Congratulations to everyone who has made it on to the shortlists for this year’s MJA Awards. Our judging panels had some difficult decisions and lively discussions, but they all agreed on one thing — the high standard of entries shows there is much to celebrate.

We are also celebrating a new award this year, the Dr David Delvin Award for Sex and Sexual Health Journalism, in memory of a remarkable man who helped pave the way for medical journalism as we know it today.

The Outstanding Contribution to Health or Medical Journalism, supported by our principal sponsor, Bristol-Myers Squibb, will be presented to the ‘best of the best’ from these shortlists, will be announced at the Awards ceremony on June 12. Former BBC newscaster, Maxine Mawhinney is our presenter for the evening.

We look forward to seeing you on the night — and don’t forget to RSVP using the form below.

 

Shortlists for the 2019 MJA Awards

Blogger of the Year

Jennie Agg for The Uterus Monologues

The Secret Doctor, BMA online and

Eve Simmons for Not Plant Based

 

Case Study of the Year — supported by Lilley

Jennie Agg, freelance, The 10-second test that could save newborns’ lives, published by the Daily Mail, Good Health section

Madlen Davies, health and science editor, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism: Womb loss in Malawi: an unfolding tragedy published by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism

Katie Goodman, Rachel Lucas, Tessa Chapman, ITN Stillbirth: Still a taboo aired on 5 News Tonight, Channel 5

Shaun Lintern, patient safety correspondent, Health Service Journal: These NHS staff were told the swine flu vaccine was safe, And now they’re suffering the consequences, published on Buzzfeed

Caroline Scott, freelance:  How Felix, the little boy who loved life, is helping other children battle the cruel disease that stole him away at six, published in the Daily Mail, Good Health section

 

Charity Writer or Broadcaster of the Year

Craig Brierley, University of Cambridge: Why we just can’t stop eating

Julie Penfold, freelance: Migraine and rebound headache, published in Challenging Migraine magazine

Katherine Woods, British Heart Foundation: My invisible heart condition

 

Dr David Delvin Award for Sex and Sexual Health Journalism — supported by Christine Webber

Sophie Cousins, freelance, Wherever you are, time is running out for treating gonorrhoea, published by Mosaic, The Wellcome Trust

Nicola Davis, the Guardian: How to grapple with soaring world population? An answer from Botswana

Kat Lay, health correspondent, The Times, School lectures tell teenage pupils that abortion is like Nazi crime

Penny Sarchet: Digital family planning, New Scientist

Patrick Strudwick, LGBT editor of Buzzfeed: This man became HIV-positive aged 16 when he lost his virginity. So he wrote a play about it

 

Editor of the Year — supported by Edelman

Barney Calman, Mail on Sunday

Jaime Kaffash, Pulse

Justine Hancock, Good Health, the Daily Mail

 

Feature of the Year (broadcast)

James Gallagher, Adrian Washbourne, BBC: The second genome

Katie Goodman, Rachel Lucas, Mike Field, ITN: Healing minds, 5 News Tonight, Channel 5

Melissa Hogenboom, BBC: What happens when you can’t trust your own brain?

Faye Kirkland, freelance: Online doctors uncovered, Panorama

 

Feature of the Year (general audience) — supported by Wiley

Sarah Boseley, health editor, The Guardian: The big sleep: how the world’s most troubled country is beating a deadly disease

Jo Macfarlane, freelance: Pret A Manger allergy death – parents interview, published in the Sunday Mirror, Mail on Sunday, Sunday Times, People, Sunday Express and Sunday Telegraph

Patrick Strudwick, Buzzfeed: This is what it’s like when your son dies from the chemsex drug GHB

Alexandra Thompson, senior health reporter, MailOnline: Love Island cot death warning: Doctor left aghast after contestants smother their ‘newborns’ with blankets (and another star sends his baby flying out of its pushchair)

Rachel Williams, freelance: From me to you (and you and you) with love, Guardian weekend magazine

 

Feature of the Year (specialist audience)

