Association of British Science Writers

2010

Best news item

John Travis, Europe news editor, Science
for 'Scientists Decry "Flawed" and "Horrifying" Nationality Tests'. Published in Science.

Best feature

Robin McKie, science editor, the Observer
for 'Breathing lessons'. Published in the Observer Magazine.

and 

Helen Pearson, chief features editor, Nature
for 'One gene, twenty years'. Published in Nature.

Best scripted/edited programme (podcast, radio, TV or online video)

Nick Jordan, Producer/Director, Adam Rutherford, presenter, Jacqueline Smith, series producer, BBC (team entry)
for 'The Cell' a BBC Scotland Production broadcast on BBC 4 TV.

Best investigative journalism

Peter Aldhous, San Francisco bureau chief, New Scientist
for 'How My Genome Was Hacked'. Published in New Scientist.

Best newcomer

Helen Thomson, Biomedical news editor, New Scientist. 

Lifetime Achievement Award

Geoff Watts, broadcaster and journalist, most recently presenter of BBC Radio 4's Leading Edge.

 

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2009

Best newcomer

Ed Yong

Lifetime achievement

John Gribbin

 

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2006

Best feature on science subject in a national or regional newspaper

David Adam
for "You feel better, but is your carbon offset just hot air?"
published in The Guardian, 7 October 2006

Best feature on science subject in a specialist periodical

Ian Stewart
for "Ride the celestial subway"
published in New Scientist, 25 March 2006

Best reporting on a science subject

Matthew Chalmers
for "The troubled song of the sand dunes"
published in Physics World, November 2006

Best writing on a healthcare bioscience subject

Ian Sample
for "How tobacco farm in Kent could provide a life-saving drug for millions"
published in The Guardian on 4 July 2006

Best scripted/edited radio programme on a science subject

Joint Winners:
Andrew Luck-Baker
for "Discovery: Whale falls"
broadcast on BBC World Service, 11 April 2006   

Chandrika Nath (with thanks to Julian Mayers )
for "Leprosy - a forgotten disease"
broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 30 August 2006

Best television programme on a science subject

Nicola Cook
for "Horizon: Bye bye planet Pluto"
broadcast on BBC 2 on 22 June 2006

Best science journalism on the World Wide Web

Jonathan Amos
for "Preparing for the next 'Big One'"
published on news.bbc.co.uk, 18 April 2006

Best science writing in a non-science context

Frank Close
for "Raymond Davis"
published in The Guardian, 19 June 2006

New voice

(previously the Young Broadcaster of the Year)
in conjunction with BBC Radio Science

Anna Lacey
Cambridge University

Parliamentary Science Communicator of the Year

Parliamentary Office of Science & Technology

Judges

Louise Dalziel
Dr Evan Harris MP
Sue Nelson
Dr Sophie Petit-Zeman
Professor David Wark FRS
Dr Ted Nield
Tim Radford
Martin Redfern
Andrew Sugden
Michael White

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2005

Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Services to Science Journalism

Sir David Attenborough OM

Best feature on science subject in a national or regional newspaper

John Gribbin
for "Don't Dumb Me Down"
published in The Guardian on 8 September 2005

Best feature on science subject in a specialist periodical

Jim Giles
for "The dustiest place on Earth"
published in Nature on 14 April 2005

Best journalism on a science subject

David Cohen
for "I'm on the plane"
published in New Scientist on 10 September 2005

Best scripted/edited radio programme on a science subject

Louise Dalziel
for "The good, the bad & the ugly (programme 1): The plague"
broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 15 June 2005

Best television programme on a science subject

David Sington
for "Global dimming"
broadcast on BBC 2 on 13 January 2005

Best science writing on the World Wide Web

David Dickson, Mike Shanahan, Catherine Brahic, TV Padma & colleagues
for "Tsunami update"
published on www.SciDev.net on 31 December 2005

Best communication of science in a non-science context

Robin McKie
for "Bring back stinks and bangs"
published in New Statesman on 18 April 2005

