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December 10, 2019updated 07 Nov 2023 5:42am

British Journalism Awards 2019: FT wins top prize for second year in triumphant end for departing editor

By Freddy Mayhew

The Financial Times has become the first newspaper to win the News Provider of the Year prize two years in a row at the Press Gazette British Journalism Awards.

The top prize, plus a further two awards for the FT, represents a triumphant conclusion to Lionel Barber’s 14 years as editor of the business title which he leaves in the New Year.

The FT also won for technology and political journalism, with all 23 awards handed out at a gala dinner at London’s Bankside Hotel earlier this evening.

See the full list of 2019 winners below

Collecting the news provider award, Barber said: “I am deeply honoured to accept this award on behalf of an amazing team of journalists who are in this room and the FT in London and around the world.

“I also want to pay tribute to some astonishing and impressive journalism that we’ve seen tonight. But for me as I prepare to hand over to Roula in January this means a lot, thank you.”

The judges said the FT “combines consistent high quality journalism across is various platforms with an enviable ability to secure jaw-dropping exclusives”.

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They added: “It has also been at the forefront of journalism innovation and proved that it is possible turn a profit whilst investing in quality.”

The British Journalism Awards, now in their eighth year, are decided by a panel of 60 judges from across the news industry, who judge entries on three criteria: revelation, journalistic rigour and public interest.

There were some 560 entries from every major news organisation in the UK this year.

Robin Barnwell was named Journalist of the Year for his work with ITV Exposure and Hardcash Productions, shining a light on China’s use of detention camps for Muslims and the battle against oppression for women in Iran.

Judges praised his “incredible journalism” and “impressive” undercover work to shine a light into secretive overseas regimes.

Barnwell was a double-winner at the Press Gazette British Journalism Awards this year, also taking home the Foreign Affairs Journalism Award for his films.

Paul Caurana Galizia, son of murdered Maltese journalist Daphne who became a journalist as a way of paying tribute to his mother, was named New Journalist of the Year.

Given a platform by Tortoise he used it to write about the assassination of his mother, Britain’s opioid crisis and the corporate failings that led the collapse of bakery chain Patisserie Valerie.

The judges praised him for his “powerful writing tackling emotive and complex issues in a way that every reader can grasp,” adding: “Despite being a newcomer to journalism he is already authoritative and sure-footed.”

Special tribute was paid on the night to Hanna Yusuf who was shortlisted for New Journalist of the Year but sadly died in September aged 27.

The judges said Yusuf was “clearly a journalistic star in the making”, adding: “Her death was a tragedy for British journalism because of the stories that will now not be told.”

A video created by Yusuf’s friends and colleagues was played in tribute at the event last night. See it in full below:

Tortoise also won the Innovation of the Year category for its “Thinkins”, where members and guests discuss news topics by making statements rather than asking questions, which its journalists then pursue.

Scoop of the Year went to Anthony Loyd of The Times for his exclusive interview with ISIS bride Shamima Begum. Judges described it as a “standout world exclusive” that Loyd “had to go out and find”, adding that the story was “so big that everyone had to follow it”.

Investigation of the Year went to Claire Newell and the Telegraph Investigation Team for their work revealing Britain’s #MeToo scandal.

Judges praised the paper for fighting through the courts for the right to tell their story about retail tycoon Philip Green. “This was brave journalism which required a huge amount of impressive research and a good deal of dogged determination to see it through,” they said.

The Mirror won Campaign of the Year for Helen’s Law, which successfully changed the law so that killers who refuse to reveal where they dump ­victims’ bodies will be denied parole.

The judges said: “This was campaigning journalism at its best. Fiona Duffy stuck with this story like a limpet over many years and has achieved a result.”

The Guardian and Daily Mirror both picked up three prizes each.

The Press Gazette British Journalism Awards thanks its sponsors: Uber, ResponseSource, Starling Bank, The Investigative Journal, EY, Google News Initiative, Transparency International UK, Affinity Photo, Takeda, Huawei and Camelot.

British Journalism Awards 2019 winners

Health and Life Science Journalism, sponsored by EY

Winner: Deborah Cohen – BBC Newsnight

BBC Newsnight’s Deborah Cohen picks up the Health and Life Science Journalism award at the British Journalism Awards 2019. Picture: Press Gazette / The Photo Team

Judges said: “This was hard-hitting journalism, lucidly explained, with strong scientific and public interest elements.”

Crime and Legal Affairs

Winner: Steve Swann, Thomas Mackintosh, Tom Symonds, Danny Shaw, Wesley Stephenson, Jodi Law and David Brown – BBC News

British Journalism Awards Crime and Legal Affairs winners Thomas Mackintosh and Steve Swann from BBC News. Picture: Press Gazette / The Photo Team

Judges said: “The subject area is one that lends itself to stereotypical responses, like the idea that this was mainly people in their teens stabbing each other. This comprehensive data analysis paints a far more in-depth picture of what is happening.”

