The Financial Times was the big winner at the Future of Media Awards 2024, taking home four trophies.
The FT won recognition for its reader revenue strategy, its website, its digital storytelling and the Inside Politics newsletter (the latter two prizes for the second year running). The FT was also highly commended for online video.
The FT’s count was followed by The Telegraph and Sky News which each won two awards – The Telegraph for its adtech tool Clarity and its app, and Sky News for its money live blog and its podcast Patient 11.
Also winning for the second year in a row was the Times investigations team in the online video category.
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The winners of Press Gazette’s third Future of Media Awards were presented at the London Hilton Bankside on Thursday alongside a sit-down dinner for the first time. The ceremony followed the Future of Media Technology Conference held during the day.
The Future of Media Awards, which are free to enter, recognise excellence in digital news media and publishing.
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Press Gazette editor-in-chief Dominic Ponsford said: “We launched this event to showcase the journalism products and innovations which are lighting the way to a sustainable future for our industry.”
The winners were chosen by a panel of 30 judges who carried out their own assessments before taking part in two days of in-person discussions.
For the website of the year categories, the judges were looking for sites which have great content, are well designed, are easy to use, are strong technically and commercially sustainable. As well as the FT, Bluebean Publishing’s The BV Magazine was recognised in the local/regional category and Carbon Brief won the specialist category.
Other winners included The Times and Yorkshire Post in the online video categories, the Racing Post for its The Front Runner newsletter, and The Courier and Press and Journal data team for digital storytelling.
Entries were open to publishers from the UK and worldwide. From outside the UK, Armenia-based podcast Country of Dust was a winner and US-based The Athletic was highly commended for its live-blogging.
You can revisit the entire shortlist here and see the list of winners and highly commended finalists below.
Future of Media Awards 2024 winners
Advertising Technology, sponsored by Content Ignite
WINNER: The Telegraph – Clarity
The judges said: “This is a tool which offers game-changing insights – it’s a credit to the team who developed and deployed it.”
App of the Year, sponsored by Purple
WINNER: The Telegraph
The judges said: “This app is doing a remarkable job of putting a mobile-friendly interface on a huge amount of journalism.”
Digital Storytelling (National), sponsored by SWNS
WINNER: Financial Times – How China is tearing down Islam
The judges said: “This was breathtakingly well researched and executed journalism. The digital storytelling was intrinsic to the story.”
Digital Storytelling (Specialist/Regional), sponsored by SWNS
WINNER: The Courier and Press and Journal data journalism team – Tracking the High Street
The judges said: “This is an example of extraordinary data gathering and reporting filling in an important knowledge
gap and utilising visual tools to illustrate the extent of the problem and drive change.”
Live Journalism, sponsored by Tickaroo
WINNER: Sky News – Money blog
The judges said: “This is a great idea for the audience. Responds to readers’ questions by delivering the content they ask for, as well as real-time reporting. It is what interactive journalism should do.”
HIGHLY COMMENDED: The Athletic – Live blogs
The judges said: “This feels like a premium product. Huge team of expertise, clean design, loads of graphics and great pictures.”
Newsletter (National/International), sponsored by Stibo DX
WINNER: Financial Times – Inside Politics
The judges said: “There are lots of political newsletters out there but this one stands out out thanks to its diversification – such as the pub quiz night it inspired – and, most importantly, the high number of subscribers paying for a premium standalone product.”
Newsletter (Specialist/Regional), sponsored by Stibo DX
WINNER: Racing Post – The Front Runner
The judges said: “This newsletter delivers so much more than the key information. It has a community feel and mines
a niche market with real humanity and personality.”
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Tes – Tes Daily
The judges said: “A newsletter which services a clear niche creating a highly engaged audience. It is clean, well designed, concise.”
Online Video (National), sponsored by EX.CO
WINNER: The Times – Investigations
The judges said: “They are breaking exclusive stories through high-quality investigative video journalism, with ingenious reporting which weaves together an engrossing story on a relevant topic complete with arresting graphics.”
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Financial Times – Eksom: how corruption and crime turned the lights off in South Africa
The judges said: “An incredible story about nationwide corruption which had huge impact, delivering more than one million views on Youtube.”
