News / Loadstar stars get among the glittering prizes as Seahorse Awards return

WARNING: the following content is shameless self-promotion.

Loadstar Premium won itself a gong at this year’s prestigious Seahorse Freight Association annual (although due to The Covid, it was last held in 2018) journalism awards, with Premium writer Gavin van Marle named Supply Chain Journalist of the Year for a series of articles exploring the complex relationships between supply chains, finance and economics.

In addition, The Loadstar news editor Nick Savvides was ‘highly commended’ in the Overland Journalist of the Year category for his investigation into onerous detention and demurrage charges being levied by shipping lines on forwarders in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Prizes were awarded in ten categories, including maritime, air, overland, technology, multipurpose and supply chain journalist of the year, as well as rising star, news, feature and journalist of the year.

The association also awarded its Personality of the Year award to Valeria Ihnatenko from Antonov Airlines, and its Lifetime Achievement Award to Portcare International’s Peter Owen, a past chairman of Seahorse.

The Loadstar would also like to place on the record its personal thanks to Mr Owen, who was a key advisor to its founders a decade ago, when they were developing their business plan.

“It is great to be back after four years, and we are so pleased to have received over 120 high-quality entries from journalists all over the globe specialising in different sectors,” said Emma Murray, Seahorse chair, and founder and CEO of Meantime Communications.

“But we must not take that great reporting for granted. It is time we energised as a community to actively encourage the next-gen of writers to join our industry,” she added.

Ms Murray said the association, which recently registered as a not-for-profit organisation run by a new committee, was inviting ideas to help encourage new reporters to join the industry, including the establishment of a bursary to fund the annual costs of an intern at a freight publication.

Winning reports appeared in titles including Wall Street Journal, The Loadstar, Lloyd’s List, TradeWinds, Heavy Lift and Project Forwarding International, Journal of Commerce, Logistics Manager, FreightWaves, S&P Global, Drapers Magazine and Port Technology International.

The awards were judged by 22 industry professionals from across the globe and drawn from all transport modes, as well as supply chain, technology, public relations, and journalism. The panel included a 50:50 split of men and women, and a range of ages and experience.

The independent judging panel did not include any sponsor representatives, and no Seahorse committee members took part.

“We hope that by including so many different professionals, we have not only ensured a robust and fair judging system, but also shone a light on the incredible and diverse industry we work in and, by doing so, helped to inspire young professionals already in the industry, or curious about joining,” said Ms Murray.

The full list of winners:

Journalist of the Year

Highly Commended: Iain MacIntyre, freelance/Boardroom

Winner: Richard Meade, Lloyd’s List

Sponsored by: Lloyd’s Register

Lifetime Achievement Award

Winner: Peter Owen

Personality of the Year

Winner: Valeria Ihnatenko

News Journalist of the Year

Highly Commended: Greg Knowler, Journal of Commerce (S&P Global)

Winner: Constantinos Paris, Wall Street Journal

Sponsored by: Kale Logistics Solutions

Feature Journalist of the Year

Highly Commended: David Kershaw, Heavy Lift & Project Forwarding International

Winner: Phillip Hastings, Heavy Lift & Project Forwarding International

Sponsored by: ABP

Air Cargo Journalist of the Year

Highly Commended: Eric Kulisch, FreightWaves

Winner: Megan Ramsay, freelance

Sponsored by: Alliance Ground International

Maritime Journalist of the Year

Highly Commended: Max Lin, S&P Global

Winner: Felicity Landon, freelance

Sponsored by: ABS

Overland Journalist of the Year

Highly Commended: Nick Savvides, The Loadstar

Winner: Greg Knowler, Journal of Commerce (S&P Global)

Sponsored by: Davies Turner

Supply Chain Journalist of the Year

Highly Commended: Isabella Fish, Drapers

Winner: Gavin van Marle, The Loadstar

Sponsored by: Rock-it Global

Technology Journalist of the Year

Highly Commended: Lacey Jones, Container Management

Winner: Paul Berrill, TradeWinds/TW+

Sponsored by: Awery Aviation Software

Multipurpose Cargo Logistics Journalist of the Year

Highly Commended: Megan Ramsay, freelance

Winner: David Kershaw, Heavy Lift & Project Forwarding International

Sponsored by: AAL Shipping

Rising Star of the Year

Highly Commended: Jack Donnelly, Port Technology International

Winner: Michelle Mooney, Logistics Manager

Sponsored by: TT Club