JUST WILLIAM: The Keejay’s – Awards of 2020

Dear Readers, It’s been a year. The worst one I think any of us will be able to remember. There have been more Zoom calls, face masks, press conferences & empty stands than I think anyone could care to remember. More grim statistics and dreadful front pages and headlines too, and events that have made us consider who we are.

However, it hasn’t been all bad. There’s been incredible acts of generosity from young and old. There’s been lockdown PE. There’s been listening parties. There’s been a whole host of national figures who have entertained us. There’s been sport, praise god almighty. There’s been an avalanche of moments that have brought the country together for different reasons, some of them – yes, really – good.

There’s also hope for the year ahead. Harder months lie ahead, and they will be grim. But we have a vaccine – and with any luck, by the time you read this, a second one approved – and whilst many of the changes we’ve had to make to our lives will persist (I’d hold onto those masks, if I were you) we can at least think about better things to come.

On New Year’s Eve, it’s time to look back positively on the year – so regular readers welcome back, and new readers let me introduce you to… The Keejay’s!

This year’s awards have four categories – current affairs, media, sport, and culture – and there are lots of individuals and team gongs. Let’s go!

SPORTS – RACING

Flat Horse of the Year: You could make a realistic case for picking multiple winners here. The shortened season around the world impacted quite a few plans as well, so this isn’t as clear cut a choice as it has been in some years, but Contrail’s Japanese Triple Crown win and involvement in a superb Japan Cup just earn him the vote over Ghaiyyath, whose exploits included a treble of the Coronation Cup, Eclipse, and Juddmonte International along with a thrilling duel in the Irish Champion Stakes. Magical and Adeybb’s consistency was hugely admirable as ever, whilst Classique Legend and Battash lit up the sprinting divisions.

Jumps Horse of the Year: She may have been beaten in the Christmas Hurdle but Epatante’s two super displays in the Champion and Fighting Fifth Hurdles were about as visually pleasant as anything I’ve seen and she takes the award for those style points alone in a year where we sadly lost many top races to the pandemic.

Racing’s Unsung Heroes of the Year: The BHA gets many criticisms but their management of COVID – including a quick return to action from the initial lockdown – has been exemplary given the circumstances. Credit is deserved on their behalf and to Dr Jerry Hill and Dr Jennifer Pugh, leading the medical response to COVID for the BHA and IHRA respectively. On the charity front, Racing Welfare’s work has never been more important.

Flat Race of the Year: Some absolute corkers this season but the finish to the Japan Cup, won by the retiring Almond Eye from two Triple Crown winners, is too good not to give the award to. Christophe Lemaire’s timing to catch the front running Kiseki in the last half furlong made for a truly thrilling contest that sent her off in fitting style in what could be called the highest quality contest of the year. Also considered was the Irish Champion Stakes, Everest, Preakness Stakes, and 2,000 Guineas.

Jumps Race of the Year: There were 5 horses who had a realistic chance coming to the last in this year’s Gold Cup where Al Boum Photo held off the late charge of Santini and Lostintranslation in what was a thrilling renewal and whilst we had plenty of drama – the RSA featured an incredible turnaround – it was a race worthy of the Blue Riband.

SPORTS – OTHER

Men’s footballer of the Year: Lots of footballers have had sensational seasons post lockdown, but this award will go to one of the most underrated players in world football – Thomas Muller. 31 but arguably never better, Muller provided 21 assists in last season’s Bundesliga whilst scoring four goals and assisting three in Bayern’s charge to the Champions League, creating havoc for defences with his trademark intelligence. Robert Lewandowski took the UEFA men’s award but Muller makes him tick, whilst Lionel Messi and Christiano Ronald continue to amaze. From the Premier League, Sadio Mane, Mo Salah, Bruno Fernandes, and Kevin de Bryune were all considered whilst a Champions League title would have been deserved for Neymar.

Women’s footballer of the Year: Outstanding competition for this award too, where Lucy Bronze takes the top spot. The world’s best fullback, she won another treble and a third Champions League title with Lyon before moving back to Manchester City. The extraordinary forward pairing of Vivianne Miedema and Pernille Harder must be mentioned, whilst Wendie Renard was a powerhouse in both boxes as Lyon won another Champions League title.