Online Video (Specialist/Regional), sponsored by EX.CO
WINNER: The Yorkshire Post/Nova Studios: Meet The Makers
The judges said: “These were beautifully shot videos which were a delightful way to showcase fascinating local businesses. Exceptionally well produced.”
Podcast (National), sponsored by Pugpig
WINNER: Sky News – Patient 11
The judges said: “Production of this podcast was excellent with lots of texture, nice sound design and interviews all contributing to an intriguing story which draws the listener in. It also appeared to have a real-world impact on government thinking.”
Podcast (Specialist/Regional), sponsored by Pugpig
WINNER: Country of Dust
The judges said: “This was extremely well produced, scripted and told. An interesting and insightful podcast from a region we rarely hear about.”
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Premier Christianity – Soul Survivors
The judges said: “This was deeply researched and well-scripted and produced, with excellent interviews and great use of archive to tell an important story.”
Reader Revenue Strategy, sponsored by Mirabel Technologies
WINNER: Financial Times – Consumer Revenue Group
The judges said: “This was a perfect case study of how media companies should approach reader revenue strategies,
creating multidisciplinary teams that use tech, data and knowledge to launch new products, improve current ones, AB test, redefine goals, move fast and optimise results.”
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Bristol Cable – 23/24 membership drive
The judges said: “This is an example of how local news coverage should be done and monetised.”
📢 Important announcement from the Bristol Cable’s @ElizMizon…
— The Bristol Cable (@TheBristolCable) August 27, 2024
We did it folks! The Cable has now raised around 105% of the membership income target we’ve been working towards for a year.
Thankyou Bristol 😍 pic.twitter.com/ebLDEMtduv
Website of the Year (Regional/Local), sponsored by Ancoris
WINNER: Bluebean Publishing – The BV Magazine
“This site has a clear mission, serving a clearly defined rural audience, delivering news content effectively on multiple platforms and securing the support of local businesses.”
HIGHLY COMMENDED: So Publishing – SoGlos
The judges said: “This was a brilliant example of a sustainable model for local journalism.”
Website of the Year (Specialist/B2B), sponsored by Ancoris
WINNER: Carbon Brief
The judges said: “This site punches above its weight reporting on a hugely important niche. It produces agenda-setting data journalism amplifying their important stories.”
HIGHLY COMMENDED: The Racing Post
The judges said: “A hugely impressive website with data galore. It is also crisply designed and easy to navigate the site across desktop and mobile.”
Website of the Year (National/International), sponsored by Ancoris
WINNER: Financial Times
The judges said: “This sets the bar for clear, modern yet classic news website design which is constantly pushing the boundaries of digital storytelling. A commercial success whilst never cluttering the reader experience.”
Future of Media Awards 2024 judges
Thank you to the Future of Media Awards 2024 judges:
- Gavin Allen, digital journalism lecturer at Cardiff University and former Daily Mirror associate editor
- Pablo Altieri, media and technology advisor and founder of Diagonal Minds
- Ian Carter, chief operating officer at Iliffe Media
- Madhav Chinnappa, senior executive consultant
- Sarah Ebner, executive editor and head of newsletters at Financial Times
- Jim Edwards, executive editor at Fortune and former editor in chief for news at Business Insider
- Paul Hood, digital development director at The Sun
- Alan Hunter, co-founder of HBM Advisory
- Luba Kassova, co-founder and director of the international audience strategy consultancy AKAS
- Serena Kutchinsky, assistant editor for premium content at Sky News
- Robert Marr, chief executive of Metropolis Group
- Sarah Marshall, vice president audience strategy for Conde Nast
- James Morris, pathway director, MA Digital and Social Journalism at City, University of London
- Glyn Mottershead, senior lecturer in data journalism at City University
- Alison Phillips, former editor in chief of the Mirror
- Simon Regan-Edwards, product director at DMG Media
- Alan Renwick, strategy director at National World plc
- James Rosewell, co-founder of Movement for an Open Web and 51 Degrees
- Adam Tinworth, consultant and trainer in audience engagement
- Sandy Warr, senior lecturer and head of podcasting at City University
- Chris Waiting, chief executive of The Conversation UK
- Claire Wilde, data producer at Channel 4 News
- Martin Winter, director of SWNS Media Group
- And Dominic Ponsford and Charlotte Tobitt from Press Gazette
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