2025 Kennedy Awards Finalists Announced – The Kennedy Foundation is proud to announce the finalists in the 2025 Kennedy Awards for Excellence in Journalism. The finalists were selected after an exhaustive judging process involving 101 of the nation’s most experienced media professionals across 37 categories of journalistic excellence.
Kennedy Foundation Chairperson Carl Dumbrell said: “It’s been another extraordinary year, with more than 900 entries of exceptional quality. This is clear evidence that not only is a Kennedy Award held in the highest esteem, but that the finest traditions of Australian journalism remain alive and thriving.”
The standard of work submitted was so high that judges found it an incredibly difficult task to determine finalists—let alone the ultimate winners.
The 2025 Kennedy Scholarship applications showed the same level of excellence. Supported by Foundation Partner, NRMA and our media partners 7NEWS and 9NEWS, the scholarships will provide two successful applicants with twelve weeks of paid intensive newsroom experience.
Anthony Murdoch, Deputy News Director at 7NEWS Sydney, said:
“7NEWS is proud to partner with the Kennedy Foundation and we especially congratulate our three talented finalists. All the candidates were exceptional, which gives me great optimism for the future of our industry.”
Fiona Dear, Executive Director at 9News & Current Affairs, said:
“Nine’s Video Content team is dynamic, innovative, and focused on delivering compelling stories for audiences increasingly consuming news on social and digital platforms. The Kennedy Scholarship has helped uncover some incredible young journalists in this space, and we’re excited to welcome the successful scholar to our Sydney newsroom for 12 weeks.”
Stefan Mitchell, Head of News & Sport Video Content at Nine, added:
“We were blown away by the calibre of entrants. The finalists are among the most impressive, intelligent, and innovative young journalists we’ve encountered. They are the future of news, and each one has the talent and drive to produce compelling content. Choosing just one was incredibly tough.”
All the winners will be announced and celebrated at the Kennedy Foundation’s 2025 Awards Presentation Dinner, which will be held on Friday, August 15, at the Royal Randwick Ballroom.
For tickets to this years awards presentation dinner, click HERE
2025 Kennedy Awards Finalists
MEDIA
Indigenous Affairs Reporting
- Karla Grant, Gary Cox, Bianca Schneller, Greg Wilesmith – Just Kids – Living Black, NITV and SBS
- Living Black ‘Duty of Care’ Team – Duty of Care – Living Black, NITV and SBS
- Matt Garrick – Breaking out of the NT’s prison crisis – ABC News Darwin
Outstanding Cartoon
- Cathy Wilcox – Magnate and child – The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age
- David Rowe – Coronation of Elon – Australian Financial Review
- Matt Golding – The art of the deal – The Sydney Morning Herald
Outstanding Consumer Affairs
- Adele Ferguson, Chris Gillett and Ben Butler – Betrayal of Trust – Four Corners, ABC
- Linton Besser, Mayeta Clark, Echo Hui and Henry Zwartz – Strata Trap: The Greedy Industry Charging Australians Billions – Four Corners, ABC
- Four Corners Team – Road Gold: Investigating the multi-billion-dollar company controlling Australia’s toll roads – Four Corners, ABC
Outstanding Court and Legal Affairs Reporting
- Anne Connolly and Ninah Kopel – Pelvic mesh victims’ “betrayal” – 7.30, ABC
- Kate McClymont and Harriet Alexander – Hurricane Tim: the tale of a serial swindler – The Sydney Morning Herald
- Nina Funnell, Alice Fahrer and Kerry Warren – Take the Stand: Justice Shouldn’t Hurt -news.com.au
Outstanding Crime Reporting
- Alison Sandy, Liam Bartlett, Marc Wright and Cassie Woodward – The Truth About Amy – 7NEWS Podcasts
- Anne Connolly, Ninah Kopel, Gina McKeon and Echo Huii – The Invisible Killer – Background Briefing, ABC
- Mark Morri, Josh Hanrahan and Clementine Cuneo – The Dural caravan plot – The Daily Telegraph
Outstanding Finance Reporting
- Neil Chenoweth and Mark Di Stefano – The downfall of MinRes and Chris Ellison – Australian Financial Review
- Sarah Danckert and Carla Jaeger – Cash for the Boys: How the underworld pulled the strings at ASX listed tech startup – The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald
- Sarah Sharples and Alex Turner-Cohen – People Before Profit – news.com.au
Outstanding Foreign Correspondent
- Catalina Florez – El Salvador: Gangland to Safe Haven – Dateline, SBS
- Matthew Knott and Kate Geraghty – Israel-Hezbollah War– The Sydney Morning Herald
