British Journalism Awards winners 2017
Technology Journalism, sponsored by Huawei
Winner: Carole Cadwalladr of The Observer
The judges said: “Carole Cadwalladr’s investigation into the role of tech companies in elections was outstanding journalism which raised a huge number of important issues for democracy and society.
“Tim Berners-Lee quoted from one of her articles article when he spoke up earlier this year on the danger that the unregulated power of the technology companies posed to democracy. This was important work and a deserving winner.”
Highly commended: John Arlidge of The Sunday Times
The judges said: “He is simply a fantastic writer when it comes to technology issues. He takes complex subjects and makes them accessible for everyone.
Features Journalism
Winner: Tom Parry of the Daily Mirror for work which included his report from the “forgotten famine” in Somalia.
The judges said: “Tom Parry writes with compassion and flare. With breadth and skill he shines a light on forgotten issues. He was the strongest candidate in a very, very tough field.”
Innovation of the Year sponsored by Google
Winners: Megan Lucero, Maeve McClenaghan, Gareth Davies and Charles Boutaud of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism for The Bureau Local.
The Bureau Local is a new data unit dedicated to uncovering local public interest stories across the UK. With a 400-striong network it has tackled some of the most important and under reported stories in the UK.
The judges said: “The Bureau Local has found a new way to do things previously thought difficult or impossible, and a way of being efficient at a time when resources are in short supply.”
Arts and Entertainment
Winner: Dan Wootton of The Sun for working including his reports on Ant McPartin’s struggles with addiction and mental health.
The judges said: “All three of Dan Wootton’s stories show a showbiz journalist at the top of his game. The interviews show many years worth of earned trust as the celebrities shine a light on public interest issues: addiction, grief and cancer.”
Business, Finance and Economics sponsored by TSB
Winners: Heidi Blake, Jane Bradley, Tom Warren, Richard Holme and Alex Campbell of Buzzfeed News for RBS Dash for cash.
This investigation revealed how Britain’s biggest taxpayer-owned bank deliberately killed or crippled thousands of businesses during the recession in order to add billions of pounds to its balance sheet. The judges said: “This was stunning work which made your stomach churn. It was a forensic investigation based on thousands of leaked documents brought to life through interviews with the victims of this scandal.”
Politics
Winner: Channel 4 Dispatches for The Battle for the Labour Party
Over a period of six months, Chanel 4’s undercover reporter attended meetings at Momentum’s headquarters in London uncovering new evidence of how it was being influenced by the hard left.
The judges said: “Of all this year’s entries the story this investigation uncovered was the most momentous for the future of British politics. The others might have been great scoops or great insights but they won’t have as much long-term impact as the undercover account of the transformation of a great political party.”
Comment Journalism, sponsored by Heineken
Winner: The Guardian’s Aditya Chakrabortty, whose articles include: “Your new iPhone’s features include oppression, inequality – and vast profit.”
The judges said: “Aditya Chakrabortty’s work is erudite and he uncovers the facts to back up his arguments. He writes with passion and authority on an unpredictable range of subjects. Whether you agree or not you have to admit that he expresses his views eloquently.”
Campaign of the Year sponsored by Bournemouth University
Winner: Bryony Gordon and The Telegraph for Changing Minds.
Having charted her own struggles with mental health Bryony Gordon led a campaign which shone a light on the issue both nationally and internationally. Her podcast interview with Prince Harry included the revelations about his own struggles with mental health in his twenties.
The judges said: “As gripping as it is emotional, this campaign hits all the right buttons to drag the public’s attention to consider a subject all too often swept under the carpet. A global game-changer of a campaign.”
Highly commended: The London Evening Standard for Food for London.
The judges said: “Food waste is something we all knew about but this campaign brought into prominence and challenged readers and those in power to make a difference. It had stunning results which made a real difference to the lives of Londoners.”
Photojournalism
Winner: Stefan Rousseau of the Press Association
The Judges said: “When terror came to Westminster and to the workplace of many journalists a combination of lightning reactions, nerves and skills enabled Stefan Rousseau to capture the moment in a dramatic series of shots. The best camera in the world is the one you’ve got with you at the right time. Stefan was there, and he had his camera.”
Science and Health Journalism, sponsored by Astellas
Winner: The late Steve Connor for his front page scoop for i: “One giant step for designer babies.”
The judges said: “This was a genuine world exclusive on a massive development in the world of science. It is a subject that many people don’t understand, but Steve Connor made it captivating and got it on the front page.
“With no access to embargoed information, this story was secured by old-fashioned source-based journalism after Steve heard that US researchers were working on techniques which would allow them to gentically modify embryos. A week later his story was confirmed by publication of an official study in the journal Nature.”
Sports Journalism
Winner: Daniel Taylor of The Guardian for his reports on child abuse in football, including: “‘When I started talking to players about the abuse they suffered, I couldn’t believe how deep it ran into football’.”
Daniel Taylor’s interview with former Crewe Alexandra and Bury footballer Andy Woodward had profound and far reaching effects. In waiving his right to anonymity and revealing childhood abuse Woodward said he feared there could be many more victims of historical sexual abuse in the game.
Six months later the National Police Chiefs’ Council said detectives were examining possible attacks on 741 people who had come forward since Taylor’s article. It had identified 276 potential suspects and 328 affected clubs at all levels of the game.
The judges said: “Daniel Taylor’s journalism opened the floodgates and gave people the courage to speak out. These were compelling interviews, brilliantly researched which exposed a cancer at the heart of the national game.”
Highly commended: Sam Cunningham of the Daily Mail for work including: “FA’s £40,000 to girl striker ‘bullied out of England squad’.”
The judges said: “His revelation of that footballer Eni Aluko had been bullied out of the England square was a great sports story, with resonance in wider society. It showed the FA was still addicted to covering up rather than cleaning house.”
Infrastructure, Development and Construction, sponsored by Mott MacDonald
Winner: Will Hurst of Architects’ Journal, for work including: “TfL hit by Garden Bridge conflict of interest claims”.
This investigation exposed allegations of mismanagement and cronyism helping to bring about the cancellation of the £200m garden bridge scheme.
The judges said: “Will Hurst took an issue on which there was seeming consensus and poked away, digging out the scheme’s contradictions through freedom of information and other journalistic tools.”
Popular Journalism
Winner: Nick Ferrari for work which included his headline-making interview with Diane Abbott.
The judges said: “Nick will be most remembered most this year for an interview with shadow home secretary Diane Abbott which proved to be a pivotal moment in the 2017 general election. Through calm and detailed questioning he created the ‘where were you’ moment of the election.”
Foreign Affairs Journalism, sponsored by GibTelecom
Winners: Ramita Navai, Patrick Wells and Mais al-Bayaa of Channel 4 Dispatches for “ISIS and the Battle for Iraq”.
The judges said: “Ramila Naval’s reports for Channel 4 added something different and vital to understanding the future of Iraq: the role of the Shia militias and the fear they spread amongst Sunnis. Navai is brave (like everyone else this category) but she opened up a new road of understanding: cool, direct, inclusive, with a real sense of time and place.”
