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December 15, 2022updated 07 Nov 2023 5:56am

British Journalism Awards winners 2022: Pippa Crerar is journalist of the year and Sky News bags best news provider

Revealed: all the winners of the British Journalism Awards 2022.

By Charlotte Tobitt

Pippa Crerar was one of the major winners of the night at the British Journalism Awards 2022, taking home the Journalist of the Year, Politics Journalism and Women in Journalism’s Woman of the Year prizes.

Crerar was recognised for her role in breaking the news of Downing Street parties at Christmas 2020 while the rest of the UK was under Covid-19 lockdown rules, as well as her Number 10 “wine time Fridays” and Boris Johnson’s Chequers wedding party scoops. (Read our interview with Crerar here.)

Meanwhile The Telegraph’s then-political correspondent Tony Diver won Scoop of the Year for his part in the Partygate scandal, revealing Number 10 staff held two boozy parties the night before Prince Philip’s socially-distanced funeral.

Hundreds of journalists working for UK media who risked their lives by travelling to the warzone of Ukraine this year were recognised with the British Journalism Awards’ third Public Service Award.

The special recognition award was accepted on every journalists’ behalf by Olga Malchevska, the BBC News Ukraine presenter who was live on-air in February when she first saw images of her childhood home in Kyiv after it had been destroyed by a bomb. (See Malchevska’s speech here.)

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Sky News was named News Provider of the Year, largely for its “brave” reporting from Ukraine as well as leading the way on other stories like the cost of living crisis, Partygate and climate.

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Other winners for their work in Ukraine include The Guardian’s photojournalist Ed Ram, Mani Benchelah and Patrick Tombola who made the Ukraine: Life Under Attack film for Channel 4 Dispatches, and Financial Times correspondent and former freelance Antonia Cundy who took home the Marie Colvin Award, given each year to outstanding up-and-coming journalists of the calibre of the late Sunday Times foreign correspondent.

Hi-res photos of the awards night are available to download via this link.

Scroll down for the full list of British Journalism Awards 2022 winners and highly commended finalists

The winners were fairly evenly spread across the UK media, with the BBC, Financial Times, Guardian and Daily Mail all netting three awards each. The Independent, Sunday Times, Mirror and Channel 4 Dispatches all went home with two.

As well as the Photojournalism award, Guardian journalists won the Social Affairs, Diversity and Inclusion Journalism award jointly with the BBC for their investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against DJ Tim Westwood and, jointly with BBC Panorama, the Technology Journalism award for their Uber Files investigation. BBC News and Panorama also won the Business, Finance and Economics Journalism prize for their work on Russian oligarchs.

On top of Cundy’s recognition, FT journalists won the Specialist Journalism prize for John Burn-Murdoch’s data journalism and Arts and Entertainment for Neil Munshi.

Susie Coen won Investigation of the Year for her Daily Mail investigation into the dangers of smart motorways that involved her going undercover for six weeks – the longest anyone at the paper has gone undercover – at National Highways, eventually leading to a U-turn on the policy. Daily Mail journalists also took home the Features Journalism and Sports Journalism prizes.

The Independent’s Simon Calder won the Travel Journalism prize for his work in a year that included P&O sacking 800 members of staff, while the title’s Rebecca Thomas took home the Health Journalism award for critical stories on the state of the NHS and, in part, how it has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Open Democracy won Campaign of the Year for its work on transparency in public life and freedom of information, leading to an inquiry into FOI obfuscation in the Government and several policy changes. The judges said this campaign “matters hugely for British journalism”.

The winners of all 30 awards, revealed in a ceremony at London’s Hilton Park Lane, were chosen from a record 840 entries by a panel of 75 independent judges who were looking for work that was “revelatory, which makes a difference and which demonstrates journalistic skill and rigour”.

Press Gazette editor-in-chief and chairman of the judges Dominic Ponsford said the winners provide plenty of “proof that journalism matters, that it does make a difference”.

“It has been a year when hundreds of colleagues have placed themselves in the firing line of Vladimir Putin’s missiles to report on the plight of the people of Ukraine,” he added. “And in which publications and broadcaster of every political persuasion and none held the executive branch of UK Government to account so effectively that a prime minister was forced to resign.”

The awards were supported by headline sponsor Starling Bank along with Amazon, Camelot, Cardiff University, Google News Initiative, Newsworks, Octopus Energy and Wiggin, as well as partners the Journalists’ Charity and Women in Journalism.

British Journalism Awards 2022 winners

Social Affairs, Diversity & Inclusion Journalism

WINNER: Chi Chi Izundu, Ruth Evans, Alexandra Topping and Aamna Mohdin – BBC News and The Guardian

The judges said: “This was brave journalism which involved journalists shining a light on their own employer. It involved painstaking work which gave a voice to victims.”

