7NEWS and 7NEWS Spotlight recognised at 2026 Quill Awards – The Seven Network’s 7NEWS and 7NEWS Spotlight were last night recognised at this year’s Melbourne Press Club Quill Awards for Excellence in Victorian Journalism.
7NEWS Melbourne reporter Kristy Mayr, producer Duane Hatherley, and cameramen Ben Fogarty and John Varga took home the Quill for Feature Storytelling TV and Video for The Stunt Pilot, a 7NEWS Spotlight exclusive telling the extraordinary survival story of veteran aerobatic pilot Glenn Collins, whose escape from a 300km-an-hour crash at the Avalon International Airshow was nothing short of miraculous.
Featuring never-before-seen footage from inside the cockpit, judges commended Kristy on how she gained the trust of not just Collins but his family and team, to deliver a powerful and compelling account of what happened when disaster struck, and the long road to recovery.
In the Best Breaking News or Live Coverage category, the 7NEWS Melbourneteam received high commendation for their rolling coverage of the Porepunkah police shooting as well as being shortlisted for live coverage of the Mushroom Trial verdict.
7NEWS Melbourne reporter Cassie Zervos was highly commended in the News Story TV and Video category for her weeks-long coverage of the Dezi Freeman Manhunt, while 7NEWS cameramen Sam Steele and Roger Humphrey were shortlisted in the Outstanding Camera Work category for their Hiking Tragedy report.
In sport, 7NEWS Melbourne’s Mitch Cleary received high commendation in the Harry Gordon Australian Sports Journalist of the Year Award category.
7NEWS Melbourne News Director, Chris Salter, said:
“These awards reflect the tenacious, high‑impact journalism our team delivers every single day. From extraordinary exclusives to powerful storytelling and courageous reporting in the field, our journalists continue to show why 7NEWS is trusted across Victoria.
“We’re incredibly proud of Kristy Mayr and team, our highly commended finalists, and all staff whose work was entered, as well as the broader newsroom whose commitment and collaboration underpin all we achieve.”
The Quills are the premier media awards in Victoria. Established by the Melbourne Press Club in 1995 with 10 awards, the Quills now celebrate the best work in over 30 categories across all media.
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7NEWS and 7NEWS Spotlight recognised at 2026 Quill Awards
