The winners of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme first Student Journalism Awards revealed

The winner of the Today Programme Student Journalist of the Year - as shortlisted by Today Editor Sarah Sands, the BBC's Media Editor Amol Rajan, and Janine Gibson of Buzzfeed UK - is Jack Hunter, Wadham College Oxford (pictured centre, with Nick Robinson and Justin Webb).

As part of the award, Jack will be offered a position on the BBC News Journalism Trainee Scheme as the Today Programme News Trainee, a role that will involve placements on the Today Programme and at various departments within BBC News.

On their being named Today Programme Student Journalist of the Year, Jack Hunter said: “I’m totally stunned and thrilled to have received this incredible opportunity.”

Sarah Sands, editor of the Today Programme and chair of the judges, commented: “Jack Hunter has an excellent nose for a story and a talent for digging that drives his investigations. His work holds those in authority to account and demonstrates exactly the qualities and potential the BBC looks for in a journalist at the start of their career.”

Jecca Powell, Bristol University was commended for her work and Teuta Hoxha, King’s College London, Ben Van Der Merwe, University College London, Lottie Tiplady-Bishop, Manchester University were all shortlisted.

There was significant interest and submissions across the other categories where winners of the individual categories are offered two weeks’ work experience on the Today Programme. For team categories, up to four members of the winning teams will be invited to watch an edition of the Today Programme be broadcast and meet that morning’s presenters. Each winner was shortlisted by our judging pairs and with the final decision voted on by the panel as whole.

Individual Awards:

• The Today Programme Student Broadcaster Of The Year, as shortlisted by Today's John Humphrys and Emma Tucker of The Times, was awarded to Nikola Bartosova, University of Salford. Layla Wright, University of Liverpool received special commendation and Oli Harrison, Liverpool John Moores University was shortlisted.
• The Today Programme Critic Of The Year, as shortlisted by Martha Kearney and the author Andrew O’Hagan, was awarded to Laura Hackett, Brasenose College Oxford. Hannah Hutchings-Georgiou, University College London and Sarah Gibbs, University College London both received special commendations.
• The Today Programme Visual Journalist Of The Year, as shortlisted by Nick Robinson and Isabel Hardman of The Spectator, was awarded to Peter Flude, Falmouth University. Venetia Menzies, Westminster University received special commendation and Louis Ashworth, Cambridge University was shortlisted.

Team Awards:

• The Today Programme Student Publication of the Year, as shortlisted by Mishal Husain and Charlie Cuff of gal-dem, was awarded to The Boar, Warwick University. The team included Elliot Mulligan, Daniel Ruben, Amy Kynman and Isabelle Atkins. The Palatinate, Durham University received special commendation, the team included Cameron McIntosh, Julia Atherley, Sophie Gregory, Eugene Smith. Whilst Concrete, University of East Anglia was shortlisted, Sophie Bunce, Matt Nixon, Shannon McDonagh made up the team.
• The Today Student Programme of the Year, as shortlisted by Justin Webb and the columnist Janice Turner, was awarded to 'Sombremesa' Exeter University. The team included: Alexandra McLeod, Marie Guglielmi, Selena Li, Ben Lang and Annie Tricks for XpressionFM. 'The Pulse' Nottingham University received commendation. The team included Elizabeth Ephgrave, Harry Robertson, Hermione Hearne and Kathryn O'Connell for URN University. With 'The Civil Row', King’s College London, shortlisted, the team included William Nestor-Sherman and Thomas Bullock for KCL Radio.

Commenting on the awards, Sarah Sands said: “Student journalism is thriving in the UK. The judges have seen in-depth investigations, moving personal stories, razor-sharp reviews, and a fair dose of wit and mischief. It’s been inspiring to see so much creativity and diversity among the next generation of journalists, and we’re looking forward to helping some of them develop their careers here at the Today Programme.”

The Today Student Journalism Awards are in their inaugural year and sought to find students and publications that embody the BBC’s values of impartiality, trustworthiness and excellence, and who had shown they can serve the needs and interests of a student audience.

The awards aim is to champion new talent and also recognise the Today Programme’s long connection with student audiences. Over the past year alone, Today has had outside broadcasts from Kent, Glasgow, Sheffield, Aberystwyth, Warwick, Newcastle and Cambridge universities, with more planned.

Details of next year’s awards will be released in early 2019.