Local Heroes
Winner: The Manchester Evening News for its coverage in the wake of the murder of 22 people by a terrorist at an Ariana Grande Concert.
At 10.30pm on Monday 22 May a bomb exploded at a pop concert in Manchester City Centre which would kill 22 people. By 9am the following the day the Manchester Evening News was in print with 34 pages of coverage.
In the days and weeks the followed it did an exemplary job of not just telling the story of biggest terrorist outrage in the UK since 2005 – but of also helping its traumatised community to heal.
A lighter moment came when the editor of Boston Globe arranged a delivery of pizzas to the MEN newsroom in the days after the bombing
The judges said: “The MEN is a newspaper that is sure of itself, knows its patch and showed complete commitment to covering both the initial story of the arena bombing and its aftermath.”
Highly commended: Jonathan Gibson of BBC Birmingham, for work including: “NHS prescription drugs being sold illegally by patients.”
The judges said: “These were local investigations which had national significance.”
Highly commended: Conor Spackman, Richard Newman, Gwyneth Jones and Jeremy Adams of BBC Northern Ireland spotlight for “Burn to earn” – renewable heating incentive wasted millions.
The judges said: “This was a wide-ranging investigation which helped bring down a government.
New Journalist of the Year
Winner: Gareth Browne (freelance for The Times). His three shortlisted reports for The Times include his account of the massacre of more than 200 at a village to the south of Mosul.
Gareth Browne relocated to Northern Iraq aged just 22 in September 2016 and covered the nine-month battle for Mosul as a freelance. One of his first stories for The Times exposed the massacre of 200 villagers because they stood up to IS.
The judges said: “He’s got the guts, he’s got the scoops, he’s got the talent – and on top of that he’s got youth and energy. A winning combination.”
Highly commended: Paul McClean of the Financial Times, for stories including: After Brexit:the UK will need to renegotiate at least 759 treaties
The judges said: “This was superb in-depth financial reporting from an exceptionally promising young journalist. Paul McClean produced some outstanding exclusives for the Financial Times and was a journalist with huge potential which tragically will not now be realised. The British Journalism Awards judges would like to salute him and pay tribute to his memory.”
Specialist Journalism
Winner: Peter Apps of Inside Housing for “A Stark Warning”, his report on the dangers posed to tower block safety by flammable cladding.
When flames tore through a tower block in Shepherd’s Bush in August 2016, Pete Apps was the only journalist who recognised the need to dig further – and in doing so uncovered a secret report that warned of the threat to tower blocks from external cladding weeks before the Grenfell disaster.
The judges said: “Simply outstanding investigative journalism covering one of the most shocking stories of our era. A strong understanding of traditional public interest value combined with the adoption of the latest technology in multi-media reporting.”
Highly commended: Alison Holt of BBC News, for work which included: “Poor children ‘more likely to be put in care’.”
The judges said: “This was a remarkable and awe-inspiring body of work with far-reaching impact. The supporting multi-media articles, such as the care calculator, are truly products of the BBC at its best and serve the public interest as well as being of huge interest to the public.”
Scoop of the Year
Winner: “Labour MP Keith Vaz and the prostitutes in his flat” by Nick Dorman for The Sunday Mirror.
The judges said: “This was the jaw dropping scoop of the year, totally backed up, brilliantly displayed and the one that made your eyes pop out of your head as you read it. A classic example of a newspaper exposing hypocrisy in the corridors of power.”
Global Investigation of the Year
Winner: “Abuse at the UN” by Karin Mattisson, Joachim Dyfwermark and Ola Christoffersson of Swedish Television’s Mission Investigate.
The judges said: “The UN is a big target and this investigation had huge impact. They found tand interviewed the victims in the Central African Republic, chased down the guilty parties and held those responsible to account.”
Investigation of the Year, sponsored by Transparency International
Winner: “Syria’s Disappeared: The Case Against Assad” by Lindsay Duncan, Nicola Cutcher, Sara Afshar and Callum Macrae for Channel 4 Dispatches.
The judges said: “The culmination of eighteen months of investigation, this documentary brought to light the hidden story of tens of thousands of Syrians disappeared by President Assad’s regime into a network of detention facilities.
“This investigation combined incredible research with poignant and moving testimonials. Powerful, shocking and impactful journalism combined with great story telling.”
Highly commended: Peter Apps and Inside Housing for “Revealed: fire spread linked to panels”.
The judges said: “This is the sort of vital investigative journalism in the public interest which we need more of.”
The Marie Colvin Prize
Winner: Erika Solomon of the Financial Times
The judges said: “Financial Times Middle East reporter Erika Solomon approaches her subjects with the same humane curiosity as Marie did and she writes in the same way too, bringing out through subtle observation and understatement the way that people cope in the most terrible circumstances. This is foreign reporting at its best.
“Her reports were strong, original and showed huge bravery. She is 31, an up and coming reporter in Marie’s mould.
“It was notably brave of her to visit Baba Amr, the district of Homs where Marie died, during an epic journey around Syria for the third of these pieces.”
News Provider of the Year
Winner: Inside Housing
The judges said: “Inside Housing was the one news organisation which was fighting for the interests of Grenfell Tower residents before this summer’s disastrous fire.
“It highlighted the dangers posed to tower block safety by flammable cladding panels weeks before the Grenfell tragedy. It went on to carry out forensic, impactful and painstaking research into fire safety at tower blocks around the country.
“’Grenfell: The Paper Trail’ sifted through seven years of documents to expose a council which put saving money at the forefront when it come to refurbishing properties and which ignored a 2010 fire safety review.”
Journalist of the Year, sponsored by Gorkana Jobs
Winner: Nick Ferrari
The judges said: “Eschewing the hectoring style often associated with heavy-hitting political interviews, Nick Ferrari’s focus on the facts, ability to think on his feet and lightness of touch secured his status as a star performer during the 2017 election campaign. As well as his famous encounter with Diane Abbott he also secured headline-grabbing interviews with Theresa May and Tim Farron.
“In 2017 he launched the Guard Our Emergency Staff campaign which prompted a 100,000 signature petition and helped bring about the Assaults on Emergency Workers Bill.
“As the Grenfell Fire still smoldered he interviewed former Chief Fire officer Ronnie King who revealed the government’s failure to act on safety recommendations following the Lakanal House fire in 2009. Nick Ferrari is quite simply the 2017 journalist of the year.”
2016 British Journalism Awards winners
Local Heroes Award:
Winner:
Birmingham Mail, Andy Richards, for the campaign to resume the Birmingham pub bombing victims’ inquest
The judges said: "While trawling through archives for the Mail's 40th anniversary coverage of the Birmingham Pub bombings, Richards realised the inquest into the deaths of the 21 victims had been opened but never completed. Working with victims' families the Birmingham Mail successfully campaigned for the inquests to be resumed. This was an excellent example of campaigning local reporting at its best: taking an important local issue, backing its readers and having a significant influence on the result."
