RTS Television Journalism Awards

The scheme partners senior news operators which in the past has included Channel 4’s Matt Frei and BBC broadcaster Jeremy Bowen, with journalists who are in the early stages of their career.

Now in its sixth year, the Trust is expanding its selection criteria to include those entering journalism from non-traditional routes.

He’s had a colourful career in journalism; from various roles at the BBC to his current job anchoring Channel 4 News alongside Cathy Newman and Jon Snow.

Reporting on politics and current affairs around the world, Guru-Murthy has travelled to Venezuela, Yemen, Israel and Syria during the last 12 months to report on the very different crises taking place in the regions. From geopolitical stories, to economics and social development, the past year has been a challenge and a joy, in terms of international travel and going after the bigger stories.

“It’s an all-consuming job which can be immensely satisfying, but it demands a great deal and you have to be prepared to make that commitment… Sounds awful [but] it’s a lot of fun and you get to travel and someone else pays for it.”

Bowen has become a household name during his 33 year career at the BBC, reporting from conflict zones across the world. He can still reel off the names of the hotels he’s stayed in while reporting from El Salvador, Bosnia, Croatia and Iraq. “I’m a bit obsessed with hotels,” he admits.

As the face of ITV’s flagship news programme and the moderator of ITV’s political discussion programme The Agenda – an experience he sometimes compares to “refereeing a really bad tempered football game”, Bradby is in the driving seat of television news.

“We have a lot of really high quality people,” he begins. “I am effectively a conductor, saying ‘I’ve got this brilliant cellist, this brilliant violinist.’”

Benjamin’s career began while still at university where he launched a travel website, Informed Explorer and began producing video content. He is now the editor of BBC Pop Up, a mobile bureau which travels the world making current affairs documentaries, as well as a programme maker for Panorama, the BBC’s long running investigative series.

Born in Liverpool and without any connections in journalism or the BBC, Zand has forced his way up through hard work and talent, and along the way he has picked up a lot of handy advice.

The stained linen suit, the self-draining tumbler of Scotch, the well-turned tale about cheating death on the road – my every preconception about war correspondents has just been shattered by meeting Nima Elbagir.

Although she shares all their best qualities, she is not as other foreign hacks. She doesn’t drink. She doesn’t brag. And when she flies into a war zone she packs her prayer mat.

Really? “Actually, I tend to use whatever I can find. My camping towel will generally do.”

Watch extended highlights from the award ceremony.