Channel 7’s 7NEWS and 7NEWS Spotlight win four Kennedy Awards – Channel 7’s 7NEWS and 7NEWS Spotlight have received four Kennedy Awards for Excellence in Journalism, while Sarah Stinson has also been recognised for her newsroom leadership.
The result gives Channel 7 another major newsroom awards moment this month. It follows the previous week’s TV WEEK Logie Award for Best News Coverage, which recognised the network’s coverage of the Bondi terror attack.
Kennedy Awards recognition
At the 2026 Kennedy Awards in Sydney, 7NEWS Melbourne crime reporter Cassie Zervos won Scoop of the Year. The award recognised her report on Dezi Freeman’s death after a 216-day manhunt.
7NEWS Spotlight also won Outstanding Television Current Affairs Reporting – Long Form for Face to Face with My Children’s Killer. The winning team included Michael Usher, Gemma Williams, Phil Goyen and Ben Fogarty.
The special followed Danny Abdallah as he met the man responsible for killing his three children and their cousin. The program has since drawn more than 27 million views worldwide.
Newsroom wins
7NEWS cameraman Nicholas Castellaro won Outstanding News Camera Coverage for his footage of the Bondi terror attack. Meanwhile, 7NEWS investigative series Kiss & Kill won the award for Outstanding Reporting on Human Rights, Social or Religious Affairs.
The Kiss & Kill team included Alison Sandy, Marc Wright, Cassie Woodward, Jason Blandford and Katrina Blowers.
In addition, 7NEWS Melbourne reporter Ava Cashmore was named Student Journalist of the Year. RMIT student Mia Catugno also received the Kennedy Foundation Scholarship, which includes a three-month placement in the Sydney newsroom.
Stinson received the Cliff Neville Award for Outstanding Team Player or Mentor. Seven’s Director of News and Current Affairs and Seven West Media Editor-in-Chief Ray Kuka said the awards reflected the breadth and quality of the network’s journalism.
The Kennedy Awards began in 2011 in memory of veteran crime reporter Les Kennedy. They recognise excellence across 35 journalism categories.
7NEWS airs nightly at 6.00pm on Channel 7 and 7plus.
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