronze: The Club That George Built – whynow Studios & TNT Sports; Silver: There’s Only One Rob Burrow – BBC Breakfast; Winner: Sven – Whisper & Up&Away Film Studios for Amazon
TELEVISION LIVE EVENT COVERAGE
Channel 4 Paralympics – Whisper; Cheltenham Festival – ITV Sport; England Test Cricket – Sky Sports; Olympic Games Paris 2024 – BBC Sport; Olympic Games Paris 2024 – CNN; Rob Burrow Tribute Match – Sky Sports; The Boat Race 2024 – FilmNova
Bronze: England Test Cricket – Sky Sports; Silver: Channel 4 Paralympics – Whisper; Winner: Olympic Games Paris 2024 – BBC Sport
TELEVISION SHOW
CNN World Sport – CNN; Deadline Day – Sky Sports News; Match of the Day – BBC Sport; Monday Night Football – Sky Sports; MOTD: UEFA Champions League Highlights – BBC Sport; Super Sunday – Sky Sports
Bronze: CNN World Sport – CNN; Silver: Match of the Day – BBC Sport; Winner: Deadline Day – Sky Sports News
BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE
Copa America final chaos – The Athletic; Euro 2024 crowd issues – Sky News; Gary Lineker leaving MOTD – Sky News; Jurgen Klopp to leave Liverpool – The Telegraph; Klopp Announces Shock Liverpool Exit – talkSPORT (White & Jordan); Sky Sports News
Bronze: Copa America final chaos – The Athletic; Silver: Sky Sports News; Winner: Jurgen Klopp to leave Liverpool – The Telegraph
CONTENT CREATOR
Aadam Patel – Mail Sport; Charlotte Daly – Mail Sport; Jon Mackenzie – The Athletic; Miles Addy – The Content Club; Sanny Rudravajhala – Freelance; Sirayah-Shiraz Koraltan – Freelance
Bronze: Jon Mackenzie – The Athletic; Silver: Sirayah-Shiraz Koraltan – Freelance; Winner: Miles Addy – The Content Club
CONTENT CREATOR EXCLUSIVE
AFTV – Keir Starmer interview; Ben Heath Podcast – Premier League Footballer Opens Up About Cocaine Addiction; Counter Attack (Dapo Abitogun) – Victor Osimhen; Harry Pinero & Culture Cams – Rudiger talking about Jude on “The Inside Scoop”; Rio Ferdinand Presents – Mourinho Exclusive: How To Manage Cristiano Ronaldo; The Overlap – Schweinsteiger On United & Mourinho: “They Kicked Me Out”; Up Front with Simon Jordan – John Terry
Bronze: The Overlap – Schweinsteiger On United & Mourinho: “They Kicked Me Out”; Silver: Ben Heath Podcast – Premier League Footballer Opens Up About Cocaine Addiction; Winner: AFTV – Keir Starmer interview
YOUTUBE CHANNEL
AFTV; Sky Sports Premier League; Stephen Hendry’s Cue Tips; talkSPORT Boxing; The Overlap; United View
Bronze: The Overlap; Silver: AFTV; Winner: United View
YOUTUBE NEWCOMER
Courtney-Jamal Needham – Freelance; Eurosport Cycling YouTube; Jordan Macauley – The Long Play; Mail Sport; Mina Ibrahim – Freelance; UR RONALDO – Whisper, Dentsu and CR7
Bronze: Mail Sport; Silver: UR RONALDO – Whisper, Dentsu and CR7; Winner: Jordan Macauley – The Long Play
YOUTUBE SHOW
Goal Diggers UK; I’m Game – Sky Sports; Stick to Football – The Overlap; The Athletic’s Week In Football; The Long Play; The Sticker Book – Sky Sports
Bronze: The Athletic’s Week In Football; Silver: The Long Play; Winner: Stick to Football – The Overlap
ONES TO WATCH – ON AIR
Aadam Patel – Mail Sport; Charlotte Daly – Mail Sport; Elizabeth Conway – BBC Sport; Jamie Ward – Matchroom Boxing; Olly Clink – talkSPORT; Sam Harris – BBC Sport; Sioned Dafydd – Rondo Media (S4C)
Bronze: Jamie Ward – Matchroom Boxing; Silver: Sioned Dafydd – Rondo Media (S4C); Winner: Charlotte Daly – Mail Sport
ONES TO WATCH – OFF AIR
Alex Biddle – Mail Sport; Harshini Mehta – Sky Sports News; Jack Winstanley – IMG; Nathanael Hutchinson – BBC Sport; Nicky Anderson – Stak; Sophie Penney – Global
Bronze: Nicky Anderson – Stak; Silver: Alex Biddle – Mail Sport, and Nathanael Hutchinson – BBC Sport; Winner: Harshini Mehta – Sky Sports News