Highly commended:
Yellow Advertiser, Charles Thomson, for: Probe into Essex child abuse claims, Fourth whistleblower to cooperate with Essex Police review of alleged Shoebury child abuse cover-up and Paedophile at centre of Shoebury review has been convicted 10 times in the last three years
"He worked with a whistleblower to expose depravity and cover-ups. His entry was particularly impressive given the tight editorial resources on a free weekly local newspaper."
Birmingham Mail, Jeanette Oldham, for: Trust spent £1m treating NHS patients at private clinic run by its own consultants, 7-month x-ray backlog and Schoolgirl abused by 100 men in two years
"She has such a huge-track record of investigative journalism and has maintained her usual high standard yet again this year."
Business, Finance and Economics Journalism Sponsored by TSB
Winner:
The Guardian, Simon Goodley, for: Revealed: how Sports Direct effectively pays below minimum wage, A day at ‘the gulag’: what it’s like to work at Sports Direct’s warehouse and Sports Direct warehouse workers to receive back pay
"Simon Goodley's undercover investigation into life at Sports Direct's Derbyshire warehouse was business journalism which got results - prompting the company to ensure staff were paid at least the minimum wage and make other concessions. This was great public interest journalism."
Highly commended:
The Sunday Times, Oliver Shah, for: Close to the rocks, BHS on brink as rescue talks fail and My battle with the bullying billionaire
"He built up a relationship with Michael Green over many years and wrote with unrivaled authority on one of the biggest British business stories of the year."
Wall Street Journal, David Enrich, for: The Unraveling of Tom Hayes
"This was a gripping account of the role of Tom Hayes in the Libor scandal based on in-depth research."
Specialist Journalism
Winner:
Health Service Journal patient safety correspondent Shaun Lintern, for: Watchdog resigns over deputy’s sexual harassment cover-up, Investigations launched into Stafford Hospital death ‘cover up‘ and Huge leak reveals BMA plan to ‘draw out’ junior doctors dispute
"Shaun Lintern clearly knows his beat inside out. This was good, investigative journalism which had consequences. His reporting prompted the resignation of the Health Service Ombudsman, forced the health secretary to intervene over poor care which contributed to the death of a child and exposed a plot by junior doctors to drag out their dispute with the government."
Highly commended:
"A brave launch by Archant which cleverly saw there were 16.1m potential readers for a pro-European newspaper and which has successfully served that market by providing strong writing on matter of undoubted public interest."
Politics Journalism
Winner:
The Times, Rachel Sylvester, for: Being a mother gives me edge on May—Leadsom, As Labour splits, a new party is emerging and Gove picks cabinet fight over deal with Saudis.
"Rachel Sylvester has an extraordinary ability to get a hard news story out of every interview. Her interview with Andrea Leadsom led her to withdraw from the Tory leadership race and changed the course of British history. She also has fantastic contacts across all the parties and writes shrewd political analysis."
Highly commended:
BBC News – Anthony Reuben, Alexis Condon, Tamara Kovacevic, Peter Barnes, Deirdre Finnerty, Beth Sagar-Fenton, Shelley Phelps, Edward Curwen, Rachel Schraer and Sarah Glatte – for Reality Check
Channel 4 News – FactCheck, Patrick Worrall, Georgia Graham and Kieron Bryan, for: Does the EU really cost £350m a week? Express goes bananas over the EU and Will prices rise if we leave the EU?
"The judges would like highly commend both Channel 4's Factcheck and the BBC's Reality Check for the important work they did during the referendum campaign in testing the claims made by both sides."
BBC News, Laura Kuenssberg, for: Andrea Leadsom standing aside in Tory leadership race, Brendan Cox interview and President Xi/David Cameron press conference
"This was an entry which demonstrated her clarity, authority and down to earth common sense reporting on a period of historic political upheaval."
Sports Journalism sponsored by St Mary’s Twickenham University
Winner:
Daily Mail, Matt Lawton, for: Golden girl in drug ban drama, Coe ‘misled
MPs over doping at Olympics’ and Now GB cyclist fails drugs test
"This was brave, must-read journalism. Naming a leading British cyclist who had missed drugs tests on the eve the Olympics changed the story of British cycling. Matt Lawton is a sports journalist who is not afraid to investigate his own patch - his access was fantastic and he knows his subject inside out."
Science and Technology Journalist sponsored by Astellas
Winner:
The Times, Billy Kenber, for: ‘Extortionate’ prices add £260m to NHS drug bill, Drug ‘profiteers’ face fines and Huge price rise forces NHS
"Billy Kenber's investigation into the extortionate prices charged by a small group of entrepreneurs for vital NHS drugs had everything. He spent three months digging then named names and got results, prompting the government to tackle this shocking issue."
Highly commended:
The Daily Telegraph, Laura Donnelly, for: Patients ‘punished’ for calling 111, 25 deaths blamed on NHS 111 scandal and Patients died in 111 ambulance scandal
"This was dogged and determined reporting. Any newspaper would want to have a journalist of this quality on their staff."
Campaign of the Year sponsored by Bournemouth University
Winner:
Sunday People, Martyn Halle, for: ‘Go home unless you are dying’, campaign exposing shortcomings at North Middlesex Hospital
"This was a hard-hitting campaign which was relevant to everyone who depends on the NHS for their health. Martin Halle and the Sunday People uncovered serious failings at an NHS trust and stayed with the story until the issues were addressed. This was a particularly impressive achievement for a freelance journalist working without the support of a big team."
Highly commended:
Daily Mail, Sean Poulter, for: Ban the toxic beads now.
"This was a revelatory campaign because no-one knew about these dreadful pollutants. The Daily Mail has put this issue at the top of the news agenda making a powerful case for micro beads to be banned."
Popular Journalism
Winner:
The Sun, Dan Jones, for: Bung charity’s £47m OAP deals, Sun victory as Age UK caves in and Taking the OAP: Charity punts dearer power to old
"This was an investigation which revealed how Age UK was making millions by selling pensioners energy and insurance deals which were not the best value on the market. It showed how a tabloid newspaper can have more positive impact than any other media when it goes for it with a story."
Scoop of the Year
Winner:
Daily Telegraph, Charles Moore, for: My secret father, DNA tests reveal Archbishop of Canterbury’s astonishing family past
"A great story beautifully projected by the Telegraph. Charles Moore combined tact, charm and sensitivity to persuade the archbishop to cooperate with him on the article. The result was a story which corrected the historical record and prompted a national debate about family and parentood."
Highly Commended:
Sky News, Stuart Ramsay, for: IS Files
"A hugely important story, compellingly told."
Photojournalism sponsored by The Mega Agency
Mail on Sunday, Philip Ide:
"This was photography which told the British people what was going at a crucial point in the Brexit story. Philip Ide would have to wait for hours to get capture these images but the result was a piece of journalism which bore witness to history."
Digital Innovation sponsored by NEWSTAG
Winner:
TheGuardian.com for: 6X9 – A virtual experience of solitary confinement
"Crusading journalism at its 21st century best, and very powerful storytelling indeed. The use of virtual reality was a genuine innovation and was accompanied by video, podcasts, personal narratives and long-form journalism to beautifully convey this story."
