Finalists announced for the 68th Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism

The Walkley Foundation is delighted to announce the finalists for the 68th annual Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism.

The Walkley Awards, Australia’s pre-eminent national journalism awards, recognise and reward the best in the craft and set the industry standard for excellence.  

Shona Martyn, CEO of the Walkley Foundation, said: “The importance of strong and incisive journalism is magnified right now as we watch war and atrocities explode internationally, wait with anxiety about a summer of potential natural disasters sparked by Climate Change and face a significant referendum this weekend about the Constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. 

“While the 68th Walkley Awards cannot recognise stories that have developed since our closing date for entries on August 31, this year’s finalists include stellar coverage of such pressing issues and more. Australia’s reporters, commentators, photographers, camera operators, cartoonists, podcasters, authors and documentary makers have produced extraordinary works of public interest journalism in the last 12 months. As they will in the next year. The quality of the finalists is high and they are all to be commended for shining a light on darkness and on telling the stories that need to be told in their own mediums.”

Finalists in the Walkley Awards are selected by first round panels of specialist judges on the basis of overall merit and journalistic excellence. The Walkley Foundation encourages a diversity of entries from journalists around Australia. This year we received 1355 eligible entries, slightly up on 2022.

Judges for this first round are selected by the Walkley Judging Board. You can find information about the Walkley Awards judging process here and the Terms and Conditions of the Awards here.   

The Walkley Foundation has a mechanism for dealing with any conflict of interest, actual or perceived, that may arise during the judging process. The guidelines are based on the principle that all actual conflicts of interest are to be avoided and that even a perceived conflict may be damaging to all parties. You can read more about the conflict guidelines here.

All Walkley Award winners will be announced at a gala dinner at the ICC in Sydney on Thursday November 23. 

The winners of the Nikon Photography Prizes are announced below, along with the list of finalists for all the Walkley Awards.

For media enquiries contact James Gorman on james.gorman@walkleys.com or 0414 990 480.

68th Walkley Award finalists

PRINT/TEXT NEWS REPORT

• Luke Henriques-Gomes, The Guardian, ‘Colleen Taylor: The Robodebt Whistleblower’ (1,2)
• Liam Mendes, The Australian, ‘Northern Territory’ (1,2,3)
• Paul Sakkal, The Age, ‘Daniel Andrews Under Direct Investigation in Operation Daintree’ （1,2,3）

FEATURE WRITING SHORT (UNDER 4000 WORDS)
Award Partner The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age

• Stephanie Convery, The Guardian, ‘“Slowly Tortured by His Brain”: Family Urges Action on Head Trauma at Concussion Inquiry’
• Ben Smee, The Guardian, ‘Ricky’s Story’
• Jeremy Story Carter, ABC, ‘Kick in Hope’

FEATURE WRITING LONG (OVER 4000 WORDS)
Award Partner MEAA

• Greg Bearup, The Weekend Australian, ‘White Hands on Black Art’
• Tom de Souza, The West Australian, ‘The Road Home: Finding Joy After Juvenile Detention and Ice Addiction’
• Anna Verney and Richard Cooke, The Monthly, ‘Being John Hughes’

ALL MEDIA: COMMENTARY, ANALYSIS, OPINION AND CRITIQUE
Award Partner Thomson Geer Lawyers

• Lorena Allam, Guardian Australia, ‘An Indigenous Perspective on the Voice’ (1,2,3)
• John Lyons, ABC, ‘Body of Work’ (1,2,3)
• Katharine Murphy, Guardian Australia, ‘Saturday Political Commentary’(1,2,3)

ALL MEDIA: EXPLANATORY JOURNALISM

• Matt Bevan, Yasmin Parry, Andrew George and Andrew Harrison, ABC, ‘If You’re Listening’(1,2,3)
• Karla Grant, Michael Carey, Ross Turner and Bianca Schneller, Living Black, NITV, ‘Referendum for an Indigenous Voice: The Campaigners’ (1,2,3)
• Rick Morton, The Saturday Paper, ‘The Robodebt Royal Commission’( 1, 2,3) 

