The in-house News Corp Australia awards – now in their 15th year – showcase the publisher’s storytelling across broadcast, digital, print and book publishing that reaches more than 16 million Australians a month.
This year’s nominations demonstrate News’ increasing diversification through its investments in Foxtel, sporting broadcast rights, Sky News and content agency Medium Rare which produces the Qantas magazine.
Freedom of the press issues form a dominant theme this year, highlighting how much journalists are being forced to overcome hurdles imposed by governments and courts to suppress the public’s right to know what they are doing.
For the first time, Fox Sports stars Shane Warne and Matty Johns are finalists: Warne for commentary, Johns for a revealing personal interview with rugby league immortal brother Andrew.
Sky News has been nominated for specialist journalism after successfully branching out into documentary series with Bad Blood on the Liberal leadership crisis and Lawyer X.
The Herald Sun’s five-year campaign to reveal the alleged activities of Lawyer X barrister-turned police-informer Nicola Gobbo and failures at the highest level of law enforcement is also a finalist.
Other campaigning journalism vying for awards include the Brisbane Sunday Mail’s expose of regional maternity unit closures, news.com.au/Hobart Mercury’s Let Her Speak campaign supporting sex assault victims in Tasmania and News360’s success in getting free heart health checks.
Executive chairman for News Corp Australasia Michael Miller said the News Awards honoured the values and spirit of News Corp to be bold, courageous, creative and passionate.
“2019 has been a brilliant year for storytelling across the News Corp Australia family,” Miller said.
“From broadcast to digital, print and books, we’ve told stories that have moved, inspired and informed the nation.
“The commitment to professional and trusted journalism, and passionately serving our many communities demonstrated in the entries makes me proud of the people who work at News.”
The winners will be announced at the 2019 News Awards event later this year.
The 2019 News Awards finalists, across 18 categories, are:
Young Journalist of the Year
Chanel Kinniburgh – The Mercury
Natalie Wolfe – news.com.au
Tamsin Rose – Herald Sun
Innovation in Journalism
John McGourty – News Local: Digital masthead rollout
Jon Ralph, Glenn McFarlane and Daniel Freeman – Herald Sun: Sacked AFL coaches series
Matt Weiss – Fox Sports: Fox Cricket
Tanya French, Geoff Egan, John Croucher, Mark Flack and Sarah Lunney – The Courier-Mail, NRM and The Advertiser: Schools Hub
Visual Journalism of the Year
Alex Coppel – Herald Sun
Jason Edwards – Herald Sun
Phil Hillyard – The Daily Telegraph
Toby Zerna – The Daily Telegraph
Keith McDonald Award (Business Journalist of the Year)
Bridget Carter – The Australian
John Stensholt – The Australian
Ticky Fullerton – Sky News
Achievements in Sports Journalism
Jamie Pandaram – The Daily Telegraph
Leo Schlink – Herald Sun
Yvonne Sampson – Fox Sports
Achievements in Specialist Journalism
Grant McArthur and Alex Coppel – Herald Sun
Sky News
Tom Sangster – The Daily Telegraph
Interview of the Year
Andrew Bolt – Sky News: Liberal MP Gladys Liu
Damon Kitney – The Australian: James Packer
Matty Johns – Fox Sports: Andrew Johns
Achievements in Commentary and Opinion
Adam Creighton – The Australian
Joe Hildebrand – news.com.au
Shane Warne – Fox Sports
Outstanding Achievements in Reporting
Anthony Dowsley and Patrick Carlyon – Herald Sun
Greg Bearup, Eric George, Nicholas Adams-Dzierzba and Charlie Peel – The Australian
Yoni Bashan and Claire Harvey – The Sunday Telegraph
Bill Leak Cartoonist of the Year
Eric Lobbecke – The Australian
Mark Knight – Herald Sun
Warren Brown – The Daily Telegraph
Headline of the Year
Andrew Piva – Geelong Advertiser
Baz McAlister – The Courier-Mail
Matt Williams, Stuart Thornton and Julian Ricci – NT News
Achievements in Campaigns
Jackie Sinnerton and Antonia O’Flaherty – The Sunday Mail: Bush Baby Crisis
Sue Dunlevy, Justin Lees, John Barker, Kathy Lipari and Evie White – News360: Serial Killer
Kate de Brito and Chris Jones – news.com.au and The Mercury: Let Her Speak
Scoop of the Year
Anna Caldwell – The Daily Telegraph
Brenden Hills – The Sunday Telegraph
Steven Wardill – The Courier-Mail
Achievements in Regional Journalism
Chris Jones – The Mercury
Jenna Cairney – Townsville Bulletin
Paul Murray – Sky News: Live Our Town
Achievements in Community Journalism
Ashleigh Pisani and Kate Uren – Portside Messenger
Eliza Barr – St George Shire Standard
Jake McCallum – News Local
Magazine/Lifestyle Brand of the Year
delicious.
Qantas Magazine
Wish
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 finalists and winner will be announced at the News Awards event