Highly commended:
Private Eye, Christian Eriksson and Richard Brooks, for: Selling England (and Wales) by the pound – UK tax haven map
"A fantastic piece of data journalism which used digital techniques to add a new dimension to the story."
Investigation of the Year sponsored by Transparency International
Winners:
The Guardian for: The Panama Papers
"The Guardian revealed secret billion dollar deals linked to Vladimir Putin and David Cameron's links to secret offshore fund. This was another vast investigation by The Guardian which shone a light in some of the darkest corners of international finance."
BBC Panorama – Richard Bilton, James Oliver, Jonathan Coffey, David Thompson, Andrew Head for: Tax Havens of the Rich and Powerful Exposed (also on the Panama Papers)
"The BBC exposed a billion dollar money laundering ring in Russia and a criminal conspiracy with links to Vladimir Putin. It also showed how Mossack Fonseca helped launder the proceeds of the Brinks Matt robbery and it prompted the resignation of Iceland's prime minister by revealing his secret offshore company. They managed to break down a vast investigation into a series of compelling stories which had global impact."
Highly commended:
The Sunday Times, Oliver Shah, for: Close to the rocks, BHS on brink as rescue talks fail and My battle with the bullying billionaire
"Oliver Shah deserves great credit for exposing Green's character and lifestyle and showing him up for the man he is."
New Journalist of the Year sponsored by Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy
Winner:
Louise Callaghan, The Sunday Times, for: Turks crush coup; Cold, held like cattle, refugees grow sick in Greek island ‘jail’ and How ISIS Slaughtered our city
"These were three compelling pieces from Istanbul, Lesbos and Berlin. The first cut through the chaos of the early hours of the Turkish coup, the second highlighted the cruel impact of a realpolitik deal between Turkey and the EU on refugees and the third went from Berlin to the hell of Raqqa via a group using digital journalism to fight back against ISIS."
Foreign Affairs Journalism
Winner:
Channel 4 News, Waad Al-Khatib, for: A life in the day of Aleppo, The last flower-seller of Aleppo and Mayissa’s story
"Waad Al-Khatib’s sensitive, visceral reports from Aleppo showed immense bravery. No could watch two brothers weeping for their dead sibling in a hospital surgery or her report on the life and death of a simple flower seller and not feel that this is as close as you can get to experiencing the full, immediate, unmediated horror of the Syrian catastrophe."
Journalist of the Year sponsored by Gorkana Jobs
BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg
"Laura Kuenssberg deserves this prize for the sheer volume and scope of reporting on some of the biggest changes ever in British politics when she was just into the job of BBC political editor. In a tumultuous year she rose to the challenge and made the story of Brexit her own. In the days and weeks after the Brexit vote she seemed to be everywhere. Her moving interview with Brendan Cox showed sensitivity and compassion. She lead the way on reporting the fast-moving developments in the Tory leadership race. And she did our profession proud when she put the Chinese President on the spot about human rights abuses with the one question allowed to the British media at his London press conference."
The Marie Colvin Award (supported by Reporters Without Borders)
Winner:
Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently.
"This year's recipients are a group of young men from Syria who began publishing online in 2014 as a form of peaceful challenge to the human rights abuses being perpetrated by ISIS in their city. They became the only media balance to the slick ISIS propaganda coming out of Raqqa and the most read source of news about the area. Hundreds were arrested for merely liking their Facebook page. Their friends and family have been murdered by ISIS as a way of trying to stop them from publishing. Several members of the group have been themselves murdered by ISIS. One of the British Journalism Awards judges said: Given what those people have done and the price they have paid, it would be odd to put anyone ahead of them."
Full list of winners for the British Journalism Awards 2015
Digital Innovation sponsored by Citi
Winner: Vice News
The judges said:
“Since launching online in 2014, Vice News has done what it set out to do, bringing serous news from around the world to a new audience. With a mixture of video dispatches, documentaries and long-form writing it has brilliantly covered the rise of ISIS in the Middle East, the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, refugee migration into Europe and the crisis in Ukraine. And it has also experimented effectively with a wide range of technologies, including drones, live streaming and virtual reality.”
Aris Rousinoss of Vice News with Jeffrey French from Citi
New Journalist of the Year sponsored by the Stationers' Crown Woods Academy
Winner: Simon Murphy of The Mail on Sunday for ‘Oxfam targets donors aged 98’, ‘Revealed: New boss of investigation into VIP child abuse claims is linked to Leon Brittan’ and ‘Jihadi hunters…or fantasists?’
The judges said: “Simon Murphy is an industrious reporter whose work has had a huge impact leading to a change in the law on how charities raise money. He covered a great range of stories and used tactics including undercover filming, and all were firmly in the public interest.”
Simon Murphy, pictured with Michael Murphy - principle of Stationers' Crown Woods Academy
Campaign of the Year
Highly commended: David Jones, Sam Greenhill, Ian Drury and Jack Doyle of the Daily Mail for US Gulag That Shames the West – the campaign for the closure of Guantanamo Bay and the release of Shaker Aamer
The judges said: "The Daily Mail has had a superb year for campaigning journalism. Particularly impressive was its brave and principled campaign on Guantanamo Bay, which was credited with helping secure the release of Shaker Aamer.”
Winner: The Guardian for Keep it in the Ground
The judges said: “This was an epic piece of journalism conducted on an international scale and on a difficult subject. The Keep it in the Ground climate change campaign was hugely ambitious, reverberated around the world and had tangible results.”
The Guardian team pictured with judge John Mair.
Foreign Affairs Journalism
Winner: Patrick Kingsley of The Guardian for:
'Libya's people smugglers: inside the trade that sells refugees hopes of a better life'. 'The Journey: Syrian refugee Hashem Alsouki risks his life crossing the Mediterranean' and 'It's not at war, but up to 3% of its people have fled. What is going on in Eritrea?'
The judges said: “It was difficult to pick one winner in this category because of the exceptionally high standard of entries. But Patrick Kingsley’s piece, The Journey, which followed a Syrian refugee across the Mediterranean, stood out as an epic read about an epic journey which made for epic journalism. Hats off to The Guardian for giving him the time and space to tell this story.”
Patrick Kingsley pictured with judge Peter Cole
Politics Journalism sponsored by Media Focus
Winner: Tom Newton Dunn of The Sun for ‘Plebgate – what really happened’
The judges said: “This was a story that deserved to win prizes in 2012 and 2015 after it first broke but didn’t because it became mired in controversy. They felt it was right to recognise Tom Newton Dunn and The Sun this year as the paper’s reporting was finally vindicated in the libel courts and for the way it has stuck with this story for three years. The Sun ultimately proved that the public have a right to know about how politicians speak to those who are paid to protect them and it struck an important blow for freedom of speech.”
