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Times leads pack at British Sports Journalism Awards

The shortlist for the SJA’s British Sports Journalism Awards has been announced with The Times leading the way with ten nominations.

Multiple winners in the past who again make the shortlist include the Daily Mail’s Martin Samuel and the Mail on Sunday‘s Patrick Collins, while Matthew Syed and Michael Atherton of The Times both received multiple nominations.

This year will see the inaugural David Welch Student Sports Writer of the Year award, in commemoration of the former Daily Telegraph sports editor, and the Sports Newspaper of the Year award.

Jon Ryan, chairman of the judges said: ‘I don’t recall a time when so many of our judges have commented on the high quality of the entries.”

He added: ‘If you want to show anyone why newspapers are important, why they matter and why journalists should be respected for their writing, news reporting and investigative skills then you need to look no further than the SJA awards.”

The winners will be announced on 12 March at the Grand Connaught Rooms in central London.

Here is the full shortlist:

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Young Sports Writer – The Ian Wooldridge Trophy

  • Julian Bennetts (Hayters)
  • Alex Kay (Daily Mail)
  • Jonathan Liew (Telegraph)
  • Jack Pitt-Brooke (Independent)
  • Laura Williamson (Daily Mail)

Sports News Reporter

  • Neil Ashton (Daily Mail)
  • Robert Beasley (The Sun)
  • David Conn (The Guardian)
  • Paul Kelso (Telegraph)
  • Mark Souster (The Times)
  • Martyn Ziegler (Press Association)

Sports Scoop

  • Manchester City CEO’s emails – Shaun Custis (The Sun)
  • Football match fixing – Paul Kelso (Telegraph)
  • English rugby’s World Cup reports – Mark Souster (The Times)
  • Rugby league betting scandal – Geoff Sweet (The Sun)
  • First interview with Stan Kroenke – Jeremy Wilson (Telegraph)
  • Bribes paid to FIFA officials – Martyn Ziegler (Press Association)

Sports Feature Writer

  • Simon Briggs (Telegraph)
  • Patrick Collins (Mail on Sunday)
  • Donald McRae (The Guardian)
  • Owen Slot (The Times)
  • Matthew Syed (The Times)

Specialist Correspondent

  • Paul Ackford (The Sunday Telegraph)
  • Mike Atherton (The Times)
  • Matthew Lawton (Daily Mail)
  • Mark Souster (The Times)
  • Daniel Taylor (The Guardian)
  • Henry Winter (Telegraph)

Sports Interviewer

  • Matt Lawton (Daily Mail)
  • Donald McRae (The Guardian)
  • Martin Samuel (Daily Mail)
  • Owen Slot (The Times)
  • Matthew Syed (The Times)
  • Brian Viner (freelance)

Sports Columnist

  • Mike Atherton (The Times)
  • Simon Barnes (The Times)
  • Patrick Collins (Mail on Sunday)
  • Oliver Holt (Daily Mirror)
  • James Lawton (The Independent)
  • Martin Samuel (Daily Mail)

Regional Sports Writer

  • Jon Colman (Cumbrian Newspapers)
  • Paul Fergusson (Sunday Life, Belfast)
  • Amanda Little (Cumbrian Newspapers)
  • Mark Taylor (Cambridge News)
  • Chris Wathan (Media Wales)
  • Richard Wilson (freelance)

SJA/BetVictor Sports Betting Writer

  • Chris Cook (The Guardian)
  • Ed Hawkins (The Times)
  • Simon Milham (freelance)
  • Steve Palmer (Racing Post)
  • Kevin Pullein (Racing Post)
  • Greg Wood (The Guardian)

Sports Cartoonist

  • Kerber and Black (Sunday Mirror)
  • Andy Davey (freelance)
  • Nick Newman (freelance)
  • Steve O’Brien (Mail on Sunday)

Internet Sports Writer

  • Matthew Christie (Boxing News)
  • Ben Dirs (BBC Sport)
  • Tom Fordyce (BBC Sport)
  • Nick Harris (www.sportingintelligence.com)
  • Patrick Kidd (The Times)

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