Young Journalist of the Year

Open to journalists aged 26 or under on 31 December 2024. Entries can include work from any journalistic discipline. The award is supported by the Cecil King Memorial Foundation and the winner will receive a £5,000 bursary to be used for travel to research an agreed article or series of articles for their title.

Health Journalist of the Year

For journalists specialising in health-related topics. Judges will look for the ability to explain complex concepts with authority and clarity, the ability to break news and consistently high standards of originality and creativity

Photographer of the Year

This category is open to news or features photographers. Judges will be looking for versatility in style and subject matter, technical skills and the ability to capture images that stand out from the pack.

News Reporter of the Year

This award recognises excellence in reporting. The winner will demonstrate a track record of breaking exclusives, expertly researched stories and quality writing. Tenacity, flair and investigative skill will all score highly

Feature Writer of the Year

This award covers all forms of long-form journalism, from colour writing to news analysis, background pieces or profiles. Judges will look for an ability to impart original insight and key information as well as the ability to entertain and impress through quality writing

Critic of the Year

This category is open to reviews and criticism across any area of journalism – from theatre, music and others cultural forms to food, motoring or technology. The winner will be a writer who can enlighten, entertain and bring knowledge and substance to their work

Columnist of the Year

For columnists across all topics, styles and channels. The winner will be a writer who is a must-read, with a distinctive style and the ability to provoke debate and change perceptions among readers

Interviewer of the Year

For interviewers across all topics, styles and channels. The key attributes judges will consider are the ability to get under the skin of the interviewee, turn an interview into an engaging and enjoyable piece of writing and, where relevant, to find a news angle or a brilliant hook.

Science and Technology Journalist of the Year

For journalists specialising in science and/or technology. Judges will look for the ability to explain complex concepts with authority and clarity, the ability to break news and consistently high standards of originality and creativity

Showbiz Reporter of the Year

Open to journalists, interviewers and commentators who write about show business. Judges will be looking for the best scoops and most informed writing in show business which includes the worlds of stage, screen, TV and the music industry.

Foreign Reporter of the Year

For journalists working in a foreign country or countries, on behalf of a UK news organisation. Judges will look for clarity of reporting, ability to break news and evidence of the ability to make contacts in foreign markets.

Political Journalist of the Year

Open to either reporters or commentators on political matters in the UK or globally. Judges will look for the ability to break news, predict trends, analyse topics or explain issues to a general audience

Environment Journalist of the Year

For journalists specialising in environmental topics. Judges will look for the ability to explain complex concepts with authority and clarity, the ability to break news and consistently high standards of originality and creativity

Travel Journalist of the Year

Open to journalists covering travel across all forms, including news and analysis, features or reviews. Judges will look for originality, a deep understanding of the topic and consistently high standards of writing

Data Journalist of the Year

For journalists who are making use of the wealth of data and information that is now available to newsrooms. It could be using their skills to mine data bases for that nugget of information that cracks a story wide open, or fantastic use of FOI, or tracking down and interpreting facts for readers in a way that uncovers an unexpected insight into an important story

The Hugh Mcilvanney Award for Sports Journalist of the Year

For news writers, match reporters, feature writers, interviewers and columnists. Entries may be from a variety of sports or a single sport. Judges will look for consistently high quality writing, agenda-setting reporting and originality in presentation

Specialist Journalist of the Year

Open to journalists who specialise in a topic not covered by any other category, such as: education, arts, food, gardening, motoring, defence, showbiz or fashion. Judges will be looking for a mastery of the topic, originality and flair in writing and a track record of tackling important topics

Sports Photographer of the Yea

This category is open to sports photographers. Judges will be looking for versatility in style and subject matter, technical skills and the ability to capture images that stand out from the pack.

Cartoonist of the Year

Open to pocket cartoons strips, caricatures, political cartoons and illustrations. Judges will look for cartoons that stand out from the crowd and are relevant to the context they appear in, be they illuminating the news agenda or adding colour to features

Business and Finance Journalist of the Year

Open to reporters, interviewers and commentators who write about economics, finance, business or personal finance. Judges will look for the ability to break news, predict trends, analyse topics or explain issues to a general audience.

Investigation of the Year

This award goes to a body of work that lifts the lid on an important, shocking or under-reported topic. It is open to either individuals or teams, across either a single article or multiple articles, with an emphasis on exclusivity, impact and investigative ability.

Scoop of the Year

This category is open to stories, or multiple stories, on a topic that draws the envy of the rest of the journalistic profession. It can be entered by individuals or teams, with judges looking for exclusivity and impact above all else

News Website of the Year

Judges will examine all aspects of a news website, either associated with a print publication or a standalone digital brand. They will be looking for strong presentation, innovation across both content and technology, and the depth and originality of digital coverage, as well as user experience

News Podcast of the Year

This award is open to podcasts covering news, politics or current affairs, whether associated with a print brand or a standalone entity. Judges will look for quality of presentation, originality of content, knowledge of presenters and correspondents, and an ability to understand and connect with the audience.

Best Audience Engagement Initiative of the Year

This award aims to reward initiatives which drive measurable increases in audience engagement. That could be social media, a newsletter, app or other piece of digital infrastructure, a campaign or community-led initiative, or any combination of the above. The key for judges will be demonstrating how it measurably increased readership and deepened readers’ engagement with the title.

Supplement of the Year

This award is open to any publication published as part of a newspaper, at any regularity and in any format. Judges will look at quality of content, use of design and photography and readability, as well as suitability of content for the target audience, brand and alignment with the broader parent publication.

Front Page of the Year

An award celebrating the most memorable and impactful front page published in print during the eligibility period. Judges will look for originality, clarity and most of all immediate impact.

Campaign of the Year

This award is open to all titles, and can be entered by individuals or teams. It celebrates campaigns that capture the nation’s attention and achieve tangible results. Judges will be looking for the importance of the cause, the originality of the approach and the end result.

Excellence in Diversity Award

An award celebrating a news brand that is committed to diversity and inclusion, both in its approach to editorial recruitment and talent management and in its editorial output. Entrants for this award should provide examples of journalism which has played a significant role in creating awareness of issues of diversity in the UK, be this through news reports, campaigns, features or interviews. They should also provide evidence of a commitment to diversity in the newsroom, including initiatives that impact on recruitment, retention, talent management and representation. Judges will be looking for evidence of a senior-level commitment to diversity and a coordinated attempt to demonstrate it through both editorial and employment practices, as well as evidence of its impact.

Best Commercial Partner

This award is open to business and individuals who are suppliers to the national press and can demonstrate the value they have added to a media brand, whether via a technological solution, provision of editorial or multimedia services (such as podcasts or video), marketing, commercial support or strategic advice

Newspaper of the Year (Daily and Sunday)

An award for the newspaper that has made the most impact and provided the most high-quality, original and innovative coverage of events during the eligible period. This award is open to both daily and Sunday papers, and will be judged on the quality not just of front page stories or scoops but on coverage of news, foreign affairs, business, sport and lifestyle, with attention paid to quality of features and supplements as well as design and use of photography and a distinct and successful digital strategy encompassed by a thriving website.

Newspaper of the year - Sunday

News website of the year

News podcast of the year