Martin Samuel of The Times and Mike Hewitt of Getty Images were named Sports Writer and Sports Photographer of the Year at an awards ceremony In London last night.
In the annual ceremony organised by the Sports Journalists’ Association of Great Britain, Samuel triumphed after Britain’s national newspaper sports editors were asked to cast votes for Sports Writer of the Year in a Eurovision Song Contest-style poll.
Hewitt, a previous winner in 1998, won the top photographic award a close run race with David Ashdown of the Independent and Independent on Sunday. Ashdown had the consolation of winning the award for Sports Picture and Sports News Picture of the Year for his stunning capture of Andrew Strauss’s catch to dismiss Australia’s Adam Gilchrist.
The awards for journalists and photographers have been in existence for more than 30 years but this year the SJA introduced new categories for broadcasters and cartoonists.
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Sky Sports’ Jeff Stelling was named Sports Broadcaster of the Year for his weekly marathon stint as presenter of Gillette Soccer Saturday. Channel Four’s Ashes cricket coverage won Sports Programme of the Year. The award collected by Jeff Foulser of Sunset & Vine, the programme’s producers.
Nick Newman of the Sunday Times was crowned the first Sports Cartoonist of the Year.
The title of Regional Sports Writer of the Year went to Martin Smith of The Star in Sheffield, for the second time in three years.
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The award for Sports Story of the Year went to the News of the World’s Rob Beasley for his scoop of Chelsea tapping up Arsenal’s Ashley Cole.
The full list of award winners:
Sports Writer of the Year: Martin Samuel (The Times)
Sports Photographer of the Year: Mike Hewitt (Getty Images)
Sports Story: Rob Beasley (News of the World)
Sports Picture and Sports News Picture: David Ashdown (Independent and
Independent on Sunday)
Sports News Reporter: Rob Draper (Mail on Sunday)
Sports Feature Writer: Owen Slot (The Times)
Sports Columnist: James Lawton (Independent)
Sports Interviewer: Paul Kimmage (Sunday Times)
Specialist Correspondent: Matt Dickinson (The Times)
Sports Diary: Charles Sale (Daily Mail)
Sports Team: Daily Telegraph
Sports Cartoonist: Nick Newman (Sunday Times)
Regional Sports Writer: Martin Smith (The Star, Sheffield)
Specialist Picture Portfolio: Tom Shaw (Getty Images)
Sports Picture Portfolio: Mike Hewitt (Getty Images)
Sports Broadcaster: Jeff Stelling (Sky Sports)
Sports Programme: Channel 4 Ashes
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