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November 4, 2021updated 29 Sep 2023 12:00pm

British Journalism Awards shortlists 2021: Proof journalism matters and does make a difference

By Press Gazette

Press Gazette is proud to announce the shortlists for the British Journalism Awards 2021 (scroll down for the full list of finalists and links to their work).

More than 800 entries were submitted this year including every major news organisation in the UK.

In most categories the judges opted for shortlists of eight, reflecting the extremely high standard of submitted work.

Now in their tenth year, the British Journalism Awards is the only event of its kind in the UK. It is open to all journalists, whatever the medium they work in, and has a strong emphasis on celebrating work which serves the public interest. The judges are also asked to consider journalistic skill and rigour and revelation when making their decisions.

More than 80 judges chosen for their independence and expertise have spent the last month reading and viewing the entered work. They then met for two days of jury-style discussions this week to agree on the final shortlists.

The winners will be announced at the British Journalism Awards dinner on 8 December at the Hilton London Bankside.

Tables and single tickets can be bought by contacting Amelia Blanks: amelia.blanks@ns-mediagroup.com.

Chairman of judges Dominic Ponsford said: “Thank you to everyone who entered this year’s event, the judges and myself were in awe of the standard of work on display. Once again the British Journalism Awards underline the vital work journalists do exposing corruption, giving a voice to victims and holding the powerful to account.

“When we started this event, ten years ago, the UK news industry was still reeling from the fallout of Leveson, hacking and the 2008 financial crash. Today’s finalists underline the quality, depth, confidence and impact our business has today at all levels – across local, national and specialist media.

“In Journalism Matters this week, these finalists prove that our industry does matter and makes a huge difference for the better in society.”

Arts & Entertainment Journalism

Alice Jones, i

Aniefiok Ekpoudom, freelance/ Guardian News and Media

Chi Chi Izundu, BBC News

Christina Faraday, freelance/ Telegraph

Hannah Hope, The Sun on Sunday

Mark Jefferies, Daily Mirror

Paul Jeeves, Daily Express

Sirin Kale and Lucy Osborne, The Guardian

Business, Finance and Economics Journalism – sponsored by Starling Bank

Al Jazeera Investigations

Julie Steinberg and Duncan Mavin, The Wall Street Journal

John Collingridge, The Sunday Times

Matthew Chapman, Chrissie Giles and Ferdinand Moeck, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism

Richard Pallot, Patrick Russell, Mariah Hedges and Imogen Barrer, ITV News

Mark Kleinman, Sky News

Robert Smith, Cynthia O’Murchu, Michael Pooler, Olaf Storbeck, Owen Walker and Jim Pickard, Financial Times

Ruth Sunderland and team, Daily Mail

Politics Journalism

Tom Burgis and George Parker, Financial Times

Harry Cole, The Sun

Will Hayward, WalesOnline

Daniel Hewitt, Imogen Barrer,  Sophie Alexander and Sarah O’Connell, ITV News

Jane Merrick, i

Jim Pickard, Cynthia O’Murchu, Robert Smith and Arash Massoudi, Financial Times

John Stevens, Daily Mail

Tanya Gold, UnHerd

  • Innovation – sponsored by Google News Initiative

Emiliano Mellino, Charles Boutaud, Gareth Davies and Eve Livingston, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism | Richard Pallot, ITV News | Ros Wynne-Jones and Claire Donnelly, Mirror

Nick Mitchell and team, JPI Media

Claire Beers, Sophie Tanno, Alice Hearing, Sophie Coe, Elise Johnson, Fadumo Olow, Matt Caines and David Knowles, Telegraph

  • Twitter Moments and Spaces launches

Sophia Smith Galer, BBC/ Vice World News

Steve Bernard, Camilla Hodgson, Leslie Hook and Chris Campbell, Financial Times

Sondre Ulvund Solstad, Matthew McLean, Oliver Morton, Dan Rosenheck and Martín González, The Economist

Yasmin Rai and Mariel Richard, gal-dem

Comment Journalism

David Olusoga, The Observer

Dominic Sandbrook, Daily Mail

Katy Balls, i

Marina Hyde, Guardian News and Media

Dr Punam Krishan, i

Ros Wynne-Jones, Daily Mirror

Sarah O’Connor, Financial Times

Tom McTague, The Atlantic

Photojournalism – sponsored by Iconic Images

Aaron Chown, PA Media

Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Brussels, Belgium, for a dinner with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen where they will try to reach a breakthrough on a post-Brexit trade deal. Picture: Aaron Chown/PA Media

Chris Ratcliffe, Bloomberg News

A police car passes trucks parked on the M20 motorway in Operation Stack near Ashford, U.K., on Monday, Dec. 21, 2020. Britain’s biggest port stopped all traffic heading to Europe, triggering delays to food supplies after the discovery of a new variant of the virus prompted a wave of countries to ban travel from the U.K. Picture: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