Tom Newton Dunn pictured with Paul Blanchard, presenter of the Media Focus podcast
Photojournalism
Highly Commended: Jack Hill of The Times – for his pictures from Syria
And
Philip Coburn of the Daily Mirror – for his work in Gaza
The judges noted that both returned to conflict areas this year after previously being injured in the field. Philip Coburn lost both his legs below the knee after being injured by an IED in Afghanistan in 2000 and Hill was kidnapped and beaten last year by Syrian militants.
Winner: Manu Brabo of The Sunday Times
The judges said: “Manu has an exceptional eye and has produced a photographic essay from Ukraine which any magazine editor in the world would be proud to publish.”
Sunday Times associated editor Sean Ryan with awards judge Jon Slattery
Business, Finance and Economics Journalism sponsored by TSB
Highly commended: Charles Levinson of Reuters for
US banks move billions of dollars in trades beyond Washington’s reach
The judges said this piece could be predicting the next banking crisis, it took a dry subject and made it captivating.
Winner: Daniel Jones of The Sun for Compare The FatCats, The Great Stitch Up and You phonies
The judges said: “This was a great piece of campaigning journalism on something which effects everybody in the country. He held the utility companies to account on behalf of Sun readers with some hard-hitting and entertaining journalism.”
Sun associate editor Sam Carlisle pictured with Roy Beale from TSB
Science, Technology and Health Journalism sponsored by Astellas
Highly commended: Natasha Loder of The Economist for ‘Genome editing – The age of the red pen’
Winner: Deborah Cohen from the BMJ for ‘Why have UK doctors been deterred from prescribing Avastin?’
The judges said: “Deborah’s investigation into why NHS doctors are being prevented from using a safe and effective eye drug covered a highly technical subject but nonetheless held the attention of the non-specialist reader right to the end. It exposed a conflict of interest in the drug licensing system at the heart of the NHS.”
Deborah Cohen pictured with AJ Kenneally from Astellas
Breaking News Award
Winner: Jonathan Calvert, George Arbuthnott and Bojan Pancevski (Insight) – The Sunday Times for coverage of Fifa and Sepp Blatter: 'Swiss prosecutors target Blatter as Prince William demands clean-up'
The judges said: “The Insight Team are probably as responsible for the demise of Fifa and its dirty practitioners as anyone and this story is a result of all that painstaking work over the years. It is not just a top line but a whole catalogue of woe.”
George Arbuthnott, Jonathan Calvert and awards judge Kurt Barling
Sports Journalism sponsored by Sportcal
Highly commended: Jonathan Calvert, George Arbuthnott and David Collins of The Sunday Times for The Doping Scandal
The judges said this was: “A vast investigation which exposed a major scandal.”
Winner: Mark Daly, Murdoch Rodgers and David Epstein - BBC Scotland/Panorama/ProPublica for 'Catch Me If You Can’ investigation into athletics doping
The judges said: "This was a superb long-crafted investigation which had a huge impact on athletics. Daly led a team of journalists which spent 18 months investigating doping in athletics. The revelations about star coach Alberto Salazar led the sports news agenda for weeks."
Mark Daly with Sportcal chief executive Mike Laflin
Popular journalism sponsored by Bournemouth University
Winner: The news team at The Mail on Sunday for '62p an hour –', ‘MoS reporter is first to contact UK schoolgirl who fled to Syria d’ and ‘Exposed: Tory’s plot with race thugs to fix election’
The judges said: “Week in week out The Mail on Sunday shows that producing hard-hitting popular journalism with mass appeal and serving the public interest can go hand in hand. In particular the news team showed industry and ingenuity to reveal the hypocrisy of leading politicians wearing ‘feminist’ T-shirts produced by women working for 62p an hour in Mauritius.”
The Mail on Sunday team with Karen Fowler Watt from Bournemouth University
Local Heroes
Highly commended: Andrew Gilligan of The Daily and Sunday Telegraph for his dogged Investigation into corruption, electoral fraud and links to extremism of Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman
Winner: Jeanette Oldham of the Birmingham Mail for ‘Birmingham City Council hid links between Asian cabbies and child sex victims for 23 years’, ‘West Midlands Police report reveals 75 per cent of known on-street child sex groomers are Asian’ and ‘Child Sexual Exploitation: We force West Midlands Police to release secret report which confirms 'significant similarities' with Rotherham scandal’
The judges said: “Jeanette used whistleblowers and shoe leather reporting to expose disturbing parallels to the Rotherham child abuse scandal in Birmingham and evidence of local authority inaction and a cover up. It was first class investigative reporting firmly in the public interest which has made difference.”
Jeanette Oldham with John Mair
Investigation of the year sponsored by Public Concern at Work
Winner: Juliette Garside, James Ball, David Leigh and David Pegg of The Guardian for the HSBC Files
The judges said: “This was a complex financial story which had a real impact on the use of tax havens. It was a stunning demonstration of international investigative work spanning many international borders and making big waves.”
The Guardian team with Ciara Bottomley from Public Concern at Work
The Marie Colvin Award for raising the reputation of British journalism
Winner: Alan Rusbridger
The judges said:
The word visionary is bandied around a lot, but it is particularly impressive that Alan Rusbridger wrote The Online Future – a blueprint for The Guardian’s digital development back in 1994. The Guardian now attracts some 140m browsers a month around the world.
In the early years of his editorship he won some of the most significant libel cases of the modern era including: Neil Hamilton, Jonathan Aitken and Stoke Newington police station (ending the Police Federation’s 80-case undefeated run).
In recent years he has overseen some of the biggest journalism investigations of our time: phone-hacking, Wikileaks, Snowden and finally HSBC..
In 2014 The Guardian became the first non-American news organisation to win the Pulitzer Prize in recognition of its Snowden coverage.
In an industry where editors often like to the keep their heads down, he has always stuck his above the parapet and been a vocal supporter of press freedom and of journalism in general.
He has been a great ambassador for our craft and is a hugely deserving winner of the 2015 Marie Colvin award.
Alan Rusbridger pictured with Warner Rootliep of sponsor Air France/KLM
Journalist of the Year sponsored by Audi
Winner: Jonathan Calvert of The Sunday Times
The judges said:
Jonathan Calvert is the longest serving editor of The Sunday Times Insight team in its 50-year history and over his 21 years in national newspaper journalism he has probably been behind as many famous scoops and investigative scandals as any other journalist still working today.
Over the last year he has been again involved in several of the biggest stories to have hit the headlines. After leading the way in exposing Fifa for five years, this year his Insight team revealed Fifa president Sepp Blatter had made a secret deal to ensure Qatar would not lose its hosting rights to the 2022 world cup. It was his investigation which largely provoked the current crisis in Fifa which is now finally showing signs of cleaning up its act.
The Sunday Times blood doping investigation this year revealed that 55 gold medals have been won in Olympics and world championship endurance events by athletes who have recorded suspicious blood tests.
He is a journalist who has produced a quite astonishing track record of investigations and scoops across a huge range of subject areas.
More British Journalism Awards pictures are available from this link
British Journalism Awards Hall of Fame 2014
Journalist of the Year (sponsored by TSB) – Andrew Norfolk, The Times
Norfolk was named journalist of the year for his long-running investigation into child abuse. Judges said he “stood out as a magnificent example of what can be achieved by an ordinary reporter”.