- Prue Lewarne – Coverage from the Americas – Dateline, SBS
Outstanding Investigative Reporting
- Adele Ferguson, Chris Gillett and Ben Butler – Betrayal of Trust – Four Corners, ABC
- Katri Uibu – The ‘therapeutic’ system where kids fall prey to child sex abusers – ABC News
- 9Network Team – Building Bad – The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, Australian Financial Review and 60 Minutes, 9Network
Outstanding Online News Breaking
- Charlotte Karp and Stephen Drill – The backpacker poisonings – News Corp Australia
- Lucy Dean and Paul Smith – Cybercriminals break into Australia’s pension pot – Australian Financial Review
- Yoni Bashan and Liam Mendes and The Australian Team – Under attack from Iran – The Australian
Outstanding Political Reporting
- Linda Silmalis, James O’Doherty and Madeleine Bower – Rorts & Rides – The Downfall of a Minister – The Sunday Telegraph
- Sharri Markson – Left on Hold: Trump’s diplomatic snub of Albanese – Sky News Australia
- David Crowe, Perry Duffin and Jordan Baker – The Dural caravan – crime, politics and an old bomb – The Sydney Morning Herald
Outstanding Reporting on Human Rights, Social or Religious Affairs
- Avani Dias, Amy Donaldson and Maddy King – Emergency – Four Corners, ABC
- Elise Worthington – Brain blast injuries – 7.30 and ABC News
- Katri Uibu – The ‘therapeutic’ system where kids fall prey to child sex abusers – ABC News
Outstanding Reporting on the Environment
- Liam Bartlett, John Varga, Ben Fogarty and Luke Mortimer – Indonesia’s Dirty Nickel Trade – Spotlight, 7 Network
- Michael Bachelard-Dollars in the dust: Is outback scrub really saving the planet? – The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald
- Michael Dahlstrom – Mass Shooting of Over 1,000 Koalas in Budj Bim National Park – Yahoo News Australia
Outstanding Sport Reporting
- Danny Tran – Olympic coach investigation – ABC News
- Jessica Halloran and Stephen Rice – Predator in the Vault – The Australian
- Peter Badel and Jacqueline Magnay – Paris Olympics: Boxing’s Gender War – News Corp Australia
Outstanding 3 Headlines
- Jakeb Waddell – ‘The Lying King’ – ‘Falcon Hell!’ – ‘Demon Awwww’ – The West Australian
- James Madden – ‘Nine’s big dogs gather at zoo to discuss elephants in the room’– ‘Stan buy me: Optus mulls sports deal with English Premier League’ – ‘The great thrall of China…and its dark side’ – The Australian
- James Silver – ‘The old man and the (c)’ – ‘Skit hits the fan’ – ‘Ice guys finish first’ – The Daily Telegraph
Scoop of the Year
- Linda Silmalis – Rorts & Rides – The Downfall of a Minister – The Sunday Telegraph
- Mark Morri and Josh Hanrahan – The Dural caravan – The Daily Telegraph
- Peter Badel and Jacquelin Magnay – Paris Olympics: Boxing’s Gender War – News Corp Australia
Regional Broadcast Reporting
- ABC South East NSW Team – The search for Hadi Nazari – ABC News
- Gavin Morris – Cyclone Alfred coverage – 9Network
- Joanna Woodburn – Whistleblowers expose cancer surgery scandal – 7.30 and ABC News Online
Student Journalist of the Year
- Blair Wise – Body of work – University of Newcastle
- Caitlin Maloney – Body of work – University of Technology Sydney
- Charlotte Wilkes – Body of work – RMIT University
Young Journalist of The Year
- Angus Thomson –Body of work – The Sydney Morning Herald
- Bailey Kenzie – Body of work – 9News
- Lia Walsh – Innovative social media reporting – ABC News TikTok, Instagram and YouTube
Outstanding Team Player or Mentor
- Winner will be announced at the Kennedy Awards Presentation
PRINT/TEXT
Outstanding Columnist
- David Crowe – Commentary: politics, crime and factional bastardry – The Sydney Morning Herald
- Jordan Baker – Musings – Nine Entertainment
- Ranjana Srivastava – On Compassion & Empathy in Medicine – The Guardian
Outstanding Feature Writing
- Andrew Webster –The Power and the Pettiness: How Phil Gould imposes his will on rugby league – Freelance – The Australian
- Primrose Riordan and Lisa Murray – The Power of One: Inside Forrest’s Fortescue – Australian Financial Review
- Xavier Martin and Charmayne Allison – The Pintupi Nine – ABC News
Outstanding Travel Writing
- Andrew Bain – Hiking in the wake of disaster– Freelance – Traveller, The Sydney Morning Herald
- Andrea Black – Greenland The Final Frontier – Freelance – TAustralia: The New York Times Style Magazine
- John Borthwick – Remote Possibilities – Freelance – The Weekend Australian (Travel+Luxury)
Racing Writer of the Year
- Adam Pengilly – Knight and away: How a Melbourne Cup fairytale went wrong – Idol Horse