Honourable Mentions: Vivianne Miedema, Pernille Harder, Wendie Renard, Eugénie Le Sommer

Men’s Cricketer of the Year: Not an easy award to give because of the curtailed nature of the year, but this was deficiently the summer where Stuart Broad stole the show after he was initially dropped and 38 test wickets is a sensational return, even allowing for the fact he had two home series.

Honourable Mentions: James Anderson, Jason Holder, Pat Cummins

Women’s Cricketer of the year: Women’s cricket suffered a lot this year – here’s to seeing many more matches in 2020 where we can enjoy the likes of Beth Mooney smashing their way to success. Her devastating display in the T20 World Cup – all the way back in March! – was a supreme display, with the highest number of runs in the competition – 259 runs at 64.75 – and the most fours (30), including top-scoring in the final with 78.

Men’s Cyclist of the Year: Cycling roared back from lockdown with a packed schedule that included all three grand tours and the world championships, and whilst he may have lost the Tour de France in heart-breaking fashion there’s no doubt Primoz Roglic has been the outstanding men’s cyclist of the year. Arguably the moral winner of the Tour de France, having led the race from stage nine until La Planche des Belles Filles, he was then sixth at the Worlds before winning Liege-Bastogne-Liege and then leading the Vuelta from start to finish, taking four stages and the red jersey. All the more incredible when one considers that he was in the form to win the Tour de l’Ain just after lockdown. He just beats team-mate Wout van Aert – who literally did everything from sprinting to high mountain climbing – and Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar, whilst, Flippo Ganna, Marc Hirschi, Julian Alaphilippe, Sam Bennett, Tao Geoghan-Hart and Arnaud Demare are al honourable mentions in a list that is overflowing with talent.

Honourable mentions: Tadej Pogacar, Marc Hirschi, Julian Alaphilippe, Sam Bennett, Arnaud Demare, Richard Carapaz, Mathieu van der Poel, Hugh Carthy, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Filippo Ganna, Remco Evenepoel

Women’s Cyclist of the Year: Another impossibly hard choice here – one where it feels cruel to have just the one winner – but Anna van der Breggen’s superb domination of the worlds was magnificent and the way that she topped it off with Fleche Wallone is the icing on the cake. She earns the victory over Trek’s brilliant duo of Elisa Longo-Borghini and Lizzie Deignan, whilst one feels that if Annemiek Van Vleuten hadn’t crashed at the Giro Rosa then she may well have taken the award, such was her form.

Honourable Mentions: Lizzie Deignan, Annemiek van Vleuten, Elisa Longo Borghini, Lisa Brennauer, Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig

Men’s Rugby player of the Year: Despite the pandemic there have been plenty of top quality performers who’ve shown their best in 2020 and and none have been as exciting as Antione Dupont, the livewire scrum-half who starred both pre and post lockdown. There’s a huge argument to be made for Maro Itoje here, whilst there were cases to be made for all of the Honourable Mentions.

Honourable Mentions: Maro Itoje, Aaron Smith, Pablo Matera, Sam Cane, Justin Tipuric, Tom Curry, Peter O’Mahony, Romain Ntamack, Gregory Alldritt, Sam Simmonds

Women’s Rugby player of the Year: A carve up between England and France, with the vote going to the marauding Poppy Cleall. The Saracen was a destructive force both at club and international level, joint top scoring in the Six Nations whilst doing plenty of damage in the Allianz Premier 15’s, and she beats fellow countrywomen Katy Daley-Mclean, Zoe Aldcroft, and Abigail Dow, whilst Cyrielle Banet, and Laure Sansus both scored four tries for France in the 6 Nations.

Honourable Mentions: Katy Daley-Mclean, Zoe Aldcroft, and Abigail Dow, Cyrielle Banet, Laure Sansus

Sports Journalism

Racing Broadcaster of the Year: A big year for racing on TV as we all spent a lot more time watching horses on screens, so two winners here. Lydia Hislop’s methodical nature for all manner of races along with forensic interviewing skills give her the first win of the award before we take the fantastic Road To Cheltenham into account here. One of the classiest operators in the British sporting media, her presence along with Ruby Walsh will carry us through the next few weeks stuck inside – on Thursday evenings at least! The other winner is Sky Sports Racing’s ever dependable regular Hayley Moore, who has covered meetings big and small with enthusiasm and intelligence up and down the country.