A judges’ statement said: “It was a local story which exposed an appalling, unpalatable and almost unbelieveable scandal. Norfolk and The Times refused to give up until the child grooming gangs were exposed and the problem was addressed at a national level.
“It was an investigation which began with a front page story in January 2011 and culminated in the Jay report published in August this year which revealed council and law enforcement failures which contributed to 1,400 children being abused in Rotherham alone.
“It has been journalism which has made a difference, which gave a voice to people who no-one was listening to and which proved that sometimes journalists can step in when police, local and central government have all failed.”
Marie Colvin Award – Anthony Loyd, The Times
The Times’s Anthony Loyd was awarded the Marie Colvin prize in recognition of his 25-year career covering war zones.
Judges said: “Like Marie Colvin, Anthony Loyd has risked his life to report on the unfolding humanitarian disaster in Syria.
“Earlier this year he, along with photographer Jack Hill, were kidnapped whilst returning to Turkey from a reporting assignment in Syria. They were badly beaten, and Loyd himself was shot twice, but thankfully they were both freed.
“The risks Loyd and Hill run to report on the bombing of Aleppo are underlined by the fact that at least 70 journalists have been killed since 2011 covering the conflict in Syria. Others, like Briton John Cantlie, are still being held capitive.
“Anthony Loyd has spent is career going to places few others would be willing to visit in order shine a light on some of the darkest parts of our world.
“Loyd began his journalism career covering the conflict in Bosnia and has gone on to cover wars in Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Chechnya, Iraq, Syria and Ukraine.”
“His journalism is marked by the quality and humanity of his writing, the depth of his insight and his ability to bring home globally significant scoops.
“In recent years these have included exclusive reports about Assad’s use of chemical weapons in Syria and Al Quaeda shopping for uranium in Libya.
“Since recovering from his gunshot injuries he has return to frontline journalism reporting most recently on the spread of ebola in Sierra Leone.”
New Journalist of the Year (sponsored by Stationers' Crown Woods Academy) – Tom Warren, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism
Judges said: “Tom made great use of data and technology to unearth stories and details. He picked targets that no-one else was looking at to bring new information to light on matters of real public interest.
“He used excellent detective work to reveal the privileged bidders who profiteered from the Royal Mail flotation, forcing the Government to release the full list.”
Local Heroes – Carl Eve, The Herald in Plymouth
Carl Eve won the Local Heroes award for his investigation into police failures to prosecute members of a child abuse ring.
Judges said: “This was a particularly difficult investigation which involved persuading police contacts and victims of crime to speak out.
“He has great contacts and uses old fashioned face to face reporting to get behind the headlines. It is the sort of in-depth local reporting which is under threat in the current climate.”
Business Journalist of the Year (sponsored by Tata Consultancy Services) – Jonathan Calvert and Heidi Blake, Insight Team, Sunday Times
The Insight Team (pictured above with Ashish Babu from sponsor Tata Consultancy Services) was awarded the business prize for its investigation into RBS ‘killing off good firms for profit’.
The judges said: “This investigation ticked every box and did everything that we were looking for. It was in the public interest, revelatory and it’s had a huge impact.
“So many people would have had their livelihoods wiped out by the actions of RBS, a bank which is owned by the taxpayer.”
Politics Journalist of the Year – Times team
A team of journalists from The Times, comprising Greg Hurst, Francis Elliott, Rachel Sylvester and Alice Thomson, won the politics prize for stories headlined: ‘Angry Cameron rebukes rivals as Tory rift widens’, ‘Gove under fire for ‘Islamist school’s top Ofsted rating’ and ‘Cameron bumbles from one shambles to another with no sense of purpose’.
The judges said: “The Times’s team reporting on the political fallout of the row over Islamic faith schools shone a light on a serious policy dispute at the heart of government.
“It was one of the biggest political stories of the year and had a real impact on people in charge of government policy.
“Michael Gove was a big player in the Government up until this point and since then has been sidelined.”
Campaign of the Year – George Arbuthnott, The Sunday Times
George Arbuthnott won the campaign of the year for The Sunday Times for his work on slavery in modern-day Britain.
Judges said: “This was a campaign which showed the sort of campaigning investigative journalism pioneered by William Stead on the Pall Mall Gazette is alive and well on Fleet Street today.
“It exposed a little-reported scandal affecting some of most vulnerable people in the world and helped prompt the Government to table the Modern Slavery Bill.”
Sports Journalist of the Year (sponsored by the Hippodrome Casino) – Jonathan Calvert and Heidi Blake, Insight Team, The Sunday Times
The Insight Team won the sports prize for its investigation into FIFA.
The judges said: “This was the most significant sports story of the year and a huge embarrassment for Fifa in a World Cup Year just before the start of the tournament.
“They took a huge dossier of evidence and turned into a compellingly told story with no angle left unexplored.”
Innovation of the Year – The Guardian
The Guardian won the Innovation of the Year award for its NSA Files: Decoded project.
Judges said: “This feature set a new standard for interactive digital story-telling by a UK publication. It combines video, data and old-fashioned text-based journalism skills to explain the significance of Edward Snowden files on NSA surveillance in a more approachable and dynamic way than would ever be possible in print.
"The Guardian has continued to own this story by finding new ways to make it meaningful to people.”
Science and Technology Journalist of the Year (sponsored by Astellas) – Pallab Ghosh, BBC
The BBC’s Pallab Ghosh won the science and technology award for his reports exposing the failure of the Government’s badger culling programme.
The judges said: “This was one of those stories where if it wasn’t for people like Pallab the Governnent would have got away with doing what it wanted and ignoring the advice of its own scientists.
“There had been previous work where scientists had expressed concerns about the badger culls, lots of journalists were following this up. But Pallab was the only one to get hold of Defra’s own unpublished report showing that the culls were ineffective and inhumane.”
Photojournalist of the Year – David Rose, Telegraph
The judges said: “David’s pictures of the conflict in Ukraine were examples of news photography at its most dramatic. Brave and sympathetic, they were a potent demonstration of the way still print images have enduring power that video does not.”
Breaking News Award – Nick Craven and Ross Slater, The Mail on Sunday
The Mail on Sunday won the breaking news prize, for the best story of the year, for its story: ‘Crystal meth shame of bank chief’.
The judges highly commended the Telegraph for its Qatar corruption story, but felt the Paul Flowers story “was a great example of old fashioned tabloid journalism which held the powerful to account”.
They said: “At its heart was a genuine public interest story. The Co-op was the last bank you would think would be involved in corruption. How could somebody like Paul Flowers get appointed to such an important position?”
Foreign Affairs Journalist of the Year – Patrick Cockburn, The Independent/i
Patrick Cockburn of The Independent won the foreign affairs prize for his coverage of the emergence of ISIS.
The judges said: “Patrick Cockburn spotted the emergence of Isis much earlier than anybody else and wrote about it with a depth of understanding that was just in a league of its own. Nobody else was writing that stuff at that time, and the judges wondered whether the Government should considering pensioning off the whole of MI6 and hiring Patrick Cockburn instead.