The Social Affairs, Diversity & Inclusion Journalism winners Chi Chi Izundu, Ruth Evans, Alexandra Topping and Aamna Mohdin of BBC News and The Guardian at the British Journalism Awards 2022. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette
Features Journalism

WINNER: David Jones – Daily Mail

The judges said Jones’ work was “wonderfully evocative” and that he “makes powerful points while writing with humour”.

David Jones of the Daily Mail picks up the Features Journalism prize at the British Journalism Awards 2022 from John Mair and Jeremy Vine. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette

Highly commended: Lizzie Parry – The Sun

Highly commended: Sirin Kale – The Guardian

Local Journalism

WINNER: Jeannette Oldham – BirminghamLive

The judges said: “This was real foot-in-the door journalism, involving detailed research and then fearless confrontations to shine a light into dark corners of a local community.”

Reach editor-in-chief Lloyd Embley picks up the Local Journalism award for Jeannette Oldham of BirminghamLive from Press Gazette UK editor Charlotte Tobitt at the British Journalism Awards 2022. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette
Health and Life Sciences Journalism

WINNER: Rebecca Thomas – The Independent

The judges said: “This was proper revelatory journalism, praised by health professionals and benefiting the public by revealing the true extent of the crisis in hospital A&E departments back in April this year long before it was widely known.”

Rebecca Thomas of The Independent picks up the Health & Life Sciences Journalism award at the British Journalism Awards 2022 from Julian Sturdy and Jeremy Vine. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette

WINNER: Linly Lin, Stefania Spezzati and Elisa Martinuzzi – Bloomberg News

The judges said: “This was a blockbuster investigation into massive taxpayer funded fraud which the Government tried to keep secret.”

Crime and Legal Affairs Journalism winners from Bloomberg News pick up their award at the British Journalism Awards 2022. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette
Comment Journalism

WINNER: Camilla Long – The Sunday Times

The judges said Long was “one of the must-read writers of the week as her work is “honest, funny and original”.

Camilla Long of The Sunday Times picks up the Interviewer of the Year award at the British Journalism Awards 2022 from Dominic Young of Axate, Roz MacKenzie of PA Training, and Jeremy Vine. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette
Specialist Journalism

WINNER: John Burn-Murdoch – Financial Times

The judges said Burn-Murdoch’s stories “show how you can use to data to provide fresh insight and news lines,” describing him as a “great communicator who creates powerful narratives”.

John Burn-Murdoch of the Financial Times picks up the Specialist Journalism prize at the British Journalism Awards 2022. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette
Foreign Affairs Journalism

WINNER: Mani Benchelah and Patrick Tombola – Channel 4 Dispatches and Basement Films

The judges said: “These journalists told the story of the battle of Kharkiv better than anyone else. The effectively brought across the fear, anger and grief by telling the story through the eyes of civilians and emergency workers.”

Basement Films founder Ben de Pear picks up the Foreign Affairs Journalism prize for his colleagues Mani Benchelah and Patrick Tombola at the British Journalism Awards 2022. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette

Highly commended: Christina Lamb – The Sunday Times

Highly commended: Eamonn Matthews, Ramita Navai and Karim Shah – ITV Exposure and Quicksilver Media

Highly commended: Tanya Stephan, Rachel Cumella, Brian Woods, Anne Morrison, Ella Newton, Paddy Garrick and Tom Giles – ITV and True Vision/Nevision

Technology Journalism – sponsored by Amazon

WINNER: Harry Davies, Simon Goodley, Felicity Lawrence, Lisa O’Carroll, Rob Davies, Paul Lewis, John Collingridge, Johana Bhuiyan, Rowena Mason, Dan Milmo, James Oliver, Rory Tinman, Nassos Stylianou, Will Dahlgreen, Aisling Gallagher, Becky Dale, Richard Bilton, Andy Head, and Karen Wightman – The Guardian and BBC Panorama

The judges said: “This was a great scoop which exposed corporate misbehaviour at one of the world’s biggest technology companies.”

Guardian investigations and BBC News teams pick up the Technology Journalism award at the British Journalism Awards 2022. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette
Built Environment Journalism

WINNER: Martina Lees – The Sunday Times

The judges praised Lees for using the “full force” of The Sunday Times “to crank up the pressure on those responsible for the biggest public housing scandal in 50 years”.

