Former Newspaper Editor Claire Grady announced as new Chairperson of the NewsBrands Ireland Journalism Awards judging panel

Former Editor of the Irish Independent and Herald Claire Grady has been announced as the new Chairperson of the NewsBrands Ireland Journalism Awards Judging Panel. Claire will preside over a panel of independent judges who will be tasked with choosing the best journalism of the past year.

Speaking about her role, Claire said: “In an era of unprecedented competition for people’s attention, news media journalists in Ireland continue to be trusted voices, telling compelling stories.  The quality of entries for the Journalism Awards in recent, particularly challenging, years is a testament to the resilience and adaptability of journalists in the news media sector, and to their commitment to their craft.

“I’m honoured to be taking over from Tim Vaughan as chair of the judging panel and delighted to be playing a role in recognising the best of Irish journalism.”

Commenting on Claire Grady’s appointment, Ann Marie Lenihan, CEO of NewsBrands Ireland said: “We’re delighted to welcome Claire as the new Judging Panel Chairperson. Claire has been a member of the independent judging panel for the past three years and as a former national newspaper editor, with more than thirty years’ experience in journalism, her experience and expertise is second to none.”

This year’s awards received over 800 entries across 22 categories including Digital Innovation, Video Journalism, Politics, Business, Crime, Opinion, Sports, Features, Showbiz, Podcast, Arts, Business, and Magazine. The awards event will take place in Dublin’s Mansion House on Thursday November 17th and will be hosted by broadcaster and journalist Matt Cooper.

The judging begins later this month, and the shortlist will be announced at the end of October.

Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on November 17th.

For further details on the judging panel and previous Journalism Awards winner, go to www.journalismawards.ie