Speedcafe.com has claimed three gongs at the Supercars Media Awards ahead of this weekend’s Newcastle 500.
Editor Tom Howard claimed top honours as a journalist, while cadet reporter Slade Perrins was recognised by his peers within the industry.
Howard claimed both Journalist of the Year and Breaking News Story of the Year, while Perrins became the inaugural winner of the ‘Young Gun’ award.
Picking up the story on Thursday at Hidden Valley, Howard worked into the night to break news that all 15 Holden Commodore ZBs had undergone a parity change in the lead-up to the event.
“The awards mean a lot to me,” said an overwhelmed Howard, who hails from the United Kingdom.
“Obviously thanks to Speedcafe’s founder Brett Murray and the rest of the team for providing me the opportunity to continue my career in Australia.
“This year the website has experienced record growth, and that’s down to the entire team and the tireless efforts they put in.
“It’s been an extraordinary year for news, and a hugely controversial year in Supercars that has kept us all on our toes.
“There are a lot of good candidates out there, and some great stories, which makes the awards even more poignant for me.”
Howard has previously claimed Supercars Journalist of the Year in 2017, a year in which he also claimed CAMS Motorsport Journalist of the Year.
A cadet journalist while completing his final year of high school in 2019, Perrins formally joined the team at the start of the year, having worked as a contributor in 2018.
Perrins worked under the guidance of Howard, and journalists Daniel Herrero and Mat Coch, to quickly establish a reputation as the industry’s most promising young contributor.
The awards capped off a record year for Speedcafe.com.
“These awards are great recognition for the team, and recognition by their peers for the hard work they put in,” said Speedcafe.com General Manager Justin Murray.
“This year we’ve experienced record growth, which is currently sitting at over 30 percent.
“It’s an extraordinary achievement by the whole team, and a fantastic reward for our partners, many of whom have been with us since the site was founded in October 2009.
“To win three awards in the year in which we celebrated our 10th birthday is a fantastic result, and I couldn’t be more proud of Tom, Slade, and the whole team.”
Supercar Media Awards
Best journalist
Tom Howard, Speedcafe.com
Best breaking news/news report
Commodores undergo aero changes at Darwin, Tom Howard, speedcafe.com
Young gun award
Slade Perrins, Speedcafe.com
Best photographer
Daniel Kalisz
Best single action photograph
Mark Walker & Ross Gibb
Best news or feature photograph
Andrew Pearson
Best publication
Auto Action
Best television program
Supercars Life
Best TV or digital short/feature
Daniel Ricciardo’s Road to Bathurst with Rick Kelly, AME
Best podcast/radio show
Below the Bonnet
Best Broadcaster
Mark Larkham
Most outstanding public relations effort
Erebus Motorsport, KISS promotion
Most outstanding use of digital media by a team or individual
Kelly Racing
Most outstanding use of digital media by a media outlet
Below the Bonnet’s ‘Co-Driver Cup’
Hall of fame inductees
Paul Gover & Ian Smith
