For over 11 years, MHP has organised the 30 To Watch Journalism Awards. The event has grown in size and stature with every passing year and there is an absolutely stellar collection of the best and brightest active in British media today.
We hope that the 30 To Watch Politics Awards can do the same for young people at the start of their career in public policy and political communication. And if the fantastic calibre of entries we received this year is anything to go by, this is an achievement that will easily be met.
Politics hasn’t been pretty in recent months. Public confidence and trust in has ebbed away and economic and civic uncertainty in the future have been the consequence. The current governmental experience could cast a long shadow if we let it.
But up and down the Country, a new generation of thinkers, campaigners and communicators have been grappling with and finding solutions to a seemingly ever-lengthening list of seemingly intractable social, economic, and diplomatic challenges.
At a time of growing political polarisation and generational change, 30 To Watch Politics wants to celebrate the people in the early stages of their careers, who are already driving future change.
It’s fair to say our judging panel – made up of 11 leading figures from across the world of British politics – agonised over the list of award winners. They were looking for rising talent who developed innovative ideas, people whose work has had an impact in terms of public engagement and policy development, and people who have acted with integrity, making their case with compelling evidence and persuasive arguments.
We hear so often that politics doesn’t make a difference, that policy doesn’t matter. But the diverse, dynamic and committed list of entrants to this these first Awards proves, politics does matter.
Our future may be in safer hands than we think.
Here are our winners:
Inclusivity Champion of the Year: Becky Bainbridge – RECLAIM project
The Lobby Award for Best Young Political Journalist: Tony Diver – The Telegraph
Public Health Champion of the Year: Amika George – Freeperiods
Political Thinker of the Year: Adam Hawksbee – Onward
Campaigner of the Year: Abby Jitendra – Citizens Advice
Political Communicator of the Year: Charlotte John – Simple Politics
Elected Representative of the Year: Jack Sargeant – Senedd
Unifier of the Year: Leor Zmigrod – University of Cambridge
Niall Aslam – Activist
Jessica Barnard – Young Labour
Aveek Bhattacharya – SMF
Piers Birmingham – Politika
Tabitha Boyton – Res Publica Politics
Ben Cooper – Fabian Society
Kay Davidson – British Youth Council
Oli Dugmore – JOE Media
Antonio Ferreira – Beyond
Sharon Gaffka – Campaigner
George Holt – Young Conservative Network
Tom Home – blOKes Life
Miriam Juan-Torres Gonzalez – Othering & Belonging Institute & More in Common
Kerrie Portman – Just For Kids Law, North Herts Pride and Freelance
Daisie Rees-Evans – The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)
Emma Roddick – Scottish Parliament
Rosa Slater – The Politics Project
Chris Thomas – Institute for Public Policy Research
Peter Turay – Labour in Communications
Kwajo Tweneboa – Social Housing
Rustam Wahab – UK Fact Check Politics
Tom Westgarth – Tony Blair Institute for Global Change
MHP Mischief’s 30 To Watch Politics Awards are judged leading figures from across the world of British politics:
https://vimeo.com/740821741
If you have any questions about MHP Mischief’s 30 To Watch Young Journalist Awards please email [email protected].
James Gurling, Executive Chair, Public Affairs
We are pleased to announce the gold winners, in the 30 To Watch: Journalism awards, 2024... Read more
This is the 13th year of the 30 To Watch awards and once again the calibre of entries has been outstanding.... Read more