S2F deliver an SJA British Sports Awards with a difference

Nearly 50 years after their first – and until now, only – television appearance, the annual SJA British Sports Awards ceremony was broadcast nationwide on Wednesday.

This wasn’t a gala dinner or lunch as has been traditional but it certainly delivered star power, and the winners were of course announced to a much bigger audience than the Awards would usually command.

This was new ground for the S2F team who worked alongside the SJA and Sky Sports to deliver the awards from pitching the concept to seeing it through to delivery.

Starting at the crack of dawn, and with SJA President Darren Lewis on hand throughout the day to introduce the recipients, this was a prizegiving occasion that had plenty of personality.

Alex Yee, the newly crowned SJA Sportsman of the Year, was among the guests to visit the Sky Sports News studio to collect his trophy and discuss the achievements of the past 12 months.

Before the Olympic and world triathlon champion’s arrival on set, three medal-winning members of the Great Britain rowing team at Paris 2024 – Hannah Scott, Emily Ford and Tom Ford – were on hand to accept the SJA Team of the Year Award.

Completing an Olympic triumvirate of top honorees was Keely Hodgkinson, whose triumph on the track in the 800m was one of the British highlights of the Games.

Viewers were able to hear from the middle-distance marvel and Sportswoman of the Year via a pre-recorded interview, and in this age of international commitments and jet-setting, several other winners did the same.

Five-time Olympic medal-winning diver Tom Daley won the J.L. Manning Award for services to sport off the field of play and he spoke to SSN from Tokyo where he was opening a new knitting exhibition.

England’s Euro 2024 semi-final goal hero Ollie Watkins picked up his SJA President’s Award at St George’s Park. Lewis had based his decision on the moment of pure sporting joy that Watkins had provided to the nation.

The SJA Committee Award winner was Wigan Warriors head coach Matt Peet, who guided his team to an incredible ‘Grand Slam’ season of four major trophies.

Teenage sensations Luke Littler and Poppy Maskill are the SJA’s breakthrough athletes of the year.

Littler followed up his incredible run to the World Darts Championship final at the start of 2024 by claiming the Premier League, World Series and Grand Slam titles, while Maskill was ParalympicsGB’s most successful athlete in Paris. They are joint Peter Wilson Trophy winners.

The National Lottery Spirit of Sport Award went to another Paralympic gold medallist, Alice Tai. The award recognises outstanding performers who prove themselves to be role models in life as well as in sport.

Another British summer hero was cyclist Tom Pidcock, whose thrilling triumph in the Olympic mountain biking event saw him retain his title and pick up the Pat Besford Award for outstanding performance of the year.

Back in 1963, the SJA (then known as the Sports Writers’ Association) inaugurated the Bill McGowran Trophy for achievements in para sports.

Gold medal-winning paratriathlete Dave Ellis, whose guide is Luke Pollard, and para-archer Jodie Grinham took the accolades here after their success in Paris.

The SJA Chair’s Award recognised the achievements of Joe Root after he hit the top of the all-time England Test run scorers chart.

The Sky and Kick It Out Equality and Inclusion Award was making its fourth appearance at the British Sports Awards. It is now named after the late Lord Ouseley, and Baroness Sue Campbell is the recipient.