The UK’s sports media industry marked its annual celebration and recognition of excellence with an extra-special gala evening for the SJA British Sports Journalism Awards 2025, sponsored by Canon.
For the first time in the event’s history, the iconic London Palladium was the venue, with Jim White, Reshmin Chowdhury, Bela Shah and Joel Beya sharing host duties.
For the second time in his career, The Athletic’s Adam Crafton collected the coveted John Bromley Trophy for SJA Sports Journalist of the Year.
There is a new name on the Ed Lacey Trophy for Canon Sports Photographer of the Year. Julian Finney of Getty Images took the top prize, and he also claimed the Canon Portfolio category.
In the Broadcast section, the Presenter of the Year was also a first-time winner in Gabby Logan (BBC Sport), while Conor McNamara took the Commentator honours.
The Broadcast Journalist award was won by Dan Roan, for his second triumph in five editions of the Awards.
The Sunday Times retained its Newspaper of the Year crown, while in the heavyweight Sports Publisher category, The Guardian took the top prize.
The Doug Gardner Award for outstanding contribution to sports journalism went to veteran photographer Bob Martin, a three-time winner of the Ed Lacey Trophy (1992, 1998, and 2001).
- For full report on the writing and open media categories, click HERE
- For full report on the photography categories, click HERE
- For full report on the broadcast categories, click HERE
- For full report on the next-gen awards, click HERE
- Photo galleries
- Judges
- 2025 shortlists – Broadcast / Writing and Open Media / Photography
COMPLETE LIST OF 2025 WINNERS
Sports Publisher
The Guardian
Doug Gardner Award for Outstanding Contribution to Sports Journalism
Bob Martin
WRITING AND OPEN MEDIA AWARDS
SJA Sports Journalist of the Year (John Bromley Trophy)
Adam Crafton – The Athletic
Newspaper
Winner: The Sunday Times
Silver: The Times
Bronze: The Telegraph
News Reporter
Winner: Martyn Ziegler – The Times & Sunday Times
Silver: Matt Lawton – The Times & Sunday Times
Bronze: Tom Morgan – The Telegraph
Scoop
Winner: Maccabi Tel Aviv fans not allowed to attend Aston Villa game in Europa League – Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic
Silver: Christian Horner’s emotional exit speech – Sky Sports News
Bronze: Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track fails – Adam Crafton, The Athletic, and Wiegman fury as Earps quits – Kathryn Batte, The Telegraph
Columnist
Winner: Jonathan Liew – The Guardian
Silver: Paul Hayward – The Observer
Bronze: Owen Slot – The Times & Sunday Times
Football Journalist
Winner: Jonathan Northcroft – The Times & Sunday Times
Silver: Craig Hope – Daily Mail
Bronze: Jonathan Liew – The Guardian
Cricket Journalist
Winner: Mike Atherton – The Times & Sunday Times
Silver: Simon Wilde – The Times & Sunday Times
Bronze: Nick Hoult – The Telegraph
Rugby Journalist
Winner: Daniel Schofield – The Telegraph
Silver: Charlie Morgan – The Telegraph
Bronze: Alex Lowe – The Times & Sunday Times
Women’s Football Journalist
Winner: Charlotte Harpur – The Athletic
Silver: Kathryn Batte – The Telegraph
Bronze: Suzanne Wrack – The Guardian
Feature Writer – Long-Form
Winner: Daniel Storey – The i Paper
Silver: David Walsh – The Times & Sunday Times
Bronze: Andy Bull – The Guardian
Feature Writer – Short-Form
Winner: Rob Maul – The Sun
Silver: Seb Stafford-Bloor – The Athletic
Bronze: Adam Bate – Sky Sports
Regional Journalist
Winner: Alex Miller – Iconic Media
Silver: Jon Colman – Newsquest Cumbria
Bronze: Neil Allen – Portsmouth News
Content Agency
Winner: Sportsbeat
Silver: Stats Perform
Bronze: Hayters
Data Journalist
Winner: Hamzah Khalique-Loonat – The Times & Sunday Times
Silver: Ryan Benson – Stats Perform
Bronze: James Sharpe – Daily Mail
Specialist Correspondent (Mike Dickson Trophy)
Winner: Riath Al-Samarrai – Daily Mail
Silver: Tom Kershaw – The Times & Sunday Times
Bronze: Chris McKenna – Freelance
Specialist Sports Publisher
Winner: Opta Analyst
Silver: City AM
Bronze: Telegraph Women’s Sport
Sports Summariser
Winner: Rob Harris – Sky News
Silver: Richard Hoiles – ITV Sport
Bronze: Matt Slater – The Athletic, and Phil Hay – The Athletic
Sport for Change Journalism, supported by ConnectSport CIC
Winner: Alison Mitchell – Freelance
Silver: Miriam Zara Walker-Khan – Freelance
Bronze: ITV Racing – ITV Sport