Honourable Mentions: Nick Luck (RTV/NBC) Ed Chamberlain (ITV), Ruby Walsh (RTV/ITV), Rishi Persad (RTV/ITV)

Men’s Football writer of the Year: Carl Anka (@Ankaman616) has gone from strength to strength for The Atheltic, switching from Southampton to Manchester United and continuing to provide in depth analysis that goes beyond the headlines at the club as well as a couple of important stories on FPL Fantasy team names with Joey D’Urso.

Honourable Mentions: Sid Lowe (Guardian), Philippe Auclair (various), Amy Lawrence (Athletic), Oliver Kay (Times),

Women’s Football writer of the Year: The Guardian’s coverage of all things women’s football is sensational and right at the forefront of that effort is Suzy Wrack (@SuzyWrack) who provides excellent insight and analysis along with many excellent interviews to boot. A tripe threat when it comes to football, she was also a big part of the Guardian’s list of the 100 best women players in the world.

Honourable Mention: Rich Laverty (These Football Times), Anna Kessel (Telegraph), Molly Hudson (Times)

Women’s Sportswriter of the Year: A new category made to reflect the huge expansion in demand and coverage for women’s sport despite the fact the pandemic dealt a huge blow to many competitions. Here’s to a fuller calendar in 2021 where we’ll get to see much more of Fiona Tomas’s (@fi_tomas_) work at the Telegraph.

Honourable Mentions: Sarah Mockford (Rugby World), Orla Chennaoui (various), Sally Jenkins (Washington Post)

Tactical analyst of the Year: In a huge 12 months for football tactics, Grace Roberston’s (@GraceOnFootball) newsletter has been home to some incredibly good deep dives on not only players in the spotlight but also teams making hay. Highlights include a forensic examination of Diego Maradona and Pep Guardiola’s recording in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Media – Producers

TV Producer of the Year: It’s been an exceptionally hard year for the broadcast industry but producers have risen to the challenge magnificently and David Chipakupaku (@David_Chippa) has shone constantly. An integral part to Sky News’ morning coverage through the year, David has also shone a light on many important non pandemic issues as well and is a name you ought to follow in 2021. Huge shout-outs to Newsnight’s Sam McAlister, Sky News pairing Mollie Malone and George Coote, Jack Fenwick, now a fixture on Politics Live and the Westminster Hour and Andrew Alexander of Politics Live.

Honourable Mentions: Sam McAlister (Newsnight), Mollie Malone & George Coote (Sky news), Jack Fenwick (Westminster Hour, Politics Live)

Radio Producer of the Year: Incredibly strong competition for this award which goes to Susanne Courtney (@MrsSoose on Twitter). Talk radio has had a big part to play – and not always for the greater good, in my view – this year but there have been many brilliantly crafted moments for a medium which has proven itself to vital to the nation and her work on BBC 5 Live’s late phone ins, a great piece of company all year round, give her the honours. Jeremy Vine producer Ryan Wilson. A big hand here for John Fernandez of BBC Radio Scotland and Ava Santina of LBC as well.

Honourable Mentions: Ryan Wilson (The Jeremy Vine Show), John Fernandez (BBC Radio Scotland), Ava-Santina (LBC)

Podcast Producer of the Year: Again, so much competition in what’s been a great year for podcasting despite the grim news. The list of contenders is endless but Georgia Coan’s (@georgia_coan) work with Newscast and The Next Episode has led to many of the most insightful and accessible episodes I’ve heard this year on a range of subjects.

Honourable mentions: Nate Bethea (Trashfuture), Poppy Bullard (Times Radio), Beth Sagar-Fenton (Profile, Ingenious), Ben Weiz & Harriet Noble (BBC Newscast), Adam Bowie, Will Jones, Jon Moonie & Paul Scoins (The Cycling Podcast), Elizabeth Cassin and Axel Kacoutié (Today in Focus, Guardian)

Media – Editors and Analysts

Editor of The Year: Joint winners here as the BBC’s Katya Adler (@BBCKatyaadler) & RTE’s Tony Connelly (@tconnellyRTE) have given a Tour de Force through ever continuing Brexit process that moves into its next stage after midnight tonight. Both are well worth having onside for the next 12 months, which promise to be just as important.