Young Broadcaster of the Year in conjunction with BBC Radio Science

Sonja van Renssen

Parliamentary Science Communicator of the Year

Lord Taverne

Judges

Prof Joe Cann - Department of Earth Sciences, University of Leeds
Dr Graham Easton - GP & Freelance Medical Journalist
Dr Robin Lovell-Badge FRS - MRC National Institute for Medical Research
Dr Evan Harris MP - (Oxford West & Abingdon)
Carlo Massarella - Producer & Director, Windfall Films
Dr Ted Nield - Chairman, ABSW
Tim Radford - Formerly Science Editor, The Guardian
Martin Redfern - Senior Producer, BBC Science Radio
Andrew Sugden - International Managing Editor, Science
Michael White - Political Editor, The Guardian

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2004

Lifetime achievement award for services to science journalism

Tim Radford
Recently retired Science Editor of The Guardian

Best feature on science subject in a national or regional newspaper

Oliver Gillie
for "Sunny D"
published in The Independent On Sunday on 25 January 2004

& Tim Radford
for "Touching the Void"
published in The Guardian on 22 July 2004

Best feature on science subject in a specialist periodical

Peter Aldhous
for “Borneo is Burning”
published in Nature on 11 November 2004

Best journalism on a science subject

Ian Sample & Rob Evans
for "Wired Awake. Provigil is a drug able to keep pilots and combat troops awake for days"
published in The Guardian on 29 July 2004

Best scripted/edited radio programme on a science subject

Martin Redfern
for “The New Space Race 3: Humans in Space”
broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 7 July 2004

Best television programme on a science subject

No award was made in this category

Best science writing on the World Wide Web

Jo Marchant and the team at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
for “Flores Man”
published on 'www.nature.com' on 27 October 2004

Best communication of science in a non-science context

Adrian Washbourne
for “Acoustic Shadows”
broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 14 September 2004

Young Broadcaster of the Year in conjunction with BBC Radio Science

Joanne Lawson

Judges

Steve Connor - The Independent and Independent on Sunday
David Dugan - Windfall Films
Dr Robin Lovell-Badge FRS-MRC National Institute for Medical Research
Andrew Luck-Baker - BBC Radio Science
Dr Averil Macdonald - University of Reading
Gareth Mitchell - Presenter Go Digital & Lecturer in Science Communication, Imperial College London
Dr James Randerson - New Scientist
Prof Nancy Rothwell FRS - University of Manchester

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2003

Best feature on a science subject in a national or regional newspaper

Ben Goldacre
for "Never Mind the Facts"
published in Guardian Life on 11 December 2003

Best feature on a science subject in a specialist periodical

Claire Ainsworth
for "The Stranger Within"
published in New Scientist on 15 November 2003

Best investigative journalism on a science subject

James Randerson
for "Betrayal of Innocence"
published in New Scientist on 20 September 2003

Best scripted/edited radio programme on a science subject

Andrew Luck-Baker
for "Discovery: Monstrous Science - Giant Squid"
broadcast on BBC World Service on 10 September 2003

Best television programme on a science subject

Carlo Massarella
for "DNA (Episode 3): The Human Race"
a Windfall Films production broadcast on Channel 4 on 22 March 2003.

Best science writing on the World Wide Web

No award was made in this category.

Best communication of science in a non-science context

John Byrne and Adam Hart-Davis
for "Taking the Piss Out of London"
broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and World Service on 9 July 2003.

