We draw our readers’ attention to the nominations which have been announced for two awards for investigative journalism – said to be a dying art but, on the evidence of the material unearthed by the nominees for the two awards, still in very good health.  As blogging amateurs we pay tribute to the professionals in the vital investigation business.  As Roy Greenslade says a piece in Tuesday’s “Evening Standard” under the headline “Investigative journalism is still thriving in the internet era”, celebrating both awards, “the people who best help to hold power to account are the diggers and delvers who work for Britain’s press“.

We deal with the two awards in strict alphabetical order.  First, there is the Bevins Prize – named after the tenacious political journalist Anthony Bevins.  The nominees are as follows

“David Cohen wrote in the Evening Standard about the tragic fate of newborn babies buried four to a plot in paupers’ graves.

Sean O’Neil and David Brown investigated the child sex abuse scandal centred on the Benedictine Monastery and St Benedict’s school for The Times.

Nick Davies wrote extensively on the “dark arts” of phone tapping for the Guardian.

Clare Sambrook wrote for opendemocracy.net on the detention of children in the immigration system.

Jerome Starkey reported on the uncovering of botched action in Afghanistan for The Times.

The winner will be announced on 9 November 2010.

Second, there is the Paul Foot award – named after the campaigning Private Eye journalist.  The short list for this award is as follows:

Jonathan Calvert and Clare Newell (Sunday Times) on MPs and peers seeking cash for influence (“I’m like a cab for hire” – Stephen Byers)

David Cohen (Evening Standard) on the plight of the poor in London, including children’s poverty and the continuing existence of paupers’ graves in the capital

Nick Davies (Guardian) on phone-hacking conducted by the News of the World when Andy Coulson, now the government’s director of communications, was editor

Linda Geddes (New Scientist) on evidence that DNA tests are not always accurately interpreted

Eamonn McCann (Irish Times, Belfast Telegraph, Guardian) on the cover-up of the British army’s actions on Bloody Sunday

Clare Sambrook (numerous publications) on the scandal of the detention of asylum seekers’ children.

This award is presented on 2 November 2010.