BBC Radio 5 live announces shortlist for Young Commentator Of The Year
BBC Radio 5 live has announced the shortlist for its Young Commentator of the Year competition. 5 live launched its nationwide search to discover a radio commentary star in April. A shortlist of 18 have made it through to the final stage, and the outright winner will be announced on air on Friday 3 June 2016.
Published: 31 May 2016
We were hugely impressed by the knowledge, energy and enthusiasm that came through, and we are sure we have found some voices which we’ll be hearing a lot more of in years to come.
Two of the finalists are from Birmingham, six are from London, and the others live all over the UK, with Lincolnshire, Carmarthenshire, Perthshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Bedfordshire, Cheshire, Berkshire and North Yorkshire all represented (full list of names and locations below).
The shortlisted entries were picked by a panel of BBC Radio 5 live experts who awarded marks for enthusiasm, knowledge, picture-painting and delivery. The judges included senior football correspondent John Murray, sports commentator Jacqui Oatley, athletics broadcaster Darren Campbell and sports broadcaster Sonja McLaughlan.
The youngsters are all aged 11-15 and demonstrated their skills by watching a sports video clip and recording themselves in action. One of the judges, John Murray says: “The standard of entries was outstanding, and it was a tough job whittling it down to this final 18. We were hugely impressed by the knowledge, energy and enthusiasm that came through, and we are sure we have found some voices which we’ll be hearing a lot more of in years to come.”
The winner of 5 live’s Young Commentator of the Year will spend a day with 5 live at a major sporting event, where they’ll have a go at commentating. They’ll also get a behind-the-scenes tour of 5 live and BBC Sport at MediaCityUK in Salford, along with a Young Commentator of the Year trophy.
Back in 1986, BBC Radio 5 live Controller Jonathan Wall came runner-up in the BBC Radio 2’s Young Football Commentator competition. He says it was something he will never forget: “I used to commentate on my Subbuteo games as a kid, so the competition back then was a brilliant opportunity! It’s great to be running this competition of our own to find a new wave of talent, and who knows, they could go on to be one of the commentators of the future.”
The winner of BBC Radio 5 live’s Young Commentator of the Year competition will be announced on 5 live Breakfast at around 0820 on Friday 3 June.
SM
Full list of names and locations
- Anthony Priestley, London
- George Foster, Staffordshire
- Alex Hutchings, Bedfordshire
- Luke Birch, Cheshire
- Daniel Roch, Berkshire
- Conor McNeany, London
- Luis Black, London
- Spencer Morris, Cambridgeshire
- George Dickson, North Yorkshire
- Thomas Wilkins, London
- Lois George, Lincolnshire
- Harry Briggs, Derbyshire
- George Wainwright, Birmingham
- Isaac Barrington, Birmingham
- William Prior, London
- Finlay Nesbitt, Perthshire
- Ruby Davies, London
- Frank Morgan, Carmarthenshire