- Ben Dorries – Exclusives and racing giant’s emotional final journey – News Corp Australia
- Ray Thomas – Private Harry – The Daily Telegraph
Outstanding Digital Innovation
- Inga Ting, Katia Shatoba, Brody Smith and Thomas Brettell – Why work is one of life’s most powerful matchmakers – ABC News
- Jennifer Luu, Jack Tulleners and Edwina Storie – The Feed Influencer Debate – The Feed, SBS
- Guardian Australia Team – Leaving Gaza – The Guardian
Regional Reporting Print and Online
- Lucy Barbour and Lucy Sweeney – Australia’s ‘unspoken ban’ on abortion – ABC News
- Kallee Buchanan – ‘When dams fail, people die’: Finding the flaw in Paradise that puts thousands at risk – ABC News
- Ciara Bastow – Indigenous health funding going towards alleged overseas trips – Daily Liberal, Australian Community Media
TELEVISION/VIDEO
Outstanding News Camera Coverage
- Colin Cosier – Murder in Afghanistan and Lebanon: War, Peace and Hezbollah – SBS
- Louis Dai – A New Sheriff in Town and Taiwan’s Dementia Village – SBS
- Ryan Sheridan – Endurance – Four Corners, ABC
Outstanding Nightly Television Current Affairs Reporting
- Andrew Probyn and Danielle Post – The Man of a Million Lives – A Current Affair, 9Network
- Sharri Markson – Left on Hold: Trump’s Diplomatic Snub of Albanese – Sky News Australia
- Steve Marshall, Danielle Post and Ben Lynch – Exposing Government Corruption – A Current Affair, 9Network
Outstanding Television Current Affairs Reporting – Long Form
- Christine Ahern and Natalie Clancy – Healthscope Horror – 60 Minutes, 9Network
- Eryk Bagshaw, Natalie Clancy, Clare Sibthorpe and Bianca Hrovat – Out of Order – The Sydney Morning Herald, Good Food and 60 Minutes, 9Network
- 60 Minutes Team – Methanol Poisoning – 60 Minutes, 9Network
Outstanding Television News Reporting
- Isabelle Mullen and Cameron Wallis – LA fires – 7Network
- Lauren Tomasi – Shooting the Messenger – 9News
- Kathryn Diss and Fletcher Yeung – Russia becomes the invaded – ABC News
Outstanding Documentary
- Adele Ferguson, Chris Gillett and Ben Butler – Betrayal of Trust – Four Corners, ABC
- Ivan O’Mahoney and Jessica Halloran – Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story – In Films and Roadshow Films
- WildBear Entertainment Team – Joh: Last King of Queensland – Stan
AUDIO JOURNALISM
Outstanding Podcast
- Tara Cassidy, Romy Sher, Nat Marshall and Kyle Hopkins – Crime in Focus: Killer Charm – LiSTNR
- Guardian Australia Team – Gina: power, privilege and influence – The Guardian
- Nine Entertainment Team – The Ultimate Sacrifice – Nine Entertainment
Outstanding Radio News and Current Affairs
- Kallee Buchanan – Paradise Damned – Qld Country Hour and ABC Radio
- Lucy Barbour – The ‘unspoken ban’ on abortion– AM, ABC
- Shane McInnes and Jacqui Felgate – Northland Lockdown- Machete Wielding Gangs Strike Fear Into Shoppers – 3AW 693
PHOTOGRAPHY
Outstanding News Photography
- Flavio Brancaleone – Death, Devotion, Habemus Papam – The Sydney Morning Herald
- Mick Tsikas – Lidia flips the bird – Australian Associated Press
- Nick Moir – Cyclone Alfred – The Sydney Morning Herald
Outstanding Portrait Photography
- Brian Cassey – Millionaire Castaway: David Glasheen after Heart Attack – Freelance – The Courier Mail
- Carly Earl – Riley on the Southern Roma Road – The Guardian
- Elise Derwin – Stripped to our bare bones – Freelance – The Guardian
Outstanding Sports Photography
- Bronwen Healy – Viva Via Sistana – Freelance – Twitter, Thoroughbred Daily News, and Instagram
- Darrian Traynor – The Moment – Getty Images
- David Gray –Timing and Placement – Agence France Presse – (Australia)
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2025 Kennedy Scholarship Finalists
7NEWS
• Ava Cashmore – Monash University
• Rani Fletcher – RMIT
• Sarah Jensz – The University of Melbourne
9NEWS
• Ava Cashmore – Monash University
• Mahir Manot – University of Technology Sydney
• Sabrine Nasri – UNSW
On behalf of the Kennedy Foundation, we congratulate all the entrants, finalists and judges.
IT’S TIME TO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FROM THIS YEARS KENNEDY AWARDS ENTRIES.
Log into the portal via the button. Tell friends, colleagues and family to vote as well. One vote per registration allowed. The winner will be announced at the awards presentation on August 15th.
VOTING CLOSES MIDNIGHT THURSDAY AUGUST 7
LET THE PEOPLE SPEAK!
Vote HERE
Media Release – Kennedy Foundation
Link to Kennedy Foundation HERE
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2025 Kennedy Awards Finalists Announced
