LIMERICK students raked in a whopping 22 nominations in this year’s National Student Media Awards (also known as the Smedias ).
The annual awards celebrate the best and brightest in student media from colleges and universities across Ireland.
In what marked a difficult year for its journalism department, following the death of Limerick Voice editor Joe Drennan in a hit and run incident in October, University of Limerick (UL) topped the local tables with a total of 16 nominations across a number of categories.
UL’s Molly Cantwell was nominated for five awards, including Journalist of the Year, Virgin Media Belonging To award, the European Commission Award Journalism Relating to EU Affairs, the SFI’s Journalism relating to Science and Technology award, and Features Writer of the Year in Arts and Pop Culture, as well as being co-nominated for Radio Production of the Year in news and current affairs with Rachel Kelly, Conon Mac Leod, and Oisin Nolan.
Also from UL, Gemma Good has been nominated for the Journalism Relating to Health category, as well as Features Writer of the Year in News and Current Affairs.
Anna Powell (UL) was nominated in the Journalism Relating to Travel category, as well getting the nod in the Virgin Media Digital Content Creator Award alongside fellow UL student Daniel Ryan.
In the EPA Award Journalism Relating to the Environment, UL’s Abigail Hayden was nominated. Aishlin Hennigan from UL was nominated in the TV Production of the Year category.
UL’s Limerick Voice student newspaper received three nominations – Newspaper of the Year, Website of the Year, and Layout and Design of the Year.
Limerick Voice editor Molly Cantwell said that students “have worked exceptionally hard on Limerick Voice since September, and since the passing of our beloved editor-in-chief, Joe Drennan, we have done everything to make him proud”.
The keen eyes Limerick College of Further Education scooped five nominations, Mai Gosseau and Cèline Mermier in the Photographer of the Year category, and Jake Rowat, Alison Bendey, and Gerard O’Brien in the News Photographer of the Year category.
Mary Immaculate College saw nominated in two categories – Podcast of the Year for Cian Mac Coisteala and Sorcha Ní Rianach Puirséil, and Radio Production of the Year in Arts and Features for Darragh Leamy.
The awards ceremony takes place on April 10 in Dublin’s Mansion House.