David Adam, freelance: A father’s fight to help his sons — and fix clinical trials, Nature

Lilian Anekwe, then deputy editor C+D (now social media editor , New Scientist) : A quarter of closed pharmacies are in most deprived areas, C+D

Peter Blackburn, health correspondent, British Medical Association: Streets of shame, The Doctor magazine

Jonathan Gornall, freelance: How MESH became a four-letter word, British Medical Journal

Samira Shackle, freelance: Violent crime is like infectious disease – and we know how to stop it spreading, Mosaic, The Wellcome Trust

 

Freelance of the Year

Jennie Agg – submitted work examples Pancreatic Cancer, Breathing Class, Miscarriages

Lucy Elkins

Sam Goodhand

Jo Macfarlane – submitted work examples FakeNews, HeartHealth,  Qureshi 

Jacqui Thornton

 

Mental Health Story of the Year

Keith Cooper, senior staff writer, The Doctor magazine: Born of injustice

Angus Crawford, Tony Smith, BBC: Instagram helped kill my daughter

Melissa Hogenboom, BBC Global: Locked up and vulnerable: When prison makes things worse, BBC Future

Geraldine Scott, health correspondent Eastern Daily Press: Mental health watch campaign

Newcomer of the Year — supported by Sanofi

Elisabeth Mahase, deputy news editor, Pulse: Revealed: the awareness campaigns that risk distorting clinical priorities

Sarah Newey, Daily Telegraph: Harnessing Africa’s baby boom: Women seize power over their fertility – and future

Rebecca Thomas, Health Service Journal: CQC warning amid claim hospital patients treated like ‘cattle’

 

News Story of the Year (broadcast)

Matt Graveling, BBC: Ambulance wait times, BBC South

Paul Kelso, Rachel Lucas, Matt Burge, Jeremy Joseph, Sky News: Trapped in care

Patrick Russell, Allegra Stratton, Andy Dick, Tony Mewse, ITV: Violent crime and the NHS

 

News Story of the Year (general audience) — supported by Roche

Laura Donnelly, health editor, Daily Telegraph: Calorie cap for ready meals and restaurants

Andrew Gregory, health editor, Sunday Times: Obesity

Helen McArdle, Herald & Times Group Newspapers: Failing NHS board raided £2.7m from charity fund

Sarah Boseley, health editor, The Guardian: Measles cases at highest for 20 years in Europe, as anti-vaccine movement grows

Lois Rogers, Caroline Wheeler, Gabriel Pogrund: Gosport GP Jane Barton ‘responsible for hundreds of deaths’, The Sunday Times

 

News Story of the Year (specialist audience)

Nicholas Carding, James Illman, Ben Glover, Shaun Lintern, Health Service Journal: NHS clinical waste scandal

Gareth Iacobucci, chief reporter, British Medical Journal: Patients with type 1 diabetes are missing out on flash glucose devices, finds BMJ investigation

Shaun Lintern, patient safety correspondent, Health Service Journal: Dozens more maternity failings exposed at scandal hit trust

Regional Reporter of the Year

Jonathan Gibson, BBC Birmingham: Opioid addiction, Inside Out

Helen McArdle, health correspondent, Herald & Times Group Newspapers: Young Scots diagnosed with bowel cancer hits record high

Geraldine Scott, health correspondent, Eastern Daily Press: Will hospice ever be built? Donations top £2m but goal may be impossible

 

Science Explained — supported by MSD

Kat Arney, freelance: The DNA detectives hunting the causes of cancer, Mosaic, The Wellcome Trust

Michael Le Page, senior reporter, New Scientist: A new kind of superfood

Jo Macfarlane, freelance, The Miraculous Stem Cell Revolution, The Mail on Sunday

Ed Prosser, Jules Bartl, Gregory Lim, Nigel Manington: Blood, rats and anticoagulants: The story of warfarin, a Nature video production

Fergus Walsh, Rachael Buchanan, Julius Peacock, George Spencer, BBC: 100,000 genomes, BBC TV News

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