The Australian has been named The Newspaper of the Year for a second year in succession. The News Corp national daily nearly made a clean sweep of the major metro awards by also being named Weekend Newspaper Of The Year and Best Mobile Site.
The other major metro award, Digital News Site Of The Year, went to The Australian Financial Review.
Regional newspapers might reconsider the point of entering if they can’t compete with the Newcastle Herald. The Fairfax daily serving people of the Hunter has been named Best Regional Newspaper for the fifth time in succession. The news brand was also named Digital News Site Of The Year – Regional.
The Awards were held at Sydney’s new ICC exhibition and conference complex and the Grand Ballroom was filled the nominees and industry executives from all over Australia and New Zealand.
Guests dined on pan seared salmon and slow braised beef cheek accompanied by the best wine and beer from NSW. Some guests drank noticeably more than others!
The evening was hosted by The Chaser’s Craig Reucassel and Andrew Hansen. They managed to keep the guests entertained through a longish award ceremony and got their biggest laughs with a running gag about The Australian and contributor Gerard Henderson.
The Australian’s weekday editor John Lehmann accepted the major award in the absence of editor-in-chief Paul Whittaker. Lehmann paid tribute to the “backbench” of The Australian, “the people who make the magic happen every night”. He also talked about the paper’s business model and how it was essential that readers continue to pay for content.
The award for The Weekend Australian was accepted by editor Michelle Gunn who dedicated the award to cartoonist Bill Leak and remembered the week he passed away earlier this year. “It has been the best of times and the worst of times for The Australian this year,” she admitted.
Gunn noted the best of times included the fact the newspaper had managed to get back into the black during the previous 12 months.
2017 Newspaper of the Year winners
Daily Newspaper of the Year
National/Metropolitan
The Australian, News Corp Australia
Regional
Newcastle Herald, Fairfax Media
Community
The Gympie Times, News Corp Australia
Weekend Newspaper of the Year
The Weekend Australian, News Corp Australia
Digital News Site of the Year
National / Metropolitan
Australian Financial Review, Fairfax Media
Regional
Newcastle Herald, Fairfax Media
Community
The Maitland Mercury, Fairfax Media
Norske Skog’s Stephen Howell and The Weekend Australian editor Michelle Gunn
Non-Daily Newspaper of the Year
Community
The City, News Corp Australia
Regional
Queensland Country Life, Fairfax Media
Norske Skog’s Stephen Howell and Newcastle Herald’s Heath Harrison
Photography
Portrait
Community
Of The Sea, Wesley Monts, Herbert River Express, News Corp Australia
Regional
Snake Boy, Glenn Hampson, Gold Coast Bulletin, News Corp Australia
National / Metropolitan – TIE
Dogs and Dust, Rohan Kelly, The Sunday Telegraph, News Corp Australia
Wild Side, Rohan Thomson, The Canberra Times, Fairfax Media
Features and Lifestyle
Community
Fire Breathing Spider, Andrew Ritchie, Western Suburbs Weekly, Community News Group
Regional
Nice for a dip, Brendan Radke, Cairns Post, News Corp Australia
National / Metropolitan
Lionheart Leo, Sam Ruttyn, The Sunday Telegraph, News Corp Australia
Sport
Community
Ray Karaitiana, Marta Juanola, Mandurah Mail, Fairfax Media
Regional
Para-swimmer, Stephen Parker, Rotorua Daily Post, NZME
National / Metropolitan
Up the Mast, John Feder, The Australian, News Corp Australia
News
Community
May the Fourth Be with You, Isabella Lettini, Parramatta Sun, Fairfax Media
Regional
Festival Aftermath, Justin Kennedy, NT News, News Corp Australia
National / Metropolitan
Philippine Drug Wars, Kate Geraghty, The Sydney Morning Herald, Fairfax Media
Environment
Wasp Wipeout, Nelson Mail, Fairfax Media
Hegarty Scholarship
Emily Sweet, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media
Digital
Best Mobile Site (Open)
The Australian, News Corp Australia
Best Niche / Specialty App or Microsite (Open)
China’s Operation Australia, theage.com.au, Fairfax Media
Digital Publishing Innovation of the Year (Open)
Private Business, Public Failure, Stuff Circuit, stuff.co.nz, Fairfax Media
Top Photo: Stephen Howell, Director Marketing & Sales at Norske Skog Australasia, and The Australian editor John Lehmann