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”.
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
- UK teen dies after stem cell windpipe transplant
- Inside the UK’s drug buyers’ clubs
- Brexit: Some drugs ‘cannot be stockpiled’ for no-deal
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
- Russell Brand on his hedonistic past, marriages and becoming a father
- Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, on depression, her self‑harm scars and why she’ll never be PM
- Actor Rob Delaney opens up about grief and the death of his two-year-old son
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
- Israeli group’s spyware ‘offers keys to Big Tech’s cloud’
- WhatsApp voice calls used to inject Israeli spyware on phones
- Israel’s NSO: the business of spying on your iPhone
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
- The homeless death of Aimee Teese: ‘I didn’t think it would come to this at 30’
- The homeless death of Jake Humm: ‘It was my deepest, darkest fear’
- The homeless death of Kane Walker: how we let down the kid from careThe empty doorway
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
- Green Jamie’s £5m deal with Shell
- Liam: I was so lucky to escape knifeman
- Dumbo: Fury as Clunes rides elephant whilst patron of charity opposed
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
- Ladbrokes wooed problem gambler – then paid victims £1m
- Government’s FOBT decision influenced by ‘discredited’ report
- Viagogo releases data showing huge scale of ticket touting
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
- Welcome to the Westminster apocalypse. Have you thought about theocracy instead?
- Poor Prince Andrew is ‘appalled’ by Epstein. Let that be an end to it
- Dazed and confused, Johnson stumbles into the twilight zone with a police escort
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
- Kids play in Arctic seas as 22C heatwave grips North Pole at climate change frontline
- Sick British tourists shoot monkeys for ‘fun’ on the safari of shame
- Endangered shark being dished up to unsuspecting customers at UK fish and chip shops
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
- Exclusive investigation: Qatar’s secret $880m World Cup payments to Fifa
- Take it or leave it: Qatar’s lucrative World Cup offer to Fifa
- Russia faces new Olympics ban over doping
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
- Bring me home
- Corpses pile up on worst day of battle for Tripoli
- Suicide pact brothers vow to wreak vengeance on US
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
- Child of the caliphate
- ‘She’ll never know she had a mother who loved her’ – Yazidi women forced to abandon their babies born to Isil
- Shamima Begum was cruel enforcer in Isil’s morality police, say Syrian witnesses
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
- Vladimir Putin says liberalism has ‘become obsolete’
- London’s King’s Cross uses facial recognition in security cameras
- UK’s Labour would seize £300bn of company shares
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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