AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM 2020 - National Council for the Training of Journalists
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Awards for Excellence
in Journalism
National Council for the Training of Journalists
AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE
IN JOURNALISM 2020
HOSTED BY
Awards for Excellence
in Journalism
The NCTJ Awards for Excellence recognise and reward the best journalism students,
apprentices and trainees.
With quality training at the heart of the NCTJ, these awards highlight the achievements
of individuals with promising journalism careers ahead of them.
Congratulations to all of our winners, and to everyone who has been commended and
highly commended for this year’s awards.
INNOVATION OF THE YEAR
In times of great change in the media industry, this award aims to encourage and recognise innovation in journalism education and
training. Launched in 2017, the Innovation of the Year Award recognises the unique contribution NCTJ centres make to the education and
training of journalists on accredited courses. It is open to centres that have improved upon – or extended beyond – current expectations
of best practice in education and training.
News Associates WINNER
News Associates is our winner for the course team's efforts in adapting teaching styles and exercises for remote learning, which
was described by the judges as ‘impressive, innovative and pioneering’. The whole team kept morale up for students by encouraging
themed fancy dress in lessons, online shorthand study groups in the evening and Zoom yoga session run by a part-time student.
Staff, alumni and students offered their top tips for working from home via social media and the online journalism workshops were
very successful.
University of Brighton HIGHLY COMMENDED
Highly commended is the University of Brighton for its virtual exchange with the University of Florida. This provided a new teaching
and learning cross-cultural experience for students to develop their skills in a live virtual environment. The key objective was to
explore cultural differences between US and UK football industries via the characteristics of sports media, focusing on issues such
as BAME representation, gender equality and accessibility.
Leeds Trinity University COMMENDED
Leeds Trinity University is commended for its media training event with West Yorkshire Police. The event was organised to help
officers train for working with journalists and also offer an immersive training experience for students which called on their
interviewing, news skills, media law and shorthand.
2Awards for Excellence
in Journalism
EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AWARD
SPONSORED BY THE FINANCIAL TIMES
Now in its third year, this award aims to recognise the outstanding work of individuals, educators and trainers,
and employers who promote equality, diversity and inclusion in the media and training sector. The Equality,
Diversity and Inclusion award can highlight any form of diversity and inclusion and the judges were looking for
evidence of success in making a measurable difference to diversity in journalism.
The Star, Sheffield WINNER
Our winner, The Star, Sheffield, has made huge strides in working towards a diverse workforce, enabling them to reach communities
which have not previously engaged with local journalists. Initiatives included community news reporter Errol Edwards’ coverage of
the Black Lives Matter campaign and writing about his own experiences of racism in Sheffield. The Star also produced a special
weekly supplement and distributed extra copies to help children learn from home. This initiative led to its next campaign, Laptops for
Kids, getting unused laptops into the hands of thousands of children who have no suitable device for home learning.
Academy for Disabled Journalists HIGHLY COMMENDED
Highly commended is the Academy for Disabled Journalists, a unique project aimed at encouraging more disabled people to enter
journalism as a profession. It offers subsidised NCTJ journalism training to disabled people across the UK. The academy is the
brainchild of Grant Logan, whose charity Ability Today provides an online information portal for people with disabilities, focusing on
what they can, rather than can’t do. Grant has raised funding, gained support from industry leaders, lobbied at Westminster and
ensured every student is supported – whatever their needs.
COMMENDED
Glasgow Caledonian University
Glasgow Caledonian University is commended for running two linked projects aiming to break down barriers to university entry:
first, the Caledonian Club, an initiative that widens participation and engagement across local communities in Glasgow; and second,
School Connect, which works closely with twelve partner secondary schools. Both programmes target the most deprived areas of
Glasgow to bring children at key ages on to campus, and lead them in activities co-ordinated by student mentors, who themselves
came from these same communities.
3Awards for Excellence
in Journalism
STUDENT NEWS JOURNALISM
Ethan Ennals, PA Training WINNER
Ethan is a London-based health journalist with The Mail on Sunday. He studied for his NCTJ with PA Training,
gaining a gold standard diploma. In August, he joined The Mail on Sunday’s health desk. His work often focuses on
Government COVID-19 policy and aims to bring to light the human stories at the heart of these big issues.