ALL MEDIA: COVERAGE OF INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS

• Ben Abbatangelo, Anthony Hawwa, Casey Vigushin and editors, Network 10, The Project, ‘Young Voices Lost’
• Bridget Brennan, Suzanne Dredge, Brooke Fryer and Stephanie Zillman, ABC, Four Corners, ‘How Many More?’ (1,2)
• Carrie Fellner, Katrina McGowan, Rhett Wyman and Mathew Cornwell, The Sydney Morning Herald, ‘Paradise Poisoned’ (1,2,3)

ALL MEDIA: COVERAGE OF COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS
Award Partner BHP

• Tallulah Bieundurry, Hannah Murphy, Erin Parke and Andrew Seabourne, ABC, 7.30 and ABC News, ‘Kimberley Floods’ (1,2)
• Daniel Clarke, Fox Docos, Binge, The Advertiser, ‘Lost in the Woods’, ‘Island Lifesavers’
• Christopher Walsh and David Wood, NT Independent, ‘Fatal Failures: Behind the Scenes of the Zach Rolfe Affair’ (1,2,3)

ALL MEDIA: CARTOON
Award Partner Epson

• Badiucao, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, ‘Badiucao’
• Warren Brown, The Daily Telegraph, ‘Warren Brown – Daily Telegraph’
• Mark Knight, Herald Sun, ‘How Dutton Sees the Referendum’

ALL MEDIA: SPORTS JOURNALISM
Award Partner University of Queensland

• David Mark, ABC 7.30 and ABC News, ‘“After Almost 30 Years, These Women are Finally Seeing Justice”: The Investigation into Paedophile Rock Climbing Coach, Stephen Mitchell’ (1,2)
• Pat McGrath, Alex McDonald, Carla Hildebrandt and Sarah Curnow, ABC, Four Corners and ABC News, ‘Game, Bet, Match’ (1,2,3)
• Sandra Odorisio, Michael Usher, John Varga and Ben Fogarty, Spotlight and Channel 7 News, ‘Thanks for the Memories – Mario Fenech’ 

SPORT PHOTOGRAPHY

• Robert Cianflone, Getty Images and Daily Telegraph, ‘Just Another Day’
• David Gray, AFP, ‘Moments in Sport’
• Quinn Rooney, Getty Images, ‘Beauty in Sport’

AUDIO SHORT (UNDER 20 MINUTES)
Award Partner ABC

• Allyson Horn, ABC Radio, ABC RN and AM, ‘Inside Iran’ (1,2,3)
• Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop, ABC Radio, AM, ‘Türkiye Earthquake Disaster’
• Elsa Silberstein, ABC Story Stream and ABC News, ‘Dialysis in Balgo’

AUDIO LONG (OVER 20 MINUTES)
Award Partner Minter Ellison

• Dying Rose Team, The Advertiser, ‘Dying Rose’
• Brooke Fryer, Kirstie Wellauer, Brigid Anderson and the Indigenous Affairs Team, ABC, Background Briefing, ‘The Outland or the Cage’
• LiSTNR Factual Team, LiSTNR, ‘The Children in the Pictures Podcast’

DIGITAL MEDIA: INNOVATION JOURNALISM
Award Partner News Corp 

• ABC News Video Lab and the Indigenous Affairs Team, ABC, ‘Locked Up and Locked Down’
• ABCQueer, ABC Innovation Lab and ABC Digital Story Innovations Team, ABC,  ‘Retracing the Steps of the First Mardi Gras’
• The Visual Stories Team, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, ‘How to Lay a Perfect Offside Trap – and How to Break It’

ALL MEDIA: SCOOP OF THE YEAR
Award Partner The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age

