Pictured l-r: Prof. Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, Dean, UCD College of Business; Emer Gilvarry, Chairperson & Partner, MH&C and Peter Clarke, Director, eircom Wholesale

UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School launched the 9th annual Business Journalist Awards yesterday, in association with eircom Wholesale, to recognise excellence in Irish business journalism. Print, broadcast and online business journalists are invited to submit entries via www.smurfitschool.ie/bja, before the closing date of Wednesday, 16th September, 2015. Entries can be submitted by nominees themselves or on behalf of journalists by editors or peers. The winner of each category will be honoured at an awards ceremony on Monday, 30th November and will receive a €1,000 prize.

This year’s categories, which are open to journalists throughout the island of Ireland, are: – Business News Story of the Year – Economic Commentator of the Year – Business Analyst of the Year – Specialist Business Reporter of the Year – Business Interview of the Year – Upcoming Journalist of the Year – Technology Reporter of the Year.

Two additional special awards will also be presented at the ceremony, that of Outstanding Achievement Award and the UCD Smurfit School Alumni Choice Award. The Alumni Choice is awarded based on a popular vote from over 70,000 UCD Business Alumni, at home and abroad, who are eligible to vote for their favourite business journalist, based on the journalist’s contribution within the previous 12 months.

Since its launch in 2007, the Business Journalist Awards has received over 900 entries from business journalists across print, broadcast and online media outlets in Ireland. The awards are run in conjunction with the Business Journalist Association of Ireland (BJAI).

Speaking at the launch of the Business Journalist Awards this morning, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, Dean, UCD Business, and a member of the judging panel said: “These awards are an important initiative for UCD Smurfit School to recognise the individual efforts of the business journalist community who contribute to our collective understanding of important business, financial and economic issues that shape our lives. Since the awards were established nine years ago the media landscape has changed considerably but it is clear from the quality of the entries year-on-year that an exceptionally high standard of business reporting is an increasingly vital aspect of our information age. I would encourage all business journalists in Ireland to submit their entries to ensure the adjudicating panel can appropriately recognise the very best of Irish business journalism.”

Carolan Lennon, Managing Director, eircom Wholesale, said: “eircom Wholesale is delighted to sponsor the UCD Smurfit School Business Journalist Awards for the third year running. Irish business journalism plays a hugely important role in informing both the business community and the general public on business matters and issues of the day that impact them both directly and indirectly. This awards scheme is an appropriate way of recognising excellence in reporting and analysis of the commercial landscape.”

Each entry is scrutinised by an independent panel of judges, comprising business, journalistic, economic and academic leaders. This year’s judging panel is comprised of: Emer Gilvarry; Partner, Mason Hayes + Curran (Chair); Miriam Hughes, CEO DDFH&B Communications Group; Jon Ihle, Head of Communications at Goodbody; Professor Donncha Kavanagh, UCD Smurfit School; Carolan Lennon, Managing Director eircom Wholesale; Simon McKeever, CEO of Irish Exporters Association; Joan Mulvihill, CEO at Irish Internet Association; Professor Ciarán Ó’ hÓgartaigh, Dean UCD College of Business; Emmet Oliver, Director of Global Corporate Communications, IDA; and Rodney Rice, Former RTE broadcaster.

Last year’s winners included Mark Paul and Ciaran Hancock from The Irish Times in the Business News Story category with John McManus, The Irish Times winning the award for Economic Commentator. The Specialist Business Reporter award was presented to Charlie Weston, Irish Independent with Sarah McCabe of Independent News & Media taking the prize for Upcoming Journalist. Ian Kehoe of Sunday Business Post was recognised in the Business Analyst category. Simon Carswell and Pamela Newenham of The Irish Times won in the respective categories of Business Interview and Technology Reporter while the UCD Smurfit School Alumni Choice Award was presented to Emmet Ryan, Sunday Business Post.