Honourable Mentions: Janine Gibson (FT), Nick Johnston (Axios)

Correspondent of the Year: Lots of contenders here but Lewis Goodall’s ability to make the essential easily accessible has been the embodiment of public service journalism and he’s a deserving winner of this award. Goodall, who has proven himself a brilliant addition to Newsnight since his arrival from Sky, has also provided particularly brilliant coverage of education, giving a voice to an industry which has taken a beating over the past 12 months.

Honourable Mentions: Arj Singh (HuffPost), Mikey Smith (Mirror)

BAME Writer of the Year: I’ve taken the move to make this category (one of two just for BAME categories) specifically to reflect what the BAME community has gone through in the last year and also the great talent that there is which – in my view – still doesn’t get the credit deserved. Nadine White (@Nadine_Writes) has already received plenty of well-deserved accolades on these pages and the HuffPost correspondent received yet another award. However, there’s a twist. She’s a joint winner with gal-dem’s Politics Editor Moya Lothian-Mclean (@mlothianmclean), who you may know for writing the piece ‘Keir Starmer is a wet-wipe.’

Honourable Mentions: Shingi Mararike (Sunday Times), Isabel Togoh (Forbes), Kafui Okpattah (BBC), Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff (gal-dem)

BAME Broadcaster of the Year: There have been a lot of real standouts here, so joint winners Clive Myrie’s work on the BBC has been compelling right through the last 12 months, perhaps highlighted by his dispatches from Royal London Hospital in the East End, where he spent 10 days on a COVID ward. He shares the award with Rianna Croxford, who has proven to be a superb appointment as the corporation’s Community Affairs correspondent, topped off with her Panorama report (Belly Mujinga – Searching for the Truth).

Honourable Mentions: Charlene White (ITV), Naga Munchetty (BBC), Claudia-Liza Armah (TalkRadio)

Special award: I couldn’t have gone through these awards without mentioning Zhang Zhan, a 37-year-old former lawyer and citizen journalist who was arrested in May while reporting from Wuhan who was one of the first to sound the alarm regarding the situation there. She was jailed for four years in the past week – a reminder of the risks so many take to keep us informed.

Health Journalist of the Year: Alistair McLellan @HSJEditor) of the Health Service Journal, and the BBC’s Deborah Cohen (@deb_cohen) and Fergus Walsh (@BBCFergusWalsh) are crowned winners for their tireless work, insight, and ability to tell what can be the most complex of stories to a wider audience.

Honourable Mentions: Sarah Boseley (Guardian), Sarah Kliff (New York Times), Caitlin Owens (Axios)

Domestic Analyst of The Year: Tom Forth’s use of data to better understand economic development and the potential for innovation has been one of the more insightful ways to understand the north-south divide whilst he’s also pointed to reliable and sound information on COVID.

I never imagined that I’d be putting an MP in for this, but Neil O’Brien appears to be one of terrifyingly few people on the Tory benches who has an understanding of the data and the policy around COVID. It’s a great shame he isn’t more closely involved with Government (for what I can see) based on the work he’s done.

Overseas analyst of the Year: Lots of top class contenders here but Nate Cohn’s (@Nate_Cohn) analysis of the Presidential election – especially when it came to the demographics of voters along with voting trends – was consistently insightful and provided some much needed signal amongst the noise of the week after polling day. He can share the award with Clare Malone (@ClareMalone), who was so undeservedly let go from FiveThirtyEight this year.

Data Journalist of the Year: A joint award here with Johnathan Burn-Murdoch (FT) and Soph Warnes (Fair Warning) taking the prize. Murdoch’s work with the FT has already received praise on these pages and rightly so, given how clear and accessible it is; Warnes’ Fair Warning newsletter has been one of the most useful resources for making sense of the never ending avalanche of statistics that we see on the news.

