The SAGMJ recognises excellence and noteworthy achievements in motoring, journalism and motorsport.
SOUTH AFRICAN CAR OF THE YEAR
The WesBank South African Car of the Year competition has its roots in 1986, when the SAGMJ promulgated the South African Car of the Year contest.
Developed to be the only national COTY competition of its kind in the world, the WesBank South African Car of the Year is unique in the world in that:
The only national COTY to conduct evaluation days
The only national COTY to use a transparent custom-developed tablet-based digital scoring mechanism
The only national COTY with horizontal and vertical measuring criteria (Finalists to each other & Finalists to market competitors)
COTY IS
Developed to recognise and reward motoring excellence
A system that levels the playing field between large OEMs and smaller importers
A means to promote new vehicle sales
Transparently judged by industry experts with multiple decades of experience
An independently audited closed circuit digital voting system
Internationally recognised
COTY IS NOT
A consumer / popularity contest
Beholden to large or influential OEMs
A means to promote pre-owned vehicle sales
Subjective and thus not vulnerable to groupthink
MOTOR SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR
The competition ran since 1992 and was sponsored by Bridgestone / Firestone and subsequently by Bridgestone SA.
There are currently two main categories, namely the Bridgestone SA / SAGMJ Motor Sportsman of the Year and the Colin Watling Award.
All Guild members are invited to make nominations.
The winner in each of these two categories is determined by votes of Full and Fellow members of the Guild.
The award function takes place once a year, usually in February.
CRITERIA
The Bridgestone / SAGMJ Motor Sportsman of the Year Award
Is awarded in recognition of particularly meritorious achievement in the previous year (from 1 February to 31 January of a current year) in any form of motorsport, whether competing locally or internationally.
All forms of circuit and dirt track events – rally, off-road production vehicles, superbikes, motocross, Supercars etc. are covered in this award.
National champions are recognised by Motorsport South Africa and the various MSA commissions and winning a national championship is only worthy of nomination if it is an extraordinary achievement.
The nominee must hold a South African passport. He/she could hold dual citizenship provided one is South African.
The nominee must have built his/her early racing career in South Africa.
Should he/she have been born outside South Africa to South African parents, thus not been able to build his career in South Africa he/she should show exceptional loyalty to South Africa.
The nominee should race on a South African competition license where possible (some European series require local licenses).
The Colin Watling Award
This award recognises the contribution and achievements of a non-competitor who has made a significant contribution to motorsport and achieved success that deserves to be recognised.
MOTORING JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
The SAGMJ Motoring Journalist of the Year competition is currently sponsored by Toyota Financial Services and is open to all individual members of the SAGMJ.
Guild members may enter by submitting their articles / photographs published in specific period in the following categories and special awards:
General Categories
Magazine Journalist of the Year (Motoring)
Newspaper Journalist of the Year (Motoring)
Digital Media Journalist of the Year (Motoring)
Television Journalist of the Year (Motoring)
Radio Journalist of the Year (Motoring)
Magazine Journalist of the Year (Motorsport)
Newspaper Journalist of the Year (Motorsport)
Digital Media Journalist of the Year (Motorsport)
Television Journalist of the Year (Motorsport)
Radio Journalist of the Year (Motorsport)
Magazine Journalist of the Year (Motorcycles)
Newspaper Journalist of the Year (Motorcycles)
Digital Media Journalist of the Year (Motorcycles)
Television Journalist of the Year (Motorcycles)
Radio Journalist of the Year (Motorcycles)
Photojournalist of the Year
Photographer of the Year (Motoring)
Photographer of the Year (Motorsport)
Photographer of the Year (Motorcycles)
Special Awards
Environmental Award
Road Safety Award
Road Ecology Award
Business, Industry & Technology Journalist Of The Year
Commercial Vehicles Journalist Of The Year
The winner of each General Category and Special Award receives a certificate and a cash prize.
The Steve Dlamini Award for Excellence in Motoring Journalism
The Steve Dlamini Award for Excellence in Motoring Journalism was created to recognize the kind of excellence and passion that the late Steve showed towards motoring journalism in his relatively short career.
All entries into the Motoring and Motorsport Journalist categories are automatically considered for the Steve Dlamini Award For Excellence In Motoring Journalism, provided that the winner is a young, up and coming motoring journalist aged younger than 26, employed as a motoring journalist for at least two (but no more than five years) and who has been a member of the SAGMJ for less than five years. The winner receives a trophy, certificate and a cash prize.
The Carlie Norval Photograph of the Year Award
All photographic entries into the Photographer categories are automatically considered for the Carlie Norval Photograph of the Year Award. The winner receives a certificate and a cash prize.
The Editor of the Year Award
Members of the SAGMJ nominate, with motivation, the editor(s) they believe have demonstrated in the current MJOY eligibility period that they have balanced the demands of publishers and readers while nurturing journalistic talent and successfully making the critical decisions that turn a good publication into a great one.
These nominations are tallied, with due consideration for supplied motivations, and a shortlist of three finalists are announced before members of the SAGMJ cast a vote to determine the winner.
The winner receives a certificate and a cash prize.
Motoring Journalist of the Year award
All entries into the Motoring and Motorsport Journalist categories are automatically considered for the overall Motoring Journalist of the Year award.
The winner receives a trophy, certificate and a cash prize.
Motorcycling Journalist of the Year award
All entries into the Motorcycle Journalist categories are automatically considered for the Motorcycling Journalist of the Year award.
The winner receives a trophy, certificate and a cash prize.
Photographer of the Year award
All photographic entries into the various Photographer categories, except for the Photojournalist of the Year, are automatically considered for the overall Photographer of the Year award.
The winner receives a trophy, certificate and a cash prize.
