Hannah Wilkes, presenter at Sky Sports News, hosted the ceremony. She said: “In a period of profound change across the media landscape, the role of high quality, trusted journalism has never been more vital. I’m thrilled to be here today to recognise the students, apprentices and trainees rising to that challenge, and the educators and employers championing the highest standards of training.”
The awards recognised outstanding journalism students, trainees and apprentices on NCTJ-accredited courses who are already making their mark in the industry, added NCTJ.
With a record of more than 550 entries, NCTJ continued, judges praised the exceptional standard of work submitted across every category. This year’s shortlist featured journalists reporting from courtrooms, councils, conflict zones and communities across the UK.
Izzie Addison, from PA Media Academy, was named student of the year after achieving the best overall diploma results, including eight A grades, first-time passes in every assessment and shorthand at 100 words per minute. She now works as a news reporter at PA Media, where she has already covered assignments including Ukraine peace talks at No 10.
Alexandra Osborne received the Level 5 apprentice of the year award after achieving 94 per cent in media law and producing a distinction-level project on dementia, which featured on BBC One’s Morning Live. The BBC Plymouth journalist and PA Media Academy student has continued working as a multimedia broadcast journalist alongside her apprenticeship.
Daniel Wood was awarded trainee of the year after first discovering journalism during a school work experience placement and setting himself the goal of entering the industry. He achieved the best overall results in the NQJ out of 280 candidates sitting the exam last year and now works for the newspaper that inspired him.
This year’s ceremony also saw the introduction of a new award: the Andrew Norfolk Investigative Journalism Award, established in partnership with The Times to honour the legacy of investigative journalist Andrew Norfolk. Eleanor Tait, who studied at the University of Sunderland, was named the recipient and has won a one-year paid internship with The Times.
Joanne Forbes, chief executive of the NCTJ, said at the cermony: “Today is a celebration of what the NCTJ stands for: quality, trust and diversity. Our Where Your Story Goes campaign is about inspiring the next generation to see journalism as a career where they can make a real difference, and the talented students, trainees and apprentices here today show exactly why that matters.”
The NCTJ is grateful for the support of headline sponsor Reuters and all organisations that supported this year’s awards: Alder, BBC, British Polling Council, Financial Times, The i Paper, Mark Allen Group, Market Research Society, News UK, Sky News, Sky Sports News, The Times and Yahoo News.
The full list of the awards is below, and their work can be viewed here:
INNOVATION OF THE YEAR - sponsored by News UK
Winner - University of Portsmouth
Highly Commended - University of Brighton
Commended - News Associates
Commended - Ulster University
EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AWARDS INDIVIDUAL - sponsored by Financial Times
Winner - Sharon Browne-Peter, freelance
Highly Commended - Kit Taylor, BBC News
Commended - Jasmine Trapnell, freelance
EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AWARDS ORGANISATION- sponsored by Financial Times
Winner - CNN International London
Highly Commended - Aziz Foundation
Commended - University of Lincoln
THE ANDREW NORFOLK INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM AWARD - in partnership with The Times
Winner - Eleanor Tait
STUDENT NEWS - sponsored by The i Paper
Winner - Bill Curtis, NCTJ distance learning
Highly Commended - Josh Pizzuto -Pomaco, Glasgow Caledonian University
Commended - Olivia Kemp, News Associates London
TRAINEE NEWS - sponsored by The i Paper
Winner - Zach Saunders, Isle of Wight County Press
Highly Commended- Elli Hodgson, KentOnline
