Not yet entered the SJA British Sports Journalism Awards? You’ve got until late on Wednesday night to submit! Here, award-winning writer Heather Dewar – shortlisted for Sports News Reporter last time out at the SJAs – shares her advice…
Time is nearly up to get your entry in for the SJA British Sports Journalism Awards – but if like most journalists, you’re leaving it until close to the deadline, this article is for you!
At the SJA’s recent awards advice webinar, attendees heard from Heather Dewar, who was Scotland’s Sports News Writer of the Year in both 2022 and 2024. She was also shortlisted in the Sports News Reporter category at the last SJAs.
Based in Edinburgh, Heather writes for the Scottish Daily Mail. She started out in sports journalism with BBC local radio back in 2001, then moved north of the border to work in commercial radio before returning to the BBC in Glasgow.
After that, she went freelance, podcasting, presenting and producing, before turning her hand to writing.
“One day in October 2020, I got a phone call from the Daily Mail asking if I wanted to come and do some sports writing for them on a freelance basis and I said ‘I’ll give it a go’,” she says.
“About a year and a bit later, I won the Sports News Writer of the Year for the whole of Scotland (Scottish Press Awards), and I won the big prize, the Journalist of the Year as well.
“It was all after just a year’s work in newspaper journalism. I’ve now got a contract with the Mail and I still do a bit of broadcasting on the side. I’ve been really lucky with regards to awards.”
Also a trustee for Scottish Women in Sport, Heather says the most important message she shares with fellow journalists is “don’t give up.”
The entry deadline date for this year’s Awards, sponsored by Canon UK, is Wednesday 15 January 2025. All pictures and portfolios must be logged on the dedicated awards portal by 11.59pm that night.
Read our article here which gives a full overview of this year’s Awards. You may be eligible for reduced entry fees or even free entry – check out the Diversity criteria.
As part of a wide-ranging conversation on our webinar, Heather shared loads of great tips and thoughts regarding awards entries. Here are 10 we’ve picked out…
1. Don’t dissuade yourself from entering because you think the standard is too high.
“You’ve got nothing to lose,” says Heather. “Give it a bash because if you do get shortlisted – and I can tell you from personal experience – it really is brilliant to sit there at the Awards and be surrounded by others who are the best of the best.”
2. Never entered before? Or you did, but weren’t shortlisted? We go again!
“Come to it with an open mind,” she adds.
“Even if you didn’t get anywhere last time, you should always try again. Everyone wants you to do your best – that’s all anyone can ask for, at the end of the day.”
Our next award celebrates the Sports News Writer of the Year. Well done to runner up,@mcgowan_stephen
— ScotPressAwards (@ScotPressAwards) May 29, 2024
and to winner,@HDewarSport
both of the Scottish Daily Mail. pic.twitter.com/S650DYOSN7
3. Focus on what makes you a great writer, not on who the competition might be.
“Don’t ever think that your content isn’t worth putting out there,” advises Heather.
“If it’s a good story and it’s impactful, if it creates change, it’s worth going for. Don’t sell yourself short if you’re a little bit worried about it being up against the big guys, as it were. You’ve got just as much chance as anyone else.”
4. Freelancers can enter at a reduced rate and you may even qualify for free entry under the SJA’s diversity criteria.
“I entered quite a few categories as a freelancer last time out,” recalls Heather, “and I was shortlisted in Sports News Reporter.
“Everything is cyclical in journalism, particularly in news reporting – some years you’ll have incredible breaking stories that will be really impactful, as every journalist knows. Another year, it might be a little bit quieter. You can’t always get a massive scoop every two or three months.
“So the judges might find something in the individual entries that is completely different from the standard entry.”
5. Take a close look at all the available categories, especially the new ones.
These include “Popular Culture Commentator” which is for writers whose work makes talking points in sport more accessible and entertaining for the average reader to digest and understand; and “Sport for Change Journalism” which is for writers or broadcasters focusing on social and/or environmental issues.
“There are so many fantastic categories this time around. It opens the doors for so many more people to take part,” says Heather.
“Think about the stories that you’re most proud of… they do tend to be the best because you know they’ve made an impact and really stand out.”
6. An unusual approach to writing is often refreshing.
“I’ve been a judge before and have found that sometimes a different style, particularly like you get from some younger journalists, is really appealing – it marks them out from the rest,” says Heather.
“There’s a place for everything. So if you do have a particular style of writing, reflect that in your submitted entry.”
7. Make sure you write a citation!
The citation is the short summary of text that helps to explain the content that you’re entering, providing key background information and other pertinent details.
“I entered the SJAs in 2023 and I didn’t actually write a citation!” recalls Heather. “I really regret that now because I think 2023 was my best year.
“A lot of people don’t even bother putting anything down. But it’s your big chance to shout about your work.”
8. When writing your citation, be succinct, memorable, and sell yourself. “How did you get to the story?” asks Heather. “Why did you want to do it? What impact did it make?
“When I’ve looked at submissions before, those are the types of things that really stood out to me personally.”
9. Honesty is also an important quality to bring to your entry. “It might be that you’ve gone to the Olympics for the first time,” adds Heather.
“Perhaps it’s a style of reporting that you’ve never done before in your life. You can say in your citation that this represents a big change for you and that you were working in a new field.”
10. Lean into your authenticity as a journalist. “Don’t try and be something you’re not,” she says.
“Ultimately, your stories and your copy is going to tell its own tale. Find ways of bringing that to life, again if possible through your citation.”
To read more about the SJA British Sports Journalism Awards and how to enter one or more of the 30+ categories, click here. The entry deadline is Wednesday 15 January 2025, at 11.59pm.
Looking for photography advice? Read award-winning sports snapper Molly Darlington’s portfolio tips!
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For information on how to apply as a Full or Associate Member of the SJA, plus details of our free-to-enter SJA Academy, click here.