Entries for the 2014 SJA British Sports Journalism Awards, sponsored by BT Sport, are now open, with forms having been sent out to national sports desks and the Association’s members this week.
Sports writing awards have been organised by the Association since 1976, while sports photographer of the year prize has been contested since 1977. This will be the 10th year that the SJA has made awards to sports broadcasters, but it is the first time programme-makers and sports broadcasters, on radio or television, have been asked to summit their work for our judges.
It is one of a number of important innovations introduced this year.
These include:
- Entry fees reduced, by as much as 40 per cent for paid-up members of the SJA
- Online entry submission available for the writing, photography and broadcast categories
- New categories for specialist football, cricket and rugby writers
- A new category for investigative sports reporting, separate from our Sports News Reporter award and the category for the Sports Scoop of the year
- A category to recognise the best single sports supplement, pull-out or special section produced, online or in print, by a team of reporters, photographers, sub-editors and designers
- Another new category, for the Specialist Sports Website of the Year, for online operations with fewer than 10 staff or contributors
- And for the Regional Sports Writer, the short-listed entrants will each receive a free ticket – worth £180 – to attend the SJA British Sports Journalism Awards gala dinner for the presentation on March 23
David Walker, the sports editor of the Daily Mirror and the chairman of the SJA, said, “We are constantly looking to improve and update our Sports Journalism Awards. We have had some very productive meetings with my fellow sports editors, and have taken their suggestions for some important changes to our sports writing categories.
“We cannot emphasise enough that all our awards – in sports writing, photography and now broadcasting – are open to all, whether their work is published on a local or national newspaper, by an international agency, or on a website.
“We want to encourage entries from all sectors of our industry,” Walker said.
“With the important help of BT Sport, our sponsors, we have also been able to reduce our entry fees by 40 per cent for SJA members, and by 20 per cent for those who are not yet members of our Association. The discount is yet another reason for sports journalists to consider joining the SJA.
“In tough times for our industry, we hope this will help encourage more of our colleagues to take part in what is well-established as the country’s leading specialist journalism awards.”
There are 29 award categories in total, of which 25 can be entered.
The Sports Writer of the Year and the Sports Newspaper of the Year are categories which are judged by sports editors of the national newspapers, news agencies and leading regional titles. The Sports Photographer of the Year is chosen by the judges from the winning entries in entered categories.
The closing date for all entries is Monday, January 26, 2015.
Shortlists in all categories will be published on this website in late February.
The SJA British Sports Journalism Awards are this year being held in aid of the nominated charity of the SJA’s President, Sir Michael Parkinson: Prostate Cancer’s Men United appeal.
- The SJA is the largest member organisation of sports media professionals in the world. Join us: Click here for more details
UPCOMING SJA EVENTS
Thu Dec 11: SJA British Sports Awards, sponsored by The National Lottery, at the Grand Connaught Rooms
2015
Mon Mar 23: SJA British Sports Journalism Awards, sponsored by BT Sport, at the Grand Connaught Rooms. Entry forms available here
Mon Sep 14: SJA Autumn Golf Day, Muswell Hill Golf Club