The News & Star’s sports reporter Jon Colman is in the running to be named the best football journalist in the north west.

Our Carlisle United writer is one of the nominees for the Northwest Football Journalist or Broadcaster of the Season award at the Armstrong Projects Northwest Football Awards 2024.

Jon’s work saw him make an eight-strong shortlist for the award, which will be presented in Manchester next month.

His portfolio included his exclusive story on the Piatak family’s interest in Carlisle United, which Jon reported for the first time in the News & Star last August, two months before the American family purchased the Blues.

Some powerful interviews also featured in Jon’s submission, including a two-part feature on the former Barrow AFC captain Lewis Hardcastle, who spoke for the first time about the heart condition that ended his career, and the ordeal of being accused, and subsequently cleared, of rape.

An in-depth interview with the former Carlisle United prospect Josh Galloway, who spoke bravely about the mental health challenges he faced during a difficult time at Leeds United, also featured.

Jon, who was this year named regional sports journalist of the year for a ninth time at the British Sports Journalism Awards and has covered the Blues for the News & Star for 19 years, is on the shortlist along with several other national and regional journalists.

He is up against three writers from The Athletic – Simon Hughes, David Ornstein and Matt Slater – plus BBC Merseyside’s Giulia Bould, BBC Manchester’s Mike Minay, the Daily and Sunday Telegraph’s James Ducker and the Liverpool Echo’s Joe Thomas.

The winner will be announced on Monday, November 25 at a gala dinner at Emirates Old Trafford.

Carlisle United are also in the running in two of the categories.

Defender Jon Mellish is on the shortlist for the League One north west player of the season for 2023/24.

And United’s community sports trust are nominated for the community initiative of the season award, for their Komatsu Climate Heroes project.