The Courier's 2024 SPA award nominations are as follows:
Sam Norman, Best Reporter: Our Head of Current Affairs, Sam Norman's passionate commitment to local and campus news has earned him a spot on the shortlist of one of SPANC's most competitive awards. Throughout the 2023/24 year, he has delivered stories that resonate, including an investigation into public opinion of the Jesmond low traffic scheme and reporting on a string of turbulent student council meetings.
Libby Griffiths, Best Newcomer: Debuting on the editorial team in August 2023, Libby Griffiths has made an immediate impact with her impressive writing and bubbly personality. From culture and fashion to news and sport, Libby's work has touched every page of The Courier and every member of its staff.
Libby Griffiths, Best Lifestyle Piece: Libby Griffiths' second nomination was the result of her compelling and emotional narrative of the Manchester bombings, which she experienced firsthand, and her journey to coming to terms with the experience. Her piece appeared in The Courier's 2023 magazine, Little Lion, and has garnered hundreds of online views.
Arthur Ferridge, Best Sports Reporter: Our Head of Sport, Arthur Ferridge, has been recognized for his commitment to covering Team Newcastle's efforts up and down the country. He is particularly proud of the sport section's coverage of Varsity 2024, and his report on NUWFC's commitment to promoting women's sport in the Middle East.
Anthony Welsh, Elizabeth Gores, and Matthew Barratt, Best Science Section: Over the past year, The Courier's science section has gone to incredible lengths to make science accessible and engaging for a wide audience, producing a huge range of articles on niche scientific topics, from the discovery of new sea slugs to the transplanting of the felled Sycamore Gap tree. Their efforts to put a uniquely local spin on science news has set them apart in a competitive field.
We are incredibly proud to have been recognized by the SPA across such a diverse range of categories. We as a team have put blood, sweat, and tears into the paper over the last year, and to appear on these shortlists is an incredibly rewarding moment, reflecting not just the efforts of these five students but those of the entire staff of writers and editors.
The SPA will livestream the awards ceremony, which will take place in Bristol on Saturday April 13, 2024.