QUAYS NEWS journalists were honoured at a prestigious journalism awards, at On The 7th private members’ club in Media City UK.
The sixth University Of Salford Journalism Awards were judged by industry professionals and funded by the Lady Monica Cockfield Trust, a charitable trust which aims to help people from all backgrounds to prosper.
The evening was presented by That’s Manchester’s Gemma Hepworth and the keynote speaker this year was the youngest, Salma Haidrani, who writes for Vice and the Huffington Post. She spoke about being inspired to blog about her experiences as a British Muslim.
The Best Feature award was won by Natalie Rees for her Quays News feature A Light That Never Goes Out. Judge Diane Cooke, award winning feature writer and editor of Trinity Mirror’s Perspecs News app and website, described Natalie’s work as “a well-researched, beautifully poignant and all-round great read about a historic landmark.”
It was the first of two awards for Natalie. She also won Best Online journalism for her Quays News article Manchester says ‘Frack Off’ in anti-fracking demonstration.
Judge Tom Percival of Unilad, described Frack Off as “a wonderful piece perfectly demonstrating the benefits of multimedia online journalism. Natalie’s on the scene videos and interviews added real life to a very important and relevant story.”
Jennifer Smith won two awards – Best Television award for the struggle to access help for eating disorders and Greatest Contribution to the Community for working closely with inspiring charity called Dance Syndrome.
Best Television judge Lucy West, head of news for Bafta-winning programme Granada Reports on ITV, said: “I thought her piece had strong human testimony and was backed up with statistic to evidence that testimony. I liked how she opened with the voice of a young anorexia sufferer and, even though she wouldn’t be filmed, using her hands on her knees conveyed how anxious she was. Her mother Sam was a great talker and her firsthand experience of waiting times and treatment was shocking. The charity also backed up what she said and Jen’s piece to camera had a real purpose she’d thought about how to get in and out of it.”
Greatest Contribution to the Community judge Helen Nugent, editor of website Northern Soul and money editor of The Spectator, praised Jennifer for working closely with inspiring charity called Dance Syndrome and said it showed “great commitment to an inspiring cause and an impressive use of her skills to create a video and utilize YouTube to spread the word.”
Jennifer was also nominated for best Second Year and Best Review for Genesis, described by Jamie Dunn as “a passionate review spilling over with admiration for its subject, Smith digs deep into Frazer Flintham’s play to explore its powerful themes and gives a detailed analysis of the work’s form and content.”
The Best Review was won by Carl Bishop for Nocturnal Animals: Perfection is Death. Judge Jamie Dunn, film editor and online journalist for The Skinny, said: “Bishop grabs his subject by the throat with sharp critical analysis and head-on engagement with the thorny issues at the heart of this Tom Ford thriller.”
The Photojournalist of the Year award was won by Bethany Gleave was for her coverage of Barton Moss Protest Camp, judged by former Manchester Evening News photographer Mark Waugh, who now freelances for the nationals and commercial clients.
The winner of the Best Magazine award was Morgan Driver for HOP. Judge David Lloyd, who has worked for the BBC, Time Out, Bitten, Liverpool.com and Sevenstreets.com, said: “I love the confidence, authority and authenticity that’s self-evident in this mag. There’s a definite sense that this is a mag that knows itself and its audience. Lots of sass and style. Great work.”
Morgan was also nominated in the Best Feature category for her interview with Zoella, described by Diane Cooke as a “great magazine piece that reveals the person behind the icon.”
The Best Radio journalism award was won by Inzy Rashid for his report on the drug Spice in Manchester. Inzy has been working for BBC Radio Manchester and BBC Radio 5 Live.
Judge Alex Wallis, regional news editor for Global North West, said Inzy is “working on a local/national and international level, tackling relevant and interesting topics in a capturing way.”
The Best Sports journalism award was won by Matt Bullin for his Quays News report George Haigh Interview: The Oldest Ex-Professional Footballer in the World.
Judge Howard Nurse, digital football editor at BBC Sport, said: Good journalism and storytelling with plenty of strong emotional content.”
The Steve Panter Best News award was won by Gemma O’Reilly for The Undiagnosed: Save the Broken Hearts series, which was also nominated for a Best Television award.
Judge Steve Panter, who worked at the Manchester Evening News for 25 years as an award-winning crime reporter, said this was “a highly engaging three-part broadcast package about sudden and unexpected deaths from heart attacks among young people. Informative, emotive and compelling. Gemma’s determination to cover every angle was demonstrated by her travels to various parts of the country to secure enlightening interviews with victims’ families, medical professionals and high profile politicians.”
Abigail Withey won Quays News Student of the Year and the Eddie Lowey Student of the Year award.
Quays News content editor Emily Murray said: “Abi is one of those rare students that gets involved with all platforms: online, television and radio. The sport sections have grown and significantly improved under her leadership and she will be missed.”
Quays News journalist Nathan Salt also won the Eddie Lowey Student of the Year award, after being nominated for Best Third Year, Best Online and the Steve Panter Best News award for Disabled access: Football League clubs face no pressure over lack of improvement.
Steve Panter said: “Nathan’s eagerness to get to the core of a revealing investigation into the neglect of disabled football supporters was complemented by an ability to tell a story well, and astute use of graphics and statistics to better inform the reader.”
Other awards: Best First Year student was James Sumner; Best Second Year Zarah Connolly; Best Third Year Rachel Williams (also nominated for Best TV for Orchard Apples); Best Post Graduate was Sapphire Beamish and the Student Choice Award (Best Lecturer) was Sara Hadwin.
Also nominated for awards were: Kerry Cabbin (Best Feature); William Stevenson (Best Review); Libby Harris (Photojournalist of the Year and Best Third Year); Fanni Kaszas (Photojournalist of the Year); Jim Scott (Best Magazine); Abigail Gillibrand (Best Magazine); Rebecca Simms (Best Online); Sam Morris (Best Radio); Claire King (Best Radio and Greatest Contribution to the Community for her work with Once Upon A Smile); Bethan Holmes (Best TV and Greatest Contribution to the Community); Matthew McGladdery (Best TV); Paige Tucker (Best TV); Rachel Foy (Best Sports Journalism); Pien Meulensteen (Best Sports Journalism); Oliver Mackenzie (Steve Panter Best News); James Diamond, Aleksandra Todorova and Jess Hodge (all for Quays News Student of the Year); Beth Collinson and Courtney Wilson (Best First Year); and Emily Ingram (Best Second Year).
The technical team was Josh Boyd, Ellie Lightowler, Luke Dudley, Thomas Foster and Katie Arathoon.
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