The finalists in the prestigious Business Journalism category of the Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism were announced today in Sydney, at a lunch sponsored by ING Australia.
The 2024 finalists for the Walkley Award for Business Journalism are:
- Linton Besser and Ninah Kopel, ABC, 7.30 and ABC News, ‘Netstrata’ (‘Strata firm caught charging excessive fees to home owners’, ‘High-profile strata company Netstrata caught charging excessive fees and taking kickbacks’, ‘NSW announces strata management industry reforms, including stricter rules on commissions and conflicts of interest’)
- Primrose Riordan and Sarah Thompson, The Australian Financial Review, ‘Jon Adgemis and the costs of the private credit boom’ (‘Public Hospitality Group’s Jon Adgemis raided by tax authorities’, ‘Jon Adgemis’ high-wire act is coming unstuck’, ‘Debt-laden Adgemis mortgages mum’s and grandmother’s homes’)
- Jonathan Shapiro and Aaron Patrick, The Australian Financial Review, ‘The ANZ bond trading scandal’ (‘ANZ’s suspected market manipulation could have cost taxpayers $80m’, ‘ANZ probes ‘$54b’ in inflated bond trades’, ‘‘A scandal of epic proportions’: why heads could roll at ANZ’)
The judges selected the finalists from entries published across all mediums between 1 September 2023 and 31 August 2024, and praised the persistence and painstaking research exhibited in the finalists’ stories which were announced at a lunch attended by Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, Andrew Hauser.
Walkley Foundation CEO Shona Martyn said the finalists in the Business Journalism category once again show the prowess, investigative skills and careful analysis of Australia’s top business journalists.
“Strong business reporting is a vital part of the Australian media and the excellence of the stories announced as finalists in 2024 proves why this is so important. It is crucial, and in the public interest, that skilled journalists turn their attention to the activities of companies big and small, calling them to account when required.
“Meticulous, dogged and incisive investigations are at the heart of the three finalists named for this year’s Walkley Awards. I congratulate the finalists and the very many other fine entrants in this category,” she said. “The quality of all entrants was extremely high and so I congratulate the judges on their careful consideration. Deciding on three finalists was no easy task.”
Melanie Evans, CEO ING Australia said, “For over a decade, ING Australia has supported excellence in Australian business journalism through our ongoing partnership with The Walkley Foundation. In 2024, the importance of business journalism in shaping public understanding, uncovering truths, and celebrating the successes of corporate Australia, is as crucial as ever.”
“ING Australia continues to sponsor The Walkley Foundation because we believe in the critical role business journalism plays in supporting a healthy democracy and society. Congratulations to all the finalists for their exceptional work in what has been another highly competitive year for entries.”
The rest of the category finalists for the 69th Walkley Awards will be announced on Thursday, 10 October. All the Walkley Award winners will be announced at a gala dinner on 19 November, at the ICC in Sydney.
You can find information about the Walkley Awards judging process here, and the Terms and Conditions of the Awards here.
For media enquiries contact Communications Manager James Gorman on james.gorman@walkleys.com