Notes to Editors

• The Today Programme has been broadcasting from universities over the past academic year, and has more university specials in the planning stages.
• The awards were open to entrants aged over 18 and in full- or part-time education in the UK in the academic year 2017-18.
• In the individual categories entrants needed to submit three examples of work they have produced while in full- or part-time education and published/broadcast in media aimed either solely or predominantly at a student audience during the academic year 2017-18.
• Entries in the team categories needed to submit three editions of a publication/programme/podcast. In the case of digital-only publications or video channels, entrants were required to submit a link to their home page and live links to three pieces of work they believe best represents their publication or programme.
• Entrants were required to complete a supporting statement outlining what makes their work outstanding, and when submitting work with multiple authors (for example, multiple by-lined articles or co-presented broadcasts) to specify exactly what their contribution to the item was.
• The Today Programme News Trainee will have a place on the BBC’s prestigious Journalism Trainee Scheme where their placements will have a greater focus on the type of journalism that makes the Today programme tick: big ideas, debate and analysis.
• The winner of the Today Programme Student Journalist Of The Year Award will need to meet all the normal assessment and HR criteria associated with starting on similar positions in the BBC before taking up their posts in September 2019.
• Work experience will be offered on the same terms as standard BBC work experience. If winners are unable to take up the offer of work experience with the Today Programme they will be given the opportunity to take the work experience at another BBC News location elsewhere in the UK.
• Full Terms and Conditions are published here

About the judges

Sarah Sands is Editor of the Today Programme on BBC Radio 4. Before that she was Editor of the Evening Standard, has edited The Sunday Telegraph, and has worked at the Daily Mail and Readers Digest. Sarah trained as a journalist on the Sevenoaks Chronicle.

Amol Rajan is the BBC’s Media Editor, and presenter of the Media Show on BBC Radio 4. Before that he was editor of The Independent. He has written extensively for publications including New Statesman, The Spectator, GQ, and Politico. At university he was editor of Varsity, the Cambridge student newspaper.

Janine Gibson is Editor in Chief of BuzzFeed UK. Previously, she was deputy editor of Guardian News & Media, and she was editor-in-chief of Guardian USA from 2011 to 2014, during which time she was in charge of the multi award-winning Edward Snowden revelations.

John Humphrys is a presenter for the Today Programme on BBC Radio 4 and has been since January 1987. He’s also been a foreign correspondent and presented the main evening television news for the BBC. John started out in journalism at the Penarth Times.

Emma Tucker is Deputy Editor of The Times. Emma joined The Times from the Financial Times where she started her career as a graduate trainee. During her career with the FT, Emma covered the European Union in Brussels, and rose to become Editor of the FT Weekend.

Nick Robinson presents the Today Programme on BBC Radio 4 and was previously the BBC’s Political Editor. He also hosts the BBC Radio 4 Podcast Political Thinking, and has presented numerous BBC documentaries. At university he was involved in a range of student media.

Isabel Hardman is Assistant Editor at The Spectator and writes a weekly column for the Daily Telegraph. She is the author of Why We Get The Wrong Politicians and is a frequent contributor to BBC political programmes. While at Exeter University she was news editor of Exeposé.

Martha Kearney is a presenter for the Today Programme on BBC Radio 4. She has worked extensively as a political reporter for the BBC, and has presented several BBC arts programmes notably Newsnight Review.

Andrew O'Hagan is an author and Editor-at-Large for the London Review of Books. He has been writing fiction and reported stories for 25 years, and has been nominated for the Man Booker Prize three times. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Mishal Husain presents the Today Programme on BBC Radio 4 and the News at Ten on BBC One. She has reported from around the world for the BBC, and was the only British journalist to interview Prince Harry and Meghan Markle when they announced their engagement.

Charlie Cuff is deputy editor of gal-dem, and also writes for Dazed, the i newspaper and the Guardian. She also regularly contributes to publications such as Vice and the Financial Times. She won the 2017 Georgina Henry Award for Innovation In Journalism.

Justin Webb presents the Today Programme on BBC Radio 4. Previously he was the BBC's North America Editor, and before that led the BBC’s coverage of European affairs from Brussels. While a student he wrote for the London Student and The Beaver.

Janice Turner is a columnist, interviewer and feature writer for The Times. She has also written for other publications including The New Statesman and The Guardian. She has been shortlisted for the British Press Awards six times, winning Interviewer of the Year in 2014.

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Related BBC Links

• Today Student Journalism Awards