Interviewer of the Year

 Winner: Decca Aitkenhead – The Sunday Times

British Journalism Awards 2019 Interviewer of the year winner Decca Aitkenhead. Picture: Press Gazette / The Photo Team

Judges said: “Aitkenhead goes deeper into her subjects than you expect and gets information out that goes far beyond the PR. She is absolutely at the top of her game and stands out in a varied field of top quality writers.”

Technology journalism, sponsored by Huawei

Winner: Mehul Srivastava – Financial Times

Judges said: “This was an incredible investigation which had global impact and was conducted at some personal risk. It led to immediate action from tech companies to make their networks more secure.”

Features Journalism

Highly commended: Chris Cook – Tortoise

Winner: Simon Hattenstone and Daniel Lavelle – Guardian News & Media

British Journalism Awards 2019 winners Daniel Lavelle and Simon Hattenstone of The Guardian. Picture: Press Gazette / The Photo Team

Judges said: “These were clear, concise, well-told stories exposing an issue of huge public interest. These was gripping accounts of the deaths of homeless people which created a beautiful series of articles.”

Innovation of the Year, sponsored by Google News Initiative

Winner: ThinkIn – Tortoise

British Journalism Awards 2019 Innovation of the Year winners – Tortoise. Picture: Press Gazette / The Photo Team

Arts and Entertainment

Winner: Tom Bryant – Daily Mirror

British Journalism Awards 2019 – Daily Mirror’s Tom Bryant wins the Arts and Entertainment Journalism prize. Picture: Press Gazette / The Photo Team

Judges said: “These were all stories that had an edge and made things happen. They were stories about showbiz celebrities that were revelatory, impactful and raised important social issues”

Business, Finance and Economics Journalism, sponsored by Starling Bank

Winner: Rob Davies – Guardian News & Media

British Journalism Awards 2019 – Guardian’s Rob Davies wins the Business, Finance and Economics Journalism prize. Picture: Press Gazette / The Photo Team

Judges said: “This investigation into government policy and the gambling industry led to the resignation of a minister. It also exposed clear wrongdoing by a major company. It was powerful, impactful journalism which brought an important public interest issue to light.”

Political Journalism

Winners: Jim Pickard, Janine Gibson, Robert Shrimsley, Jonathan Ford, Chris Giles, Delphine Strauss and Sebastian Payne – Financial Times

Jim Pickard picks up the Politics Journalism award for the Financial Times at the British Journalism Awards 2019. Picture: Press Gazette / The Photo Team

Judges said: “This was probably the most detailed and revealing piece ever written about the economic consequences of Jeremy Corbyn becoming prime minister. This was a cool, calm and obsessively rigorous piece of journalism making an important contribution to political discourse in these high octane times.”

Comment Journalism

Highly commended: Clare Dwyer Hogg – Financial Times

Winner: Marina Hyde – Guardian News & Media

Marina Hyde picks up the Comment Journalism prize at the British Journalism Awards 2019. Picture: Press Gazette / The Photo Team

Judges said: “Hyde is clever, innovative and consistently on the ball. She always finds a different way of covering the same subject that everyone else is looking and makes for compulsive reading.”

Photojournalism, sponsored by Affinity Photo

Javier Fergo

Javier Fergo picks up the Photojournalism prize at the British Journalism Awards 2019. Picture: Press Gazette / The Photo Team

Judges said: “This was a haunting set of images that dramatically exposed the tragedy of the immigration crisis on Europe’s souther frontier.”

Science Journalism, sponsored by Takeda

Highly commended: Tom Warren and Katie J.M. Baker – Buzzfeed

Winner: Nada Farhoud – Daily Mirror

Daily Mirror’s Nada Farhoud picks up the Science Journalism prize at the British Journalism Awards 2019. Picture: Press Gazette / The Photo Team

Judges said: “Nada succeeded in getting a series of science stories front-page treatment in a national tabloid newspaper. These were well-written stories that brought science to a mass audience through first-hand investigation.”

Sports Journalism

Highly commended: Mark Daly – BBC Panorama

Highly commended: Matt Lawton – The Times / Daily Mail

Winners: Jonathan Calvert and George Arbuthnott – Sunday Times Insight

Jonathan Calvert and George Arbuthnott – Sunday Times Insight win the Sports Journalism award at the British Journalism Awards 2019. Picture: Press Gazette / The Photo Team

Judges said: “These were astonishing stories with ongoing global impact. It was classic Sunday Times Insight journalism – they held their nerve and refused to back off.”