Julia Atherley, News Associates London HIGHLY COMMENDED
Julia grew up in Ripon, North Yorkshire before attending Durham University where she was editor-in-chief of
Palatinate, Durham’s award-winning student newspaper. During summer breaks she worked in Lyon, France as a
journalist at Euronews. In September 2019 she moved to London to study for the NCTJ diploma with News
Associates. She worked night shifts at the Evening Standard during her qualification and in February 2020 she
started as a trainee journalist at The Sun.
Ben Turner, PA Training COMMENDED
Ben completed his NCTJ diploma with PA Training in London and currently works as a trainee reporter at
CambridgeshireLive. Prior to this, he interned at the Financial Times and studied politics and international
relations at the University of Bath. Ben has worked in Ghana, Belgium and France, and likes to spend his spare
time learning new things.
TRAINEE NEWS JOURNALISM
Jamie Phillips, SurreyLive WINNER
Jamie joined SurreyLive as a trainee reporter in October 2018, shortly after having graduated from the University of
Brighton with first-class honours and an NCTJ gold standard Diploma in Journalism. He has covered some of the
country's biggest court cases and has helped to expose financial wrongdoing within local councils across the area.
He now works across multiple Reach plc Live brands, having become a senior reporter in the summer of 2020.
Abigail Maclure, Yorkshire Evening Post HIGHLY COMMENDED
Abigail Maclure is a live reporter for the Yorkshire Evening Post, a role she took up 18 months ago while completing
her journalism MA at Leeds Trinity University. She primarily covers breaking news and human-interest stories in Leeds,
but her proudest achievement is being involved in the title’s Call it Out campaign. The campaign, which has been
mentioned in Parliament, highlights the profound impact of online abuse on people in West Yorkshire and beyond.
Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu, Financial Times COMMENDED
Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu is external platforms manager at the Financial Times. Previous to this, she was a
reporter at FE Week which involved covering breaking news, writing features and conducting investigations within
the further education sector. Yasemin studied for her NCTJ diploma at News Associates.
4Awards for Excellence
in Journalism
TRAINEE NEWS JOURNALISM
Daisy Smith, Watford Observer COMMENDED
Daisy started her career as an apprentice at the Watford Observer shortly after finishing her A-levels, and worked on
her NCTJ diploma while in the newsroom. During her time at the Observer, she was writing features for the paper,
Hertfordshire Living Magazine and Asian Inspired. Her passion for social issues inspired her feature project that
captured the topic of domestic abuse that was being experienced by men and women in lockdown in Hertfordshire.
She has now left the Observer to explore other opportunities and branches of journalism.
STUDENT SPORTS JOURNALISM
Josh Graham, News Associates London WINNER
Josh Graham graduated in politics and Spanish from the University of Exeter before spending a year teaching PE and
coaching rugby. Work experience on the Racing Post sports desk reignited his childhood ambition of a career in sports
journalism and Josh enrolled on the NCTJ multimedia sports journalism course at News Associates London in
September 2019. Since finishing with a gold standard diploma in May 2020, Josh has worked full-time at The Sun
while also writing rugby league pieces for The Times.
George Ramsay, News Associates London HIGHLY COMMENDED
George is a freelance writer and producer for CNN’s digital sport team in London and completed his part-time NCTJ
diploma in 2019-20. As well as contributing news and features stories, he also supports the day-to-day running of the
CNN Sport website and has managed the department’s social media output. Away from work, George is an enthusiastic
– but injury-prone – distance runner and enjoys reading, theatre and, unsurprisingly, watching sport.
Rachel Steinberg, News Associates London COMMENDED
Rachel lived in five cities, explored seven continents and worked as a dramaturg before moving from Canada to
London, where she completed her NCTJ diploma in sports journalism with News Associates last year. She is
determined to amplify underserved voices in sports media – especially through her features, which have appeared in
places like the Independent, the i, Yahoo! and the Yorkshire Post. She also writes about showbiz for Metro.co.uk and
MailOnline, travel for Euronews, and is currently a staff reporter for the Jewish Chronicle.
TRAINEE SPORTS JOURNALISM
Niamh Campbell, BBC Sport NI WINNER
Niamh Campbell is a full-time journalist for tech magazine Sync NI, whose main passion is sport. Since graduating top
of her MA and NCTJ class at Ulster University in December 2019, she has regularly freelanced with BBC Sport NI. She
also co-launched the His and Hers Boxing podcast, which she produces and presents with fellow journalist Lee
Costello. Niamh has by-lines with Belfast Live Sport, Boxing Guru and the Gaelic Life (GAA) magazine and has made
many appearances on BBC Radio Ulster and Times Radio.
