Pic l-r: Professor Anthony Brabazon, Dean of UCD Business, Breege O’Donoghue, Non-Executive Director, C&C Group plc and Pierce Butler, Head of Sectors, Bank of Ireland Business Banking

UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School has, today, launched the 12^th Annual Business Journalist Awards to recognise and reward excellence in Irish business journalism across all media platforms. This year will see Bank of Ireland confirmed as the new awards sponsor. Broadcast, print and online business journalists are invited to submit entries via www.smurfitschool.ie/bja before the closing date of Monday 17th September, 2018. Entries to the awards, which are run in conjunction with the Business Journalists Association of Ireland 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 in December and will each receive a €1,000 prize.

There are six categories open for contention this year and they are:

• Business News Story of the Year
• Economic Commentator/Business Analyst of the Year
• Business Feature of the Year
• Specialist Business Reporter of the Year
• Business Interview of the Year
• Upcoming Journalist of the Year 

In addition to these entry-based categories the judging panel may also award an Outstanding Achievement Award, recognition which has been awarded on eight previous occasions only.

Speaking at today’s launch, Professor Anthony Brabazon, Dean, UCD College of Business said: “Business journalism has and continues to play a crucial role in helping society gain a real understanding of the major financial and economic issues which shape our lives. With greater complexity in both national and international business the expertise needed to analyse and report with clarity and simplicity continues to increase so it is fitting that as Ireland’s foremost international business school that we recognise and reward these standards of excellence.”

Commenting on its sponsorship of this year’s awards, Pierce Butler, Head of Sectors, Bank of Ireland Business Banking, added: “Bank of Ireland is delighted to come on board and sponsor the UCD Smurfit School Business Journalist Awards for 2018. The awards scheme, which was established by the School in 2007, is a hugely important initiative which recognises excellence among the Irish business journalism community in their reporting and analysis of Ireland’s commercial landscape. Individually and collectively, Irish business journalists help the general public gain a real understanding of domestic and international events which impact Irish business and society.”

Each entry is examined by an independent panel of judges, comprising of academic, journalistic and business leaders. The 2018 judicial panel comprises: Breege O’Donoghue (Chair), Non-Executive Director, C&C Group plc and former Executive Director at Penneys/Primark; Pat Costello, former CEO of Chartered Accountants Ireland; Aidan Cotter, Chairman, Slaney Food and former Chief Executive of Bord Bia; Rodney Rice, retired broadcaster, RTÉ; Jim Aughney, media and financial consultant; Aileen O’Toole, co-founder of The Sunday Business Post and Non-Executive Director, The Road Safety Authority and Business in the Community, Jerry Liston, former Chairman of UCD Smurfit School, BWG Group, Kevin Broderick Ltd., Balcas Timber Ltd and former Board Member of Glanbia plc. Professor Gerardine Doyle, Associate Dean & Director of UCD Smurfit School, Professor Mary Lambkin, Professor of Marketing UCD College of Business, Alison Cowzer, Co-founder of East Coast Bakehouse amongst others.

Last year journalists were recognised across eight categories as follows: Mark Paul and Ciarán Hancock of The Irish Times in the Business News Story category, with the best Business Feature awarded to Ian Kehoe of Sunday Business Post/RTÉ for his TV documentary about vulture funds entitled, ‘The Great Irish Sell-off’. Mark Tighe from The Sunday Times took the prize for Specialist Business Reporter, while Brian Carey, also of The Sunday Times, won the award for Economic Commentator/Business Analyst. The award for Business Interview went to Gretchen Friemann, INM, with Peter O’Dwyer, Ireland Edition of the Times receiving the Upcoming Journalist of the Year award. Adrian Weckler, INM was recognised as Technology Journalist of the Year. The Outstanding Achievement Award was presented to Ingrid Miley of RTÉ.