• (Withdrawn) – Liam Bartlett, Steve Jackson and Mark Llewellyn, Channel 7, Spotlight, ‘Trial and Error’
• Jake Evans and Andrew Probyn, ABC News, ‘Lidia Thorpe and the Bikie Boss’
• Josh Hanrahan and Mark Morri, The Daily Telegraph, ‘Cooma Taser Scandal’ ($)

ALL MEDIA: COVERAGE OF A MAJOR NEWS EVENT OR ISSUE
Award Partner Sky News Australia 

• The Australian Financial Review Team, The Australian Financial Review, ‘PwC Tax Leaks Scandal – AFR Coverage’(1,2,3,4,5,6)
• Michael Bachelard, Nick McKenzie, Amelia Ballinger and Joel Tozer, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes, ‘Home Affairs Failings’ (1,2,3,4,5,6)
• The State of Addiction Team, The Sydney Morning Herald, ‘State of Addiction’ (1,2,3,4,5,6)

NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY

• Ian Munro, The West Australian, ‘Banksia Hill Riot’
• Dean Sewell, Oculi and Guardian Australia, ‘Return to Uluru – The Repatriation of Yukun’
• Darrian Traynor, Getty Images, ‘A Dark Day’

ALL MEDIA: SPECIALIST AND BEAT REPORTING

• Sophie Aubrey and Clay Lucas, The Age,  ‘Flood Fury: The Maribyrnong River Disaster’ (1,2,3)
• Christopher Knaus, The Guardian, ‘The Catholic Church’s New Tactic to Fight Abuse Claims’ (1,2,3)
• Rick Morton, The Saturday Paper and 7am, ‘The Robodebt Royal Commission’(1,2,3)

ALL MEDIA: BUSINESS JOURNALISM
Award Partner ING Australia

• Neil Chenoweth and Edmund Tadros, The Australian Financial Review, ‘PwC Tax Leaks Scandal’ （1,2,3)
• Peter Ker and Brad Thompson, The Australian Financial Review, ‘The Forrests and Fortescue’ （1,2)
• Bri Lee, The Monthly, ‘Debt-à-Porter’

FEATURE/PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAY
Award Partner Canva

• Matthew Abbott, The New York Times and The Washington Post, ‘As China Expands Pacific Reach, a Tug-of-War for Island Nations Ensues’
• Justin McManus, The Sunday Age and The Age online, ‘Leaving the Land of Plenty’
• Jason South, The Age, ‘Water, Water, Everywhere’

TELEVISION/VIDEO: CAMERAWORK

• Matt Davis, ABC, Foreign Correspondent and ABC News, ‘Surviving in Somalia’ and ‘Canada on Fire’ (1,2,3)
• Tom Joyner, ABC News, ‘International Humanitarian Coverage’ (1,2,3)         
• Andy Taylor and Roger Price, SBS Television, ‘Ray Martin: Mysteries of the Outback’    

TELEVISION/VIDEO: NEWS REPORTING
Award Partner Seven

• Paula Doneman, Kathryn Sutton and Robert Ovadia, 7NEWS Australia, ‘Hearts Bleed Blue’
• Prue Lewarne, SBS World News, ‘Haiti’s Turmoil’ (1,2,3)
• Ben Lewis and Colin Cosier, SBS World News, ‘Ukraine: One Year On’

TELEVISION/VIDEO: CURRENT AFFAIRS SHORT (UNDER 20 MINUTES)
Award Partner SBS

• Gavin Blyth, Michelle Elias, Jennifer Luu and Jodie Noyce, SBS, The Feed, ‘Uncovering Incels’ (1,2)
• Nick McKenzie and Amelia Ballinger, Nine, 60 Minutes, ‘Home Truths’
• Dan Nolan, Nine, A Current Affair, ‘Childcare Whistleblower’ (1,2)

TELEVISION/VIDEO: CURRENT AFFAIRS LONG (OVER 20 MINUTES)
Award Partner TEN News First and The Project