5Awards for Excellence
in Journalism
TRAINEE SPORTS JOURNALISM
Tom Ward, Racing Post HIGHLY COMMENDED
Tom is in the process of completing his NCTJ apprenticeship with PA Training and has been with the Racing Post for
two-and-a-half-years. He has developed, and produced investigative features and news stories. He has also reported
from the Cheltenham Festival and been sent to Qatar to cover racing. He enjoys reviewing books and, where possible,
films and television.
Mark Wyatt, KentLive HIGHLY COMMENDED
Mark is a sports community writer for Reach plc where he covers Kent, Surrey, Sussex and Essex. His work can be
found across Reach’s print titles as well as on their news app InYourArea and various Live sites. Mark is due to
complete his apprenticeship course in May 2021.
Matt Addison, Liverpool Echo COMMENDED
Matt Addison is a football writer for the Liverpool Echo, predominantly covering Liverpool FC through written articles,
podcasts and videos. He trained at the City of Liverpool College between September and January while working
freelance for the Echo’s sports desk, before joining them permanently in February. Matt's highlights in his first few
months of the job include exclusive interviews with Red Bull Salzburg manager Jesse Marsch and Moneyball pioneer
Billy Beane, whose influence on Liverpool FC has been significant.
STUDENT TOP SCOOP
Kafui Okpattah, University of Essex WINNER
Kafui Okpattah is a third-year journalism student at the University of Essex, which he balances with his job as an
investigative journalist at the BBC. Kafui's recent scoops include exposing fake driving licences, COVID raves and
teenage money mules. Outside the journalism world, Kafui is a self-professed duck lover, and cake enthusiast. Kafui
dreams of becoming the first youth and young adult TV news correspondent and also owning a production company
that specialises in long-form audio.
Camomile Shumba, News Associates London HIGHLY COMMENDED
Camomile is an enthusiastic journalist who has enjoyed writing for Harper’s Bazaar and Black Ballad, has volunteered
for the BBC and now interns with Women in Journalism and Bloomberg. Through her work she hopes to encourage
people to make their mark. Camomile completed her NCTJ diploma at News Associates London.
Julia Atherley, News Associates London COMMENDED
Julia grew up in Ripon, North Yorkshire before attending Durham University where she was editor-in-chief of
Palatinate, Durham’s award-winning student newspaper. During summer breaks she worked in Lyon, France as a
journalist at Euronews. In September 2019 she moved to London to study for the NCTJ diploma with News Associates.
She worked night shifts at the Evening Standard during her qualification and in February 2020 she started as a trainee
journalist at The Sun.
6Awards for Excellence
in Journalism
TRAINEE TOP SCOOP
Abbianca Makoni, Evening Standard WINNER
Abbianca Makoni is a bilingual news reporter for the Evening Standard with a speciality in writing about community
affairs. She has interviewed senior Met detectives and mothers fighting for justice, investigated the plight of hidden
child victims of lockdown and reported on communities who have supported the most vulnerable during the
pandemic. She also led the law and justice series for the Independent's stop the illegal wildlife campaign where she
reported on what was happening inside Kenyan court rooms.
Brad Deas, Telegraph & Argus HIGHLY COMMENDED
Brad is Yorkshire born and bred with a passion for Leeds United and football and eventually dreams of becoming a
sports journalist, or work in radio or TV. But right now, crime and human interest stories have a special place in Brad’s
heart, and he loves presenting on Facebook Live. His first flavour of the industry was when he made comics with his
cousin as a child. The 25-year-old studied English and American studies at The University of Nottingham, before
joining the Bradford Telegraph & Argus in March 2018. Brad completed an NCTJ apprenticeship in August 2019 and
has now taken his NQJ exams.
Jack Grey, BBC Wales COMMENDED
Jack Grey is a digital journalism apprentice at BBC Wales. Now based in Cardiff, he is originally from Swansea.
Aged 23, he started the apprenticeship in mid-2019 and has worked in the politics and newsgathering departments.
Jack aims to establish a career in broadcast journalism. Prior to entering journalism, he studied computer science
at Bristol UWE.
