A regional journalist is set to vie for his ninth title at an annual awards ceremony celebrating sports journalism.

Jon Colman, of the Carlisle News & Star, will defend his Regional Sports Journalist of the Year crown at this year’s Sports Journalists’ Association British Sports Journalism Awards.

Jon, pictured, won the category for the eighth time last year.

Also nominated are two-time winner Neil Allen, of Portsmouth daily The News, as well as Neil’s colleague Jordan Cross.

The shortlist is completed by Ciaran Kelly, who writes for Newcastle dailies The Journal and The Chronicle, last year’s runner-up Dafydd Pritchard, of BBC Sport Wales, and the Sunderland Echo’s Phil Smith.

David Walker, chairman of judges for the writing section of the awards, said: “The shortlists reflect the high standard of writing and interviewing across the board in all 11 of these categories.

“Overall we had 262 entries – a total of 917 articles – which our 78 judges whittled down to today’s elite.

“And it’s from these shortlists that our supreme champion, the Sportswriter of the Year, will be named at the awards on 6 March.

“I must thank our judges for their diligent, insightful work. The number of entries to some categories outweighed others but the judges were aware of what’s required of them and have now delivered their verdicts.”