Finalists for the Walkley Foundation’s 2024 Mid-Year Celebration of Journalism have been announced today.
Peer-judged and selected on the basis of journalistic excellence, the Mid-Year Celebration suite administered by the Walkley Foundation includes the John B Fairfax Family Young Australian Journalist of the Year Awards, Coverage of Science and Environment, June Andrews Award for Industrial Relations Reporting, June Andrews Award for Freelance Journalist of the Year, June Andrews Award for Women’s Leadership in Media, Our Watch Award for Excellence in Reporting on Violence Against Women, Media Diversity Australia Award, Humanitarian Storytelling Award, June Andrews Award for Arts Journalism and The Pascall Prize for Cultural Criticism.
Walkley Foundation Chief Executive Shona Martyn said that once again the calibre of entries was extremely high.
“The new award for Coverage of Science and the Environment, introduced after much lobbying from journalists, proved its worth with 82 entries submitted from journalists from across all forms of news media. The June Andrews Award for Arts Journalism saw a significant surge in entries this year, indicating the breadth of stories to be captured in this sector. Reflecting major issues of our times, the Media Diversity Australia Award, the Our Watch Award for Excellence in Reporting on Violence Against Women and the Humanitarian Storytelling Award again had strong entries.
“In the Student Journalist of the Year category it was particularly pleasing to see stories published in the University of Sydney’s Honi Soit, the Greek Herald and Al Jazeera make the finalists.
“The John B Fairfax Family Young Journalist of the Year Awards once again proved the merit of Australia’s young journalists who broke some of the biggest stories of the year. At a time when journalism is challenged on so many fronts, the perseverance, quest for truth and commitment to ethics and excellence of the next generation is vital.
“My congratulations to all the finalists for their excellent work. For those who did not make the shortlist this year, start working on your entries for next year now. And remember the Walkley Awards open on 1 July, 2024, and cover work published from 1 September, 2023 to 19 August, 2024.”
The Mid-Years are a standalone series of awards, held separately from the Walkley Awards which are announced in November. The Mid-Year Awards are not Walkley Awards. They are judged by panels of specialist judges with no involvement from the Walkley Judging Board. The Walkley Judging Board however selects the winner of the John B Fairfax Family Young Journalist of the Year.
Winners are chosen on the basis of overall merit and journalistic excellence. The Walkley Foundation encourages a diversity of entries from journalists around Australia, published or broadcast between 27 April, 2023 and 15 April, 2024. 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.
Winners of all the awards will be announced at the Mid-Year Celebration of Journalism in Sydney on 20 June. At the Celebration, winners will also be announced for the Jacoby-Walkley Scholarship with Nine, the WIN News Broadcast Scholarship, the Walkley Indigenous Scholarship, and the Sean Dorney Grant for Pacific Journalism.
In each award below, the finalists are listed in alphabetical order.
The John B Fairfax Family Young Australian Journalist of the Year Awards
Supported by Jibb Foundation
These awards recognise the hard work of our most outstanding young Australian journalists. They reward the efforts of journalists aged 28 and under who demonstrate excellence in the fundamental tenets of the profession, as well as the ability to present distinctive and original journalism that pushes the boundaries of the craft.
The winner of each of the six categories below will be eligible for the overall Walkley Young Australian Journalist of the Year Award. The ultimate winner will receive a two-week international trip to newsrooms (flights included) and a mentorship program to boost their career.
The winner of each of the six categories will receive a complimentary place in an AGSM short course at UNSW Business School. All courses earn credit towards the AGSM Certificate of Executive Management and Development which, in turn, carries course credit into the AGSM MBA and Graduate Certificates.