STUDENT FEATURES
Alex Diggins, News Associates London WINNER
Alex Diggins is a writer and journalist based in Oxford. He works on the Telegraph's culture desk, and his freelance
writing has appeared in, among others, The Spectator, The Economist, New Scientist, and Wired. He is also published
in Rife: Twenty-One Stories from Britain's Youth (Unbound, 2019). You can see some of his work at alex-diggins.com,
and follow him on Twitter @AHABDiggins.
Megan Hinton, Bournemouth University HIGHLY COMMENDED
Megan, from the New Forest, completed her NCTJ diploma whilst studying for her undergraduate degree in
multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. After graduating in summer, she started a new role as a digital
reporter at Newsquest, covering Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Aside from work, Megan is a board member for a
youth charity and partners with safeguarding agencies to campaign against childhood sexual abuse and violence
against women. In her spare time, she enjoys aerial hooping and snowboarding.
Sally Nolan, PA Training HIGHLY COMMENDED
Sally is in her final year at the University of Sussex studying English, and completed her diploma on the fast-track course
at PA Training in 2020. Having recently completed her part-time position at The Telegraph, Sally is now moving onto
other freelance opportunities. After becoming editor of her college magazine at age 17, Sally has been driven to pursue a
career in journalism ever since. Having interned at Press Association (now PA Media), Hello magazine, and NME, she
plans to finish her degree and pursue her career in feature writing.
7Awards for Excellence
in Journalism
STUDENT FEATURES
Mimi Swaby, News Associates London HIGHLY COMMENDED
Mimi Swaby is a 23-year-old multimedia journalist with a passion for social and environmental justice. She is based in
London having previously worked in Sydney for the ABC, La Paz and Madrid. Mimi hosts a podcast series, Mimazine
on Air, and currently works as an art journalist for Clarendon Fine Art and Whitewall Galleries. Mimi loves to travel and
has a keen interest in international affairs and politics.
TRAINEE FEATURES
Lydia Stephens, WalesOnline WINNER
Lydia Stephens is a senior reporter at WalesOnline, having recently passed her NQJ after 18 months at the Cardiff-
based newsroom following the completion of her NCTJ course at Cardiff University. Lydia has an undergraduate
degree in English literature and spent years working in retail before joining the journalism industry. As well as playing
a big part in the breaking news team at WalesOnline, Lydia focuses on stories about families and the local community
that she grew up in.
Thomas Kingsley, MyLondon HIGHLY COMMENDED
Thomas Kingsley is a Facebook community news reporter with MyLondon News, predominantly covering local news in
Kensington and Chelsea. Since joining the MyLondon team, Thomas has been particularly interested in giving a voice
to neglected groups in the borough, especially in North Kensington. Through building a network with Kensington's
long-standing Caribbean community, Thomas sought to provide nuanced and in-depth Notting Hill Carnival coverage
which many in the Black community historically saw as primarily focused on crime at the event.
Oliver Kemp, KentOnline COMMENDED
Oliver studied his MA in multimedia journalism at the University of Kent before joining The KM Group. As part of his
community reporting role he produces a weekly show called the KM Community Podcast, pulling into focus the stories
at the heart of communities across the county. Outside of his reporting role, he runs a YouTube channel dedicated to
music discussion, which has a global audience of more than 150,000.
STUDENT PODCAST JOURNALISM
Ryan Hesketh, Glasgow Caledonian University WINNER
Originally from Worcester, Ryan is a London-based journalist with Bloomberg who recently graduated from Glasgow
Caledonian University. They are passionate about environmental justice and aspire to become a fully-fledged climate
journalist. They enjoy investigating and telling stories across various media including print, video, and audio formats.
They learned a lot about the mental health impact of the climate crisis through producing the podcast and are proud
to have it included in the NCTJ shortlist for this year.
8Awards for Excellence
in Journalism
STUDENT PODCAST JOURNALISM
Lewis Adams, University of Essex HIGHLY COMMENDED
Lewis Adams graduated from the University of Essex’s multimedia journalism course in July, having achieved first
class honours. As part of a specialist journalism module, he produced a podcast exploring the issue of anti-Semitism
in football. Experts Ivor Baddiel and Anthony Clavane joined Lewis to debate the use of the ‘Y-word’, a term which has
polarised opinion on the terraces for decades. Lewis hopes to one day work in sports journalism, following the biggest
footballing stories unfolding across the world.