• Mahmood Fazal, Amos Roberts and Dylan Welch, ABC, Four Corners, ‘Cocaine Nation: Australia’s Booming Drug Trade Revealed’
• Angus Grigg, Jessica Longbottom, Jonathan Miller and Maddison Connaughton, ABC, Four Corners, ‘Shadow State’ (1,2)
• Nick McKenzie, Amelia Ballinger and Joel Tozer, Nine, 60 Minutes, ‘Trafficked’

ALL MEDIA: INTERNATIONAL
Award Partner Sydney Airport

• Anthony Galloway and Kate Geraghty, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, ‘Winter in Ukraine’ (1,2,3)
• Stephanie March, Naomi Selvaratnam, Shaun Kingma and Matt Henry, ABC, Foreign Correspondent, ‘Philippines: Saving the Children’（1,2,3)
• Marty Smiley and Leah Donovan, ABC, Foreign Correspondent, ‘Inside Iran: The Fight Continues’ (1,2)

ALL MEDIA: INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM
Award Partner Guardian Australia

• Alexandra Blucher and the Background Briefing and ABC Investigations Teams, ABC, Background Briefing and ABC News, ‘How the System Failed to Save Darcey and Chloe’ (1,2,3)
• Neil Chenoweth and Edmund Tadros, The Australian Financial Review, ‘PwC Tax Leaks Scandal’（1,2,3）
• Kate McClymont and Thea Dikeos, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes, ‘Charlie Teo: The Profit of Hope’ (1,2,3)

WALKLEY DOCUMENTARY AWARD FINALISTS

• Darren Dale, Belinda Mravicic, Jacob Hickey and Allan Clarke, The Dark Emu Story, Blackfella Films / ABC
• Isabel Darling and Tom Zubrycki, The Carnival, Torchlight Media
• Rachel Perkins, Darren Dale and Jacob Hickey, The Australian Wars, Blackfella Films / SBS Australia

WALKLEY BOOK AWARD LONGLIST (Shortlist to be announced November 2)
Award Partner Banki Haddock Fiora

• Jackie Dent, The Great Dead Body Teachers, Ultimo Press
• Christine Kenneally, Ghosts of the Orphanage, Hachette Australia
• Antony Loewenstein, The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World, Scribe Publications
• Chris Masters, Flawed Hero Truth: Lies and War Crimes, Allen and Unwin
• Nick McKenzie, Crossing the Line, Hachette Australia
• Ben Schneiders, Hard Labour: Wage Theft in the Age of Inequality, Scribe Publications
• Tracey Spicer, Man-Made: How the Bias of the pPast is Being Built into the Future, Simon & Schuster Australia
• Chris Wallace, Political Lives, NewSouth Publishing
• Brendan Watkins, Tell No One, Allen & Unwin

NIKON-WALKLEY PRESS PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
Award Partner Nikon

• Diego Fedele, Getty Images and Ms. Magazine, ‘Eastern Ukraine Portfolio’
• Jake Nowakowski, Herald Sun, Sunday Herald Sun and The Daily Telegraph, ‘Jake Nowakowski’
• Jason South, The Age, ‘Pictures of the Year’

2023 NIKON PHOTOGRAPHY PRIZE WINNERS

These are not Walkley Awards, but prizes administered by the Walkley Foundation on behalf of Nikon. These photos will also appear in the Nikon-Walkley Press Photography exhibition (first appearing at the State Library of NSW from October 21, 2023 to January 21, 2024).

