The National Council for the Training of Journalists is set to hold its flagship event in Sunderland this year.

The NCTJ has announced the University of Sunderland will host for the 2019 Journalism Skills Conference, which will be held on Thursday 28 and Friday 29 November.

The Awards for Excellence gala dinner and ceremony, which recognises the NCTJ’s top courses and celebrates the best new journalistic talent, will take place at Sunderland AFC’s Stadium of Light, pictured, on the first evening of the conference.

Entries are now being welcomed for the awards, with more information available here.

Lee Hall, head of the school of media and communications at the University of Sunderland, said: “We are delighted to host the NCTJ Journalism Skills Conference and Awards for Excellence 2019.

“Sunderland is a city regenerating and redefining itself – much of this transformation is culture-led and driven by the university. The city has always been a hotbed for news and sport reporting so we can’t wait to give educators, speakers and aspiring journalists from around the UK a warm North East welcome.

“This is a moment of challenge, change and opportunity for the country and the news media. Our intention is to help deliver a conference programme that reflects these unprecedented times.

“At the University of Sunderland we have a fine reputation for high-quality journalism education and industry collaboration. We are proud of our strong links with the NCTJ and look forward to celebrating the achievements of the next generation of journalists in November.”