Matt Shaw, University of Lincoln COMMENDED
Matt Shaw is a British journalist, though most of his work focuses on the United States. He's the founder and editor
of The Locus, a platform for original U.S. political analysis. As well as writing articles, Matt produces and hosts a
U.S politics podcast called Silhouette. He also serves on the advisory board for Naked Politics, where he aims to get
more young people involved in the political systems around them.
TRAINEE PODCAST JOURNALISM
Steve Jones, The Star, Sheffield WINNER
Steve is currently a live journalist at The Star, Sheffield, having previously worked as a reporter for the Express & Star.
Between these roles he worked in the media team at Kick It Out, producing and presenting the Kick It OutCast, which
covered important stories and issues in the game that otherwise might have been overlooked. Steve has also
freelanced at BBC Sport and the Non-league Paper and ghostwrote for several nationals on behalf of Kick It Out’s
spokespeople.
Oliver Kemp, KentOnline HIGHLY COMMENDED
Oliver studied his MA in multimedia journalism at the University of Kent before joining The KM Group. As part of his
community reporting role he produces a weekly show called the KM Community Podcast, pulling into focus the stories
at the heart of communities across the county. Outside of his reporting role, he runs a YouTube channel dedicated to
music discussion, which has a global audience of more than 150,000.
Anna Staufenberg, Crowd Network COMMENDED
Anna is a broadcast journalist and producer based in Manchester and Norwich. Her freelance reporting across the
north west has been heard on Rock FM, Hits Radio Manchester and Radio City, amongst others. Her true love though
is investigative audio storytelling: she’s the producer of Crowd Network’s ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire’ history podcast
and her BBC New Creatives piece ‘The Sound of Beauty’ is out on BBC Sounds in February. Her own history podcast
‘Blast From The Past’ can also be heard on Spotify.
9Awards for Excellence
in Journalism
BEST STUDENT PROJECT
The Original High Speed Railway, Adam Landau, WINNER
University of Kent
Adam's interest in journalism began at the age of 13, with a six-page article in an international aviation magazine,
shortly after which he established the airshow news, review and video website This is Flight. More recently, he
became the media manager and videographer for one of Britain's foremost aerobatic display teams and created a
series of aviation documentaries available on WingsTV. He graduated from the University of Kent in 2020 with a
degree in journalism.
Trailblaze magazine, Kate Dawson, HIGHLY COMMENDED
University of Sunderland
Kate Dawson is a 23-year-old Sunderland University graduate from the North East. A lover of adventure and
exploration, hiking in beauty spots such as the Lake District kickstarted her passion for photography and outdoor
writing. After being awarded with a first class honours degree in journalism with photography, Kate decided to
continue her studies at Sunderland and has recently completed her MA in magazine journalism in the hope of
pursuing a successful career in the outdoor magazine industry.
Our Time Election, Nicole Baddeley, COMMENDED
Bournemouth University
Nicole Baddeley is a first class multimedia journalist who is currently working as a digital trends and features writer
for Newsquest. Nicole has presented and edited a Question Time format debate and all-night election coverage,
collaborating with hundreds of staff and students across the UK. Nicole also recently attended the NATO Leaders
Meeting after working on the NATO 70th anniversary documentary. Passionate about civic engagement and politics
Nicole is a research fellow at the Salzburg Global Academy and the co-founder of the Civic Action Film Network which
showcases a variety of international films.
Our Time Election, Connor Stringer, COMMENDED
Bournemouth University
Having graduated from Bournemouth University with first class honours, Connor went on to freelance across Northern
Ireland, writing for papers including Sunday Life and the News Letter, before joining the Brighton Argus. Today he
specialises in mental health, local government issues and investigations at the heart of the Sussex community.
10Awards for Excellence
in Journalism
COMMUNITY NEWS PROJECT AWARD
SPONSORED BY FACEBOOK
Oliver Kemp, KentOnline WINNER
Oliver studied his MA in multimedia journalism at the University of Kent before joining The KM Group. As part of his
community reporting role he produces a weekly show called the KM Community Podcast, pulling into focus the stories
at the heart of communities across the county. Outside of his reporting role, he runs a YouTube channel dedicated to
music discussion, which has a global audience of more than 150,000.
