Winners of 2010 ABSW Science Journalism Awards announced
The winners of the 2010 ABSW Science Writers’ Awards for Britain and Ireland were announced at an evening reception in London on Friday. The winners were:
Best news item
John Travis, Europe News Editor, Science Magazine, for ‘Scientists Decry "Flawed" and "Horrifying" Nationality Tests: Scientists are greeting with surprise and dismay a project to use DNA and isotope analysis of tissue from asylum seekers to evaluate their nationality and help decide who can enter the United Kingdom.’ Published in Science.
Best feature
The judges were unanimous in deciding to make two awards in this category as there was no way of separating these two excellent entries:
Robin McKie, Science Editor, The Observer, for ‘Breathing lessons: This is what Emma Lake has to take every day to stay alive. But now a team of British scientists is on the verge of a evolutionary treatment that could extend her life by decades.’ Published in The Observer Magazine.
Helen Pearson, Chief Features Editor, Nature, for ‘One gene, twenty years: When the cystic fibrosis gene was found in 1989, therapy seemed around the corner. Two decades on, biologists still have a long way to go.’ Published in Nature. NB: Helen Pearson could not be present at the ceremony and her award was collected on her behalf by Philip Campbell, Editor in Chief, 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 BBC4.
Best investigative journalism
Peter Aldhous, San Francisco Bureau Chief, New Scientist, for ‘How My Genome Was Hacked: If a New Scientist reporter’s DNA is vulnerable, so is yours.’ Published in New Scientist.
Best newcomer
Helen Thomson, Biomedical news editor, New Scientist. NB: Helen Thomson could not be present at the ceremony and her award was collected on her behalf by Jeremy Webb, Editor in Chief of New Scientist.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Geoff Watts, Broadcaster and Journalist, most recently presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Leading Edge
The ABSW Science Writers’ Awards for Britain and Ireland attracted over 150 entries. An independent panel of scientist and journalist judges chaired by Colin Blakemore FMedSci FRS Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Oxford, judged the entries based on originality, appeal to a broad audience, novelty of subject matter, likely impact, style, content, entertainment, balance and depth of reporting.
"The judges did a tremendous job at arguing their way to the shortlists and finally the winners," said Blakemore. "In the end there were certain pieces that just stood out, some for pure enjoyment, some for the reactions they evoked and some for putting their heads above the parapet on difficult issues."
Science journalists have had no specific awards to recognise excellence in the field since 2007 when a previous sponsorship agreement with the ABSW came to a close and no alternative source of funding could be found. Prior to this the ABSW Awards had been made every year since 1966. The awards are now sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development, LLC.
"The ABSW's Science Writing Awards are back, and they are here to stay. All those who were shortlisted and of course the winners are a celebration of the best of British and Irish science journalism. I am very proud to be associated with everyone who has been involved in making the Awards happen." said Natasha Loder, Chair of the ABSW and Science Correspondent of The Economist.
Award winners received a certificate and a small cash prize at the Awards Reception held at The Royal Society, and enter the ABSW hall of fame that includes previous Award winners Sir David Attenborough, Sir John Maddox (Nature), and Judith Hann (BBC Tomorrow’s World).
Full details of the rules and regulations for the awards, a full list of judges and the shortlists for each award can be found at http://www.absw.org.uk/jobs-awards/awards
