The National Student Journalism Awards are an annual UK-wide student journalism competition organised by the National Union of Students of the United Kingdom (NUS).

History

Launched in 1947, the awards were run in association with The Guardian newspaper from 1978 until 1999 (when The Guardian independently launched the Guardian Student Media Awards). Recent sponsors include The Independent (1999-2002), The Daily Mirror (2003-2005) and The Press Association (2006-).

Format

The Awards are launched in May each year, with a closing date at the beginning of July. Typically students are required to send their best three articles from the past academic year to be critiqued by a panel of senior national journalists. In October, a shortlist of five entrants per category is released. The winners and runners-up in each category are announced at a London ceremony in November.

2006 Awards

The 2006 winners were: Best Newspaper: Winner: Sheffield Steel Press, Sheffield University Runner up: Gair Rhydd, Cardiff University Best Magazine: Winner: The Orbital, Royal Holloway, University of London Runner up: Impact, University of Nottingham Best Website: Winner: Durham 21, Durham University Runner up: Gair Rhydd, Cardiff University Best Small Budget Publication Winner: York Vision, University of York Runner up: Medical Student, University of London Union Best Further Education Publication: Winner: Student Eye, Liverpool Community College Runner up: Scribbles, City of Wolverhampton College Best Student Reporter: Winner: Matt Sandy, The Warwick Boar Runner up: Matthew Kennard, Leeds Student Best Student Feature Writer: Winner: Alistair Plumb, The Warwick Boar Runner up: Kevin Widdop, Leeds Student Best Student Sports Journalist: Winner: David O’Kelly, The Warwick Boar Runner up: Jamie Dear, Cherwell, Oxford University Best Student Critic: Winner: Laura Swinton, Durham 21 Runner up: Laura Battle, The Student (Edinburgh) Best Publication Design: Winner: Smith’s Magazine, Goldsmith’s College, London Runner up: Gair Rhydd (Cardiff University) Diversity Award: Winner: Chris White, Gair Rhydd (Cardiff University) Runner up: Perri Lewis, Gair Rhydd (Cardiff University) Best Student Travel Journalist: Winner: Lucy Beaumont, Pi Magazine (UCL) Runner up: Laura Powell, The Core/ Warwick Boar (University of Warwick) Best Student Photographer: Winner: Ching Sum Yuen, Warwick Boar Runner up: James Robertson, The Student (Edinburgh University)

Redesign

2006 was the last year of the awards in their original format. There were no awards in 2007, while in 2008 two categories of Student Publication of the Year and Student Journalist of the Year were included in the new NUS Awards, which recognise a wider variety of student achievement.