Is this a first for a comedian? If only there was a statistician we could ask....

Andy Zaltzman may have just claimed an unlikely record – as the first comedian to be nominated for a data journalism award.

The News Quiz host and stand-up satirist has been shortlisted in the British Sports Journalism Awards for his other role as the statistician on Test Match Special.

It is the first time the accolades, run by the Sports Journalists’ association has acknowledged those working with data, and Zaltzman is up against Hamzah Khalique-Loonat from Times Newspapers, Mark Carey from The Athletic, Ben Wylie for his Plot The Ball Substance and Ali Tweedale  and David Segar from the Opta Analyst website.

Winners are announced  in London on Monday March 24.

Andy Elliott, chair of judges, said: ‘Every judging round proves a Herculean task for the judges who face an unenviable task of picking the shortlists and we should pay tribute to their diligence.  ever, who won what will cause debate but what is not in dispute is the utmost quality that exists across the board.’

Published: 28 Feb 2025