Securities Finance Times’ (SFT) editorial team were among the winners of State Street’s 19th annual UK Institutional Press Awards, with editor Drew Nicol winning the ‘Best Editorial Comment’ category.
SFT reporter Natalie Turner was also shortlisted for ‘Journalist of the Year – COVID-19 commentary’.
The awards aim to recognise outstanding performance in institutional financial services reporting in the UK, covering investments, pensions, investor services, technology, and diversity and inclusion.
The record-breaking 200-plus entries were judged by an independent panel of industry professionals led by Julian Marr, group editor of Last Word Media, and Padraig Floyd, a veteran financial journalist.
Nicol picked up a trophy for his article ‘Who watches the watchman?’ which details the oversight failings and conflicts of interest among European regulators that emerged during the Wirecard scandal earlier this year, and highlighted the as-yet unresolved question of how the ill-advised short selling ban was justified.
Other shortlisted entries for this category include the Wall Street Journal’s city editor David Wighton and Paul Hodgson, a freelance columnist for Responsible Investor and author.
Turner, meanwhile, was commended for her coverage in early March of how a novel coronavirus was likely to affect global securities finance markets in the months ahead.
Her piece ‘Coronavirus uncertainty sparks angst in securities lending’ zeroed in on how the surging pandemic would impact global financing markets.
Journalists were honoured at a virtual event yesterday hosted by Joerg Ambrosius, head of Europe, Middle East and Africa at State Street.
“We congratulate all of this year’s shortlisted journalists and winners,” says Ambrosius. “In these unprecedented times, we thank them for the vital role they play in covering, analysing and debating complex issues in financial services reporting.”
Justin Lawson, group publisher of Black Knight Media, says: “We have always prided ourselves on the high quality editorial content produced by the team and to have our journalists recognised for these awards by their peers is a fantastic achievement and backs up what we have always known, for the best commentary on the securities finance markets there is only one place to come to.”