Martina Lees of The Sunday Times picks up the Built Environment award from Giles Barrie and Jeremy Vine at the British Journalism Awards 2022. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette

Highly commended: Jack Simpson – Inside Housing

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Personal Finance Journalism

WINNER: Richard Butchins, Victoria Noble, David Henshaw, Melanie Quigley, John Pring and Ian Lloyd – Channel 4 Dispatches and Hardcash Productions:

The judges said: “This investigation dealt well with a sensitive issue and used robust information and a wide range of sources to bring the story to life.”

Channel 4 Dispatches and Hardcash Productions team who won the Personal Finance award at the British Journalism Awards 2022. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette

Highly commended: Tom Kelly, Miles Dilworth and Victoria Bischoff – Daily Mail

Energy & Environment Journalism – sponsored by Octopus Energy

WINNER: Simon Evans – Carbon Brief

The judges said: “This journalist is extraordinarily productive and at times has provided a one-person corrective to the prevailing political discourse on energy and the have been proved right.”

Carbon Brief editor Leo Hickman picks up the Energy & Environment Journalism award for colleague Simon Evans from Suchandrika Chakrabarti and Jeremy Vine. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette

Highly commended: Cam Simpson, Akshat Rathi and Saijel Kishan – Bloomberg News

Arts and Entertainment Journalism

WINNER: Neil Munshi – Financial Times:

The judges said: “You just wouldn’t read this anywhere else. A great story with big foreign policy implications.”

Matthew Garrahan picks up the Arts & Entertainment award for Financial Times colleague Neil Munshi at the British Journalism Awards 2022. Picture: Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette
New Journalist of the Year – sponsored by Cardiff University

WINNER: Noa Hoffman – The Sun

The judges praised Hoffman for helping to “bring down a prime minister four days into their job. A public interest scoop which was skilfully landed and swiftly stood up”.

The Sun’s Noa Hoffman is awarded New Journalist of the Year at the British Journalism Awards 2022. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette

Highly commended: Antonia Cundy – The i/Sunday Times/Guardian

Sports Journalism

WINNER: Ian Herbert – Daily Mail

The judges said: “This was high class journalism investing time and money effectively shine a light on some of the dark secrets behind the world of sport.”

Michael Crozier and Jeremy Vine present the Daily Mail’s Ian Herbert with the Sports Journalism prize. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette
Campaign of the Year – sponsored by Newsworks

WINNER: Transparency in British public life – openDemocracy

The judges said: “This campaign matters hugely for British journalism and encourages other journalists to fight freedom of information battles.”

Jenna Corderoy and Ramzy Alwakeel of openDemocracy pick up the Campaign of the Year award at the British Journalism Awards 2022. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette

Highly commended: A scandal worse than thalidomide – The Sunday Times

Photojournalism

WINNER: Ed Ram – The Guardian

Worshippers visit the Trapezna Church in Kyiv. Picture: Ed Ram/The Guardian

The judges felt that amid some outstanding entries from Ukraine, Ram “stood out for the compassion and artistry which he brought to covering the impact of war”.

Interviewer of the Year

WINNER: Alice Thomson – The Times

The judges said Thomson “secures incredible access and lets subjects speak in their own voice whilst also asking the tough questions and obtaining good news lines”.

Alice Thomson of The Times picks up the Interviewer of the Year award at the British Journalism Awards 2022. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette

Highly commended: Josh Glancy – The Sunday Times

Highly commended: Stephen Wright – Daily Mail

Politics Journalism

WINNER: Pippa Crerar – The Mirror

The judges said Crerar “was the journalist who first brought Partygate to the public eye and continued to do so exposing hypocrisy and dishonesty at the heart of government along the way”.

They also chose to highly commend two other journalists for their work on Partygate as each of their entries “demonstrated huge public interest and had the wow factor”.

Pippa Crerar picks up the Politics Journalism award at the British Journalism Awards 2022. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette

Highly commended: Mishal Husain, Justin Webb, Nick Robinson, Owenna Griffiths and Ione Wells – BBC Radio 4 Today Programme

Highly commended: Paul Brand, Imogen Barrer and Nathan Lee – ITV News

Business, Finance and Economics Journalism – sponsored by Starling Bank

WINNER: James Oliver, Steve Swann, Nassos Stylianou and Will Dahlgreen – BBC News/Panorama

The judges said: “This journalism expertly exposed how the UK Government opened the door to Russian oligarchs and then allowed them to evade sanctions imposed following the invasion of Ukraine.”

BBC News/Panorama team picks up the Business, Finance and Economics Journalism prize from Starling Bank CEO Anne Boden at the British Journalism Awards 2022. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette
Travel Journalism

WINNER: Simon Calder – The Independent

The judges described Calder as “a fantastic consumer champion who led the way on all the big travel stories over the last year”.

