NTU journalism students recognised in prestigious national awards shortlist

The Awards for Excellence 2025 celebrate outstanding student journalists, trainees and training providers across the UK, with more than 550 entries submitted this year. A total of 82 individuals and organisations were shortlisted, reflecting the highly competitive nature of the awards and their significance within the journalism industry.

NTU students recognised nationally

Ross Waldron, an MA Journalism graduate, has been shortlisted for the Trainee of the Year Award, recognising his strong professional development and contributions during his training. Ross commented:

"I'm absolutely delighted to have been nominated for Trainee of the Year at the NCTJ Awards for Excellence 2025. I studied MA News Journalism at NTU from September 2022 to 2023, and the course really laid the foundations for me to be able to reach this point.  To anyone considering their choices for a journalism course, look no further."

The award celebrates trainees who demonstrate outstanding newsroom performance, editorial skill and a commitment to high-quality journalism early in their careers. Ross’s shortlisting reflects his ability to apply the practical skills developed through his training in a professional setting, as well as his dedication to producing accurate, engaging and impactful journalism.

Two other BA (Hons) Journalism students have also been shortlisted in the Student Project of the Year category for their original journalism projects: Molly Sutherland for ‘Female athletes feel failed by their sportswear’, and Yanotai Tragoolpadetgrai (Bee) – ‘Food for Thought’. Yanotai has commented:

"It feels surreal to be shortlisted for the NCTJ Student Project of the Year. It was definitely not something on my radar. I am feeling really thankful that I had such a wonderful support network that helped me with this project.”

Senior lecturer in journalism Ann Charlton shared her thoughts on both Molly's and Yanotai's projects:

"It was inevitable that Molly's passion for football would somehow feature within her storytelling. We initially discussed the prevalence of anterior cruciate ligament injuries among women footballers but agreed it had already been widely covered in the media. Broadening out the focus to look at the impact footwear and underwear choices in general have on ordinary women's health across different sports - and not just those at an elite level - was something that very few women were aware of. It felt like Molly was sending out a very important message to everyone."

"As soon as Bee outlined his ideas to me that looked at the 'awkward' relationship between growing levels of racism and the enduring love of takeaway food in the UK, I knew he'd come up with something that tapped into the double standards that have perhaps always existed to some extent but now seem especially heightened in the current political climate."

Both projects demonstrate strong investigative and storytelling skills, addressing topical issues and showcasing the high level of creativity and journalistic rigour fostered within NTU’s journalism programmes.

Lastly, Shing Hei Yip, another BA (Hons) Journalism graduate, has also been shortlisted in the Top Scoop category for work published with The Chaser News. This highlights Shing Hei’s strong news instincts, investigative ability and commitment to uncovering important stories.

A mark of industry recognition

The NCTJ Awards for Excellence are widely regarded as one of the most prestigious honours for aspiring journalists in the UK. The awards celebrate individuals demonstrating exceptional reporting, storytelling and innovation, alongside recognising those showing strong potential for future leadership within the industry.

The 2025 awards ceremony will take place at Brighton Dome in March 2026, bringing together leading media organisations, industry partners and training providers to celebrate emerging journalism talent.

Being shortlisted places NTU students among the most promising new voices in journalism and reflects the strength of NTU’s practice-based teaching approach, industry engagement and focus on developing newsroom-ready graduates.

Preparing students for successful careers

NTU’s journalism courses combine academic learning with hands-on experience, enabling students to produce professional-quality work across digital, broadcast and multimedia platforms. Through industry collaboration, real-world project work and expert teaching, students develop the technical skills, editorial judgement and ethical awareness needed to succeed in modern journalism.

Recognition at national awards such as the NCTJ Awards for Excellence reinforces NTU’s reputation for developing career-ready graduates and highlights the university’s ongoing commitment to supporting the next generation of journalists.