Student wins MCC Young Female Broadcaster of the Year Award 2026

Rosa Simkin, a first-year Journalism and Communications student at the School of Journalism, Media and Culture, is the winner of this year’s MCC Young Female Broadcaster of the Year Award.

The competition, which is now in its third year and is supported by Sky Sports and leading cricket charity Take Her Lead, aims to increase opportunities for young women building a career in sports broadcasting, whilst uncovering and supporting the next generation of female broadcasting talent in cricket.

Having discovered that she’d won the competition, Rosa, alongside the 6 runners-up, was invited to Lord’s to attend Day 2 of the historic women’s Test Match vs India on 11 July where they were given a tour of Lord’s, saw behind-the-scenes of the Sky Sports & BBC commentary boxes and met MCC Chair, Mark Nicholas.

As the winner of the competition, Rosa was also interviewed on BBC Test Match Special and on Sky Sports as part of the Test Match coverage. On 16 August, she returned to Lord’s to receive her prize: being part of the Sky Sports broadcasting team for The Hundred Final.

Discussing her achievement, Rosa said: “Winning the MCC Young Female Broadcaster of the Year Award is incredibly meaningful because it represents so much more than a personal achievement.

“Since I was 15, I have dedicated countless hours to writing about women's cricket, determined to showcase every level of the game, from grassroots clubs to the international stage, and to give players the recognition they deserve.

“There have been long days, late nights, and moments where being a young woman in sports media has felt isolating, with the need to continually prove that my voice belongs in the room.

“This award is recognition of years of hard work, resilience, and an unwavering belief in the importance of telling the stories that too often go untold.

“It reminds me that those efforts have made a difference and inspires me to keep championing women's cricket while helping create a media landscape where more women feel seen, heard, and valued.”

Head of the School of Journalism, Media and Culture, Dr Matt Walsh said: “Rosa should rightly be proud of this terrific achievement. To win such a prestigious accolade so young and at such an early point in her professional development is a testament to her drive and talent. I'm looking forward to hearing her covering cricket matches for many years to come.”

Rosa’s passion for cricket began at a young age when she attended Edgbaston with her older sibling, Mae, to watch a Warwickshire match. During her teenage years, Rosa began posting vlogs from women’s cricket matches on social media to help raise the profile of women’s cricket and later launched her platform, Rosa Talks Ball.

More recently, Rosa has co-founded the Two Tiers Deep podcast alongside current Northamptonshire player Chloe Hill and she’s also launched TIERED magazine, a monthly publication dedicated to the women's county game.

Congratulations, Rosa!