Cherwell’s website has been nominated for the Best Website in the Student Media Awards 2013 as the shortlist was announced yesterday on the Guardian’s website. In further success, two Cherwell staff members were nominated for individual awards, Sophie Hall Luke for the Student Critic of the Year, and Tom Beardsworth for Student Columnist of the Year.
Cherwell’s website is developed by alumnus Adam Hadley, whilst Bang!, Cherwell’s sister publication also run by OSPL (Oxford Student Publications Limited), has likewise been nominated for Best Website.
Tom Beardsworth, defying his harsh treatment at the hands of other Oxford media outlets, was modest in victory, “I’m flattered to be shortlisted for the award. However having twitter-stalked the other nominees, who without exception appear far more intelligent and verbose than I am, I doubt it’ll go any further.”
Hall Luke, meanwhile, was equally pleased with her nomination. “I’m chuffed to bits to be shortlisted for the Critic of the Year category. I can’t wait to start working on my so-happy-for-you clap in preparation for the ceremony. I only hope that criticising the year 2014 will prove to be as rewarding as criticising 2013 did.
It was a somewhat dry set of results for the Oxford Student. James Restall (former OxStu editor) was their only presence on the list of nominations, where he was listed for Best Student Reporter. This followed on from the 2012 shortlist where two separate OxStu editors, Isaac Delestre and James Rothwell, were shortlisted in this category.
Restall told Cherwell, “I’m very proud to have been short listed for this award. The last two years have been incredible working with such a talented group at the OxStu.”
Delestre, speaking to Cherwell, put the Student Media Awards in perspective, by saying, “I guess it’s kind of impressive, but when you’ve been dubbed history’s second worst Oxonian by a publication with the clout of the Oxford Tab, anything the Guardian has to offer really pales in comparison.”
The Oxford Medical School Gazette, “the oldest student medical journal in the world” was nominated for Student Publication of the Year, displacing both Cherwell and OxStu who had been nominated in this category the previous year.
Current Editor of Cherwell, Nick Hilton, commented, “The success of the website is testament to our continued position as Oxford’s top online news outlet. I’d also like to extend my congratulations to my predecessor, Tom Beardsworth, for his nomination in a category that many of us did not think he would be eligible for. He is indeed a man of many talents.”
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