Foreign Affairs Journalism, sponsored by The Investigative Journal

Highly commended: Anthony Loyd – The Times

Winner: Robin Barnwell – ITV Exposure/Hardcash Productions

Robin Barnwell wins the Foreign Affairs award at the British Journalism Awards 2019. Picture: Press Gazette / The Photo Team

  • Iran unveiled: Taking on the Ayatollahs
  • Undercover: Inside China’s digital gulag

Judges said: “This was serious film-making: A strong narrative, well put together and there was revelation after revelation.”

 Local Journalism

Winners: Adam Cantwell-Corn, Matt Woodman, Will Franklin and Alon Aviram – The Bristol Cable

Alon Aviram and Adam Cantwell-Corn of the Bristol Cable win the Local Journalism prize at the British Journalism Awards 2019. Picture: Press Gazette / The Photo Team

Judges said: “A compelling and impressive investigation which got results. The Bristol Cable’s reporting team stuck to this story with grit and determination.”

New Journalist of the Year

Paul Caruana Galizia – Tortoise

British Journalism Awards 2019 – Paul Caruana Galizia wins New Journalist of the Year. Picture: Press Gazette / The Photo Team

Judges praised him for: “Powerful writing tackling emotive and complex issues in a way that every reader can grasp. Despite being a newcomer to journalism he is already authoritative and sure-footed.”

Specialist Journalism

Winner: John Dickens – Schools Week

Specialist Journalism winner John Dickens of Schools Week with Press Gazette editor Freddy Mayhew at the British Journalism Awards 2019. Picture: Press Gazette / The Photo Team

Exposed: Agnew’s £35m school waste claims

Judges said: “This was well written and used data intelligently to explain and augment the stories. This was journalism which had a strong narrative and a significant impact on the political agenda.”

Scoop of the Year

Winner: Anthony Loyd – The Times

Anthony Loyd of the Times picks up the Scoop of the Year at the British Journalism Awards 2019. Picture: Press Gazette / The Photo Team

Judges said: “This was standout world exclusive that everyone would have wanted. It was a story that was so big that everyone had to follow it and one that Antony Loyd had to go out and find, it didn’t come to him.”

Campaign of the Year, sponsored by Uber

Highly commended: Join the hospital help force – Daily Mail (Kate Pickles)

Winner: Helen’s Law – Daily Mirror (Fiona Duffy and Louie Smith)

Daily Mirror’s Fiona Duffy and Louie Smith pick up Campaign of the Year at British Journalism Awards 2019. Picture: Press Gazette / The Photo Team

Judges said: “This was campaigning journalism at its best. Fiona Duffy stuck with this story like a limpet over many years and has achieved a result.”

Investigation of the Year, sponsored by Transparency International UK

Highly commended: Robin Barnwell and ITV Exposure/Hardcash Productions

Winner: Claire Newell, Telegraph Investigation Team – The Telegraph

Judges said: “The Telegraph fought through the courts for the right to tell this story against a wealthy and powerful opponent in Philip Green – one of the most litigious people in business. This was brave journalism which required a huge amount of impressive research and a good deal of dogged determination to see it through.”

Marie Colvin Award

Winner: Josie Ensor – The Telegraph

The Telegraph’s Josie Ensor picks up the Marie Colvin Award at the British Journalism Awards 2019. Picture: Press Gazette / The Photo Team

Judges said: “Ensor’s reporting from north-east Syria makes readers identify with people they might otherwise fear – teenagers who ended up with ISIS. She is sympathetic but clear-eyed, and went to great lengths to verify stories through contacts around the world.”

Journalist of the Year, sponsored by Camelot

Winner: Robin Barnwell

Journalist of the Year Robin Barnwell at British Journalism Awards 2019. Picture: Press Gazette / The Photo Team

  • Iran unveiled: Taking on the Ayatollahs
  • Undercover: Inside China’s digital gulag

Judges said: “As a producer, director and camera operator for both these films Barnwell gave a voice to the voiceless and fulfilled journalism’s central purpose of comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable. For a tour de force of broadcast journalism Barnwell is a worthy winner.”

News Provider of the Year, sponsored by ResponseSource

Highly commended: The Guardian

Winner: Financial Times

FT editor Lionel Barber collects the prize for News Provider of the Year at the British Journalism Awards 2019. Picture: Press Gazette / The Photo Team

Judges said: “The Financial Times combines consistent high-quality journalism across is various platforms with an enviable ability to secure jaw-dropping exclusives. It has also been at the forefront of journalism innovation and proved that it is possible turn a profit whilst investing in quality.”

Picture: Press Gazette / The Photo Team

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