“The breadth of his knowledge and his ability make connections is phenomenal.”
Investigation of the Year – Jonathan Calvert and Heidi Blake, Insight Team, The Sunday Times
The Insight Team won the investigation prize, described as “one of the most prestigious and sought after of the night”, again for its FIFA coverage.
Judges said: “It was the story that almost gave Sepp Blatter a moment’s pause before being re-elected for another 97 years.
“The Sunday Times was not quite first into the field, when it came to exposing corruption around the Qatar World Cup bid, but it dominated the story as soon as it came into play.
“Its FIFA Files investigation had global impact. It reopened the whole issue of whether Qatar should the venue for the 2022 World Cup by exposing incontrovertible detailed evidence of widespread corruption.
“The initial Qatar Files 11-page investigation of June 2014 was tour de force of broadsheet investigative journalism: a superb exclusive story, brilliantly told exposing genuine corruption and injustice in the world’s most popular and financially lucrative sport.”
2013
New Journalist of the Year
Winner: Patrick Kingsley from The Guardian
What the judges said: “Patrick is a journalist who has been reporting from Egypt since January 2013 at no little risk to himself. He’s been beaten up and arrested as he exposed the toll unrest in that country has taken on unarmed civilians.
“He wrote the dissection of a massacre in a model way – it’s a great piece of reconstruction that leads to revelation.”
Patrick pictured with Javier Millan from Air France-KLM
Finalists:
Alex Ralph from The Times,
Fiona O’Cleirigh from Exaro News
Maeve McClenaghan – from The Bureau of Investigative Journalism
Sarah Morrison from The Independent
Simon Murphy from the Mail on Sunday
Business, finance and economics journalist of the year – sponsored by Astellas
Winner: Tom Bergin from Reuters
The judges said: “Most of the other journalists writing about the tax affairs of companies like Google and Starbucks are following in his footsteps. He practically wrote the questions for the Commons select committee.”
Tom Bergin pictured below with communications director of Astellas Pharma Europe, Mindy Dooa:
Highly commended:
Sarah O’Connor from the Financial Times
The judges praised her for “some good old-fashioned shoe leather reporting” which saw her investigate conditions at an Amazon warehouse in Rugely.
Finalists:
Laura Kuenssberg from ITV News
Stephen Grey from Reuters
John Gapper from the Financial Times
David Enrich from the Wall Street Journal Europe
Campaign of the Year
Winner: The Sunday Times for Safe Weekend Care – the campaign for a seven-day NHS
The judges said: “This campaign was well presented, planned and coordinated from beginning to end. It was backed up by great reporting and research and has succeeded in getting a national scandal addressed at the highest level.”
Finalists:
Andrew Norfolk from The Times for his ongoing work exposing the scandal of child sexual exploitation and grooming
The Sun’s Fight For April campaign calling for action to curb internet pornography
London Evening Standard for Ladder for London…encouraging London employers to take on more apprentices
Selina Maycock of the Scunthorpe Telegraph for a successful campaign to pay for the wedding of a terminally ill reader
The Sunday Times for Westminster for Sale – its series exposing how lobbyists pay for access to Parliament and the Government
Foreign Affairs Journalist of the Year
Winner: Hala Jaber of The Sunday times
The judges said: “Hala Jaber has been there year after year, living in Damascus and covering the conflict from both sides and getting really strong stories.
“Her story about the Assad regime general was one of the few pieces of journalism that tried to get us into the mind of the government side of the conflict – and did so critically.”
Sunday Times editorial director Eleanor Mills accepting the Foreign Journalist of the Year prize on behalf of Hala Jaber from BJA judge Kevin Marsh:
Finalists:
Anthony Loyd of The Times
Katrina Manson from The Financial Times
Kim Sengupta of The Independent
Patrick Cockburn of The Independent
Richard Lloyd Parry – The Times
Photojournalist of the Year
Winner: Richard Pohle – The Times
The judges said that his photo of soldiers taking cover at Camp Bastion was the one stand-out shot of the competition this year - beautiful and atmospheric. They remarked that it was really tough photo to get with the equipment he would have had in that spot.
Finalists:
Jeremy Selwyn of the London Evening Standard
Mark Scott of The Sentinel
Oli Scarff from Getty Images
Suzanne Plunkett from Reuters
Politics Journalists of the Year
Winner: Joe Murphy of the London Evening Standard
The judges praised Murphy for fine writing and three genuine exclusives. The revelation that David Cameron was supporting gay marriage had huge repercussions and his exclusive account of the private Thatcher family funeral service was a fine piece of colour writing.
Joe Murphy with BJA judge professor Peter Cole:
Finalists:
Amelia Gentleman of The Guardian
Janan Ganesh of the Financial Times
Neil Elkes of the Birmingham Post and Mail
Steve Richards of The Independent
Jonathan Calvert and Heidi Blake of The Sunday Times Insight Team
Innovation of the Year
Winner: The Guardian for GuardianWitness
“One of judges said they had downloaded the app and they were using it every day. They felt it brought citizen journalism and user-generated content to a new level by - improving engagement, sourcing great content and doing so in a way that made money for the paper through sponsorship.”
The GuardianWitness team pictured with BJA judge Ian Reeves (right):
Highly commended:
The Sun for Sun+
The Independent for Voices In Danger
Finalists:
Lewis Whyld for his 360-degree interactive camera
The ooh aar Augmented reality platform as used in The Sentinel
The Brixton Bugle and Brixton Blog
Sports journalist of the year sponsored by the Hippodrome Casino
Winner: David Conn – of The Guardian
“All his stories were about some form of corruption in sport. He delves beyond the glitzy veneer of modern football to hold the game’s gilded elite to account.”
David Conn pictured (right) with awards sponsor Simon Thomas of the Hippodrome Casino:
Finalists:
Christian Sylt – freelance for City AM and The Independent
Ian Herbert – of The Independent
Luke Edwards of the Telegraph
Mark Ogden of The Telegraph
Sam Wallace of The Independent
Science and Technology Journalist of the Year sponsored by the Wellcome Trust
Winner: Robin McKie of The Observer
The judges said: “He goes for the biggest subjects and makes technical issues compelling with his approachable style of writing. His piece on a GM rice strain which could save millions from blindess was a particularly fine piece of science writing on a hugely important global issue.”
Robin McKie pictured (right) with director of the Wellcome Trust Prof Jeremy Farrar:
Finalists:
Pallab Ghosh – of the BBC
Leslie Hook of the Financial Times
Helen Thomson of the New Scientist
Gareth Iacubucci of the British Medical Journal
Andrew Gregory of the Daily Mirror
Breaking News Award
Winner: Channel 4 News and Dispatches for Plebgate
This was reporting which forced the Met Police to re-open its investigation into an alleged conspiracy to undermine chief Whip Andrew Mitchell. One police officer is to face trial and five are facing charges for gross misconduct.
