2023 Kennedy Awards Finalists Announced – The Kennedy Foundation is pleased to announce that the finalists in the national Kennedy Awards for Excellence in Journalism have been chosen.
Foundation chair, Carl Dumbrell said,
“The judging process was incredibly hard this year as there were so many great entries, demonstrating that great journalism is alive and thriving.”
Ninety one judges subjected a record 748 entries in 35 categories to exhaustive scrutiny. Our thanks goes to those judges who gave their time in supporting and rewarding the nation’s finest journalism.
“This year we have included some new categories one of which; “Outstanding Reporting in Human Rights, Social and Religious Affairs”, received the highest number of entries for any category. Clearly the Kennedy Foundation is satisfying some unmet needs in Australia’s awards for excellence in journalism,” Foundation Chair, Carl Dumbrell said.
The winners of the nation’s richest journalism awards will be announced on August 18 at the Foundation’s gala awards event to be held in the ballroom of the Royal Randwick.
Some of the highlights will be Journalist of the Year, Scoop of the Year, the Lifetime Achievement Award and the announcement of the winner of our inaugural Kennedy Scholarship with Seven.
On that note we give our thanks and gratitude to all our sponsors and welcome our new ones who have joined us in partnership in 2023.
As Kennedy Foundation Chair noted;
“They have joined us in rewarding and supporting excellence in journalism and we couldn’t do our work without them.”
To book tickets to the awards gala click HERE
The 2023 Kennedy Awards Finalists
ALL MEDIA
The John Newfong Award for Indigenous Affairs Reporting
- Caitlin Fitzsimmons, Jack Latimore, Mark Fuller, Janie Barrett and Justin McManus – The Voice Project – The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age
- Carrie Fellner, Katrina McGowan, Mat Cornwell and Rhett Wyman – Paradise Poisoned – The Sydney Morning Herald
- Greg Bearup – White Hands in Black Art – The Australian
The Vince O’Farrell Award for Outstanding Cartoon
- Cathy Wilcox – Don’t Look, Becky – Sydney Morning Herald and The Age
- Fiona Katauskas – Not Like Us – Freelancer, The Echidna, Australian Community Media
- Peter Broelman – Divide and Conquer – Freelancer, theechidna.com.au
Outstanding Consumer Affairs Reporting
- Adele Ferguson, Klaus Toft and Jimmy Hamilton – Worse Look – 60 Minutes, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age
- Adele Ferguson, Amelia Ballinger and Naomi Shivaraman – Last Gasp – 60 Minutes, Nine
- Emily Barker, Amy Donaldson and Madeleine King – Do No Harm – Four Corners, ABC
Outstanding Court and Legal Affairs Reporting
- Hannah Sinclair – Baby Vinh – A Current Affair, Channel 9
- Nina Funnell, Lisa Muxworthy, Kerry Warren and Riah Matthews – Justice Shouldn’t Hurt – news.com.au
- Tom Steinfort, Nick McKenzie, Garry McNab, Dora Weekley and Renee Hudson – Ben Roberts-Smith: The Truth – 60 Minutes, Nine
The Les Kennedy Award for Outstanding Crime Reporting
- David Murray – Ric Blum Investigation – The Australian
- Richard Guilliatt, Lia Tsamoglou and Claire Harvey – Shadow of Doubt – The Australian
- Tara Brown and Naomi Shivaraman – PRESUMED EVIL & FALSELY ACCUSED – An incomplete investigation that destroyed a good cop’s life – 60 Minutes, Nine
Outstanding Finance Reporting
- Max Mason and Mark Di Stefano – Inside Kerry Stokes’ World of Influence -The Australian Financial Review
- Neil Chenoweth and Edmund Tadros – PwC Tax Leaks Scandal – The Australian Financial Review
- Paul Farrell, Ali Russell, Meghna Bali and Nick Wiggins – Dirty Deeds: Inside Australia’s Biggest Tax Fraud – Four Corners, ABC
The Tom Krause Award for Outstanding Foreign Correspondent
- Eryk Bagshaw and Natalie Clancy – Kidnapped in Japan – 60 Minutes, Nine
- Stephanie Marsh, Naomi Selvaratnam, Shaun Kingma and Nikki Stevens – Philippines: Saving the Children – Foreign Correspondent, ABC
- Tom Steinfort, Garry McNab and Sheree Gibson – China in the Pacific – 60 Minutes, Nine
Outstanding Investigative Reporting
