News Associates won ‘Innovation of the Year’ at the NCTJ Awards for Excellence for the second time, while two graduates also scooped top prizes.

The innovation of the year award celebrates the new and exciting ways NCTJ centres are teaching and inspiring their journalists.

News Associates was recognised for our trainees’ multimedia coverage of the death and funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in the first few weeks of their course – producing 142 articles in 11 days. Judges praised our coverage as ‘a highly innovative project, which turned breaking news into a fast turnaround learning environment’.

News Associates managing editor James Toney (centre right) and deputy managing editor Graham Dudman (right) collecting the innovation of the year award from Sky Sports News presenter Jo Wilson (left) and Financial Times deputy managing editor Abbie Scott (centre left). They are all standing and smiling for the camera. They are all smartly dressed. Graham Dudman is holding the glass award.
News Associates managing editor James Toney (centre right) and deputy managing editor Graham Dudman (right) collecting the innovation of the year award from Sky Sports News presenter Jo Wilson (left) and Financial Times deputy managing editor Abbie Scott (centre left)

News Associates also won the innovation of the year award in its inaugural year in 2020 for adapting teaching styles and exercises for remote learning, keeping up morale for trainees and running a series of free online workshops open to everyone.

News Associates editorial development manager Lucy Dyer said: “Monday September 5 really set the tone for what was about to be a very busy news week for our incoming fast-track trainees in London and Manchester.

“Little did they know a new prime minister on their first day wouldn’t be the biggest story they’d cover on their 22-week course. It wouldn’t even be the biggest story they’d cover that week.

“In induction we always say the most important words on the weekly timetable are ‘subject to change’ and that came into force when we altered the timetables to enable our journalism trainees to cover the story of a lifetime – the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

“News Associates trainees camped on the streets in Parliament Square, interviewed Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, produced a 16-page e-edition and much more. “They spoke to members of the public outside Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Windsor Castle, The Queue, and lined the streets gathering content from central London to Manchester.

“They presented videos for TikTok, filmed and edited vox pops for Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, ran live blogs, reported and interviewed people across the UK, and uploaded and published stories using WordPress and InDesign.

“That’s more than some people do in a lifelong journalism career! We could not be more proud of the attitude from all our trainees during this unprecedented few weeks of coverage. “And of course huge thanks to the training teams in London and Manchester who made this possible.”

 

A graphic of NCTJ innovation of the year 2022 winner News Associates.

It was a great afternoon for News Associates graduates at the awards hosted at Twickenham Stadium.

News Associates graduate and inaugural recipient of the BCOMS and Chelsea FC bursary Um-E-Aymen, now a journalist at BBC Sport, won student sports journalist of the year 2022.

 

A graphic titled NCTJ student sports journalist of the year 2022 winner Um-E-Aymen. With Um-E-Aymen’s quote:"I'm thrilled to have won student sports journalist of the year at the NCT Awards for Excellence. A huge thank you to my mentors, peers and the tutors at News Associates who all supported me along the way."

 

The prestigious accolade was won by News Associates graduates Tomas Hill Lopez-Menchero (The Athletic) and Josh Graham (Rugby World) in 2021 and 2020. Meanwhile, News Associates Manchester alumni Jack Walton, now at The Post, was crowned student feature writer of the year.  

 

A graphic titled NCTJ student feature writer of the year 2022 winner Jack Walton. Jack’s quote: "It is really lovely to be nominated for this award and I'd fully urge anyone to sign up to News Associates. Training at News Associates was great, and the media law module has been especially handy."
 
News Associates graduate Jack Walton (centre) collecting his award from Sky Sports News presenter Jo Wilson (left) and Mark Allen Group founder and executive chairman Mark Allen (right). They are all standing and smiling for the camera. They are all smartly dressed. Jack is holding the glass award.
News Associates graduate Jack Walton (centre) collecting his award from Sky Sports News presenter Jo Wilson (left) and Mark Allen Group founder and executive chairman Mark Allen (right)
You can see Um-E-Aymen and Jack’s award-winning work here, along with all those shortlisted. Congratulations to all of our shortlisted graduates and those highly commended.
@newsassociates_ We’re so pleased to have won Innovation of the Year at the @NCTJ Awards for Excellence 💫 It was incredible to celebrate alongside our amazing graduates #TeamNA #StartedHere #NCTJ #NCTJAwards #NewsAssociates #NCTJCourse #Journalism #Twickenham #TwickenhamStadium ♬ original sound – roux
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