Almost 500 entries have been whittled down to a shortlist ahead of the NCTJ Awards for Excellence 2021.

This year’s awards received a record-breaking 481 entries across 17 categories, in addition to the 1,407 students and trainees eligible for the scheme’s Student and Trainee of the Year awards.

There were 24 entries for the Community News Project Award, which recognises the exceptional work done by reporters under the Facebook-funded scheme.

A number of CNP reporters are also shortlisted for awards in various other categories, while Journalism Diversity Fund recipients also feature heavily in this year’s shortlist.

Two JDF recipients, Sophia Alexandra Hall and Isabelle Jani-Friend, are shortlisted alongside News UK and Jem Collins, founder of Journo Resources, for the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award.

The winners will be announced in a ceremony in the spring, with further details to be announced in early 2022.

The full shortlist is as follows:

Student News Journalism
David Averre, News Associates London
Neha Gohil, News Associates London
Elsa Maishman, NCTJ distance learner

Trainee/Apprentice News Journalism
Shona Elliot, Edinburgh Evening News
Sophie Perry, Oxford Mail
Melissa Sigodo, My London

Student Sports Journalism
David Averre, News Associates London
Katie Catherall, NCTJ distance learner
Tomas Hill Lopez-Menchero, News Associates London

Trainee/Apprentice Sports Journalism
Nathan Atkinson, Bradford Telegraph & Argus
Ellen McCarthy, Sky Sports News
Rachel Steinberg, Sportsbeat
Simeon Wright, talkSPORT

Student Top Scoop
Lucia Banks, Harlow College
Phoebe Dampare Osei, News Associates London
Sophia Alexandra Hall, News Associates London

Trainee/Apprentice Top Scoop
Bradley Deas, Bradford Telegraph & Argus
Shazad Hussain, Berkshire Live and Buckinghamshire Live
Charlotte McLaughlin, East Anglian Daily Times and Ipswich Star

Student Features
Helen Brown, News Associates London
Callum Gaunt, News Associates Manchester
Madeline Mussen, PA Training

Trainee/Apprentice Features
Dani Cole, The Mill
Sofia Della Sala, OxfordshireLive
Rory Sullivan, The Independent

Student Podcast Journalism
Santosh Rudravajhala, University of Salford
Jack Shute, University of Gloucestershire
Roberta Twidale, Nottingham Trent University

Trainee/Apprentice Podcast Journalism
Connor Gormley, Winchester Today
Carolina Herranz-Carr, ITV
Immy Share, News Shopper

Student Data Journalism
Natalie Crookham, Kingston University
Beth Gulliver, Cardiff University
Jacklin Kwan, News Associates Manchester
Natasha Livingstone, News Associates London

Trainee/Apprentice Data Journalism
Matilda Martin, TES
Laura Parnaby, PA Media

Best Student Project
Actually Autistic: Hiding in plain sight, University of Kent
Noelle, University of Sunderland
Transplants – The Patients on Pause, University of Kent

Student of the Year Award
Paul Kilbey, News Associates Manchester
Imran Marashli, PA Training
Elaine McCallig, News Associates London
Alice Preece, University of Sheffield
Georgina Quach, University of Sheffield
Daisy Stephens, Kingston University

Apprentice of the Year Award
Jody Doherty-Cove, Brighton Argus/Highbury College
Sophie Skyring, Norwich Evening News/Darlington College
Max Stephens, The Telegraph/PA Training
Aisha Zahid, Sky News/PA Training

Trainee of the Year Award
Ryan Evans, Basingstoke Gazette
Abigail Maclure, Yorkshire Evening Post
Brogan Maguire, Sheffield Star
James Robinson, Hexham Courant

Innovation of the Year Award
Nottingham Trent University
University of Kent
University of Sheffield

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award, sponsored by the Financial Times
Sophia Alexandra Hall, Classic FM
Jem Collins, Journo Resources
Isabelle Jani-Friend, freelance journalist
News UK

Community News Project award
Rosie Boon, Peterborough Telegraph
Alex Davis, DevonLive
Bradley Deas, Bradford Telegraph & Argus
Naomi de Souza, CoventryLive
Laoise Gallagher, KentOnline

The chairman’s award will be presented at the ceremony in spring 2022.