Varsity Clear Up at Media Awards

Varsity writers cleaned up at the Guardian Student Media Awards last night.

The paper, set up in 1931, has been contributed to by five of the winners and one runner-up.

Editor emeritus Patrick Kingsley walked off with the prestigious Student Journalist of the year award whilst Lent 2009’s co-editor, Michael Stothard, was labelled Reporter of the Year.

Ben Riley Smith, Sport’s editor in Michaelmas 2008, won best sports writer.

Zing Tsjeng, current features editor, was named Features writer of the year, beating candidates from York, Sheffield, South East Essex College and co-Cantab, Decca Mulowney.

Charlotte Runcie and current editor Robert Peal came first and second place respectively in the Columnist of the Year award.

Andrew Spyrou, frequent contributor of music reviews, narrowly missed out on the Critic of the Year award in association with NME.

 

Student journalist of the year Patrick Kingsley, of the University of Cambridge, with MediaGuardian editor Jane Martinson and Colin Murray. Photograph: Teri Pengilley/Teri Pengilley

No winners from the 2008 awards were Cantabrigians, making the results even more impressive.

The award for student newspaper of the year went to The Leeds Student.

Hugo Gye, co-editor of Varsity in Lent 2009 told The Tab, “It was the happiest day of my life.

“I’m incredibly proud of Varsity and think it shows that despite the changing world of media, there’s still a place for high quality journalism and I’m please the professionals have regognised that.

The awards were held in London at Camden’s popular Proud Galleries and were hosted by BBC DJ Colin Murray.

This year’s judging panel included Murray; Channel 4 News anchor Jon Snow; Today presenter Evan Davis; Alan Rusbridger, editor-in-chief of Guardian News & Media; Kwame Kwei-Armah, actor, writer and broadcaster; Jay Rayner, Observer restaurant critic; Jane Bruton, editor-in-chief of Grazia; and BBC Radio 5 Live’s Eleanor Oldroyd.

The Varsity team celebrate Kingsley’s victory.