Shortform journalism
Supported by ABC
- Carla Jaeger, The Age/Sydney Morning Herald, ‘The crisis crippling Australian netball’ (‘Why the best netball league in the world is facing a $7.5 million black hole’, ‘Perkins scathing of Netball Australia as fears grow over broadcast deal’, ‘Netball Australia chief Kelly Ryan resigns’
- Liam Mendes, The Australian, ‘NT body of work’ (‘“No idea what we’re facing”: Alice crime scourge escalating’,‘“This situation is a travesty”: justice not served in this territory’, ‘Voice referendum: Rita Jingo asks Australians to think about what their vote means for her grandchildren’)
- Elsa Silberstein, ABC Story Stream, ‘”I want my people to come back to home”: Balgo yearns for dialysis’
Longform feature or special
Supported by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age
- Lucas Baird, The Australian Financial Review, ‘Inside the ultra-high-pressure world of Airwallex‘
- Brooke Fryer, ABC Background Briefing, ‘Tears, tea and bloodshed — can violent men ever change?‘
- Laura Lavelle, ABC, ‘The Price of Freedom‘
Coverage of community and regional affairs
Supported by Meltwater Australia
- Briana Fiore, ABC Great Southern, ABC, ‘Jehovah’s Witness Investigation: When Justice Comes Knocking‘, ‘Regional Students Living In Tent Can’t Get To School‘, ‘Rural Bushfire Survivor Disadvantaged‘
- Melissa Mackay, ABC, ‘The crime crisis nobody is talking about’ (‘As domestic violence services cry out for funding, the NT government builds two new art galleries’, ‘Family of murdered domestic violence advocate welcome coroner to her home, as long-running inquiry nears end’, ‘The NT coroner examined the territory’s ’domestic violence epidemic’ in a series of inquests. This is what she uncovered’)
- Bill Ormonde, ABC Landline, ‘Out of the Darkness‘ (TV version)
Visual storytelling
- Matilda Boseley, Guardian Australia, ‘Matilda Boseley’s whiteboard explainers’ (Cyclone Jasper Explained / Ghost Flights / El Nino Explained 1, 2)
- Liam Mendes, The Australian, ‘NT body of work’ (‘Tiny menaces, helpless police and no solution’, ‘Alice Springs youth crime: Age 12 and stuck on a turnstile of crime’, ‘“No idea what we’re facing”: Alice crime scourge escalating’)
- Bill Ormonde, ABC, ‘Out of the Darkness‘
Public service journalism
Supported by Telum Media
- Jemima Burt, ABC News, ‘What happened to Robert Tremble?‘ (TV)
- Brooke Fryer, ABC Background Briefing, ‘The Outland or the Cage’ (1, 2, 3)
- Olivia Jenkins, Herald Sun, ‘Abandoned‘, ‘Rescue Mission‘, ‘Provider faces fake docs fine‘
Student journalist of the year
Supported by University of Sydney
- Veronica Lenard, University of Sydney / Honi Soit, ‘USyd Business School quietly trials assessment platform Cadmus‘, ‘OLET1309 found by students to include content copied from a free online course‘, ‘Privacy is not dead yet‘
- Pamela Rontziokos, UTS / The Greek Herald, ‘Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia’s funeral certificate under scrutiny‘
- Bhavya Vemulapalli, Monash University / The Age and Al Jazeera, ‘Groceries or myki: Postgraduate students’ plea for transport discounts’, ‘In legal no-man’s land, refugees in Malaysia struggle to eat, pay rent’, ‘Why we don’t need to be worried by Melbourne’s swarms of black crickets’
Coverage of Science and the Environment
Supported by the University of Sydney Faculty of Science
- Amy Bainbridge and Angus Whitley, Bloomberg, ‘Black Summer’s Toxic Legacy’ (‘Wildfire’s Toxic Legacy Leaves Children Gasping for Air Years Later’, ‘Bushfire Babies’, ‘Another Cost Of Wildfires: Breathing Toxic Smoke’)
- Elise Kinsella, Jessica Longbottom, Madi Chwasta and Joseph Dunstan, ABC, ‘Air Pollution at Southern Cross Station’ (‘Why Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station may have some of the ’least clean’ air in the city’, ‘Living above Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station, Catherine’s family can smell the fumes’, ‘Instagram reel’)
- Jackson Ryan, The Monthly and ABC, ‘Science Fiction?’, ‘UNSW to face review over research misconduct processes that have taken more than two years‘
June Andrews Award for Industrial Relations Reporting
- Lydia Feng, ABC News, ‘Food delivery rider deaths’ (‘Akshay came to Australia to support his family. He died on the job while delivering food’, ‘Death of latest Sydney food delivery rider Adil Abbas prompts calls for reforms to overseas licence rules’)
- Ewin Hannan, The Australian, ‘CSL’s secret plan to cut pay, sack staff’ (‘“Industrial bastardry”: CSL’s secret plan to cut pay, sack staff’, ‘Unions tell super funds to drop CSL’, ‘Directors at CSL “must quit Reserve”’)
- Benjamin Preiss, Jewel Topsfield, Sarah Danckert and Lachlan Abbott, The Age, ‘Ballarat Gold Mine tragedy’ (‘A blaring siren, then eerie silence’, ‘Union says use laws for industrial manslaughter’, ‘Safety concerns “ignored” before gold mine collapse’)
June Andrews Award for Freelance Journalist of the Year
- Gabriella Coslovich, Good Weekend and The Saturday Paper, ‘Body of work’ (‘Fine Lines’, ‘The Art of War’, ‘Grand-standing’)
- Sean Kelly, Mother Jones, Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, The Monthly, ‘Reconsidering the terms of the debate’ (‘Australia vs. Rupert Murdoch’, ‘Silence descends: Our inability to discuss difficult issues has never been more obvious’, ‘The year of living cautiously’)
- Peter McKenzie, New York Times, ‘Corruption and Neglect at the Margin of American Empire’ (‘$59 Million, Gone: How Bikini Atoll Leaders Blew Through U.S. Trust Fund’, ‘For These Veterans, “Free” Health Care Is a 5-Hour Flight Away’, ‘U.S. Government Moves to Expand Health Care to Pacific Veterans’)
June Andrews Award for Women’s Leadership in Media
- Jordan Baker, Sydney Morning Herald, ‘Why girls are being sexually harassed at school, and adults are enabling it’ (‘Schoolboys threatened to gang rape girls before “sexual assault”’, ‘Schoolgirls endure intolerable abuse’, ‘“I was 13. I thought thats what was expected of me.”’)
