Students, graduates, or those without formal training among those eligible to enter; submissions must be made before deadline on 15 January, 2025…
The SJA, in association with talkSPORT, is inviting entries for its Academy Award, created for those at the start of their journey in sports journalism.
Entrants eligible for the award may include students, graduates, or those without formal training.
The winner will be invited to attend the SJA British Sports Journalism Awards in March 2025; undertake a work placement with talkSPORT; and get the opportunity to meet with an SJA committee member to discuss their work and career development.
The SJA Academy Award is named after the SJA Academy, a free-to-join membership level of the SJA for anyone interested in a career in sports journalism. Entrants do not have to be members but are encouraged to join.
Please see below for eligibility criteria and how to enter...
Liam Fisher, Head of talkSPORT, said: “talkSPORT and News Broadcasting are delighted to again support the SJA Academy Award this year.
“It’s amazing to offer the chance for those starting out to gain invaluable experience in a brilliant industry.
“Across our audio, visual and written content, they will get an opportunity to work with some of the best in the business.
“We look forward to welcoming people from all backgrounds and whichever medium they prefer, from production to presenting from blogging to vlogging.”
Who is eligible?
Entry is open to anyone with less than one year of full-time experience in professional journalism, or those for whom journalism has never made up their primary source of income. This may include students, graduates, or those without formal training.
We particularly welcome applications from those who feel their voices and communities are under-represented in the sports journalism industry.
Please contact james@s2fevents.co.uk if you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application.
What to submit:
Entrants may submit up to three pieces of their work produced between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024, as well as no more than 200 words per submission explaining each piece.
Entries may be from across print, digital, broadcast or any other medium the candidate feels best reflects their work and potential as a sports journalist.
We ask that broadcast entries are no longer than 10 minutes each. If you wish for us to consider a clip from a larger piece, please note on your entry form the start and end times of the section that you would like the panel to review.
Submissions may consist of published or unpublished work. Candidates may also submit work expressly created for the purpose of this application, should they wish.
Shortlisted entrants may be asked to complete an additional assignment or task.
Judging criteria:
A diverse panel of judges will consider a number of criteria including quality of storytelling, news sense, accuracy, reporting, and originality.
Deadline: 15 January 2025
Prize: The winner will be invited to attend the SJA British Sports Journalism Awards event in March 2025; undertake a work placement with talkSPORT; and get the opportunity to meet with an SJA committee member to discuss their work and career development.
*Terms and conditions apply