Alison Bagley, Northamptonshire Telegraph HIGHLY COMMENDED
Alison Bagley has been a Facebook community reporter since 2019, although she has worked in the newspaper industry
for more than three decades. Starting as an NCTJ press photography trainee with the Northants (Evening) Telegraph, she
passed her ‘proficiency test’ – and never left. With a passion for the community where she lives, she sees it as her duty
to represent the people in the area, reflect their wants and needs, and to hold those in power to account.
Rakeem Hyatt, BirminghamLive COMMENDED
Rakeem Omar Hyatt is an award-winning journalist, a BBC Radio WM presenter, and Channel 4 investigative
journalism MA alumnus. He is currently a community reporter at BirminghamLive, where he passionately reports on
underserved ethnic minority communities and young people. Rakeem's stories have made the front pages of
Birmingham Mail, the Sunday Mercury, The Mirror online, packaged on BBC radio, featured on Hold the Front Page,
and LADbible.
Emily White, LincolnshireLive COMMENDED
Shortly after finishing her MA in journalism in 2018, Emily took on the role of community reporter for LincolnshireLive.
In her role she has published work across a number of both regional and national titles, including the Daily Star and
the Daily Mirror. In November last year, she achieved her first national front page in the Daily Star. She has covered
everything from the devastation of the Wainfleet flooding in 2019, to working with underrepresented communities,
such as the travelling community, to help give them a voice. She now covers the Lincolnshire East Coast, and has
recently helped to launch the Save Our Seaside campaign, to help our coastal towns recover from the pandemic.
James Vukmirovic, Express & Star COMMENDED
James graduated from University of Sunderland in 2003 with a BA (Hons) in journalism studies and has done
volunteer work since then for the Rugby League European Federation, working on match reports and news stories
and working as media manager for several tournaments at different age levels. After 15 years of working as a data
worker and business continuity manager, James chose to pursue journalism and completed the NCTJ course at City of
Wolverhampton College. He also applied for and successfully gained a role as community reporter with the Express
& Star in Wolverhampton, working with religious, faith and ethnic groups all over the area covered by the newspaper
since June 2019.
11Awards for Excellence
in Journalism
APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR
SPONSORED BY MARK ALLEN GROUP
Poppie Webster, Basildon Echo/ WINNER
Darlington College
For as long as she can remember, Poppie has wanted to be a journalist – and her two-and-a half years at The Echo
newspaper have proven exactly why. As an apprentice she was able to achieve her 100wpm shorthand, her gold
standard NCTJ diploma and build an impressive portfolio covering breaking news, complex and sensitive issues, along
with community fundraisers and events. Throughout her apprenticeship, the daunting challenge of door-knocking and
tight deadlines never held Poppie back, nor did putting her multimedia skills to the test including video interviews, live
blogs and speaking on camera. By all means she still has much to learn, but is determined to continue pushing herself
to fulfil her full potential in her dream career.
Cree-Summer Haughton, ITV News/ HIGHLY COMMENDED
Bauer Academy
Cree-Summer Haughton was an ITV News junior journalist apprentice until 2020, and credits the apprenticeship with
giving her the skills and knowledge to be successful in her application for the ITV News traineeship. At the start of her
apprenticeship she struggled to write a headline, and is now trusted to run the ITV News Central website on her own.
She had a keen interest in education and human-interest stories and is passionate about telling a diverse range of
stories from a diverse range of people. Cree-Summer had aspirations of being a reporter or a producer and thanks to
her NCTJ apprenticeship she feels like she couldn't be on a better path to do so.
James Robinson, Hexham Courant/ HIGHLY COMMENDED
Darlington College
James Robinson is a senior reporter working for Newsquest Cumbria. After more than three years at his hometown
newspaper, the Hexham Courant, he moved to the News and Star in Carlisle in January. James studied journalism at
Northumbria University and came away with a first class honours degree. Whilst working at the Courant, he took his
NCTJ exams at Darlington College and achieved the gold standard diploma. In November 2019, he successfully
passed his NQJ exams and became a senior reporter.
David Chipakupaku, Sky News/PA Training COMMENDED
David Chipakupaku is a journalist for Sky News, producing the channel’s breakfast output. He was an apprentice
between 2018 and 2020, working across platforms. David broke the story of former Scotland CMO Catherine
Calderwood's resignation on Sky News' digital platforms, wrote and edited Sky News' obit for Dame Barbara Windsor,
and wrote his first exclusive in June 2020. He has also worked on award-winning programming, including Sky News'
digital-only 2019 election coverage, and the first series of the Storycast podcast.