NIKON PHOTO OF THE YEAR 

WINNER: Quinn Rooney, Getty Images, ‘Matilda Joy’ 

 

 

NIKON PORTRAIT PRIZE

WINNER: Eddie Jim, The Age, ‘Fighting Not Sinking’

 

Thank you to the many senior journalists who gave their time to judge the Walkley Awards this year:

• Patrick Abboud, Freelance
• Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen, Freelance
• Michael Bachelard, The Age
• Paul Bailey, formerly The Australian Financial Review
• Emily Barrett, The Saturday Paper
• Tim Bauer, Freelance
• Caro Baum, Author / Podcaster
• Rob Beaumont, Illawarra Mercury
• Ben Bohane, Freelance
• Ray Bonner, Bookoccino
• Kirsty Bradmore, Seven Network
• Mark Calvert, Sky News
• Mark Chapman, SBS
• Lucy Clark, Guardian Australia
• Allan Clarke, Freelance
• Claire G. Coleman, Author 
• Ali Colvin, ABC
• Tom Connell, Newsday, Sky News
• Mark Corcoran, former foreign correspondent
• Kate Cox, ACM
• Lisa Cox, Guardian Australia
• Robert Craddock, Courier Mail, Fox Cricket
• Simon Crerar, Private Media
• Laurie Critchley, Southern Pictures
• Anne Davies, Guardian Australia
• Lisa Davies, AAP
• Ben Doherty, Guardian Australia
• Sue Dunlevy, The Daily Telegraph
• Natalie Forrest, 10 News First Perth
• Jan Fran, The Briefing, LiSTNR
• Gabe Gasparinatos, Entropico
• Caroline Gates, SBS
• Nigel Gladstone, The Sydney Morning Herald
• Richard Guilliatt, Feature writer/podcaster
• Fiona Harari, The Weekend Australian Magazine
• Claire Harvey, The Australian
• Anna Henderson, National Press Club, SBS World News
• Saffron Howden, ACM
• Catherine Hunter, Catherine Hunter Productions
• Fron Jackson-Webb, The Conversation
• Matthew Johnson, 10 News
• Rohan Kelly, The Sunday Telegraph
• Sarah Krasnostein, Author / Critic
• Ray Kuka, 7News
• Marianne Leitch, Freelance
• Peter Lewis, Newcastle Herald
• John-Paul Maloney, Canberra Times
• Paddy Manning, Freelance
• Cosima Marriner, The Australian Financial Review
• Jillian McClelland, The Sydney Morning Herald
• John McDuling, Capital Brief
• Siobhan McHugh, The University of Wollongong
• Christine Middap, The Weekend Australian Magazine
• Solua Middleton, ABC, Deep Time Project and Bonner Committee
• Michael E. Miller, The Washington Post
• Rosemarie Milsom, Newcastle Writers Festival
• Claire Moodie, ABC Perth
• Gaven Morris, Bastion
• Kylie Morris, Primer
• Helen Morrison, Bent3Land Productions
• Judy Nadin, Illustrator / Designer
• Tracey Nearmy, Freelance
• Kirsty Needham, Reuters
• Bianca Nogrady, Freelance
• Nick Olle, 101 East, Al Jazeera
• Luke Pearson, IndigenousX
• Corrie Perkin, Sorrento Writers Festival
• Sophia Phan, The Sydney Morning Herald 
• Natalie Pozdeev, AFTRS
• Ashleigh Raper, Network 10
• Tom Rehn, Channel 9
• Frank Robson, Good Weekend
• Stephen Romei, The Australian
• Monique Ross, Deadset Studios
• Michael Ruffles, The Sydney Morning Herald 
• Peter Ryan, ABC
• Alison Sandy, Channel Seven (Adelaide)
• Louise Schwartzkoff, The University of Sydney
• Ryan Sheridan, ABC
• Steven Siewert, Freelance
• Antony Sirocco, The University of Sydney
• Susan Skelly, Freelance
• Aaron Smith, Freelance
• Ellen Smith, Guardian Australia
• Kriv Stenders, Filmmaker
• Shane Tohl, Getty Images
• Samantha Trenoweth, The Australian Women’s Weekly
• Dayna Watson, The Creative Consultant
• Clair Weaver, LiSTNR
• Calliste Weitenberg, Dateline, SBS
• Kelly Williams, ABC & First Nations Media Australia
• Pamela Williams, Author