A News Associates course was ranked number one in the UK by the National Council for the Training of Journalists in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.
We’re proud to run our award-winning journalism courses in London and Manchester meaning sometimes we’re our own competition! A London course topped the league tables in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021, while a Manchester course was named number one in 2016, 2018 and 2020.
This is the same when you look at the fast-track courses league table. London had the best results 2014-2017 and 2019-2021 while Manchester achieved slightly higher pass rates in 2013 and 2018.
In 2021, our sports journalism course was named the top-performing NCTJ course, with a whopping 76% of trainees achieving the gold-standard qualification.
In 2020, it was the first-ever cohort of our undergraduate programme that took the crown – in a year when News Associates courses made up five of the top seven courses in the UK.
So rest assured, you’ll get the same high-quality teaching whether you study with us in London or Manchester – undergraduate or postgraduate!
But News Associates is about more than our impressive results. It’s not just about being good in the classroom but being great in the newsroom – and our list of recent graduate awards underlines this approach, which is at the heart of our training.
Well done to everyone who won awards pre-2015, there’s just only so much space on the page!
We’re not perfect! Have we missed you out? Get in touch to let us know any of your successes.
NCTJ Awards for Excellence in Journalism
The NCTJ Awards for Excellence recognise and reward the best student journalists completing NCTJ-accredited courses and journalists/photographers with less than two years’ experience in the job.
2023
Eve Bennett – Student of the Year
Asher Gibson – Student Project of the Year
Alec McQuarrie – Trainee Sports Journalist of the Year
Connie Bowker – Student Feature Writer of the Year
Max Kendix – Student Data Journalist of the Year
2022
News Associates – Innovation of the Year
Um-E-Aymen Babar – Student Sports Journalist of the Year
Jack Walton – Student Feature Writer of the Year
2021
Tomás Hill Lopez-Menchero – Student Sports Journalist of the Year
Rachel Steinberg – Trainee Sports Journalist of the Year
Sophia Alexandra Hall – Student Scoop of the Year
Carolina Herranz-Carr and Charlie Jones – Trainee Podcast Journalist of the Year
Jacklin Kwan – Student Data Journalist of the Year
2020
News Associates – Innovation of the Year
Josh Graham – Student Sports Journalist of the Year
Alex Diggins – Student Feature Writer of the Year
2019
Jonathan Harding – Trainee Sports Journalist of the Year
2018
Jessica Cripps – Student News Journalist of the Year
2017
Anna Schaverien – Student Journalist of the Year
Katie Falkingham – Trainee Sports Journalists of the Year
Neil Athey – Trainee News Reporter of the Year
2016
Sara Oldfield – Student Journalist of the Year
Lucy Pasha-Robinson – Student Scoop of the Year
Ross Lawson – Trainee Sports Journalist of the Year
Richard Amofa – Student Sports Journalist of the Year
2015
George Gigney – Student Journalist of the Year
Leonie Chao-Fong – Student Scoop of the Year
Jordan Bluer – Trainee Scoop of the Year
Naomi Firsht – Trainee Feature Writer of the Year
Nemesha Balasundaram – Trainee Sports Reporter of the Year
NCTJ Diploma in Journalism Awards
Awarded for the best performance nationally in NCTJ Diploma examinations
2023
Abbie Ingham – for outstanding performance in journalism for a digital audience
Eve Bennett – for outstanding performance in court reporting
Luke Power – for outstanding performance in sports journalism
Freya Gascoigne – for outstanding performance in shorthand (100% accuracy at 100wpm)
2022
Elizabeth Haigh – for outstanding performance in media law
2021
Connor McLaughlin – for outstanding performance in journalism for a digital audience
Jack Tooth – for outstanding performance in court reporting
2019
Sam France – for outstanding performance in sports journalism
Kishan Vaghela – for outstanding performance in public affairs
Ella Jerman, Jen Tombs, Marthe de Ferrer – for outstanding performance in shorthand
2018
Peter Rutzler – for outstanding performance in sports journalism
Emily Coady-Stemp – for outstanding performance in production journalism
Joshua Jones – for outstanding performance in public affairs
Dora Allday – for outstanding performance in shorthand
2017
Emilia Bona – for outstanding performance in news reporting
Louisa Chender – for outstanding performance in public affairs
2016
Matthew Reynolds – for outstanding performance in news reporting
Paul McNamara – for outstanding performance in sports journalism
Matthew Burton – for outstanding performance in public affairs
Rosalyn Roden – for outstanding performance in shorthand
2015
Conor Gaffey – for outstanding performance in news reporting
Conor Gaffey – for outstanding performance in shorthand
Scott Hunt – for outstanding performance in sports journalism
James Gray – for outstanding performance in production journalism
Industry Awards
