This year’s British Journalism Awards are set to be broadcast on television for the first time after attracting a record 500 entries.
Brighton-based local station Latest TV is to film the awards reception, at Stationers’ Hall in London, and make its footage available to all 20 other local TV stations which broadcast on freeview in most of the major cities in the UK.
Categories include the Local Heroes awards, for outstanding journalism at a local and regional level.
Heineken has signed up as this year’s headline sponsor of the event, and will be providing a beer, cider and cocktail bar.
The British Journalism Awards were launched by Press Gazette five years ago in the wake of the Leveson Inquiry and hacking sandal and aim to promote journalism which is both interesting to the public and in the public interest.
This year every major national newspaper and broadcaster has submitted entries, as have many regional newspapers, specialist titles, magazines and news websites.
The 44 British Journalism Awards judges (who include 14 former national newspaper editors) are to begin their deliberations this weekend ahead of jury-style judging sessions in London on 3 and 4 November.
Press Gazette editor and chairman of judges Dominic Ponsford said: “Sorting through the mountain of entries has been hard work this week but also invigorating. They are a reminder of the huge diversity in British journalism and the fantastic amount of good that our industry does.
“Across national newspapers and regional newspapers, broadcasters, online news outlets and specialist media the entries show that journalists are digging, analysing, explaining, standing up for their readers and holding those who wield power to account.”
The finalists for the 2016 British Journalism Awards will be announced on Press Gazette on 7 November 2016 at 5pm. The winners will be announced on 6 December at the awards reception.
All the finalists will receive a complimentary ticket to the awards.
Latest TV is broadcast on Freeview channel 7 and will also stream the event online.
The awards reception its kept free thanks to the support of the Stationers’ Company (a 600-year-old London livery guild) and the other sponsors (listed below).
Source: BJA