The judges said they thought it was a great year for Dispatches and were also hugely impressed with its joint Guardian investigation into police spying on the family of Stephen Lawrence and its investigation into failings at the NHS 111 non-emergency call service.
They praised Dispatches for rigorous public interest journalism of the highest order.
Journalists from the Channel 4 Plebgate team with BJA judge Liz Gerard:
Finalists:
Exaro News – for the Murdoch tape
Tom Harper of The Independent – for Blue chip hacking
Catherine Deveney of The Observer for – top cardinal accused of inappropriate acts by priests
The Sunday Times insight team for – generals for hire
Anthony Lloyd of The Times for his exclusive report on the aftermath of a chemical weapons attack in Syria
Investigation of the year
Winner: Michael Gillard of The Sunday Times for his exposure of gangster David Hunt (the Untouchable)
The judges all agreed that Michael Gillard should win for an 11-year investigation which exposed career criminal and violent gangster David Hunt. The last journalist to investigate Mr Hunt received a head-butt for his troubles. Gillard stayed the course, memorably running rings around Hunt’s barrister Hugh Tomlinson QC in the High Court.
The judges felt that Gillard edged this prize because of the skill, determination and bravery it took to see this story through.
The Sunday Times succeeded where the collected forces of law enforcement in this country had failed – defeating Hunt in a court of law and obtaining a measure of justice for his victims by public exposing him for the first time.
Highly commended:
The Guardian – For the Snowden Files
Andrew Norfolk of The Times for his work on the child sex grooming scandal
The judges were hugely impressed by the global ramifications of The Guardian’s Snowden files revelations and by Andrew Norfolk’s ongoing dogged investigation into sex grooming. Both are highly commended.
Finalists:
Mark Daily and Murdoch Rodgers of BBC Scotland for Sins of our Fathers
Channel 4 News and Dispatches for Plebgate
Jeanette Oldham of the Birmingham Mail for her investigation into a cancer surgeon with unacceptably high death rates
The Marie Colvin award – sponsored by Syria Relief for the journalist who the judges felt had done the most to raise the reputation of our craft and inspire other journalists.
Former Times foreign editor Richard Beeston (who died of cancer in May of this year aged 50).
Dr Ayman Jundi presenting the Marie Colvin Award to Ben MacIntyre of the The Times and Natasha Beeston:
One of the great foreign editors of The Times – Richard Beeston was a hugely liked and respected figure throughout Fleet Street.
An indefatigable foreign correspondent he covered conflicts in Lebanon, Iraq and Chechnya for The Times.
He exposed Saddam Hussein’s gassing of Kurdish civilians at Hallabja in 1988, reported on atrocities by Serb forces in the Bosnian War of the early 1990s and after 2011 he shone a light on the barberous campaign of general Assad in Syria against his own population.
When one of the judges suggested Richard’s name for the Marie Colvin prize there was immediate and enthusiastic agreement from all the others.
The BJA judges cover a broad cross-section of our diverse industry but they had all been deeply touched by Richard’s contribution to journalism.
As Oliver Kamm wrote in The Times: “Richard Beeston saw his responsibility as finding things out and giving as objective an account as he could manage of the horrors of the conflicts he covered. Objectivity doesn’t mean balance: it means telling the truth about what you discover.”
Journalist of the year, sponsored by Santander
Michael Gillard - Freelance/The Sunday Times
Michael Gillard could not attent the awards and cannot attend public events in London for security reasons. The awarded was accepted on his behalf by his friend the journalist Laurie Flynn and presented by Santander director of communications Jennifer Scardino:
2012
Investigation of the year
(See our showcase of all the award-winning work for this category here)
Winner: Alexi Mostrous and Fay Schlesinger (The Times) – Tax avoidance investigation
Finalists:
- Andrew Norfolk (The Times) – Child grooming
- Chris Woods (The Bureau of Investigative Journalism) - Covert War on Terror
- Channel 4 News – Suspended doctors still working
- Jon Austin (Basildon Echo) – Dale Farm travellers’ site coverage
- Nina Lakhani and Andrew Buncombe (The Independent)- How Western pharmaceutical companies use guinea pigs in India
- Paul Lewis and Rob Evans (Guardian News and Media) – Police infiltration of the protest movement
- Leigh Marles (The Wirral Globe) – Justice for Martin and for taxpayers
- Alexi Mostrous and Fay Schesinger (The Times) – Tax avoidance revelations.
- Rupert Neate (Guardian News and Media) – Liam Fox quits, and coverage of the Fox-Werrity scandal)
- Gareth Iacobucci (Pulse Magazine) – Clinical commissioning group calls on PM to drop the Health Bill
- The Guardian – Assad emails exposed
- Jon Ungoed-Thomas (The Sunday Times) – Google grabs secrets of our private lives
- Sunday Times Insight Team – Cash for Cameron: cosy club buys the PM’s ear
- Stuart Ramsay (Sky News) – Reports from the frontline of the Syrian civil war
- Andy Grice (The Independent)
- Jane Merrick (The Independent on Sunday)
- Patrick Wintour (Guardian News and Media)
- Rachel Sylvester (The Times)
- Simon Walters (Mail on Sunday)
New journalist of the year
(See our showcase of all the award-winning work for this category here)
Winner: Emma Slater (The BBC/Bureau of Investigative Journalism)
Finalists:
- Charlie Cooper (The Independent)
- Halina Watts (The People)
- Kevin Rawlinson (The Independent)
- Niall McCracken (The Detail)
- Sarah Morrison (The Independent on Sunday)
- Dan Kitwood (Getty Images)
- Leo Maguire (Freelance for The Sunday Times magazine)
Oli Scarff (Getty Images)
- Peter Macdiarmid (Getty Images)
- Robin Hammond/Panos Pictures ( The Sunday Times magazine)
- The Times – Cities Fit for Cycling Project
- Channel 4 News – No Go Britain (multimedia campaign highlighting the problems faced by disabled transport users)
- John Dale – 24 Hours in Journalism book and investigative project
- Guardian News and Media – Reading the Riots project
- The Bureau of Investigative Journalism
- Channel 4 Dispatches App
- John Sinnott (CNN/Sports Illustrated/The Blizzard)
- Kevin Eason (The Times)
- Mark Daly (BBC Scotland)
- Nick Harris (Mail on Sunday)
- Paul Kelso (The Daily Telegraph)
- Catherine Lea (Hull Daily Mail)
- Chris Giles (Financial Times)
- Deirdre Hipwell (The Times)
- Larry Elliott (Guardian News and Media)
- Loulla-Mae Eleftheriou-Smith (Marketing/Brand Republic)
- Nick Mathiason (The Bureau of Investigative Journalism)
- Fiona Harvey (Guardian News and Media)
- James Murray (Business Green)
- Pallab Ghosh (BBC)
- Suzanne Goldenberg (Guardian News and Media)
- Warren Manger (The Coventry Telegraph)
British Journalism Awards Journalist of the Year for 2012 was David Walsh of the Sunday Times.
A special award was given to the late Marie Colvin and accepted on her behalf by Sunday Times foreign editor Sean Ryan and photographer Paul Conroy.
