Accra, Jan 17, GNA - Media Trust, the initiators of the National Sports Journalist Awards, which started last year have outlined the categories and criteria for the awards ceremony this year.

At a stakeholder's conference in Accra on ways to improve upon the inaugural awards ceremony, it was decided that unlike the maiden awards that had a winner selected by a panel constituted by the organisers, all interested journalists would now have to submit copies of their best write ups to a panel of judges for selection of the eventual winners.

There will be 12 award categories in all, with the grand prize being the "Sports Journalist of the Year" award which will go to the journalist whose individual piece of work submitted for the other categories merit the award either from the electronic or print media. Some of the categories of the awards are the 'Sports Presenter of the Year' for Radio and Television, 'Sports Writer of the Year', 'Sports Paper of the Year', 'Sports Station of the Year', 'Sports Columnist of the Year' and the 'Best Commentator of the Year'.

For the 'Sports Presenter of the Year', Radio award, the category would be in two categories with one for English and the other for the local languages whilst that of Television would be restricted to the English language.

The stakeholders meeting was organised by Media Trust to fine tune the awards categories and outline the criteria needed to avoid the furore that came up after last year's award ceremony.

Journalists interested in the categories of 'Sports Presenter of the Year for Radio and Television', 'Sports Writer of the Year', 'Sport Columnist of the Year', 'Best Commentator Radio and Television', 'Best Cartoonist and Photographer' Awards, interested parties will have to submit their three best pieces to a committee of judges. For the categories of 'Sports Paper of the Year' and 'Sports Stations of the Year for Radio and Television', the eventual winner would be decided from the votes of the general public.

The second award ceremony is scheduled for April this year at the Coconut Groove Hotel in Accra. 17 Jan. 06