12Awards for Excellence
in Journalism
APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR
SPONSORED BY MARK ALLEN GROUP
Anna Maria Colivicchi, Lancashire Post/ COMMENDED
Sheffield College
Born and raised in Rome, Italy, Anna Colivicchi is an apprentice journalist at the Lancashire Post. She is mainly
interested in covering culture, climate and politics. Before joining the Lancashire Post, she worked in communications
for a not-for-profit organisation in Brussels. You can follow her on Twitter at @AnnaColivicchi
Hedi Mehrez, Swindon Advertiser/ COMMENDED
Darlington College
Hedi is a health reporter working for the Swindon Advertiser. He began his career as an apprentice at the Advertiser
completing his NCTJ diploma while in the newsroom. His exclusives include an investigation into an apparent rise in hate
crime in Swindon and an emotional tale about a great-grandmother who had her legs and fingertips amputated after an
insect bite. He is a multilingual journalist originally from Paris, France and is passionate about mental health, climate
change and human rights.
STUDENT OF THE YEAR
SPONSORED BY THE INDEPENDENT
David Marriott, The University of Sheffield WINNER
David is a BA journalism studies graduate from The University of Sheffield. He has had prior experience at the BBC,
ITV, Sky Sports and the Press Association (now PA Media). He now works at the Home Office as a content designer.
He has recently been placed in digital communications on the GOV.UK team, writing content for the COVID-19
response, end of EU transition and launch of a new immigration system. His role requires working with policy to
make government communication clear and accurate.
Ellen Halliday, News Associates London HIGHLY COMMENDED
Ellen Halliday is a reporter at Tortoise Media. She studied for an NCTJ diploma at News Associates during the first half
of 2020, following a year working as a freelance writer in Brussels and the UK. Previously, she worked at the European
University Institute, Florence. Her work on topics including human rights, European politics and culture has been
published in the Atlantic, The Economist, The Times and New Statesman. Raised in Edinburgh and Highland
Perthshire, she now lives in London.
Calum Johnson, University of Salford HIGHLY COMMENDED
Calum is an MA journalism graduate from the University of Salford, where he also completed the NCTJ diploma.
Calum has undertaken work experience at Newsquest North West, the Accrington Observer (Reach), and Salford Red
Devils Rugby League Club. He enjoys writing about history, sport, and travel and is currently working towards an MA in
translation and interpreting – skills that he would like to use alongside journalism in the future. Outside his studies,
Calum is a keen Manchester City fan.
13Awards for Excellence
in Journalism
STUDENT JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
SPONSORED BY THE INDEPENDENT
Catriona Aitken, Cardiff University COMMENDED
Catriona, who hails from Aberdeenshire, got her very first taste for the industry as editor of her primary school
newspaper. After various journalism work experience placements, she completed her undergraduate degree in
international relations at the University of St Andrews, where she was also features editor of the independent student
newspaper, The Saint. She went on to do her NCTJ and MA in news journalism at Cardiff University, before beginning
her first role as a trainee reporter with Newsquest at the Basingstoke Gazette.
Anna Cooban, News Associates London COMMENDED
Anna started her career at PA Consulting where she worked on international consulting projects before taking on the
role as the company’s first ever corporate social responsibility lead. In 2020, Anna moved to the Mayor of London’s
office where she works on the Mayor’s green economic recovery programme. She will be starting a fellowship at
Business Insider next month.
TRAINEE OF THE YEAR
SPONSORED BY BRUNSWICK GROUP
Jacob Thorburn, The Comet WINNER
Jacob Thorburn joined Archant in 2019 as an apprentice and is now a senior reporter for the group's Hertfordshire
titles. His work primarily focuses on the towns of Hitchin and Stevenage for the Comet series, but he also contributes to
other titles in the region and writes for The New European. Previously, he completed a master’s degree in the
Netherlands and worked as a journalist there.
Danielle Poole, Dudley News HIGHLY COMMENDED
Danielle graduated from the City of Wolverhampton College in 2018 after studying for her NCTJ Diploma in
Journalism. She then joined the Hereford Times as a trainee reporter, before moving to the Dudley News where she
completed her training. Danielle completed her National Qualification in Journalism in 2020 and now works in a
communications department of a local authority.
