Success

A News Associates course was ranked number one in the UK by the National Council for the Training of Journalists in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

We’re proud to run our award-winning journalism courses in London and Manchester meaning sometimes we’re our own competition! A London course topped the league tables in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021, while a Manchester course was named number one in 2016, 2018 and 2020.

This is the same when you look at the fast-track courses league table. London had the best results 2014-2017 and 2019-2021 while Manchester achieved slightly higher pass rates in 2013 and 2018.

In 2021, our sports journalism course was named the top-performing NCTJ course, with a whopping 76% of trainees achieving the gold-standard qualification. 

In 2020, it was the first-ever cohort of our undergraduate programme that took the crown – in a year when News Associates courses made up five of the top seven courses in the UK.

So rest assured, you’ll get the same high-quality teaching whether you study with us in London or Manchester – undergraduate or postgraduate!

News Associates graduates and staff at the NCTJ Awards for Excellence in Sunderland in 2019

But News Associates is about more than our impressive results. It’s not just about being good in the classroom but being great in the newsroom – and our list of recent graduate awards underlines this approach, which is at the heart of our training.

#TEAMNA: Our shortlisted News Associates graduates at the NCTJ Awards for Excellence 2018

It’s also why our trainees go on to such great jobs.

NCTJ Awards for Excellence in Journalism

The NCTJ Awards for Excellence recognise and reward the best student journalists completing NCTJ-accredited courses and journalists/photographers with less than two years’ experience in the job.

2023

Eve Bennett – Student of the Year 
Asher Gibson – Student Project of the Year
Alec McQuarrie – Trainee Sports Journalist of the Year
Connie Bowker – Student Feature Writer of the Year
Max Kendix – Student Data Journalist of the Year

All of our News Associates grads shortlisted for the NCTJ Awards for Excellence standing and holding their certificates and smiling. They are all smartly dressed and standing in front of rows of books on a shelf in the library at the Royal College of Physicians.
Our shortlisted graduates at the NCTJ Awards for Excellence 2023

2022

News Associates – Innovation of the Year 
Um-E-Aymen Babar – Student Sports Journalist of the Year
Jack Walton – Student Feature Writer of the Year

2021

Tomás Hill Lopez-Menchero – Student Sports Journalist of the Year 
Rachel Steinberg – Trainee Sports Journalist of the Year 
Sophia Alexandra Hall – Student Scoop of the Year 
Carolina Herranz-Carr and Charlie Jones – Trainee Podcast Journalist of the Year
Jacklin Kwan – Student Data Journalist of the Year

2020

News Associates – Innovation of the Year Award
Josh Graham – Student Sports Journalist of the Year
Alex Diggins – Student Feature Writer of the Year

Graphic announcing News Associates as the Winner of NCTJ Innovation of the Year award 2020 at the #NCTJawards.

2019

Jonathan Harding – Trainee Sports Journalist of the Year

2018

Jessica Cripps – Student News Journalist of the Year

2018 winner: Jessica Cripps

2017

Anna Schaverien – Student Journalist of the Year
Katie Falkingham – Trainee Sports Journalists of the Year
Neil Athey – Trainee News Reporter of the Year

2017 winners: Anna Schaverien, Neil Athey and Katie Falkingham

2016

Sara Oldfield – Student Journalist of the Year
Lucy Pasha-Robinson – Student Scoop of the Year
Ross Lawson – Trainee Sports Journalist of the Year
Richard Amofa – Student Sports Journalist of the Year

2016 winners: Sara Oldfield, Lucy Pasha-Robinson, Richard Amofa and Ross Lawson

2015

George Gigney – Student Journalist of the Year
Leonie Chao-Fong – Student Scoop of the Year
Jordan Bluer – Trainee Scoop of the Year
Naomi Firsht – Trainee Feature Writer of the Year
Nemesha Balasundaram – Trainee Sports Reporter of the Year

2014

Paul Berentzen – Trainee Reporter of the Year
Jon Robinson – Trainee News Reporter of the Year

2013

Lauren Potts – Trainee Reporter of the Year
Eleanor Ross – Student News Reporter of the Year
James Coldwell – Trainee News Reporter of the Year
Thomas Allnut – Trainee Sports Reporter of the Year 

2012
Jen Morris – Student Feature writer
Hardeep Matharu – Trainee Feature Writer
David Churchill – Trainee News Journalist
Adam Knight – Scoop of the Year 

