March 8, 2011

The Times named British Sports Newspaper of the Year

The Times was named sports newspaper of the year last at the British Sports Journalism Awards.

The Times, which is the first winner of this new award, narrowly beat back a challenge by The Guardian, which judges selected in second place ahead of the Daily Telegraph.

Judges praised The Times on its all-round sports coverage, especially the football supplement The Game, and highlighted the exceptional cricket writing of Michael Atherton and Gideon Haigh.

Martin Samuel of the Daily Mail was crowned sports writer of the year, the fourth time he has collected the prize, and Laurence Griffiths, of Getty Images, was named photographer of the year.

Judges praised Samuel, saying: ‘No one in British journalism can forensically dissect an issue as brilliantly.

‘His prodigious output always comes dripping in insight, intelligence and an instinct for justice.”

BBC Radio Five Live’s tennis correspondent Jonathan Overend was voted broadcaster of the year.

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The award for best radio sports programme went to the BBC Test Match Special team, and Sky Sports’ cricket coverage won TV sports programme of the year.

The scoop of the year provided a landslide victory for Mazher Mahmood of the News of the World, who broke the story of cricket’s spot-fixing scandal.

The prize for sport news picture went to Eddie Keogh, of Reuters, whose image proved conclusively that Frank Lampard’s shot for England at the World Cup crossed the German goal line by some distance.

The awards, in their 34th year, are organised by the Sports Journalists’ Association of Great Britain and sponsored by UK Sport, and were presented at a dinner in the City of London.

British Sports Journalism Awards – full list of winners and runners up:

Sports Newspaper: 1. The Times, 2. The Guardian. 3, Daily Telegraph.
Sports Writer: Martin Samuel (Daily Mail). Highly commended: Michael Atherton (Times), Paul Hayward (Guardian and Observer).
Sports Photographer: Laurence Griffiths (Getty Images).
Sports Broadcaster: 1. Jonathan Overend (Five Live), 2. Mark Saggers (Talksport), 3. Jake Humphrey (BBC-TV).
Sports Feature Writer: Matthew Syed (Times). Highly commended: Owen Slot (Times), James Lawton (Independent).
Sports Interviewer: Donald McRae (Guardian). Highly commended:Oliver Brown (Daily Telegraph), Brough Scott (Racing Post).
Sports Scoop: Mazher Mahmood (News of the World). Highly commended: Harry Harris (ESPN) and David McDonnell (Daily Mirror).
Sports News Reporter: Neil Ashton (News of the World). Highly commended: Paul Kelso (Daily Telegraph), Martyn Ziegler (Press Association).
Specialist Correspondent: Henry Winter (Daily Telegraph). Highly commended: Michael Atherton (Times), Mike Selvey (Guardian), Scyld Berry (Sunday Telegraph).
Sports Columnist: Michael Atherton (Times). Highly commended: Matthew Syed (Freelance), Paul Hayward (Guardian and Observer).
Young Sports Writer: Oliver Brown (Daily Telegraph). Highly commended: Alex Kay (Daily Mail), Riath Al-Samarrai (Freelance).
Regional Sports Writer: Martin Smith (The Star, Sheffield). Highly commended: Matthew Beard (Evening Standard), Amanda Little (News & Star/Cumberland News).
Victor Chandler Sports Betting Writer: Ed Hawkins (Freelance). Highly commended: Kevin Pullein (Racing Post). Derek McGovern (Daily Mirror).
Cartoonist: Kerber & Black (Daily Mirror). Highly commended: Graham Allen (News of the World), Matt Pritchett (Daily Telegraph).
Internet Sports Writer: Nick Harris (Sportingintelligence.com). Highly commended: Lawrence Booth (DailyMail.co.uk), Jonathan Liew (Telegraph.co.uk).
Sports Picture: Paul Gilham (Getty Images). Highly commended: Julian Finney (Getty Images), Mike Hewitt (Getty Images).
Sports News Picture: Eddie Keogh (Reuters). Highly commended: Mike Hewitt (Getty Images), Philip Noble (Reuters).
Sports Portfolio: Laurence Griffiths (Getty Images). Highly commended: Shaun Cotterill (Getty Images), Eddie Keogh (Reuters).
Specialist Portfolio: Carl De Souza (AFP). Highly commended: Mike Hewitt (Getty Images), Paul Thomas (Freelance).
Radio Sports Programme: 1. Test Match Special (BBC), 2.Five Live Sport (BBC), 3, Ryder Cup (Five Live).
TV Sports Programme: 1.Sky Sports Cricket. 2. Wimbledon (BBC), 3. Ryder Cup (Sky).
Doug Gardner Award: Patrick Eagar.