Nailsea's own Jonathan O'Callaghan has scooped the British Science Journalist of the Year award.

The accolade, by the Association of British Science Writers, was presented at the Royal Institution in London on July 3.

The judges said Mr O'Callaghan's work with The New York Times, New Scientist, the BBC, and other publications "showcased that there are many ways to impactfully and engagingly share science stories across a range of media outlets".

They said in a statement that he was "unafraid to tackle every space topic across astronomy, astrophysics and space exploration”, further noting that he will be entered into the European Science Journalist of the Year 2024 award as the British entrant.

Mr O'Callaghan attended Golden Valley Primary School and Nailsea School during his formative years in the 1990s.

Despite residing in Horsham, West Sussex these days, he regularly returns to Nailsea to visit his family, maintaining his strong connection with the town.

He said the significance of his early days in journalism “played an important part on my journey as a journalist and gave me a grounding that has served me well in my career development."