School of Journalism class of 2024 graduate Holly Nichols won student podcast of the year at the NCTJ Awards for Excellence 2024.
The annual awards highlight the achievements of individuals with promising journalism careers ahead of them and those doing outstanding work in the media.
The NCTJ awards ceremony was hosted by Sky News special correspondent Alex Crawford at Hallé St Peter’s in Manchester, sponsored by Reuters.
Holly, who works at BBC Three Counties Radio, said: “It was an absolute honour and a lovely surprise to be awarded with the Student Podcast Journalism Award at the NCTJ Awards for Excellence.
“It feels like a huge achievement and something I will not forget any time soon. I also had the privilege to meet some amazing nominees and award-winners on Friday, well done to everyone who was shortlisted!”
Absolutely thrilled to be awarded student podcast of the year at the @NCTJ_news awards for my Unlocked Perspectives podcast about the prison system in England & Wales. 🥳
Well done to all the other winners & nominees & a big thanks to @NewsAssociates! https://t.co/msX6As1arX pic.twitter.com/PkRKuaHBiE
— Holly Nichols (@HollyNichols_) April 6, 2025
You can listen to Holly’s podcast, Unlocked perspectives, here.
Fellow graduate Izabella Thornley, now a freelance journalist, was highly commended in the student videojournalism category at the awards.
You can watch Izabella’s documentary, Experiencing loneliness for the first time as a young woman in London, here.
Holly and Izabella’s podcast and video were submitted as their final year honors projects, for which they both achieved firsts.
They pair also achieved first class degrees and gold-standard NCTJ diplomas, including 100wpm shorthand.
@newsassociates_ We had the best day celebrating with our School of Journalism classes of 2024 and their families ✨ 🎓 #StartedHere #Graduation #SchoolOfJournalism #Journalism #Journalist #Graduates #Graduation2024 #ClassOf2024 ♬ original sound – Noah Kahan
News Associates and The School of Journalism editorial development manager Lucy Dyer said: “We’re absolutely delighted to see Holly and Izabella recognised in these broadcast journalism categories on projects they worked so hard on.”
Elsewhere, five News Associates postgraduate alumni also won awards.
Click here to see a full list of the NCTJ awards 2024.
Featured image copyright Jon Parker Lee, Manchester photographer, with thanks.