Times Formula One blog nominated for top award
Last year was the most thrilling Formula One season in history, with the arrival of Lewis Hamilton as the sport's latest sensation and a drivers' championship that came down to the final bend of the final race.
A good time, then, for Times Online to launch Ed Gorman on to the blogosphere. Our motor racing correspondent's diary of life on the Formula One tour became a daily read for fans around the world and has been recognised with a nomination in the Sports Journalism Awards.
Gorman was nominated in the Sports Internet Writer category for his collection of blog posts, which featured his photography skills as well his writing. The judges at the Sports Journalism Association were taken by Gorman's analysis of the run-in to the end of the season, his eye-witness account of Hamilton's crash at the Nurburgring and his unique collection of close-up photographs of Kimi Raikkonen's vehicle in the pitlane.
Gorman forms part of an excellent sports team at The Times. The newspaper has received 13 nominations in sports journalism's "Oscars" - five more than the next best paper. Neil Harman, our tennis correspondent, has received three nominations, in the Specialist Correspondent, Sports News Reporter and Sports Story categories. In the latter, he broke the news ahead of the rest of the world that Tim Henman was to announce his retirement.
There were also nominations for Martin Samuel for Specialist Correspondent and Sports Columnist, Simon Barnes for Sports Columnist, Matthew Syed as Sports Feature Writer and Sports Interviewer, Matt Dickinson as Sports Interviewer and the whole Times team for its cricket series "Bodyline 75 Not Out".
The Bodyline series, which can be read here, had a substantial presence on Times Online as well as in the newspaper. It was supported by a lively podcast debate and the groundbreaking Mr Jardine's Video Diaries, in which the comedian Andy Zaltzman played England's dastardly cricket captain.
Rounding out the nominations, Marc Aspland, The Times's sports photographer, has been nominated for two awards, for Sports News Picture and Sports Portfolio.
Nominations for the prestigious Sports Writer of the Year award will be announced next week. Martin Samuel, The Times's football correspondent, will be hoping to defend the title he has won for the past two years. The Times is also defending its Sports Team award, which it won for its football World Cup coverage in 2006.
Congratulations one and all. Gorman's Formula One blog became a regular read of mine last season and I cannot wait for our esteemed host to get back into the swing of things next month. Keep up the good work.
Posted by: Ollie | 26 Feb 2008 16:49:09
Ed Gorman should share the trophy with the Spaniards who posted most of his blog.
Posted by: nicki, california,usa | 26 Feb 2008 18:07:06
Congratulations, Ed. Beyond all possible past confrontations and discussions, I think you deserve it.
Greetings from Spain!
Posted by: Pozi | 26 Feb 2008 19:07:33
Congratulations Ed
Posted by: Juan Guardiola | 27 Feb 2008 05:41:36
Well done Ed! Loved the blog last year and looking forward to more of the same this year i.e Lewis beating Fernando! Great to see him in front of both Kimi and Schuey this week. Lucky Rookie? I don't think so...
Posted by: Steve - Madrid | 27 Feb 2008 07:58:29
Well Ed, Congratulations. I think you owe quite a percentage of this success to your spanish readers.
Posted by: Alonso's miracles | 27 Feb 2008 10:13:32
Ed,
Well done.
Posted by: Kathryn S | 27 Feb 2008 15:05:44
Congratulations Ed, I enjoy the blog so much.
You should rule the whole F1 departament, they are doing a unprofessional work today in certain article.
Posted by: xeron | 27 Feb 2008 19:43:08
It's a good reward for a year of hard work.
You deserve it, Ed.
I hope you win it. Anyhow, Congratulations!
Posted by: IDR | 27 Feb 2008 23:38:57
Congratulations Ed - next move - a book. I am looking forward to your excellent posts once again starting March. Indeed you could start now by giving us some inside stuff seeing there is so much happening e.g. is Ron Dennis really being kicked out of McLaren and if so what will happen to Lewis? What really happened in Brazil - it wasn't a wrong button, right?
Posted by: CHIUNDA | 28 Feb 2008 08:27:23
Hey Mr. Ed,
Last year your blog ligheted up F1 - Internet like a house on fire. Being piggybacked to the Times surely helped to bring in (interactive) viewers but most of the honours go to yourself and the relenteless way you reported and admnistered the blog.
Well done!
How does it feel to be the rookie sensation of the year?
Roll on 2008!! Can't wait!
José
Posted by: José - Perth - Australia | 28 Feb 2008 21:10:15
Congratulations!
Although we have different views on a lot of Formula One, I respect the work you have made, as well as its quality. I look forward to reading more of your blogging (with more polls, I hope (: ).
Posted by: Anon | 1 Mar 2008 15:40:46
Congratualtions! Most of your blog entries are full of lies, manipulation, McLaren propaganda and exacerbated nationalism and even considering this you are nominated to an award!
Posted by: ALLMAN | 1 Mar 2008 21:55:38
ALLMAN, ED is not been nominated dispite his blog been full of lies, manipulation, McLaren propaganda and exacerbated nationalism. He has been nominated just for that, and with a little help of Spanihs fans. I just hope ED keeps the sense of humor.
Posted by: Jordi | 2 Mar 2008 21:02:28
Good one Ed, congratulations! Looking forward to the return of the blog!
Posted by: Herefordshire contributor | 2 Mar 2008 23:18:07
- Quote -
Congratualtions! Most of your blog entries are full of lies, manipulation, McLaren propaganda and exacerbated nationalism and even considering this you are nominated to an award!
POSTED BY: ALLMAN | 1 MAR 2008 21:55:38
- End Quote -
Does that fact suggest to you in any way that it could just be your own objectivity that is open to question...?
Just maybe?
No; I don't suppose it will.
Must all be yet another conspiracy , then...
Posted by: D (real D) | 3 Mar 2008 14:49:39
Did you guys hear the reports that Ron Dennis will officially step down? (F-1 Live). I sure hope so. This will help McClaren a great deal, because Dennis had no idea how to control his pilots It comes as a blow to Hamilton, but at least McClaren will be able to win a championship this time. For those like Andy G who claimed Dennis had rightfully destroyed Alonso's career, this must be a bit of a shocker. But hey, look at the bright side: it's not official yet.
Regards
Posted by: Anon | 3 Mar 2008 18:44:07
Well, it's actually hard to believe that "Ed's" blog got a nomination, but congratulations then. From an entertainment point of view the blog was a must... at least the first ones, once you keep on reading so much anger and lies then I stopped reading. I believed Ed had said he would stop posting in 2008?! Whatever, if he got a nomination, (an "Oscar of the sports journalism by internet" LOL) that shows how great the nominators are. Hope we have a good F1 season and that F1 stops giving advantages to ´his´darling Lewis.
Posted by: Manuel | 8 Mar 2008 21:57:20
I hope the season is as exciting as last so that even novices to the sport like me are gripped throughout. How sad that the small-minded are already slinging mud around - 'lies, manipulation' etc - and Ed has barely written a word. Good piece in the paper on Kimi today btw; or was that also biased, untrue and favouring Lewis in some way I missed?
Posted by: Kate Charlton-Jones | 10 Mar 2008 16:43:22