- Adele Ferguson, Amelia Ballinger and Naomi Shivaraman – Last Gasp – 60 Minutes, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age
- Neil Chenoweth and Edmund Tadros – PwC Tax Leaks Scandal – The Australian Financial Review
- Tom Steinfort, Nick McKenzie, Garry McNab, Dora Weekley and Renee Hudson – Ben Roberts-Smith: The Truth – 60 Minutes, Nine
Outstanding Online News Breaking
- Clementine Cuneo, Josh Hanrahan, Dan Proudman, John Rolfe and Tamaryn McGregor – Wedding Bus Tragedy – www.dailytelegraph.com.au
- Josh Hanrahan, Mark Morri and Clementine Cuneo – Cooma Taser Scandal Revealed – www.dailytelegraph.com.au
- Michaela Whitbourn and David Estcourt – Live coverage of Ben Roberts-Smith judgment – The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age websites
Outstanding Political Reporting
- Lucy Cormack, Tom Rabe, Alexandra Smith and Jordan Baker – Game Over for Lobbyist after “Catholic Gut” Comment – The Sydney Morning Herald
- Sarah Elks and Michael McKenna – Warren Entsch’s Fast-Tracked Island Jab for Billionaire Donor – The Australian
- Sean Nicholls and Naomi Selvaratnam – The War Within – Four Corners, ABC
Outstanding Reporting on Human Rights, Social or Religious Affairs
- Grace Tobin, Patrick Begley, Mary Fallon and Meghna Bali – Locking Up Kids – Four Corners, ABC
- Matthew Davis and Peter O’Donoghue – Myanmar’s Forgotten War – Foreign Correspondent, ABC
- Nina Funnell, Lisa Muxworthy, Kerry Warren and Riah Matthews – Justice Shouldn’t Hurt – news.com.au
Outstanding Reporting on the Environment
- Carrie Fellner, Katrina McGowan, Mat Cornwell and Rhett Wyman – Paradise Poisoned – The Sydney Morning Herald
- Karla Grant, Michael Carey, Greg Wilesmith and Max Harach – Western Australia’s “Cultural Genocide” – Living Black, NITV
- Lucy Murray – Mining the Pacific Ocean – SBS
The Peter Frillingos Award for Outstanding Sport Reporting
- Hagar Cohen, Alex Mcdonald and Alice Mulheron – Paralympic Scandal: Gaming the Games – Four Corners, ABC
- Julian Linden – Sink or Swim – The Daily Telegraph
- Sandra Odorisio, John Varga, ACS, Ben Fogerty and Michael Usher – Thanks for the Memories (Mario Fenech) – Spotlight, Seven Network
The Cliff Neville Award for Outstanding Team Player or Mentor
- Kathryn Wicks – The Sydney Morning Herald
- Mark Morri – The Daily Telegraph
- Stephen Rice – The Australian
The Rebecca Wilson Award for Scoop of the Year
- Greg Bearup – White Hands in Black Art – The Australian
- Joshua Hanrahan and Mark Morri – Cooma Taser Scandal Revealed -The Daily Telegraph
- Neil Chenoweth and Edmund Tadros – PwC Tax Leaks Scandal – The Australian Financial Review
Student Journalist of the Year
- Eva Cogan – The University of Technology Sydney
- Tyson Jackson – The University of Notre Dame
- Zara Powell – University of Technology Sydney
Young Journalist of The Year (if yet to turn 27 by June 30)
- Brittany Brittany – Daily Mail Australia
- Kamin Gock – ABC
- Rhiona-Jade Armont – SBS
PRINT/TEXT
The Peter Ruehl Award for Outstanding Columnist
- Emma Kemp – Guardian Australia
- Joe Aston – The Australian Financial Review
- Sean Kelly – Freelancer, The Sydney Morning Herald
The Jim Oram Award for Outstanding Feature Writing
- Jessica Sier and Andrew Burke – Inside the Downfall of Ex-Young Rich Lister Robert Bates – The Australian Financial Review
- Lauren Wood – Becoming El – News Corp Australia
- Neil Chenoweth and Edmund Tadros – PwC Tax Leaks Scandal -The Australian Financial Review
Outstanding Travel Writing
- Christine Salins – One Of The Greatest All-Time Travel Experiences: Sailing Through The Panama Canal – Freelancer / Food Wine Travel
- Craig Tansley – Hollywood’s Take-Down Of Paradise – Freelancer/T Australia (Australia’s New York Times)
- James Massola – Can you drive an EV across the Nullarbor? – The Sydney Morning Herald
The Rod Allen Award for Racing Writer of the Year
- Adam Pengilly and Chris Roots – Berry and the Butcher – The Sydney Morning Herald
- Ben Dorries – Body of Work – News Corp
- Jessica Owers – The Fall of Singapore – TDN AusNZ
