7NEWS Adelaide celebrates record night at SA Press Club Awards – 7NEWS Adelaide has celebrated a record-breaking night at the 2026 SA Press Club Awards, taking home eight major awards. It is the most successful result in the station’s history.
The haul also equals the record for the most awards earned by a single media outlet. It recognises the journalism, investigative reporting and storytelling delivered by the 7NEWS Adelaide team.
The result caps a big awards year for Seven’s newsrooms. In August, TV Central reported that Channel 7’s 7NEWS and 7NEWS Spotlight won four Kennedy Awards.
Gold Award for Gus Lamont coverage
Leading the honours was the Gold Award, which recognises the best entry across all categories. It went to 7NEWS Adelaide reporter Hannah Foord and cameraman Travis Levi, along with 7NEWS Spotlight’s Michael Usher and Phil Goyen.
The award honoured the team’s coverage of the disappearance of four-year-old Gus Lamont. That included Foord’s exclusive interview with Gus’s grandmother, Josie Murray, which aired on 7NEWS Spotlight in June.
In addition, the team claimed Best Long Form Television Report or Extended Coverage and Best TV News Report. Judges described the Josie Murray interview as “an exclusive, attention-grabbing and powerful news story”.
The tragic disappearance of Gus Lamont has captivated Australia and this was a crucial interview and story which was well told, shot and produced.
The judges
Furthermore, judges commended cameraman Travis Levi in the Best News Camera Coverage category.
Mike Smithson named Best Broadcaster
Meanwhile, the station’s coverage of South Australian politics also earned recognition. Mike Smithson, Rosanna Mangiarelli and Gertie Spurling received a High Commendation in the Best Long Form Television Report or Extended Coverage category for 7 SA Election Coverage.
Smithson also won Best Broadcaster, an honour recognising the veteran 7NEWS Adelaide reporter and presenter’s contribution to South Australian journalism.
These awards are the state’s highest media industry recognition, so it’s an enormous thrill and humbling at the same time.
Mike Smithson
To be recognised for my broadcasting skills in such an elite group of finalists is truly an honour. And the entire 7NEWS team shone on a night where excellence abounds.
Mike Smithson
Double win for Madison Stanley
Investigative journalist Madison Stanley was a double winner. She took home Young Journalist of the Year and Best Investigative Coverage of an Issue or Event in Any Medium for her investigation Developers Legal Loophole, which exposed issues surrounding the Springwood Homes debacle.
Her Young Journalist award recognised a portfolio of stories, including her Springwood Homes investigation, the Port MacDonnell tragedy and the Goolwa plane crash. Overall, judges described Stanley as “a rising star”, praising the breadth of her reporting skills.
The Springwood Homes piece was a stand-out. It was followed widely and led to meaningful action.
The judges
Digital and emerging talent recognised
Chrystianna Konidis won Best Coverage of an Event in Social Media for her rolling coverage of the death of Helen Sargeant in a hospital corridor and the family’s subsequent outrage. Moreover, judges praised the entry for showing how social media journalists can provide instant, rolling coverage of an important breaking story.
Emerging 7NEWS Adelaide journalist Olivia Gilmore-Rankine also won Best Student Journalist. Judges commended her ability to research and break a major story under the intense deadline pressures of a newsroom.
Finally, judges commended Jonathan Edwards in the Young Journalist of the Year category.
Full list of 7NEWS Adelaide SA Press Club Awards winners
- Gold Award: Hannah Foord, Travis Levi, Michael Usher and Phil Goyen (Gus Lamont coverage)
- Best Long Form Television Report or Extended Coverage: Gus Lamont coverage team
- Best TV News Report: Gus Lamont coverage team
- Best Broadcaster: Mike Smithson
- Young Journalist of the Year: Madison Stanley
- Best Investigative Coverage of an Issue or Event in Any Medium: Madison Stanley, Developers Legal Loophole
- Best Coverage of an Event in Social Media: Chrystianna Konidis
- Best Student Journalist: Olivia Gilmore-Rankine
Commendations went to Travis Levi (Best News Camera Coverage), Mike Smithson, Rosanna Mangiarelli and Gertie Spurling (High Commendation, 7 SA Election Coverage) and Jonathan Edwards (Young Journalist of the Year).
What 7NEWS Adelaide’s news director said
7NEWS Adelaide News Director Mark Mooney said the result was a testament to the talent, dedication and determination of the entire newsroom.
This is incredible recognition of the entire 7NEWS Adelaide team. We are passionate about telling the stories that are most important to South Australians. Our role as journalists has never been more crucial. To be trusted by our viewers and welcomed into their loungerooms every night is a privilege, and we remain committed to honouring that trust.
Mark Mooney, 7NEWS Adelaide News Director
The annual SA Press Club Awards recognise excellence in South Australian journalism across television, radio, print and digital media. 7NEWS airs nightly at 6.00pm on Seven and 7plus.
For more TV Central Channel 7 news, head here. For the latest from the newsroom, visit 7NEWS.