2011
Jessica Baldwin – Student Feature writer 
Marcus Chippindale – Sports Journalist 

2010
Rachel Bull – Student Journalist of the Year
Josh Burrows – Student Sports Journalist

2009
Emily Koch – Trainee Feature Writer
George Scott – Student Sports Journalist
David Jordan – Trainee Sports Journalist

2008
Steve Jones – Student Sports Journalist

NCTJ Diploma in Journalism Awards

Awarded for the best performance nationally in NCTJ Diploma examinations

For outstanding performance in news reporting

2017 – Emilia Bona
2016 – Matthew Reynolds
2015 – Conor Gaffey

For outstanding performance in sports journalism

2016 – Paul McNamara
2015 – Scott Hunt
2014 – Pete Thompson and Rob Lowson
2013 – Liam Twomey & Ben Burrows 
2012 – Marcus Chippindale, Will Wainewright & Chris Baldwin

For outstanding performance in production journalism

2015 – James Gray

For outstanding performance in public affairs

2017 – Louisa Chender
2016 – Matthew Burton

For outstanding performance in shorthand

2016 – Rosalyn Roden (Best shorthand note & transcription – 120 wpm)
2015 – Conor Gaffey (Best shorthand note & transcription – 100% accuracy at 110wpm)
2014 – Koel Mukherjee (Best shorthand note & transcription – 100% accuracy at 110wpm)
2013 – Hannah Scott (Best shorthand note & transcription – 100% accuracy at 100wpm)
2010 – Lindsay Watling (Best shorthand note & transcription at 120wpm)
2009 – Jo Carter (National shorthand prize, 100% accuracy at 120wpm)

UK Press Awards (National press)
Kat Lay (The Times) – Young Journalist of the Year, nominated

British Press Awards (National press)
2017 – Adam Payne (Business Insider), Glen Keogh (Daily Mail) – Young Journalist of the Year, nominated
2016 – Ross Kempsell (Guido Fawkes) – Young Journalist of the Year, nominated
2015 – Dean Wilkins (The Sun) – Young Journalist of the Year, nominated

British Sports Journalists’ Association Awards

2017 – Teddy Cutler (Newsweek), Tom Roddy (Newsweek), Will Kelleher (Daily Mail) – Young Sports Writer of Year, nominated
2014 – Teddy Cutler, Student Sports Writer of the Year

NCE/NQJ Journalism Seniors Examinations

Rachel Howarth – Ted Bottomley Award for media law and newspaper practice
Ben Ireland – Society of Editors Award for best news interview
Liam Barnes – Esso Award for best news report
Paul Berentzen – Ted Bottomley Award for media law and newspaper practice, Society of Editors Award for best news interview, Esso Award for best news report
Joshua Powling – Best log book
Lizzie Dearden  – Ted Bottomley Award for newspaper practice exam 
Andrew Nowell – Pamela Meyrick Award for the best NQJ candidate working for a newspaper in the North of England or North Wales 
Lindsay Watling – Outstanding NCE achievement – TS Murray award for best-performing candidate employed by a Scottish newspaper 
Sam Smith – Society of Editors’ award for the best performance in a news interview exam. 
Lauren Potts – Ted Bottomley Award for her newspaper practice exam and Pamela Meyrick Award for the best NCE candidate working for a newspaper in the North of England or North Wales 
Sam Blackledge – Ted Bottomley Award for newspaper practice exam  

Archant Media Award for News Reporting
Jemina Owen  

Regional Press Awards
Emily Koch – Young Journalist of the Year, winner
Jacqueline McMillan – Young Journalist of the Year, nominated
David Churchill – Weekly Reporter of the Year, nominated
Elaine O’Flynn – Young Journalist of the Year, nominated 

Other Awards
Ruth Dacey, Young Journalist of the Year, New Zealand Press Awards
John Dickens, Outstanding National Education Journalism, Education Journalism Awards
Kenny Lomas, Weekly Journalist of the Year, O2 Media Awards
Sean-Paul Doran, Newcomer of the Year, EDF Energy Awards
Lucy Copp, Best Trade Beauty Journalist 2013, Johnson and Johnson Journalism Awards 
Samuel Dale, personal finance trade Journalist of the Year 
David Jordan, Young Cricket Journalist of the Year, England and Wales Cricket Board Media Awards
Charlie Talbot Smith, Young Cricket Journalist of the Year, England and Wales Cricket Board Media Awards 

Have we missed you out? Get in touch to let us know any of your successes