2023 – Ben Ireland (The Doctor magazine/British Medical Association) – Specialist Journalism (winner)
2020 – Lizzie Dearden (The Independent) – Crime and Legal Affairs Journalism (highly commended)
2017 – Peter Apps (Inside Housing) – Specialist Journalism (winner)
2017 – Peter Apps (Inside Housing) – Investigation of the Year (highly commended)
2023 – Matt Reynolds (WIRED UK) – Science and technology journalist of the year (winner)
Completely baffled that I’m nominated amongst such incredible and esteemed journalists…
AND I’m the only woman on the list 😭
Thank you @pressgazette !!!!!! https://t.co/UtXLVK97nS pic.twitter.com/FNNTfVaavu
— Um-E-Aymen Babar (@ItsUmeAymen) October 24, 2024
SJA British Sports Journalism Awards
2023 – Fiona Tomas (Telegraph Media Group) – silver, Women’s sport journalist
2023 – George Simms (The i paper) – winner, Ones to watch (writing)
2023 – Aadam Patel (Mail Sport) – silver, Ones to watch (writing)
2023 – Um-E-Aymen Babar (Sky Sports/BBC Sport) – shortlisted, Ones to watch (writing)
2023 – Elise Hamersley – highly commended, SJA Academy Award in association with talkSPORT
2022 – Adonis Pratsides (The Athletic) – winner, Audio Documentary of the Year
2017 – Tom Roddy (Newsweek) – Young Sports Writer of Year, shortlisted
What an evening last night for the @theofficialfwa awards dinner. Chuffed to pick up my award for Hugh McIlvanney Student Football Writer of the Year. And extra special for Caroline McIlvanney to present it to me 🙌 pic.twitter.com/QUz95TbfMq
— Dom Smith (@MrDomSmith) May 26, 2023
NCE/NQJ Journalism Seniors Examinations
Toby Bryant – Media Law and Ethics in Practice Award, sponsored by Reviewed and Cleared
Rachel Howarth – Ted Bottomley Award for media law and newspaper practice
Ben Ireland – Society of Editors Award for best news interview
Liam Barnes – Esso Award for best news report
Paul Berentzen – Ted Bottomley Award for media law and newspaper practice, Society of Editors Award for best news interview, Esso Award for best news report
Joshua Powling – Best log book
Lizzie Dearden – Ted Bottomley Award for newspaper practice exam
Andrew Nowell – Pamela Meyrick Award for the best NQJ candidate working for a newspaper in the North of England or North Wales
Lindsay Watling – Outstanding NCE achievement – TS Murray award for best-performing candidate employed by a Scottish newspaper
Sam Smith – Society of Editors’ award for the best performance in a news interview exam.
Lauren Potts – Ted Bottomley Award for her newspaper practice exam and Pamela Meyrick Award for the best NCE candidate working for a newspaper in the North of England or North Wales
Sam Blackledge – Ted Bottomley Award for newspaper practice exam
A night I wish I could say I was nonchalant about — @cnnsport, you are those guys, @MarkBantock you are that guy. AHHHHHHH. https://t.co/5wvokVYI7G
— Jack Bantock (@JHBantock) April 29, 2024
Other Awards
Jack Bantock – Young Reporter (Writing), AIPS Sport Media Awards 2024
Hatty Willmoth– Best piece of work by a student or early career journalist, Freelance Journalism Awards 2024
Lara Olszowska – Best piece of work by a student or early career journalist, Freelance Journalism Awards 2023
Emily Coady-Stemp (Surrey Live) – Local democracy story of the year, Local Democracy Reporters Awards 2023
Ruby Gregory (MyLondon) – Best use of social media, Local Democracy Reporters Awards 2023
Will Durrant (Herts Live) – Best use of freedom of information, Local Democracy Reporters Awards 2023
Will Durrant (Herts Live) – The George Makin award (runner up), Local Democracy Reporters Awards 2023
Dom Smith – Hugh McIlvanney Student Football Writer of the Year, Football Writers’ Association Awards 2023
Oliver Murphy – Highly Commended, Hugh Cudlipp Student Award, London Press Club Awards 2023
Ben Parsons – Hugh McIlvanney Student Football Writer of the Year (silver), Football Writers’ Association Awards 2022
Um-E-Aymen Babar – Vikki Orvice award (bronze), Football Writers’ Association Awards 2022
Marta Santiváñez (Times Radio) – Young Producer of the Year (Highly Commended), Media Freedom Awards 2022
Joe Wallen (The Telegraph) – Gaby Rado Award, Amnesty Media Awards 2019
Jemina Owen – Archant Media Award for News Reporting
Emily Koch – Young Journalist of the Year, Regional Press Awards
Ruth Dacey – Young Journalist of the Year, New Zealand Press Awards
John Dickens – Outstanding National Education Journalism, Education Journalism Awards
Kenny Lomas – Weekly Journalist of the Year, O2 Media Awards
Sean-Paul Doran – Newcomer of the Year, EDF Energy Awards
Lucy Copp – Best Trade Beauty Journalist 2013, Johnson and Johnson Journalism Awards
Samuel Dale – personal finance trade Journalist of the Year
David Jordan – Young Cricket Journalist of the Year, England and Wales Cricket Board Media Awards
Charlie Talbot Smith – Young Cricket Journalist of the Year, England and Wales Cricket Board Media Awards
A massive well done to all of our #TeamNA grads who won awards at #LDRSconf23 yesterday, we’re really proud of you all 🌟🌟🌟 #StartedHere @RubyLGregory @wil_dur @mlycdystmp pic.twitter.com/WvY6gXyLxg
— News Associates (@NewsAssociates) November 10, 2023