Michael Holding won the Sports Journalists' Association (SJA) Award for Best Pundit in 2020 at the SJA Awards. Holding won the deciding vote of an SJA Member with his powerful testimony. He spoke out about racial injustice in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd, on Sky Cricket's coverage of England against West Indies in July 2020.
Holding gave an emotional appeal for an end to institutionalized racism through a meaningful change in society as he and Ebony Rainford-Brent reacted to the death of Floyd in police custody in Minnesota.
In his acceptance speech, Holding said: "It is something that has been in me and my head for many, many years. People don't understand what it is like to go through life and always thinking that people think less of you than what you think of yourself. It can be a little bit tiring, and when I got that opportunity it just came spilling out."
Host Jim Rosenthal asked if he thinks that 2020 will be a crucial year for change in social and racial equality, Holding commented: "I believe so, and I hope so. "If you just look at the protests on the road and look at the faces of the people that were on the road. I saw a Swedish women's football team take a knee before a game, so it is going all over the world that people are recognizing that things need to be done, and it's about time it did."
It was a proud moment for Sky Sports as NBA Heat Check presenter and Sky Sports News reporter, and presenter Jaydee Dyer joined in the Ones to Watch - On-Air category. Young journalist Danyal Khan from Sky Sports News also scooped the One to Watch-Off Air category.