Racing Writer of the Year
Clive Graham TrophyThe Racing Writer of the Year award is the oldest prize available for members of the media and has continued to grow in prestige since Quintin Gilbey of the Sporting Chronicle won in the inaugural year, in 1967. The award celebrates the best features, news stories and comment pieces across the industry and is the final award to be given in the ceremony.
In 2023, the Racing Post’s Chris Cook won this award for the first time. He had been a four-time winner of the Reporter of the Year award but claimed the prize for an excellent portfolio including a piece on the Grand National protest, Lambourn and racing politics.
The defending champion Peter Thomas, Bill Barber and Greg Wood were also nominated.
Clive Graham
The first President of the reconstituted HWA, serving from 1967 to 1973, Clive wrote for the Daily Express and was the BBC’s paddock commentator.
2024 entries
Entries for the 2024 Derby Awards are not open yet.
Entries for this category can be any sort of written work, including comment pieces, features, investigative reports, interviews or opinion pieces. Entrants are required to submit three pieces of work.
Previous winners
| Year | Winner |
| 2023 | Chris Cook (Racing Post) |
| 2022 | Peter Thomas (Racing Post) |
| 2021 | Lee Mottershead (Racing Post) |
| 2020 | David Carr (Racing Post) |
| 2019 | Lee Mottershead (Racing Post) |
| 2018 | Alastair Down (Racing Post) |
| 2017 | Chris McGrath (Racing Post) |
| 2016 | Tom Kerr (Racing Post) |
| 2015 | Alastair Down (Racing Post) |
| 2014 | Alan Lee (The Times) |
| 2013 | Chris McGrath (The Independent) |
| 2012 | Alastair Down (Racing Post) |
| 2011 | Lee Mottershead (Racing Post) |
| 2010 | Brough Scott (Racing Post) |
| 2009 | Greg Wood (The Guardian) |
| 2008 | David Ashforth (Racing Post) |
| 2007 | Chris McGrath (The Independent) |
| 2006 | Tim Richards (Freelance) |
| 2005 | Richard Edmondson (The Independent) |
| 2004 | Alan Lee (The Times) |
| 2003 | Clare Balding (BBC) & Doug Moscrop (Newcastle Journal) |
| 2002 | Tom O’Ryan (Racing Post) |
| 2001 | Alan Lee (The Times) |
| 2000 | Alan Amies (Raceform) |
| 1999 | Alastair Down (Racing Post) |
| 1998 | Claude Duval (The Sun) |
| 1997 | Rodney Masters (Racing Post) |
| 1996 | David Ashforth (Sporting Life) |
| 1995 | Richard Evans (The Times) |
| 1994 | Alastair Down (Sporting Life) |
| 1993 | Paul Haigh (Racing Post) |
| 1992 | James A. McGrath (Daily Telegraph) |
| 1991 | John Sexton (Express & Star, Wolverhampton) |
| 1990 | Tony Morris (Racing Post) |
| 1989 | Michael Seely (The Times) |
| 1988 | Geoff Lester (Sporting Life) |
| 1987 | Peter Goodall (Press Association) |
| 1986 | Peter O’Sullevan (BBC) |
| 1985 | Jim Stanford (Daily Mail) |
| 1984 | John Sharratt (Raceform) |
| 1983 | Bill Garland (Press Association) |
| 1982 | George Ennor (Sporting Life) |
| 1981 | Jonathan Powell (The People) |
| 1980 | Michael Seely & Michael Phillips (The Times) |
| 1979 | Christopher Poole (Evening Standard) |
| 1978 | Tim Richards (Daily Mirror) |
| 1977 | Brough Scott (Sunday Times) |
| 1976 | Peter Willett (Sporting Chronicle) |
| 1975 | Peter Scott (Daily Telegraph) |
| 1974 | Tom Cosgrove (London Evening News) |
| 1973 | Richard Baerlein (The Guardian/Observer) |
| 1972 | Roger Mortimer (Sunday Times) |
| 1971 | Clive Graham & Peter O’Sullevan |
| 1970 | George Stevens (Birmingham Mail) |
| 1969 | Geoffrey Hamlyn (Sporting Life) |
| 1968 | John Lawrence (Daily Telegraph) |
| 1967 | Quintin Gilbey (Sporting Chronicle) |