Ones to Watch – Writing (Ian Wooldridge Trophy)
Winner: Charlotte Daly (Mail Sport)
Silver: Um-E-Aymen Babar – Freelance
Bronze: Megan Feringa – The Athletic
SJA Academy Award, in association with talkSPORT
Winner: Alice Jackson
Highly Commended: Emma Seligman; George Nash
CANON PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS
Canon SJA Sports Photographer of the Year (Ed Lacey Trophy)
Julian Finney – Getty Images
Canon Portfolio
Winner: Julian Finney – Getty Images
Silver: Alex Pantling – Getty Images, and Michael Steele – Getty Images
Bronze: Lee Smith – Action Images Reuters
Specialist Portfolio (Phil Sheldon Trophy)
Winner: Alex Whitehead – SWpix
Silver: Lee Smith – Action Images Reuters
Bronze: David Davies – PA Media
Football Portfolio (Matthew Ashton Trophy)
Winner: Carl Recine – Getty Images
Silver: Alex Pantling – Getty Images
Bronze: Justin Setterfield – Getty Images, and Lee Smith – Action Images Reuters
Picture
Winner: Jacques Feeney – Offside Sports Photography
Silver: Hannah McKay – Reuters
Bronze: Julian Finney – Getty Images
News Picture
Winner: Carl Recine – Getty Images
Silver: Lee Smith – Action Images Reuters
Bronze: Catherine Ivill – AMA Sports Photo
Canon Young Photographer
Winner: Annabel Lee-Ellis – Freelance
Silver: Jacques Feeney – Offside Sports Photography
Bronze: George Wood – Getty Images
BROADCAST AWARDS
Presenter
Winner: Gabby Logan – BBC Sport
Silver: Mark Chapman – BBC Sport / Sky Sports
Bronze: Ed Chamberlin – ITV Sport, and Simon Thomas – Sky Sports
Broadcast Journalist
Winner: Dan Roan – BBC Sport
Silver: Alex Aljoe – Freelance
Bronze: Steve Scott – ITV News
Commentator
Winner: Conor McNamara – Freelance
Silver: John Murray – BBC Radio 5 Live
Bronze: Peter Drury – Sky Sports
Pundit
Winner: Ally McCoist – talkSPORT / TNT Sports
Silver: Ian Wright – ITV Sport
Bronze: Jamie Carragher – Sky Sports
Audio Show
Winner: White & Jordan – talkSPORT
Silver: Test Match Special – BBC
Bronze: Premier League Sunday – BBC
Television Show
Winner: Match of the Day – BBC Sport
Silver: Monday Night Football – Sky Sports, and The Opening Show – ITV Sport
Audio Documentary
Winner: Romanov: Czar of Hearts – BBC Sport Scotland
Silver: Head Before Wicket – talkSPORT
Bronze: Iconic: The Rise of the Women in Red – BBC Cymru Wales
Television Documentary
Winner: This is Palermo – COPA90
Silver: Sir Chris Hoy: Cancer, Courage & Me – BBC
Bronze: Football’s Financial Shame: The Story of the V11 – Noah Media Group for BBC Storyville
Audio Live Event Coverage
Winner: The Grand National – BBC Radio 5 Live
Silver: UEFA Women’s Euros 2025 – BBC Radio 5 Live
Bronze: British & Irish Lions Tour 2025 – talkSPORT
Television Live Event Coverage
Winner: UEFA Women’s Euro – Sunset+Vine
Silver: Ricky Hatton’s Funeral – Sky Sports News
Bronze: Euro 2025 – ITV Sport, and The 2025 Ryder Cup – Sky Sports
Audio Podcast – ‘Always On’
Winner: P1 with Matt & Tommy – Stak
Silver: Sky Sports Cricket Podcast – Sky Sports
Bronze: The Sports Agents – Global Media Group
Audio Podcast – Limited Series
Winner: Romanov: Czar of Hearts – BBC Sport Scotland
Silver: Bloodgate – BBC Radio 5 Live
Bronze: After The Lights Go Out – talkSPORT
Content Creator
Winner: Alex Bailess – Freelance
Silver: Miles Addy – The Content Club
Bronze: Sanny Rudravajhala – Freelance
Content Creator Exclusive
Winner: Sir Jim Ratcliffe – The Overlap With Gary Neville
Silver: Changing Lives Through Football: A Day With Arsenal Legends In Sierra Leone – GFN Network Limited London
Bronze: Wayne Rooney: Where United’s Decline Began – Rio Ferdinand Presents
YouTube Channel
Winner: Rio Ferdinand Presents – New Era Ingenious
Silver: The United Stand – The United Stand
Bronze: talkSPORT Boxing – talkSPORT
YouTube Newcomer
Winner: The Beast Mode On Podcast – Footballco with Adebayo Akinfenwa
Silver: Counter Pressed – Spotify
Bronze: Sky Sports – WSL Channel Sky Sports
YouTube Show
Winner: Bundesliga – That’s Football
Silver: Rio Ferdinand Presents – New Era Ingenious
Bronze: Fan Debates – SPORTbible (LADbible Group)
Ones to Watch – On Air
Winner: Jamie Ward – Matchroom Boxing
Silver: Emily Herbert – Freelance
Bronze: Ellen Ellard – Freelance
Ones to Watch – Off Air
Winner: Alice Daniell – Sky Sports
Silver: Rupa Ghelani – Sky Sports
Bronze: Sophie Penney – Global Media Group
THANKS TO OUR JUDGES…
As listed in the event programme.