Gareth Fuller, PA Media

A man gestures as a group of people thought to be migrants make their way up the beach after arriving on a small boat at Dungeness in Kent. Picture date: Monday July 19, 2021. PA Photo. They were later taken way by Border Force staff. Picture: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire

Hannah McKay, Reuters

Police detain Patsy Stevenson as people gather and protest at a memorial site in Clapham Common Bandstand, following the kidnap and murder of Sarah Everard, in London, Britain March 13, 2021. Picture: Reuters/Hannah McKay

Hollie Adams, Bloomberg News

Dominic Cummings, special adviser to U.K. prime minister Boris Johnson, waits with a box after departing from number 10 Downing Street in London, U.K., on Friday, Nov. 13, 2020. Cummings quit as Boris Johnson’s most powerful aide and will leave the U.K. government by the end of the year, throwing the future direction of the prime minister’s entire political project into doubt. Picture: Hollie Adams/Bloomberg

Jack Losh, Telegraph

Ahead of the first transfer of dead combattants following the ceasefire, ethnic Armenian soldiers collect the bodies of soldiers killed fighting for Azerbaijan on the highway between Stepanakert and Shushi in Nagorno Karabakh. Picture: Jack Losh/Telegraph

James Veysey, Shutterstock Editorial

Patsy Stevenson is arrested on the bandstand of Clapham Common, following a vigil to Sarah Everard. 13 March 2021. Picture: James Veysey/Shutterstock Editorial

Jonathan Brady, PA Media

Queen Elizabeth II takes her seat for the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, Berkshire. Picture date: Saturday April 17, 2021. Picture: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire

Tanya Habjouqa, The Economist’s 1843 magazine

A Palestinian protest in May 2021. Tanya Habjouqa, The Economist‘s 1843 magazine

New Journalist of the Year

Henry Dyer, Insider

Isaan Khan, Daily Mail

John Phipps, The Economist’s 1843 magazine

Marianna Spring, BBC News

Nimo Omer, Tortoise

Olivia Konotey-Ahulu, Bloomberg News

Oliver Telling, Investors’ Chronicle

Rosa Furneaux, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism

Features Journalism

Adam Crafton, The Athletic UK

Adam Wishart and Neil Grant, BBC/Apple TV+

Barnie Choudhury, Kevin Core and Emb Hashmi, BBC Radio 4

Cara McGoogan, Sarah Peters and Theodora Louloudis, Telegraph

Christina Lamb, The Sunday Times

Ian Birrell, Mail on Sunday/UnHerd

Josh Glancy, The Sunday Times

Rich Bentley, Sam Forsdike, Lizzie Minnion and William Handley, Channel 4

Local Journalism

Matty Edwards, The Bristol Cable

Martin Booth, Bristol24/7

Emily Townsend, Tom Bristow and Charles Thomson, Archant Investigations Unit

Martyn McLaughlin, The Scotsman/Scotland on Sunday

Zak Garner-Purkis, My London

Ria Chatterjee, ITV News London

Colin Campbell, BBC South East Today

Sam McBride, Belfast News Letter/Belfast Telegraph

Health and Life Sciences Journalism – Sponsored by Gilead

Ashish Joshi, Sky News

Dave West, HSJ

Faye Kirkland, BBC News/The Times

Melanie Abbott, Helen Clifton, Paul Grant and Gail Champion, BBC Radio 4

James Tapper, The Observer

Jamie Lochhead and Helen Miller, Channel 4

Layal Liverpool, New Scientist

Nikki Fox and Matt Precey, BBC Look East

Shaun Lintern, The Independent

Sports Journalism

Jeff Powell, Daily Mail

Jeremy Wilson, Telegraph

Joey D’Urso, The Athletic UK

Molly McElwee, Telegraph

Nick Harris, The Mail on Sunday

Riath Al-Samarrai, Daily Mail

Sam Wallace, Telegraph

Sam Cunningham, i

David Harrison, Al Jazeera

Interviewer of the Year

Charlotte Edwardes, The Times/The Sunday Times

Ciaran Jenkins, Channel 4 News

Decca Aitkenhead, The Sunday Times

Emma Barnett, BBC Radio 4

Nick Rufford, The Sunday Times

Simon Hattenstone, Guardian News and Media

Stephen Wright, Daily Mail

Foreign Affairs Journalism

Andres Schipani, Financial Times

Alex Crawford, Sky News

Deeyah Khan, Darin Prindle and Andrew Smith, ITV Exposure

Zahra Joya, Annie Kelly, Rosie Swash and Isabel Choat, Rukhshana Media/Guardian News and Media

Robert Moore,  Sophie Alexander and Mark Davey, ITV News

Sophia Yan, Telegraph

Secunder Kermani, BBC News

Al Jazeera Investigations

Technology Journalism–Sponsored by Infosys

Margi Murphy, Telegraph

Jasper Jackson, Alexandra Heal, Sarah Haque and Rahul Meesaraganda, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism

Madhumita Murgia, Financial Times

Martin Coulter, Insider

Stephanie Kirchgaessner, Guardian News and Media

Rhiannon Williams, i

Tim Cross, The Economist

Mary-Ann Russon, BBC News Online

Crime and Legal Affairs Journalism

Bronagh Munro, John Martin, Fiona Blair and Andrew Head, BBC Three

Daniel De Simone, Matt Harris, Stewart Maclean, Mike Casey, Mihret Yohannes and Phil Coldrey, BBC Newsnight

Liam Vaughan, Kit Chellel and Ben Bain, Bloomberg News

Mark Daly, BBC Scotland

Sophie-May Clarke, The Lancashire Telegraph

Susannah Coen, Daily Mail

Tom Kelly, Daily Mail

Tom Pettifor, Daily Mirror

Specialist Journalism

Alexandra Topping, Guardian News and Media

Gareth Iacobucci, The BMJ

Katharine Sanderson, Nature/New Scientist

Lucie Heath, Inside Housing

Paul Thacker, The BMJ

Robin Bisson, Research Professional News

Vicky Spratt, i

Will Hazell, i

Will Worley, Devex

Social Affairs, Diversity and Inclusion Journalism –Sponsored by Audi

Athar Ahmad and Georgia Catt, BBC

Samantha Poling, Liam McDougall, Katie McEvinney and Shelley Jofre, BBC Scotland

Seun Matiluko, Gal-dem/The Independent/The Voice

Jessie Williams, OpenDemocracy/The Guardian

Rianna Croxford, BBC News

Sinai Fleary, Colourful Radio

David DeHaney, Rochelle Humes and Lyttanya Shannon, Channel 4 Dispatches

Zesha Saleem, The Times/Gal-dem/Vice World News

Energy and Environment Journalism – Sponsored by OVO Energy

Alex Thompson, Nanette van der Laan, Damian Kahya and Lawrence Carter, Channel 4 News/Unearthed

Richard Pallott, Patrick Russell, Mariah Hedges and Imogen Barrer, ITV News

Andrew Wasley, Alex Heal and Elisangela Mendonça, Bureau of Investigative Journalism

Inzamam Rashid and Mickey Carroll, Sky News

John Ingham, Daily Express

Kevin Crowley and Akshat Rathi, Bloomberg

Hazel Sheffield, Guardian News and Media

Rachel Sherrington, Rich Collett-White, Phoebe Cooke, Michaela Herrmann and Mat Hope, DeSmog

Sophie Yeo and Coreen Grant, Inkcap Journal

Scoop of the Year

Tortoise MediaHunt for the porn king

Financial Times – Cameron lobbied for Greensill access to Covid-19 loan schemes

Daily Mail – Raab was ‘too busy’ on holiday to help brave translators

The Times – European Super League

The Sun – Hancock’s affair with aide

Official Secrets Act reform

Daily Mail – PM’s secret fund for Carrie’s No10 decor

Guardian News and Media – Noel Clarke revelations

ITV News – Storming of the Capitol: The Inside Story

Anti-Corruption Journalism

Gabriel Pogrund and John Colingridge, The Sunday Times

Franz Wild, Isobel Koshiw, Ben Stockton, Andrew Higgins and Jane Bradley, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism

Jane Bradley, Selam Gebrekidan and Allison McCann, The New York Times

John Ferguson, Sunday Mail

Lesley Curwen, BBC Radio 4

Al Jazeera Investigations

The Pegasus Project team, Guardian News and Media

Investigation of the Year

Britain’s Social Housing Scandal – ITV News

Greensill Capital –  Financial Times

Queen’s Consent – Guardian News and Media

Insight’s series of coronavirus investigations – The Sunday Times

Family Court Uncovered – Channel 4 Dispatches

Nottingham hospitals maternity scandal – The Independent

The Pegasus Project – Guardian News and Media

The Cyprus Papers Undercover – Al Jazeera

Campaign of the Year –Sponsored by Newsworks

Betrayal of the Brave – Daily Mail

Police violence against women – Bureau of Investigative Journalism

Justice for Families – The Sunday Times

Jabs Army – The Sun

Let Them Hold Hands – Daily Mail

Mail Force – Daily Mail

RetroFirst – The Architects’ Journal

End Femicide – The Observer

News Provider of the Year – Sponsored by Glide Publishing Platform

Shortlist to be announced

Public Service Journalism –Sponsored by Journalists’ Charity

Winner announced on the night

Marie Colvin Award

Winner announced on the night

Journalist of the Year – Sponsored by Camelot

Winner announced on the night

Georgina Henry Prize and the Women In Journalism Emerging Woman Award

Winners announced on the night

Barbara Blake Hannah Award

Winner announced on the night

Thank you to our sponsors:

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