Hundreds of editors and journalists from across the media came to the prestigious London Press Club Ball on Friday to celebrate in style at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane.
The Press Club presented Nick Ferrari with its prestigious Journalists’ Laureate award at the Ball which raised £25,000 for charity and good causes.
The award, sponsored by the SJH Group, honoured his excellence in journalism and outstanding broadcasting at LBC.
The LBC presenter was also awarded a £5,000 prize to be donated to The Caron Keating Foundation, established by his friend Caron’s mother Gloria Hunniford.
LBC report on Nick Ferrari award
The London Press Club Ball committee was able to give more than 500 guest tickets to editors, reporters from print and online, as well as television and radio journalists, to the champagne celebration thanks to sponsors the SJH Group.
As well as the Journalists’ Laureate donation, the SJH Group CEO Richard Freed also donated another £20,000 – £10,000 to the London Press Club and £10,000 to the Journalists’ Charity.
In their citation, London Press Club Ball Chairmen Robert Jobson and Ray Massey, said “Nick is at the top of his game – a brilliant broadcaster and interviewer. He was the stand-out candidate for us. He is a genius at his craft and his show on LBC is essential listening.”
Nick is only the third recipient of the top award after Eve Pollard, one of the first women to edit a national newspaper, and long-standing Daily Mail Editor Paul Dacre.
He collected the award – and an exclusive, engraved Visconti pen – from Press Ball Patron Lord Black of Brentwood and London Press Club Chairman, Doug Wills in front of a host of national newspaper editors and other leading media figures.
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- London Press Club Ball 2021
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- Nick Ferrari
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- Press Club Ball Patron Lord Black of Brentwood presents Nick Ferrari with his award.
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- London Press Club Ball Chairmen Robert Jobson (left) and Ray Massey
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- GB News’ Simon McCoy with his fiancee Emma Samms chat with the Mirror’s Kevin Maguire
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- Guests, including Coronation Street’s Victoria Ekanoye, enjoyed the dancing
Images courtesy of EJacobs Photography
More than 25 student Journalists from News Associates, where they are completing their NCTJ course and Media degrees, were also invited to the event to network.
Since taking over the event in 2013, London Press Ball Chairmen Robert Jobson and Ray Massey, have helped raise more than £150,000 for the Journalists’ Charity.
Ray and Robert said: “It is not easy to raise money to help journalists in real need. But it is now more important than ever in these post pandemic times to stick together to support our charity.
“It is also very important to raise money for the London Press Club that was established in 1882. It provides opportunities for journalists and others interested in the media to meet and learn of new developments, debate the latest issues and explore our collective past as communicators.
“We are indebted to CEO Richard Freed and the SJH Group, who are Media Partners of the Platinum Jubilee, for their continued support and we are looking forward to staging the fundraising ball again next year, as Her Majesty celebrates her amazing 70 year reign.”
Among those who attended were:
Daily Mail Editor Geordie Greig
Daily Express Editor Gary Jones
Mail on Sunday Deputy Editor David Dillon
Paul Henderson, Former Editor Sunday Mirror
Roger Alton, former editor of The Independent and The Observer, and executive editor of The Times
TV presenter and columnists Jane Moore and Carole Malone
Daily Mirror Associate Editor and TV political pundit Kevin Maguire
Award-winning journalist and GB News TV star Dan Wootton
Sun on Sunday Assistant Editor (Politics) David Wooding
Arthur Edwards MBE, Sun’s legendary royal photographer
GB News presenter Isabel Webster
Sky News presenter Samantha Washington
