Guild Awards 2012: the winners

The much-anticipated event at the exclusive venue saw Guild members welcome sponsors, leading members of the automotive public relations industry, motorsport stars plus up-and-coming writers, to mark the presentation of awards to writers, editors, broadcasters, bloggers and photographers for their work.

Among those who were on hand to congratulate the winners were rally legend Paddy Hopkirk, Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion Andreas Mikkelsen, chairman of Magma Group Dr Martin Leach, BRDC secretary Stuart Pringle and Michael Quinn, grandson of Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons.

For 2012 there were more prizes than ever, representing a wider diversity of activities undertaken by motoring journalists today. Winners received cash and trophies – and Commended citations were made in many categories. Prize money totalled more than £23,000.

The Guild also presented its prestigious Driver and Rider of the Year awards, chosen by the Guild’s own motorsport experts. These went to British Formula Three champion Jack Harvey and World Superbikes star Tom Sykes respectively. Motorsport engineering legend Patrick Head received the President’s Trophy from Nick Mason.

The evening’s most coveted prize, the Renault UK/GoMW Journalist of the Year award, is bestowed on the writers judged to have made the most outstanding journalistic effort in any medium during the past 12 months. Traditionally this been restricted to just Guild members – but this year it was decided to open up a chance at the title to anyone in the industry and to create three awards. Read on to see who won these, and the other GoMW accolades…

The full list of 2012 Guild of Motoring Writers award winners (click each picture for the full-size version):

Award titleWinnerCommended
AA EnvironmentDavid Williams 
Audi Photographic – GeneralAlisdair Cusick 
Audi Photographic – MotorsportJakob Ebrey 
Bentley Motors InternationalAlistair Weaver 
BCA Feature Writer of the YearJack CarfraeMartyn Goddard
Cummins Commercial Vehicle Writer of the YearTim BlakemoreBrian Weatherley
Headlineauto Young Writer of the YearJamie Fretwell 
IAM Safety Award in memory of Christopher Bullock MBEDavid Williams 
Phil Llewellin Student of the Year Sponsored by CARJoanna Price 
Sir William Lyons Award Sponsored by JaguarAndrew BradySophie Williamson-Stothert
Market Engineering Automotive TechnologyGraham HeepsTony Lewin
Paul Horrell
Mercedes-Benz Award for the Montagu of Beaulieu TrophyIan WagstaffJonathan Wood
Mitsubishi Motors Award for Innovation in Regional Motoring JournalismDavid Duffy 
Newspress New MediaEd Foster (accepted on his behalf by Damien Smith) 
Peugeot Motorsport CupEd McDonoughChris Pickering
PFPR Editor of the YearDavid Lillywhite 
President’s TrophyPatrick Head 
Prova PR Business WriterJack CarfraeJames Baggott
Jorn Madslien
Renault UK/GoMW Journalist of the Year1st Ken Gibson
2nd Ben Oliver
3rd David Williams
 
RM Auctions Classic Writer of the YearDavid LillywhiteJames Ruppert
Skoda Design AwardJames Scoltock 
SEAT Breakthrough Blogger of the YearKeith JonesGavin Braithwaite-Smith

Congratulations to all those named above, and the Guild is particularly grateful to all existing and new sponsors for their support in 2012.