The Chris Watson Award for Regional Reporting – Print and Online
- Joshua Peach – Candidate Unmasked as President of ‘Tassie Proud Boys’ – The Examiner – Australian Community Media
- Matt Garrick – Fight for Peace – ABC News Darwin
- Sam Rigney – The Music Scene, the Sexual Predator and the Survivor – Newcastle Herald
SD Harvey Award For Short Crime Story
- Jaclyn Riley-Smith – Mother’s Ruin
- Matthew Malcom – The Other Side
- PG Davies – Adam Ingram
TELEVISION/VIDEO
The Gary Ticehurst Award for News Camera Coverage
- Henry Lynch – Philadelphia – The War on Tranq – 7NEWS
- James Cannon – Turkey Earthquake – Seven Network
- Scott Morelli – Balikatan – 60 Minutes, Nine
The Mike Willesee Award for Nightly Television Current Affairs Reporting
- Ally Langdon, Ashley Carter, Mal Tralaggan, Adam Harley, John Adderley and Stephen Ramplin – Esra’s Story – A Current Affair, Nine
- Anne Connolly and Hannah Meagher – Investigation into the Public Trustee System -7.30, ABC
- Tracy Grimshaw and Ashley Carter – Charlie Teo – A Current Affair, Nine
Outstanding Online Video
- Mark Morri, Josh Hanrahan, Clementine Cuneo, Ben English, Anna Caldwell and Zac McLean – The War: Young Blood – The Daily Telegraph
- Matthew Benns and Ankit Mishra – Courage Under Water – The Daily Telegraph
- Stefan Mitchell and Nicholas Gane – Ukraine: One Year of War – 7NEWS
The David Leckie AM Award for Television Current Affairs Reporting-Long Form
- Bridget Brennan, Suzanne Dredge, Brooke Fryer and Stephanie Zillman – How Many More? -Four Corners, ABC
- Grace Tobin, Naomi Selvaratnam, Mahmood Fazal, Patrick Begley and Annabel Hennessy – The Postcode Wars – Four Corners, ABC
- Nick McKenzie, Amelia Ballinger and Joel Tozer – Trafficked – 60 Minutes, Nine
The Harry Potter Award for Television News Reporting
- Ben Lewis, Colin Cosier, Kateryna Malofieieva – Ukraine: One Year On – SBS News
- Robert Ovadia – Hearts Bleed Blue – 7NEWS
- Sarah Greenhalgh, James Cannon and Bertan Ayduk – Turkey Earthquake -7NEWS
The Paul Lockyer Award for Regional Broadcast Reporting
- Steven Schubert – Regional health system failing country people – ABC NT
- Matt Cunningham – Matt Cunningham leads Australian reporting on the violence that has gripped the Northern Territory – Sky News NT
- Matt Garrick – Behind a Social Breakdown – ABC NT
AUDIO JOURNALISM
Outstanding Podcast
- Claire Harvey, Kristen Amiet, Hedley Thomas, David Murray, Matthew Condon, Slade Gibson, Del Fordham and Jasper Leak – The Teacher’s Accuser – The Australian
- Emma Lancaster, Akhim Dev, Simon Nasht, Dr Belinda Lopez and Jennifer Goggin – The Children in the Pictures podcast series – LiSTNR
- Jess Lodge, Melissa Downes and Adam Buncher – Hannah’s Story – 9News Queensland
The Sean Flannery Award for Outstanding On the Road Radio News Reporting
- Clinton Maynard – Surry Hills Fire – Radio 2GB
- Gavin Coote – La Nina takes toll on flood-prone inland communities – ABC Radio
- Peter Ryan – LIVE FROM MARTIN PLACE – Reserve Bank shocks with aggressive interest rate rises sending households into shock – ABC Radio
Outstanding Radio Current Affairs
- Alexandra Blucher and the Background Briefing team – How the system failed to save Darcey and Chloe – Radio National, ABC
- Ben Fordham and James Willis – Barilaro’s NYC Trade Job – Radio 2GB
- Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop – Turkiye Earthquake Disaster – AM, ABC Radio
PHOTOGRAPHY
Outstanding News Photography
- Darren Howe – Saved From Above – Bendigo Advertiser
- Dean Lewins – City Inferno – Australian Associated Press
- Kate Geraghty – War in Ukraine – The Sydney Morning Herald
Outstanding Portrait Photography
- Kate Geraghty – Defender of Bakhmut – The Sydney Morning Herald
- Michael Klein – This Is How I Was Meant To Be – News Limited
- Sylvia Liber – The Scars of Wreck Bay – Illawarra Mercury
Outstanding Sports Photography
- Adam Mclean – UCI 2022 – Australian Community Media
- Darrian Traynor – Colour and Shape – Freelance/Getty Images
- Mark Kolbe – Kolbe Cheese – Getty Images
Media Release – Kennedy Awards
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