The guest list is complete, the table plans sorted, the party frock’s back from the cleaners and the votes are in and counted.
In less than 24 hours, the results of the Sports Journalists’ Association of Great Britain’s 2013 British Sports Awards will be known, following our glitzy bash at the Pavilion in the Tower of London, with nearly 400 guests attending and hosted by Jim Rosenthal.
The event, generously sponsored by The National Lottery, is our Association’s end-of-year party, where we celebrate the best of British sport, and the country’s top sports journalists recognise the achievements of those they’ve been writing about, photographing and broadcasting for the previous 12 months.
Our members’ votes for the Sportsman, Sportswoman and Team of the Year have been tallied, as they have been each year since 1949, making the SJA British Sports Awards the oldest in the country.
Among the leading contenders in the voting for the 2013 Sportsman of the Year have been double world champion distance runner Mo Farah, US Open golf winner Justin Rose, sailor Sir Ben Ainslie, record-breaking jockey AP McCoy, Wimbledon champion Andy Murray and Tour de France winner Chris Froome.
The Sportswoman of the Year choice saw champion cyclists Laura Trott and Becky James to the fore, together with Non Stanford, who cycled, ran and swam her way to the triathlon world title this year; then there was sprinter Chrissie Ohuruogu, wheelchair racer Hannah Cockcroft and skeleton bob daredevil Shelley Rudman.
And the SJA members had an equally invidious choice when it came to picking their Team of the Year for 2013, with the British and Irish Lions, two Ashes-winning cricket squads, the Solheim Cup-winning team, and the British men’s eight and the Helen Glover and Polly Swann rowing crews to choose between.
If you’re not among the lucky ones who will be there tomorrow lunchtime, you can still follow proceedings on Twitter, where the SJA’s account, @SportSJA will be following events, as and we ask that all those attending try to use the #SJA2013 hashtag – we might even get things trending…
- Between now and the end of 2013, anyone wishing to join the SJA may apply, with their initial fee covering their membership through until the end of 2014 – effectively 13 months’ membership for the price of 12. Click here for more details
UPCOMING SJA EVENTS
Tue Dec 17: SJA Masterclass with Twitter’s Lewis Wiltshire. Click here to book your place
2014
Mon Mar 24: SJA British Sports Journalism Awards, Grand Connaught Rooms, London
Mon Apr 14: SJA Spring Golf Day: Croham Hurst GC, Surrey. Booking details to be announced