Judges

Steve Connor from The Independent and a winner in last year's awards
Professor Elizabeth Fisher from The Institute of Neurology, UCL
Dr Susan Jebb from MRC Human Nutrition Research
Nicola Jones from Nature, one of last year's winners
Dr Toby Murcott from Ketoe Communications & vice-chairman of the ABSW
Dr Jim Thomas from the University of Sheffield
Erika Wright from the BBC Radio Science Unit, another of last year's winners

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2002

Best feature on a science subject in a national or regional newspaper

Steve Connor
for "How an experiment to change the colour of a petunia led to a breakthrough in the treatment of cancer and Aids"
published in The Independent on 10 August 2002

Best feature on a science subject in a specialist periodical

Nicola Jones
for "Monster ink"
published in New Scientist on 14 September 2002

Best news item on a science subject

James Meek
for "Public ‘misled by gene hype'"
published in The Guardian on 12 March 2002

Best scripted/edited radio programme on a science subject

Roland Pease
for "Discovery: almost like a human (part 1)"
broadcast on BBC World Service on 10 April 2002

Best television programme on a science subject

Elizabeth Tucker
for "Horizon: Archimedes’ secret"
broadcast on BBC2 on 14 March 2002

Best science writing on the World Wide Web

Mark Peplow
for "The science of superheroes"
published online on 13 June 2002 at http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/hottopics

Best communication of science in a non-science context

Erika Wright
for "Life as a teenager"
broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and World Service on 25 June 2002.

Judges

Pallab Ghosh (Chair)
Tom Clarke, Science Writer, Nature Professor
Elizabeth Fisher, Institute of Neurology, UCL
Dr Clare Matterson, Director, Medicine, Society & History, The Wellcome Trust
Tim Radford, Science Editor, The Guardian
Frank Simmonds, Senior Producer & Director, Factual Documentaries, Carlton Television
Dr Christine Sutton, Scientific Associate, CERN & Department of Physics, University of Oxford
Adrian Washbourne, Executive Producer, BBC Radio Science

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2001

Best feature on a science subject in a national or regional newspaper

Frank Close
for "Dark side of the moon"
published in The Guardian on 9 August 2001

Best feature on a science subject in a specialist periodical

Tom Clarke
for "Polio’s last stand"
published in Nature on 18 January 2001

Best news item on a science subject

Rachel Nowak
for "Disaster in the making"
published in New Scientist on 13 January 2001

Best scripted/edited radio programme on a science subject

Adrian Washbourne
for "Frontiers: Perfect pitch"
broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 9 May 2001

Best television programme on a science subject

Frank Simmonds
for "Organ farm: A world apart"
a Carlton Production in association with Lion’s Den & WGBH/Frontline
broadcast on the ITV Network on 10 June 2001

Best science writing on the world wide web

Damian Carrington
for "Terrorist attacks of 11 September"
appeared on www.newscientist.com between 11-19 September 2001

&

Shereen El Feki
for "The heart of the matter"
appeared on www.economist.com on 6 December 2001

Best communication of science in a non-science context

Tim Radford
for "Tell us, Solly"
published in the London Review of Books on 20 September 2001

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2000

Best feature on a science subject in a national or regional newspaper

James Meek, Science Correspondent, The Guardian
for "The X-Factor"
The Guardian, Special Human Genome Supplement, 26 June 2000

Best feature on a science subject in a specialist periodical

Gabrielle Walker, Features Editor, New Scientist

Best news item on a science subject

Debora MacKenzie, Europe Correspondent, New Scientist

&

Julian Rush, Science Reporter, Channel 4 News
"Hatfield Crash"
Channel 4 News, 18 October 2000

Best scripted/edited radio programme on a science subject

Roland Pease, Producer, BBC Science Radio Unit
"Frontiers: Race for the Higgs"
BBC Radio 4, 1 November 2000

Best television programme on a science subject

Andrew Thompson, Producer, BBC Scotland
"Constant Craving"
BBC2, 30 March 2000

Best communication of science in a non-science context

Dr Philip Ball, Consulting Editor, Nature, and Freelance
"More than Meets the Eye"
booklet published in September 2000 to accompany an exhibition at the V&A

Judges

Damian Carrington - New Scientist
Steve Connor - The Independent
Monica Grady - Natural History Museum
Robin Lovell-Badge - NIMR
Oliver Morton - Freelance
Helen Sewell - BBC
Mark Smith - BBC
Peter Wrobel - Chair, ABSW

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