James Holt

In just three years as a reporter at the Manchester Evening News, James Holt has established himself as a vital part of the newsroom, “demonstrating many competencies from sourcing and breaking exclusives to digital journalism”, according to judges. 

They were blown away by his body of work: from breaking the national exclusive video of two men being kicked by police at Manchester airport, to discovering wifi servers being hacked across UK train stations and a gun being found in the bathroom of a glamorous, celebrity-attended restaurant launch. Holt also carried out exclusive interviews and developed new lines on the disappearance of Jay Slater on the ground in Tenerife, which judges said showed ”a reporter capable of handling national and international-level stories under pressure”.

Holt was praised by police for his sensitivity in reporting from the middle of a riot outside an asylum hotel, which judges admitted “required bravery and street sense”, especially as he was the only reporter on the scene. He is also recognised as a talented multimedia journalist, often using Facebook Live and self-filmed mini video documentaries in his reporting. 

To achieve all this at Holt’s age “is a great accomplishment and will have required confidence and independent working”, judges said. “Holt’s submissions show his professionalism, talent and integrity as a journalist.”