Did your column make a splash?

Entry guide: Commentator of the Year

Jan 06, 2025

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The trophy for Commentator of the Year will be awarded to the best journalist with a regular column (print/broadcast/digital) in 2024.

Entering is a great way to raise your profile celebrate your individual accomplishments.

Judges will be looking for evidence that you were the best financial journalist with a regular column (print/broadcast/digital) covering City, business, and personal finance issues in 2024.

Were your views clearly insightful and useful? Did you consistently highlight issues important to them Were you able to present complex subject matter in an appropriate and accessible style for your audience?

Entries will close at 11pm on Friday 7 February 2025 for the journalist categories. Please note, for the 2025 awards, entries will NOT be accepted after the entry deadline due to a limited judging time frame.

You'll need to submit:

A short supporting statement (maximum 300 words) explaining why you should be considered for this award and why your submission deserves to win.
Three examples of your columns showcasing your specialist skill as a commentator on personal finance and money matters.
A headshot of yourself for use in relevant Awards collateral and on the night at the Headlinemoney Awards ceremony.

Judges refer extensively to supporting statements during their deliberations, so be sure to include:

A clear explanation of where your pieces were published and any useful background/context for each.
Relevant info so judges can see the impact of your columns, other editorial items of interest.
Any positive outcomes from your submissions, e.g. help for readers/consumers/industry, debate in Parliament, change in the law, a review into the way things are done, etc.
Evidence of your dedication, professionalism and reputation for efficiency.

When looking at your three examples of work, judges are likely to consider:

Is your copy well-written, accurate and useful for the audience concerned?
Are your submissions fresh and original? Do they explore new angles or provide new warnings?
Are your submissions campaigning and/or include a call-to-action?
Did you make accurate predictions/forecasts?
Did your submissions produce a positive result? For example, prompt a change in the law, a review into the way things are done, etc?
Where relevant, do they contain sensible tips for readers, further steps, etc?
Do your submissions make good use of aids such as tables, graphs, break-out boxes, case studies, etc?

Past winners:

2024 Johanna Noble, The Times and The Sunday Times
2023 Holly Mead, The Times and The Sunday Times
2022 Claer Barrett, Financial Times
2021 Will Robins New Model Adviser
2020 James Coney The Times & The Sunday Times

Hall of Fame - All journalist winners

Johanna Noble, The Times and The Sunday Times, collects her trophy from Jonathan Goodstone, Head of UK PR at Vanguard and Awards host Rachel Parris.

Shortlisting, judging & winners

Entries submitted by journalists across all categories will initially be shortlisted by a panel of judges and announced in April 2025.

After shortlisting, the final and all-important judging phase to decide all the category winners will take place. Judging panels include over a hundred judges comprising senior financial journalists, editors and PRs drawn from around the UK’s financial media.

Widely acknowledged as the biggest night of the year for the UK’s money media, the industry will come together on Wednesday 16 July 2025, where the winners will be revealed at The Brewery in London, at the Headlinemoney Awards 2025.

Good luck and we look forward to receiving your entries!

Contacts

Event enquiries
Vicky Finch
vicky.finch@emap.com

Entry enquiries
Claire Beard
claire.desilva@headlinemoney.co.uk

Headlinemoney

Editorial contacts

Claire Beard, Head of Content & Strategy
Working hours 9.30am - 3pm, Monday - Friday
claire.desilva@headlinemoney.co.uk
07714 660 846

Hanita Patel, Content Manager
hanita.patel@headlinemoney.co.uk

Membership/subscription contact

Martin Quinn, Head of Group Sales
martin.quinn@headlinemoney.co.uk
020 8075 8155 / 07944 043556

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