Financial Times FT

The FT's Martin Wolf was presented with the award for best economic commentator, only to have to return it when it emerged a mistake had been made

Credit: Chris Young/PA

The Times and the Financial Times led the pack at this morning's Editorial Intelligence comment awards, taking four prizes each.

The Columnist of the Year award went to the Times' Hugo Rifkind, and the Political Columnist of the Year to the paper's Daniel Finklestein.

There were also wins for the paper's sketch commentator Ann Treman, and for former England cricketer Mike Atherton, who contributes to the sports pages.

The FT picked up an overall award for best comment pages, along with individual awards for John Gapper, who won Business Commentator of the Year, Simon Kuper, who the Cultural Commentator award, and David Pilling, who was named Foreign Commentator of the Year.

The FT's Martin Wolf appeared to have joined his colleagues after he was called up on stage to collect the award for best economics commentator, reports Roy Greenslade. But Wolf was asked to return the award seconds later under the pretence of it needing to be polished, whereupon a red-faced Robert Peston of the BBC had to admit that he had got it wrong and present the award to a bemused Sunday Times' Irwin Stelzer, who had attended the prizegiving after being told he was going to win.

Peston himself won the award for best mainstream media blogger, which he was allowed to hang on to.

The award for best independent blog went to Liberal Conspiracy editor Sunny Hundal.

The full list of winners:


Best Online Comment Site Mumsnet

Business Commentator John Gapper, Financial Times

Cultural Commentator Simon Kuper, Financial Times

Economics Commentator Irwin Stelzer, The Sunday Times

Foreign Commentator David Pilling, Financial Times

Independent Blogger Sunny Hundal, www.liberalconspiracy.org & www.pickledpolitics.com

Mainstream Media Blogger Robert Peston, BBC

Media Commentator Peter Wilby, New Statesman

Political Commentator Daniel Finkelstein, The Times

Sketch Commentator Ann Treneman, The Times

Sports Commentator Mike Atherton, The Times

Twitter Commentator David Aaronovitch, @DAaronovitch

Columnist of the Year Hugo Rifkind, The Times

Best Comment Pages Financial Times

Commentariat of the Year Matthew d’Ancona, The Sunday Telegraph & London Evening Standard

Chair’s Choice chosen by Harvey Goldsmith CBE as Chair of the Judges London Evening Standard

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