CHAIRS OF THE JUDGES
Andy Elliott (Written Categories), Louise Beltrame-Bawden (Broadcast Categories), Paul Ellis (Photography Categories), Miriam Walker-Khan (SJA Academy Award)
BROADCAST
Anita Abayomi, Tim Abraham, Kweku Afari, Toni Afoké, Sal Ahmed, Ayo Akinwolere, Shelley Alexander, Kate Anastasi, Robin Bailey, Emerson Bargao, Anne- Marie Batson, Alison Bender, Chessie Bent, Jason Bourne, Jules Breach, Helen Brown, Helen Campbell, Faye Carruthers, Sadiya Chowdhury, Drew Christie, Mark Cole, Sarah Collins, Gerry Cox, Dan Donovan, Chris Eldergill, Liam Fisher, Mya Graham, Charlene Gravesande, James Green, Tasleem Hasham-Laywood, Tony Husband, Jordan Jarrett-Bryan, Fatou Jeng, Des Kelly, Ollie Kneen, Nelson Kumah, Andy Lamb, Jade Lauriston, Chris Lepkowski, Flo Lloyd Hughes, Robbie Lyle, Andy May, Lindsay McCombie, Claire McDonnell, Graham McMillan, David Miles, Isabel Minter, Summaya Mughal, Zayn Nabbi, Charlotte Nicol, Sarah Nurse, Lisa O’Sullivan, Clare O’Donoughue, Simon Ormiston, James Pearce, Felicia Pennant, Natalie Pirks, Nick Powell, Naz Premji, Joe Rawson, Gemma Rushworth, Bela Shah, Rob Smith, Stuart Smith, Simone Stewart, Patrick Sung, Louise Sutton, Gary Taphouse, Steve Tebb, Zainab Teladia, Amber Thiara, James Toney, Jo Tongue, Laurie Tucker, Clive Tyldesley, Alec Wilkinson, Nia Wyn Thomas
WRITING
Sam Adams, Aji Ajibola, Mark Alford, Mike Allen, Lizzy Ammon, Richard Amofa, Carl Anka, Jack Badu, Julia Belas, Mihir Bose, Liz Byrnes, Michael Calvin, Ted Chadwick, Nick Cherrie, Kate Clayton, Patrick Collins, Richard Conway, Geoff Critchley, Eleanor Crooks, Andy Dillon, Niall Donnelly, Andrew Ducille, Mark Edwards, Paul Elliott, Lori Ewing, Mark Gilbert, Nancy Gillen, Georgie Heath, Rodney Hinds, Richard Hobson, Jon Holmes, Jim Holden, Jamie Hunt, Emma Lindsey, Katherine Lucas, Joanna Manning-Cooper, Kate Mason, Ally McKay, Brendan McLoughlin, Nick Meacham, Amar Mehta, Glenn Moore, John Murray, Jacqui Oatley, Rahman Osman, Keir Radnedge, Jack Rathborn, Keanu Rattray, John Richardson, Matt Scott, Adam Sills, John Sinnott, Lee Smith, Cathy Stone, Marissa Thomas, David Walker, Adrian Warner, Howard Wheatcroft, Laura Williamson, Suzanne Wrack, Elisabetta Zampieri
OPEN MEDIA
Coral Barry, Colin Bateman, Adrian Bevington, Stephen Brenkley, Kate Burlaga, Craig Chisnall, Daniel Clark, Ben Clissitt, Tom Degun, Heather Dewar, Carrie Dunn, Susan Egelstaff, Simon Hart, Jon Holmes, Alison Kervin, Nizaar Kinsella, Peter Lansley, Simon Lansley, Paul McCarthy, Molly McElwee, Marcela Mora y Araujo, Tammy Parlour, Corey Pellatt, Clive Petty, Neil Squires, Dean Wilson
PHOTOGRAPHY
Naomi Baker, Russell Cheyne, Chris Fairweather, Eddie Keogh
SJA ACADEMY AWARD
Abi Paterson, Jessy Parker Humphreys, Jon Holmes, Miriam Walker-Khan