Current Affairs – Brexit

Brexit correspondent of the Year: Peter Foster (@pmdfoster) has been brutally clear, detailed and straightforward when it comes to all things Brexit and has looked an absolute steal for the FT. Deserved shout outs here come for the Sky news pairing Adam Parsons (@adamparsons) and Michelle Clifford (@skynewsmichelle) who have provided round-the-clock broadcast coverage.

EU Analyst of the Year: One of the hardest categories to award here – if you’re been willing to look in the right place, information has been abundant – and few have been able to explain the processes of the EU better than Georgina Wright (@GeorginaEWright), especially when it came to the ratification of the deal.

Honourable Mentions: Adam Parsons, Michele Clifford, Maddy Thimont Jack, Anton Spisak

Trade analyst of the Year: Deserved joint winners here in the shape of Sam Lowe (@SamuelMarcLowe) and Allie Renison (@AllieRenison) who have managed to give the clearest explanation of what Brexit means in the near future for ordinary people and small businesses. Renison wins extra points for helping British Businesses cope with the changes at the end of what must be the hardest year most businesses have ever had.

Honourable Mentions: David Henig (@DavidHenigUK), Dmitry Grozoubinski
@DmitryOpines

Think tank of the Year: Another joint winner here as I couldn’t split The Institute for Government and the UK in a Changing EU, both of whom have provided outstanding coverage of the recently signed Free Trade Agreement and what it’ll mean over the next year or so.

Honourable Mentions: Centre for European, European Policy Centre, LSE, Bruegel

Culture

Twitter Shitposter of the Year: A new award, and long overdue here. I could have picked 100 but Trashfuture’s Nate Bethea (@inthesedeserts) has found the perfect mix between sometimes analyst, sometimes joker, and pure anger that makes a great shitposter and he takes the award for surviving 12 months on Prison Island. Big shout outs to Hell Delphine (@leechwaifu), tier four operator (@AliceAvizandum), The Whimsical Gangster (@raaleh), and ‘Client Journalism Expert’ (@ClientJournoExp) with apologies for all of the great shit posters I’ve almost certainly left out here.

Twitch Streamer of the Year: Lots of good work on a platform that I’ve only really discovered this year and the standouts have been Mic Wright’s That Paper Thing (https://www.twitch.tv/brokenbottleboy) and Sinan Kose’s (https://www.twitch.tv/skthecrusader) wonderful streams, so both are deserved joint winners.

Tik Tokker of the Year: A joint award here between the brilliant Sophia Smith-Galer (@sophiasmithgaler) and Emma Bentley (@justemmawithacamera), who have provided educational insight about religion, journalism, plenty of great singing and a few laughs too.

TV Series of the Year: Many complained that Series 3 of Killing Eve didn’t have the the thrill of the first two but it’s still the best looking show on television and the double act of Villanelle (Jodie Comer) and Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) remain absolutely enthralling. Big shouts here to The Crown, ITV’s Quiz, I May Destroy You, Ted Lasso, Insecure, The Queen’s Gambit, The Last Dance, and Normal People.

Honourable Mentions: The Crown, ITV’s Quiz, I May Destroy You, Ted Lasso, Insecure, The Queen’s Gambit, The Last Dance, Normal People

Movie of the Year: A rough year for the film industry, and a rough contest to judge for me as I haven’t watched too many films in 2020. I imagine few will be as thrilling as Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods, an epic that tackles historical and modern racism with both beautiful storytelling and thrilling gun-fights a plenty. And no, I haven’t yet watched Tenet.

Best Album of 2020: I listened to even less new music than I did watch new films – I’m a philistine, I know – but few would have been as perfect for this moment as RTJ4 by Run The Jewels, which captured the American psyche (at least for a certain part of society) brilliantly.

Cultural Icon of 2020: Lots of proper contenders for this but I can’t remember anyone who gave me as much joy as Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Can we get her to start the Kitchen Disco again?

If you made it this far, I’d like to say two things.

Firstly, thank you so much for reading – and for all your support this year!

Secondly, if I made a glaring omission – and that includes you – then please do accept my apologies!

Happy New Year,

William

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Views of authors do not necessarily represent views of Star Sports Bookmakers.

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