The Telegraph and Guardian newspapers dominated at the Sports Journalism Awards for writing last night as the Daily Mail was named Sports Newspaper of the Year.
In the broadcasting category, the BBC claimed four out of the seven awards – including for their coverage of the Rio Olympics and the Broadcast Sports Presenter award for BBC Radio 5Live’s Eleanor Oldroyd.
Sky News’ Paul Kelso was named Broadcast Journalist of the year.
The Telegraph’s chief sports writer, Paul Hayward, took home the award for Sports Writer of the Year 2016, marking the fourth time he has received the trophy.
The sports team at the Telegraph also won for Invesitgative Sports Reporter, awarded to the Telegraph Investigations Team, Sports Feature Writer, awarded to Oliver Brown, and Young Sports Writer, awarded to Sam Dean.
The Telegraph’s investigation team were awarded the prize for their “Football For Sale” exclusive which forced Sam Allardyce to step down after one match as England manager.
“Stories do not come much more startling than that,” said Peter Jackson, chairman of judges in the writing category.
The Guardian was named Sports Website of the year, with Daniel Taylor taking the Sports Scoop prize for his interview with Andy Woodward in which the former professional footballer talked publicly for the first time about the sexual abuse he had experienced as a child.
The story led to a national scandal being uncovered as more abuse victims came forward following the story’s publication. Police are now investigating.
Judging chairman Jackson said: “It is a powerful story, brilliantly and sensitively told, with consequences far beyond the sport itself.”
Taylor was also awarded the Ladbrokes Football Journalist prize while The Guardian’s Sean Ingle was given the prize for Specialist Correspondent.
All the winners of SJA Sports Journalism Awards pose for a photo. Picture: Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images
Times newspapers picked up three awards, including Sports Columnist for The Times’ Matt Dickinson.
The Daily Mail’s Matt Lawton was named Sports News Reporter for the third successive year. Jackson said: “He led the field, day after day after day, with a series of exclusives on the Team Sky cycling scandal.”
Jon Colman, of Cumbrian Newspapers, was awarded the Regional Journalist prize.
In the photography category, Getty Images dominated with four wins, including for Alex Livesey, who was named Photographer of the Year.
The awards were held at the Park Plaza Hotel, London.
SJA President Patrick Collins said: “With his great gifts of insight and perception, Paul Hayward continues to set a soaring standard, and he fully deserves the highest honour in British sports journalism.
“I’m also delighted that the broadcasting excellence of Eleanor Oldroyd is once again recognised by the SJA and the superb photographs of Alex Livesey earned him the coveted Ed Lacey Trophy.
“Daniel Taylor has a well-merited double award through his stunning expose of abuse in football, along with his consistently brilliant coverage of the national game.
“They are worthy winners in a vintage year of sports journalism”.
The full list of winners for the Sports Journalism Awards 2016:
BROADCAST:
Broadcast Sports Presenter
Winner: Eleanor Oldroyd – BBC Radio 5Live
Broadcast Journalist
Winner: Paul Kelso – Sky News
Radio Sport Factual or Feature
Winner: BBC Radio 5Live – Fight to the Finish: The Story of Marieke Vervoort
Radio Sport Live Broadcast
Winner: talkSPORT – Euro 2016
Sports Commentator
Winner: John Murray – BBC Radio 5Live
Television Sport Factual or Feature
Winner: Sky Sports – Imran
Television Sport Live Broadcast
Winner: BBC Sport – Olympics
WRITERS:
SJA Sports Writer of the Year 2016 (The John Bromley Trophy)
Paul Hayward – Telegraph
SJA Sports Newspaper of the Year 2016 – Daily Mail
Cricket Journalist
Mike Atherton – The Times
Ladbrokes Football Journalist
Daniel Taylor – The Guardian and Observer
Investigative Sports Reporter
Telegraph Investigations Team – Telegraph
Multi Media Sports Package
Sky Sports – The Open
Regional Journalist
Jon Colman – Cumbrian Newspapers
Rugby Journalist
Stephen Jones – The Sunday Times
Special Sports Edition
Boxing News – Tribute to Muhammad Ali
Specialist Correspondent
Sean Ingle – The Guardian and Observer
Sports Columnist
Matt Dickinson – The Times
Sports Feature Writer
Oliver Brown – Telegraph
Sports News Reporter
Matt Lawton – Daily Mail
Sports Scoop
Daniel Taylor – The Guardian and Observer – Andy Woodward Sexual Abuse
Sports Website
The Guardian
Young Sports Writer (Ian Wooldridge Award)
Sam Dean – Telegraph
David Welch Student Sports Writer
Katie Smith – Leeds University
PHOTOGRAPHY:
Ed Lacey Trophy (Photographer of the Year) – Alex Livesey – Getty Images
Sport Picture
Winner: Myriam Cawston – Freelance
Football Picture
Winner: Richard Pelham – The Sun
Sports Portfolio
Winner: Alex Livesey – Getty Images
Specialist Sports Portfolio
Winner: Alan Crowhurst – Getty Images
Rio 2016 Portfolio
Winner: Clive Mason – Getty Images
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