Old pals Mike Atherton and Nasser Hussain are both up for Commentator again, one of 14 awards on offer in final batch of announcements; Sky Sports and ITV dominate live TV category as BBC Football Focus hunt TV Show double; familiar feel to Sports Content Organisation shortlist; book tickets now!
When Mike Atherton claimed the 13th of his SJA British Sports Journalism Awards last year, it was his former England teammate and Sky Sports colleague Nasser Hussain who handed over the Specialist Correspondent trophy.
The duo first met when they were schoolboys and their friendship goes back 40 years. Now for the second consecutive year, they are pitched into healthy competition against each other for the Commentator prize.
In this category, Atherton was runner-up last year while Hussain took silver at the 2019 Awards. Each will hope to go one better – but former champion Peter Drury is also in the mix, along with five others who have all been shortlisted before. The game is set.
There is plenty of intrigue elsewhere too, but above all, excellence shines through.
Andrew Spence, chair of the broadcast judges, said: “This year’s submissions have been of an unbelievable standard, which shows our industry is in great shape when producing content.
“The diversity of talent in front and behind the microphone shows how much quality is out there, and I am happy this shortlist mirrors this.”
There are some reflections of 12 months ago, such as in the Audio Documentary category where holders The Athletic take four spots this time around.
In Audio Show, former winners White and Jordan are in the running for the fourth time in a row, and in Broadcast Journalist, six return to the shortlist from last year, including Dan Roan and Steve Scott.
The pool of candidates for Presenter includes Laura Woods and Mark Chapman, who have taken two wins each in the last six years.
In a change of discipline, the ‘Ones to Watch – Off Air’ gold medalist from 2020 – Sky Sports News’ Danyal Khan – becomes a contender for ‘On Air’. SSN’s Maddy Morrison and Miriam Walker-Khan were also shortlisted in the OTW categories three years ago and return for another shot.
Podcasts from the BBC took all three podium spots last time but six different pod producers will be hoping to make it to the stage at next month’s awards gala.
Meanwhile, Football Focus is targeting back-to-back wins in TV Show; Sky Sports and ITV Sport dominate the TV Live Event Coverage category; and previous winners Pitch International and Noah Media Group are up for TV Documentary.
A vote of SJA members will again determine the Pundit of the Year. The reigning top three of Ally McCoist, Roy Keane and Hussain return, as do Ian Wright and Karen Carney, but the other five are all newcomers.
Will there be a changing of the guard, or will experience count? We’ll find out on Monday 25 March, when the awards will be handed out at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge. Tickets and tables are available to purchase now.
SJA BRITISH SPORTS JOURNALISM AWARDS – BROADCAST CATEGORY SHORTLISTS
AUDIO DOCUMENTARY
Arteta: The making of Mikel – BBC Sports News / BBC World Service
Bobby 90 – The Athletic
Go Deeper: Access All Areas – Brentford – The Athletic
Go Deeper: Football on Turkey’s Fault line – The Athletic
Play On! How Football Returned to War-Torn Ukraine – talkSPORT
The Sound of Arsenal – The Athletic
AUDIO LIVE EVENT COVERAGE
AIG Women’s Open – IMG
FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 – talkSPORT
PDC World Darts Championship – talkSPORT
The Grand National – BBC Radio 5 Live
The Hillsborough Miracle – BBC Radio Sheffield
The Women’s World Cup – BBC Radio 5 Live
AUDIO SHOW
Fight Disciples – Independent
Kick Off – talkSPORT
Sportshour – BBC Sports News / World Service
Test Match Special – BBC 5 Live Sports Extra
The Monday Night Club – BBC Radio 5 Live
White & Jordan – talkSPORT
BROADCAST JOURNALIST
Amanda Davies – CNN International
Antoine Allen – ITV News
Dan Roan – BBC Sports News
Gabriel Clarke – ITV
Kaveh Solhekol – Sky Sports News
Patrick Davison – Sky Sports
Rob Harris – Sky News
Sanny Rudravajhala – Freelance
Steve Scott – ITV News
COMMENTATOR
Conor McNamara – Freelance
Ian Dennis – BBC Radio 5 Live
Michael Atherton – Sky Sports
Nasser Hussain – Sky Sports
Peter Drury – Sky Sports
Ronald McIntosh – Freelance
Sam Matterface – ITV / talkSPORT
Steve Cram – BBC Sport
ONES TO WATCH – OFF AIR
Charlotte Swift – BBC Sports News
Harshini Mehta – Sky Sports News
Jack Winstanley – IMG
Maddy Morrison – Sky Sports
Maryam Chaudhary – Sky Sports News
Mya Graham – talkSPORT
Shemi Adenekan – Sky Sports News
Sophie Penney – Freelance (Reuters, The Athletic etc.)
ONES TO WATCH – ON AIR
Alex Hartley – BBC Sport
Cameron Pope – Freelance
Danyal Khan – Sky Sports News
Ellen Ellard – Freelance
Megan Nicholls – ITV
Miriam Walker-Khan – Sky Sports News
Nick Ransom – Freelance
Ralph Karumazondo – ESPN
Uma Gurav – talkSPORT
The winner of the Ones to Watch categories will be announced on the SJA website on March 11. All those shortlisted in this category will be contacted shortly and invited to attend the awards as a guest of the SJA.
PODCAST
Everton: Nothing Will Be The Same – BBC Studios
Fight Disciples – Independent
talkBOXING with Simon Jordan & Spencer Oliver – talkSPORT
The Game Changers – Fearless Women
The Guardian’s Football Weekly – The Guardian
The Rest Is Football – Goalhanger
PRESENTER
Ade Oladipo – DAZN
Adrian Durham – talkSPORT
Caroline Barker – Sky Sports
Gabby Logan – BBC Sport
Laura Woods – ITV
Mark Chapman – BBC Sport / Sky Sports
Mark Pougatch – ITV
Neil Reynolds – Sky Sports
PUNDIT
Ally McCoist – talkSPORT / TNT
Brian O’Driscoll – ITV
Ian Wright – ITV
Izzy Christiansen – Sky Sports
Jamie Carragher – Sky Sports
Karen Carney – ITV / Sky Sports
Lianne Sanderson – talkSPORT
Nasser Hussain – Sky Sports
Nedum Onuoha – BBC Radio 5 Live
Roy Keane – ITV / Sky Sports
The winner of the Pundit category will be decided by a vote of SJA members.
SPORTS CONTENT ORGANISATION
CNN Sport
Mail Sport
Sky Sports
talkSPORT
The Athletic
The Guardian
TELEVISION DOCUMENTARY
Amputating Alice – Noah Media Group for Channel 4
Is Cricket Racist? – Cornered Tiger
Mark Cavendish: Never Enough – Pitch International
Mighty Penguins – Production Company – Fever Media, Meadowlark & Firelight
Race to the Summit – Pitch International
Sam Holness – Autism: My Sporting Superpower – BBC Sports News
The Edge of Everything – Studio99
TELEVISION LIVE EVENT COVERAGE
2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final – ITV
British Grand Prix – Sky Sports
Rugby World Cup 2023 – ITV
Ryder Cup 2023 – Sky Sports
Sky Sports Premier League – Sky Sports
The Ashes – Sky Sports
TELEVISION SHOW
Channel 4 Formula 1 Highlights – Whisper / Channel 4
CNN World Sport – CNN International
Football Focus – BBC Sport
Monday Night Football – Sky Sports
NFL End Zone – Whisper / Channel 5
Stick to Football – The Overlap