Conor Matchett, Edinburgh Evening News COMMENDED
Conor started out in journalism as a student covering sport in Edinburgh before completing his NCTJ diploma with PA
Training. His first job was with the Eastern Daily Press in February 2018 covering Lowestoft and then Thetford, before
moving back to Edinburgh in March 2019 to work for the Edinburgh Evening News. He moved desks in July 2020,
joining The Scotsman as a political reporter.
14Awards for Excellence
in Journalism
CHAIRMAN’S AWARD
The chairman’s award
2020 has been awarded
to Mark Hanna
Mark is a hugely respected educator, trainer, author and journalist,
who is passionate about journalism standards, media law, ethics and
regulation, and a campaigner and advocate of open justice.
Mark is co-author of McNae’s Essential Law for Journalists, was a senior lecturer in journalism at the
University of Sheffield until his retirement last year, and the NCTJ’s chief examiner and chair of the
media law examinations board.
A walking, talking encyclopaedia of anything worth knowing about media law, his name is
synonymous with media law, regulation and ethics.
Mark has been a member of the NCTJ media law examinations board since 2002, its inspirational
chair since 2006, and our chief examiner for media law. He mentors our senior examiners, hosts
marking workshops for tutors and ensures NCTJ media law and court reporting examinations are
rigorous, scrupulously fair and fitting for the ever-changing newsroom needs.
He has co-authored McNae’s Essential Law for Journalists, the indispensable guide for journalists
and media lawyers, since 2009 and he is currently working on the 26th edition, his seventh, due for
publication next year.
Mark joined the department of journalism studies at the University of Sheffield in 1996. He was a
senior lecturer and was awarded emeritus status on his retirement from the university in 2020.
Journalists working in newsrooms across the UK were taught by Mark and always talk of him with
great affection and say what an inspirational teacher he was. He remains in contact with so many of
them, offering encouragement and praise where it’s due.
Before this, Mark worked on newspapers for 18 years, starting as a trainee at the Doncaster Evening
Post, doing his NCTJ training at Darlington College. He was a crime reporter on the Western Daily
Press and the Morning Telegraph, investigations reporter and deputy news editor on the Sheffield
Star, and Northern reporter at The Observer.
It is a pleasure this year to recognise Mark Hanna for his outstanding commitment to high standards
of journalism training, media law education and his direct impact on the careers of thousands of
journalists.
Congratulations Mark and thank you for your incredible work.
15We would like to thank all of our Awards for Excellence judges
Awards for Excellence
in Journalism
Michael Adkins,
senior group editor, Archant
Nicky Bandini,
sports writer and broadcaster
Holly Baxter,
US opinion editor, The Independent
Vaishali Bhardwaj,
TV reporter, Premier League Productions
Abu Bundu-Kamara,
global diversity and inclusion lead, Boeing
Andy Cairns,
former executive editor, Sky Sports News
Craig Chisnall,
staff editor, The Athletic
Mark Edwards,
editor, Peterborough Telegraph
Nancy Fielder,
editor, The Star, Sheffield
Katie French,
editor, Basingstoke Gazette and Andover Advertiser
Alan Geere,
editorial consultant and journalism educator
Will Gore,
head of partnerships and projects, NCTJ
Justine Hancock,
editor of the Good Health section, Daily Mail
Louise Hastings,
managing editor, Sky News
Catherine Houlihan,
managing editor, ITV News Border
Nikki O’Donnell,
editor, BBC Look East
Luke Jacobs,
editor of KentLive and SussexLive
Michelle Johnson,
editor, Tempus Magazine
Jim Mansell,
consultant sport editor, Daily Mail
Matthew Millard,
producer, Laudable Podcasts, Reach plc
James Preston,
editor, Maidenhead Advertiser and Slough and Windsor Express
David Rowell,
former editorial trainer
Chris Rushton,
media consultant and trainer
Abbie Scott,
deputy managing editor, Financial Times
Bruce Talbot,
media assistant, Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club
Doug Wills,
editor emeritus, Evening Standard and Independent
Jess Wilson,
acting digital features editor, The Sun
Emma Youle,
special correspondent, HuffPost UK
16NCTJ The New Granary, Station Road Newport, Saffron Walden Essex CB11 3PL Tel: 01799 544014 Email: info@nctj.com www.nctj.com
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