- Jess Hill and Tosca Looby, Northern Pictures / SBS / The Monthly, ‘Asking for it’ (Episode 2, Episode 3); ‘How to Change a Bad Law‘
- Donna Lu and Melissa Davey, The Guardian, ‘The open secret about Catholic-run hospitals’ (‘“I was shocked”: Catholic-run public hospitals refuse to provide birth control and abortion’, Full Story podcast: ‘The public Catholic hospitals refusing abortion access’, ‘These women were told their babies would not survive – but Catholic-run public hospitals refused to provide abortions’)
Our Watch Award for Excellence in Reporting on Violence Against Women
Administered by The Walkley Foundation
- Jessica Lodge, Melissa Downes and Adam Buncher, Nine Entertainment Co., ‘Hannah’s Story‘ (Episode 1, 2 and 5)
- Claudia Long, ABC News, ‘Exposing ongoing sexual violence at universities’ (‘Universities accused of failing to reach benchmarks to support sexual assault victims, fuelling calls for government intervention’, ‘Questions over Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency sexual complaints investigations’, ‘Student ombudsman on the table as governments look to crack down on university sexual assaults’)
- Melissa Mackay, ABC News, ‘Is anybody listening?’ (‘As domestic violence services cry out for funding, the NT government builds two new art galleries’, ‘Family of murdered domestic violence advocate welcome coroner to her home, as long-running inquiry nears end’, ‘The NT coroner examined the territory’s ’domestic violence epidemic’ in a series of inquests. This is what she uncovered.’)
Media Diversity Australia Award
Supported by Media Diversity Australia, The National Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcasters Council and Community Broadcasting Foundation, and administered by The Walkley Foundation
- Sowaibah Hanifie, 7 News, ‘Stories of Palestinian Australians’ ‘Renewed hope for Adelaide man searching for his son for more than 40 years’, ‘Palestinian-Australian woman Barbara Ames found her family home in West Jerusalem 70 years after moving to Adelaide’, ‘Adelaide mosques targeted amid Israel-Hamas war, while Islamophobia reports increase 10-fold’)
- Liz Hayes, Gareth Harvey, Anushri Sood and Sonia Serrao, Under Investigation with Liz Hayes, Channel Nine, ‘Shots Fired‘
- Evan Young and Nas Campanella, ABC News 24, ABC News Instagram and ABC News online, ‘Disability Transport Series’ (‘How transport systems are failing millions of Australians’, ’If Ubers can take a drunk, they can take a guide dog’, ‘Australians with disability share their transport horror stories’)
Humanitarian Storytelling Award
Supported by UNICEF Australia and administered by The Walkley Foundation
- Drew Ambrose, David Boyle and the 101 East team, Al Jazeera English, ‘Mindset: Mental trauma in a warzone: Why Ukraine needs therapists‘
- Tom Joyner, ABC 7.30 and ABC News, ‘Migration, war and natural disaster’ (‘Search for Morocco earthquake survivors continues as flattened towns remain cut off’, ‘Ethnic Armenians fear being wiped off the map as exodus from Nagorno-Karabakh nears end’, ‘For months, human remains have been washing up on Tunisia’s coast’)
- Stephanie March, Aaron Hollett, Peter O’Donoghue and team, Foreign Correspondent, ABC, ‘Iraq: Surviving ISIS’ (iView / ‘Yazidi mothers forced to abandon their children after ISIS slavery hope to resettle in Australia’)
Arts Journalism
The following two awards recognise excellence in journalism about the creative arts, from the perspectives of both practitioners and critics. Through the generous support of the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund, the winners of the June Andrews Award for Arts Journalism and The Pascall Prize for Cultural Criticism will each receive $5000 in prize money.