Commended- Oliver Leader, KMTV
STUDENT SPORTS - sponsored by Sky Sports News
Winner - Alexander Landcaster-Lennox, News Associates, London
Highly Commended - Alex Oakhill, Bournemouth University
Commended - Jasmine Trapnell, News Associates, London
TRAINEE SPORTS - sponsored by Sky Sports News
Winner - Joe Harston, The Times
Highly Commended - Flo Clifford, The Independent
STUDENT TOP SCOOP - sponsored by the BBC
Winner - Blaise Cloran, News Associates London
Highly Commended - Luke Alsford, News Associates, London
Commended - Bill Curtis, NCTJ distance learning
TRAINEE TOP SCOOP - sponsored by the BBC
Winner - Jodie Yettram, All Island Media
Highly Commended - Nia Price, BBC News
Commended - Shing Hei Yip, The Chaser News
STUDENT FEATURE - sponsored by Mark Allen Group
Winner - Emma Butterworth, News Associates, Manchester
Commended - Owen Thomas, News Associates Manchester
TRAINEE FEATURE - sponsored by Mark Allen Group
Winner - Rory MacNeish, Freelance
Highly Commended - George Nash, Freelance
Commended - Thomas Bryden, The Sun
STUDENT VIDEOJOURALISM
Winner - Adam Husicka, University of Sheffield
Highly Commended - Sharon Browne-Peter, News Associates, London
Commended - Mia Williams, News Associates
TRAINEE VIDEOJOURNALISM
Winner - Oliver Leader, KMTV
Highly Commended - Marcus Boothe, BBC Points West
Commended - Evie Flynn, Southwark News
STUDENT PODCAST
Winner - Alex Charlton, St Mary’s University, Twickenham
Highly Commended - Jack Dean, University of Sheffield
Commended - Cassidy Chan and Maddi Fern, University of Sheffield
TRAINEE PODCAST
Winner - George Walker, BBC News
Highly Commended - Thomas Copeland, BBC News
Commended - Jamie Russell, BBC Scotland
STUDENT DATA - sponsored by British Polling Council and Marketing Research Society (MRS)
Winner - Adam Termote, News Associates, London
Highly Commended - Yennah Smart, News Associates, London
Commended - Tacita Quinn, News Associates, London
TRAINEE DATA - sponsored by sponsored by British Polling Council and Marketing Research Society (MRS)]
Winner - Emily Doughty, BBC News
Highly Commended - Jodie Yettram, All Island Media
Commended - Hannah Karpel, BBC News
STUDENT PROJECT OF THE YEAR
Winner - ‘Sidelines magazine’: Amelia Cox, James Morgan-Wynne, Cerys Jones, Angel Sang, Amy Hamerslagh, Gus Ballantine, University of Sheffield
Highly Commended - ‘Is it Time to Move on from Prison?’: Greta Mizere, University of Essex
Highly Commended - ‘Female athletes feel failed by their sportswear’: Molly Sutherland, Nottingham Trent University
Commended - ‘Food for Thought ‘: Yanotai Tragoolpadetgrai, Nottingham Trent University
LEVEL 5 APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR – sponsored by Yahoo News
Winner - Alexandra Osborne, BBC Plymouth, PA Media Academy
Highly Commended - Olivia Carter, Newsquest London, Darlington College -
Commended - Oscar Frost, The Telegraph, PA Media Academy
Commended - Chad Kibuka, S&P Global, PA Media Academy
Commended - Hannah Quinn, Times Radio, PA Media Academy
Commended - Lydia Wilson, BBC South, PA Media Academy
LEVEL 7 APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR – sponsored by Yahoo News
Winner - Lucy Acheson, BBC News, University of Kent
Highly Commended - Alex O'Leary, The Northern Echo, Darlington College
Commended - Hannah Karpel, BBC News, University of Kent
Commended - Nia Price, BBC News, University of Kent
STUDENT OF THE YEAR – sponsored by Sky News
Winner - Izzie Addison, PA Media Academy
Highly Commended - Mary Neale Smith, PA Media Academy
Commended - Haris Armstrong, Cardiff University
Commended - Hannah Walton-Hughs, Cardiff University
Commended - Louise Sadler, Cardiff University
Commended - Leah Renz, News Associates London
TRAINEE OF THE YEAR – sponsored by Alder
Winner - Daniel Wood, Swindon Advertiser - Winner
Highly Commended - Ross Waldron, Suffolk News
Commended - Elli Hodgson, KentOnline
Commended - Beth Williams, BBC Wales
CHAIR'S AWARD
Winner - Lisa Bradley, professor of journalism education, University of Sheffield
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