The home of English rugby union is to host the National Council for the Training of Journalists’s annual awards next year.

The NCTJ has announced its 2022 Awards for Excellence will be held at London’s Twickenham Stadium in March.

A total of 59 nominees have been shortlisted across 17 categories, after the NCTJ received a total of 444 entries.

The winners will be announced at an awards lunch on 2 March, following a seminar for training providers delivering NCTJ-accredited courses, as well as their industry advisers.

Mark Hudson, head of early talent at awards sponsor News UK, said: “News UK is delighted to sponsor the NCTJ awards for a second year.

“The quality of journalism produced by all the entrants is incredible; judges’ decisions must be made by the finest of margins. It’s an annual reminder that the future of journalism is in safe hands.”

The full shortlist is as follows:

Student News Journalism
Miriam Kuepper, University of Sheffield
Sabrina Miller, PA Training
Olivia Snelson, University of Salford

Trainee News Journalism
George Arthur Carden, Brighton Argus
Danielle Masterson, The Sun
Melissa Sigodo, The Mirror

Student Sports Journalism
Um-E-Aymen Babar, News Associates London
Andrew McLean, University of Sheffield
Kit Shepard, News Associates London

Trainee Sports Journalism
Matthew Kayanja, The Times and The Sunday Times
Ji-Min Lee, Wokingham Today

Student Top Scoop
Tom Edward Burgess, Cardiff University
Bartholomew Hall, University of Kent
Olivia Jones, Kingston University

Trainee Top Scoop
Maya George, Southern Daily Echo
Annie Owen, North Wales Live
Albert Tait, Henley Standard

Student Features of the Year
Matt Lee, Nottingham Trent University
Emma Ogao, University of Kent
Jack Walton, News Associates Manchester

Trainee Features of the Year
Yasmin Choudhury, The Times and The Sunday Times
Ayokunle Oluwalana, MyLondon
Georgina Quach, Financial Times

Student Podcast of the Year
Isabella Rosa Jewell, University of Salford
Oliver Murphy, News Associates London
Sharmeen Ziauddin, Kingston University

Trainee Podcast of the Year
Micaela Arneson, Mission Based Media
Sam Harrison, Bury Free Press and Suffolk News
Bobby Twidale, freelance journalist

Student Data Journalism
Jinqian Li, University of Sheffield
Rut Urios Vidal, University of Kent
Sharmeen Ziauddin, Kingston University

Trainee Data Journalism
Isabella Boneham, National World
Eamon Farhat, Bloomberg
Damian Shepherd, Bloomberg

Student Project of the Year
Widnes Vikings: More Than a Club, by Jack Kinsella, Liverpool John Moores University
The Bloody Truth: Period Poverty and Shame, by Olivia Snelson, University of Salford
An Investigation into Access to High Level Sport and Development Pathways for Teenagers and Young Adults, by Alexander Smith, Liverpool John Moores University

Innovation of the Year
Josh Joseph, from Glasgow Caledonian University
News Associates
Lisa Bradley, from the University of Sheffield

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award
Ability Today’s Academy for Disabled Journalists
Amrit Singh Mann, Sky News
LGBTQ+ Journalism Network

Community News Project Award
Tom Bedworth, Warrington Guardian
Megan Howe, Shropshire Star
Ayokunle Oluwalana, My London
Albert Tait, Henley Standard
Daniella Theis, Greenock Telegraph
Paul McAuley, Liverpool Echo

Apprentice of the Year
Danielle Desouza, PA Media, PA Training
Tymiah Ford, Times Radio, PA Training
Tamika Green, Bury Free Press, Darlington College
Daniel Kane, talkSPORT, PA Training
Georgia Langdon, Hexham Courant, Darlington College
Lauren Pinkney, Sky News, PA Training

Trainee of the Year
Amy Austin, Financial Times
Alec Evans, Surrey Live
Georgia Harland, Henley Standard

The Student of the Year shortlist will be announced in January, while the Chairman’s Award be presented at the ceremony in March.