Times named Sports Newspaper of the Year

The Times was named Sports Newspaper of the Year at last night's British Sports Journalism Awards, beating the Guardian and the Telegraph which took second and third place respectively.

According to the Sports Journalists' Association, which runs the awards, judges praised the Times for its all-round sports coverage, particularly football supplement the Game and the cricket writing of Michael Atherton and Gideon Haigh.

Atherton took home the award for Sports Columnist of the Year, one of two other awards for the Times with Matthew Syed winning the award for feature writing.

The Times' News International stablemate the News of the World won Scoop of the Year for Mazher Mahmood's coverage of cricket’s spot-fixing scandal. In a statement today, the NoW called Mahmood's coverage "a triumph of a story that sent shockwaves around the sporting world".

Former News of the World sports reporter Martin Samuel took home his fourth Sports Writer of the Year gong for his writing for the Daily Mail. Samuel, who recently joined the Mail from the Times, beat the Guardian's Paul Hayward and the Times' Michael Atherton, who were highly commended in the category.

One judge said of Samuel: "No one in British journalism can forensically dissect an issue as brilliantly. His prodigious output always comes dripping in insight, intelligence and an instinct for justice."

Reuters photographer Eddie Keogh, whose image proved conclusively that Frank Lampard’s shot against Germany in the 2010 World Cup crossed the goal line, won the Sport News Picture category.

The awards, now in their 34th year, are sponsored by UK Sport.

Full list of winners:

Sports Photographer: Laurence Griffiths (Getty Images).

Sports Broadcaster of the Year: Jonathan Overend (BBC)

Sports Broadcaster (decided by a vote of SJA members): First - Jonathan Overend (BBC 5Live), Second - Mark Saggers (TalkSport), Third - Jake Humphrey (BBC television).

Sports Feature Writer: Matthew Syed (The Times).

Sports Interviewer: Donald McRae (Guardian).

Sports Scoop: Mazher Mahmood (News of the World).

Sports News Reporter: Neil Ashton (News of the World).

Specialist Correspondent: Henry Winter (Daily Telegraph).

Sports Columnist: Michael Atherton (The Times).

Young Sports Writer: Oliver Brown (Daily Telegraph).

Regional Sports Writer: Martin Smith (The Star, Sheffield).

Freelancer Ed Hawkins, winner of the Sports Betting prize sponsored by Victor Chandler

Victor Chandler Sports Betting Writer: Ed Hawkins (Freelance).

Cartoonist: Kerber & Black (Daily Mirror).

Internet Sports Writer: Nick Harris (Sportingintelligence.com).

Sports Picture: Paul Gilham (Getty Images).

Sports News Picture: Eddie Keogh (Reuters).

Sports Portfolio: Laurence Griffiths (Getty Images).

Specialist Portfolio: Carl De Souza (AFP).

Radio Sports Programme (selected by a vote of SJA members): First - Test Match Special (BBC Radio), Second - 5Live Sport (BBC Radio), Third - Ryder Cup (BBC 5Live).

Television Sports Programme (selected by a ballot of SJA members): First - Sky Sports Cricket, Second - Wimbledon (BBC), Third - Ryder Cup (Sky).

Doug Gardner Award: Patrick Eagar.

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