The Independent’s Simon Calder wins Travel Journalism of the year at the British Journalism Awards 2022. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette
Investigation of the Year

WINNER: Susie Coen – Daily Mail

The judges said: “This gruelling investigation led to the government scrapping a hugely expensive and deadly transport initiative. It was an investigation which was praised by the Transport Secretary himself who said it would undoubtedly save lives.”

Susie Coen of the Daily Mail picks up the Investigation of the Year award at the British Journalism Awards 2022. Picture:
Scoop of the Year

WINNER: Downing Street partied as Queen and country mourned death of Prince Philip – Daily Telegraph

The judges said: “In a year when there were so many jaw-dropping revelations which was the revelation which, more than any other, caused our judges to choke on the cornflakes. It was the single story which probably did the most to change public opinion about the activities of the prime minister.”

The Telegraph’s Tony Diver and Ben Riley-Smith pick up the Scoop of the Year award at the British Journalism Awards 2022. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette
Innovation of the Year – sponsored by Google News Initiative

WINNER: Eco-Bot.Net

The judges said: “Genuinely innovative, this project combined data-scraping, AI and expert journalism and design to expose misinformation on social media.”

Thomas Lewton and Alice McCool at the British Journalism Awards 2022 collecting the Innovation of the Year award. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette
News Provider of the Year

WINNER: Sky News

The judges said Sky News “has a brave record when it comes to chronicling the wars of the 21st century and Ukraine has been no exception.

“It has had correspondents in Ukraine for every day of the conflict and secured a memorable first exclusive interview with President Zelensky when it seemed that Kyiv was soon to fall.

“It has also led the way on coverage of the cost of living crisis, Partygate and climate.”

The Sky News team with judge Laura Garcia and host Jeremy Vine, after being awarded News Provider of the Year at the British Journalism Awards 2022. Picture:
Public Service Journalism – sponsored by the Journalists’ Charity

WINNER: Journalists for UK media in Ukraine

This year’s public service award does not go to a single journalist or even a single news organisation, but to a group that has done more than any other to serve the public interest this year not just in the UK but worldwide.

The award was accepted by BBC Ukraine presenter Olga Malchevska on behalf of the hundreds of journalists who have risked their lives reporting from the country this year.

BBC Ukraine presenter Olga Malchevska collects the Public Service Journalism award from John Crowley of the Journalists’ Charity and host Jeremy Vine at the British Journalism Awards 2022. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette
Marie Colvin Award

WINNER: Antonia Cundy – Financial Times

The judges said: “What impressed was the quality of her writing, and the fact that, as a freelance, she had the gumption to get herself to Ukraine and stay there. She found good, original stories, including reporting on corruption in aid delivery and her grisly piece on the dead Russian soldiers shows the lengths to which she will go to get the story. Her work is very much in Marie’s tradition of determination and grit as well as humanity.”

Antonia Cundy picks up the Marie Colvin Award from Sean Ryan and Jeremy Vine at the British Journalism Awards 2022. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette

Highly commended: Shefali Rafiq – Kashmiri photojournalist

Journalist of the Year – sponsored by Camelot

WINNER: Pippa Crerar – The Mirror

The judges said that this year Crerar “did more than any other to hold our political leadership to account in the face of denials and outright dishonesty”.

She broke the first Partygate exclusive and went on to make series of revelations ranging from wine time Fridays to complaints about late night revelling at Number 10 at a time when the rest of the country was in Government mandated lockdown.

Her work was met with multiple denials from everyone up to the PM himself only for every detail to be confirmed in Sue Gray’s official report.

Pippa Crerar collecting the Journalist of the Year award at the British Journalism Awards 2022. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette
Georgina Henry Prize – in association with Women in Journalism and sponsored by Wiggin

WINNER: Kate Samuelson – Cheapskate

The judges said Samuelson, who will receive a £4,000 prize, “has a proven track record with a long-running project, which perfectly understands its audience and has a slick and vibrant execution” – and they appreciated its potential to bring joy during the current cost of living crisis.

Kate Samuelson collects the Wiggin-sponsored Women in Journalism Georgina Henry Prize at the British Journalism Awards 2022. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette
Woman of the Year – in association with Women in Journalism and sponsored by Cision

WINNER: Pippa Crerar – The Guardian, formerly of The Mirror

The judges felt Crerar’s reporting on Partygate was “a vindication for the timeless skills of contact building, earning trust of sources and being relentless in pursuit of a scoop which revealed wrongdoing in the seat of power”.

Pippa Crerar collects the Woman of the Year award at the British Journalism Awards 2022. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette

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