June Andrews Award for Arts Journalism
Supported by Copyright Agency
- Daniel Browning, Magabala Books/Overland, ABC, Sullivan and Strumpf Magazine, ‘Close to the Subject’, ‘Emily Kam Kngwarray took the art world by storm — but did it understand her?’, ‘Tony Albert: Forbidden Fruit’
- Marc Fennell, Corrin Grant, Dean Brosche and Una Butorac, SBS News Documentaries, ‘The Mission‘
- Ivan O’Mahoney, Yaara Bou Melhem, Leah Donovan and Georgia Quinn, In Films and ABC TV, ‘The Whiteley Art Scandal‘
The Pascall Prize for Cultural Criticism
Supported by Copyright Agency and administered by the Walkley Foundation
- André Dao, The Saturday Paper, Meanjin and Liminal Review of Books, ‘Review of Nam Le’s 36 Ways of Writing a Vietnamese Poem’, ‘A Minor Australian Literature’, ‘Fugue’
- Felicity Plunkett, Australian Book Review and The Saturday Paper, ‘Strange Territory’, ‘Review of Georgia Blain’s We All Lived in Bondi Then’, ‘Review of Gail Jones’ One Another’
- Christos Tsiolkas, The Saturday Paper, ‘Christos Tsiolkas film criticism’ (‘Inferno of memory’, ‘Sub atomic’, ‘Periodic fable’)
Thank you to our judges
Each year hundreds of journalists, editors and producers give their time to judge our awards. Thankyou to all those who judged this year:
- Sue Ahearn, The Pacific Newsroom
- Drew Ambrose, Al Jazeera English
- Candida Baker, freelance journalist
- Bonnie Barkmeyer, WIN
- Josh Bavas, Nine News, Qld
- Greg Bearup, The Australian
- Rob Beaumont, WIN
- Ce Benedict, ABC RN
- Kathryn Bermingham, The Advertiser, News Corp
- Jarni Blakkarly, Choice
- Jenny Brockie, journalist, broadcaster and facilitator
- Liv Casben, AAP
- Kelly Clappis, WIN
- Rhanna Collins, NITV
- Stephanie Corsetti, Monash Uni
- Miriam Cosic, freelance journalist
- Tyson Cottrill, NBN News, Nine
- Sean Dorney, veteran Pacific journalist
- Suzanne Dredge, ABC
- Matthew Drummond, AFR Magazine
- Bryce Eishold, Stock & Land, ACM
- Dr Susannah Eliott, Australian Science Media Centre
- Steve Evans, Canberra Times, ACM
- Mary Gearin, freelance journalist
- Jano Gibson, ABC Hobart
- Alice Griffin, Junkee Media
- Rashell Habib, 10 News First
- David Hardaker, Under Investigation, Channel 9
- Virginia Haussegger, freelance journalist
- Anna Henderson, SBS
- Andrea Ho, AFTRS
- Dan Ilic, presenter, comedian and filmmaker
- Anita Jacoby AM, media executive, producer and NED
- Gabrielle Jackson, Guardian Australia
- Christian Jantzen, WIN
- Erik Jensen, The Saturday Paper, Schwartz Media
- Alex Johnston, WIN
- Nicole Johnston, Sky News Beijing
- Ramona Koval, Deakin University
- Sophie Kuryl, WIN
- Dr Niraj Lal, ANU
- Stella Lauri, WIN
- Professor Joan Leach, ANU
- Chip Le Grand, The Age
- Dean Lewins, AAP
- Louisa Lim, Little Red Podcast / University of Melbourne
- Stephen Long, The Australia Institute
- Hamish Macdonald, Global Roaming, ABC and The Project, Paramount/Ten
- Nic Maclellan, freelance journalist
- Samantha Magick, Islands Business Magazine
- Pamela Magill, Network Ten
- Natasha Mitchell, ABC
- Naomi Moran, Koori Mail
- Kylie Morris, freelance journalist
- Kate Muller, Nine
- Leanne Nebe, WIN
- Sally Neighbour, formerly Four Corners, ABC
- Bianca Nogrady, freelance journalist
- Gerard Noonan, formerly AFR and Media Super
- Helen O’Neill, freelance journalist
- Corrie Perkin, Sorrento Writers Festival
- Jodan Perry, University of Newcastle
- Kerri Ritchie, NITV/SBS
- Chloe Saltau, The Age
- Dr Darren Saunders, NSW Government, Office of the Chief Scientist
- Stefanie Sgroi, Nine
- Amruta Slee, ABC RN
- Bridie Smith, The Age
- Nicole Strahan, Network Ten
- Claire Stuchbery, Local and Independent News Association (LINA)
- Cameron Stewart, The Australian
- Dan Sutton, Network Ten
- Emily Sweet, Ballarat Courier, ACM
- Edwina Throsby, AGNSW
- Alex Treacy, NT News
- Helen Trinca, The Australian
- Mariam Veiszadeh, Media Diversity Australia
- Ashleigh Wilson, Sydney Opera House
#walkleys
Mid-Year enquiries: Margie Smithurst margie.smithurst@walkleys.com