News Corp Australasia executive chairman has released the full list of nominess for the 2020 News Awards.
Distributing the complete list to staff this week, Michael Miller said:
“2020 has been a brilliant year for our storytelling and journalism – and it makes me proud today to announce the finalists for this year’s News Awards.
“As you can imagine, the News Awards for 2020 are going to be very different.
“The awards, now in their 16th year, showcase the best of News Corp – being bold, courageous, creative and passionate.
The Sir Keith Murdoch Journalist of the Year award in 2019 went to Annika Smethurst
“The standard of entries this year is among the finest ever: I cannot recall a more challenging, difficult year for the judges.
“If one theme stands out among the many excellent nominations, it is the commitment of everyone at News Corp to serve and meet the needs of the communities in which they work.
“This year, these communities have needed our support as they’ve navigated firstly bushfires, droughts and floods then the impacts socially, health-wise and economically of COVID-19.
“It pleases me immensely looking at the quality of our finalists – indeed all of the entries – to see how we have risen to that challenge.”
Anthony Dowsley and Patrick Carlyon – Herald Sun Outstanding Achievements in Reporting in 2019
The 2020 News Awards finalists are:
Achievements in Outstanding Audience Engagement
Fox Sports and Foxtel – Sport is back
Foxtel – Fire Fight Australia
news.com.au – Fightback to be number one
Nicholas Eagar and team – The Night Watch
Achievements in Outstanding Teamwork
AgedCare360
I Catch Killers
MH370 Special Investigation
Achievements in Regional Journalism
Chad Van Estrop – Geelong Advertiser
Jenna Cairney and team – The Mercury
Sherele Moody – News Regional Media
Achievements in Community Journalism
Andrew Dawson – Quest
Jake McCallum – NewsLocal
Jordy Atkinson – Leader Community News
Suzan Delibasic – Leader Community News
Storyteller of the Year
Hedley Thomas – The Australian
Patrick Carlyon – Herald Sun
Paul Ashenden – The Advertiser
Trent Dalton – The Australian
Innovation in Journalism
Fox Sports – Creating a fans experience like never before
Peter Judd and Community Data Journalism team – DataLocal
The Weekend Australian Review – Review’s Isolation Room
Scoop of the Year
Daniel Wills and Matthew Smith – The Advertiser: Boozed-up Liberal MP
Sharri Markson – The Australian: COVID-19 China dossier
Tom Minear – Herald Sun: Victoria’s road out of lockdown
Achievements in Campaigns
Sunday Herald Sun – We Stand with You
The Daily Telegraph – Save our Heroes
The Sunday Mail (QLD) – The Forgotten Women
The Sunday Telegraph – Can We Talk
Young Journalist of the Year
Adella Beaini – The Daily Telegraph
Chantelle Francis – The Weekly Times
Ellen Ransley – NewsWire / Western Star (Roma)
Meg Gannon – The Chronicle (Toowoomba)
Photographer of the Year
Alex Coppel – Herald Sun and Sunday Herald Sun
David Caird – Herald Sun and Sunday Herald Sun
Sam Ruttyn – The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph
Keith McDonald Award (Business Journalist of the Year)
Damon Kitney – The Australian
John Stensholt – The Australian
Peter Van Onselen – The Australian
Achievements in Sports Journalism
Jessica Halloran – The Australian
Michael Warner – National Sports Network
Peter Badel, Travis Meyn and Robert Craddock – The Courier-Mail
Phil Rothfield – National Sports Network
Achievements in Specialist Journalism
Adam Creighton – The Australian
Grant McArthur – Herald Sun and Sunday Herald Sun
Paul Murray – Sky News
Interview of the Year
Annelise Nielsen – Sky News: Scott Cam
Frances Whiting – The Courier-Mail: Hannah Clarke family
Gerard Whateley, Mark Robinson and Tom Dullard – Fox Sports: Eddie Betts
Katherine Loughnan – Fox Sports: David Warner
Achievements in Investigative Journalism *new category*
Chantelle Francis and Shannon Twomey – The Weekly Times: Federal agriculture official’s links to radical animal activists
Damon Johnston, Rachel Baxendale and Remy Varga – The Australian: Chinese agent’s secret role in Australia
Sharri Markson and Kylar Loussikian – The Australian: How China recruited Australian academics
Bill Leak Cartoonist of the Year
Craig Mann – Gold Coast Bulletin
Mark Knight – Herald Sun
Warren Brown – The Daily Telegraph
Headline of the Year
Andrew Piva – Geelong Advertiser: May divorce be with you
Jenna Cairney and Stuart Thornton – The Mercury: We’ve got a moat
Oliver Murray – news.com.au: Macca’s drive-flu
Stuart Thornton – NT News: Screw you we’re havin’ a brew
Wayne Watson – Gold Coast Bulletin: Stop smoking the Tweed Gladys
Lifestyle Brand of the Year
*The finalists and winner will be announced at the News Awards event
Brand of the Year
*The finalists and winner will be announced at the News Awards event
Sir Keith Murdoch Award (Journalist of the Year)
*The winner will be announced at the News Awards event