Finalists for the 2022 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, 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, Media Diversity Australia Award, Humanitarian Storytelling Award, June Andrews Award for Arts Journalism and The Pascall Prize for Arts Criticism.
Walkley Foundation CEO Shona Martyn said the standard of entries was incredibly impressive. Stories on the war in Ukraine, Afghanistan and the fall out from the pandemic were each the subject of many entries.
“Tumultuous events both in Australia and overseas have, once again, emphasised the importance of unbiased and perceptive quality journalism. These awards, run separately and in parallel to the annual Walkley Awards, cover a raft of important categories including humanitarian reporting, industrial reporting, the arts and stories that look at abuses of power against women and issues of diversity in Australia today, ” Ms Martyn said.
“The Mid-Year Awards also honour an impressive new generation of journalists who have presented stories of the highest calibre. Their work cements confidence in the journalism of the future. I am also thrilled by the broad array of media organisations represented in the finalists. This too is the sign of a healthy industry. I offer my congratulations to all the finalists. Every category contained exceptional entries and my thanks to the judges for their time and careful consideration.”
Finalists are selected by panels of peers 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 April 27, 2021 and April 26, 2022. Judges are selected by the Walkley Judging Board. 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 June 15. At the Celebration, winners will also be announced for the Jacoby-Walkley Scholarship with Nine, the WIN News Scholarship, the Walkley Young Indigenous Scholarship, and the Sean Dorney Grant for Pacific Journalism (finalists are not announced for these).
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. The AGSM Client Engagement team will assist the winners to identify the course most relevant to their development. 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
- Emily Baker, ABC, “‘I’m real see’: Woman says Brooks lied about identity” “Second woman alleges Brooks deception” and “Brooks resigns after police raid”
- Annabel Hennessy, The West Australian, “Department of Communities plagued by ‘wide scale and endemic racism’ internal reports reveal” “Mum raided over racism leaks” and “WA Police decide not to pursue charges over Department of Communities raid on Aboriginal worker’s home”
- Amber Schultz, Crikey, Private Media, “Paedophiles, traffickers and opportunistic criminals arrive to prey on the misery of refugees” “Who can you trust? Shell-shocked Ukrainians face the very best and worst of humanity as they seek lasting safety” and “Emergency psychologists see 100 patients a week as refugees break down at border crossings”
Longform feature or special
Supported by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age
- Brooke Fryer, The Feed, SBS, “Teen Parenthood: Inside the lives of teenage parents”
- Amber Schultz, Crikey, Private Media, “Kidnapped by the state”
- Joey Watson, Earshot, Radio National, ABC, “Everyone wants to be Fuhrer”
Coverage of community and regional affairs
Supported by Google News Initiative
- Kate Ashton, ABC News Darwin, “NT COVID outbreak traps Binjari and Rockhole community residents in two weeks of hard lockdown in hot and overcrowded homes”, “FOI documents show NT government previously forecast it would not meet target to build 650 remote houses in five years” and “NT pleads with Canberra to pay for new homes on Aboriginal homelands, plays catch-up on remote housing targets”
- Sarah Matthews, Katherine Times and The Canberra Times, Australian Community Media, “’We gotta get that needle’: On the streets of Katherine the threat of COVID looms large” “The journey of Yolngu artist Dhambit Mununggurr” and “Forced to leave Katherine because of a lack of mental health care, now Jacci is sharing her story”
- Tom Robinson, Kalgoorlie Miner, “‘They don’t understand’: Morrison Govt denies Ngaanyatjarra people are on cashless debit card” and “Remote communities still trapped on cashless debit card”
Visual storytelling
- Dion Georgopoulos, The Canberra Times, “First callers to the Canberra Times Lockdown Hotline share their COVID lockdown stories” “The Canberra Times Lockdown Hotline Episode 2 features positives and negatives of COVID restrictions” and “The Canberra Times Lockdown Hotline, episode 3: Remembering the 2021 ACT COVID lockdown”
- Rebecca Metcalf and Patrick Forrest, The Feed, SBS, “Surviving A Lovescam”
- Angel Parsons, ABC Tropical North, “Weaving the way” “Ellie” and “The town braving its fears in the water”
Public service journalism
Supported by News Corp Australia
- Emily Baker, ABC, “’I’m real see’: Woman says Brooks lied about identity” “Brooks resigns after police raid” and “Complainant speaks on O’Byrne allegations”
- Caitlyn Rintoul, The West Australian, “Police investigating alleged sexual assault at BHP’s South Flank mine near Newman” “WA mining giants unite for apology to female mine workers and back calls for sex assault inquiry” and “WA’s resources sector is bringing about cultural change at breakneck pace”
- Amber Schultz, Crikey, Private Media, “‘We try to remember the beautiful moments, but it’s been horrendous’” “‘Imprisoned in rehab’: How Janine’s life has spiralled out of her control” and “A massive money-making machine”
Student journalist of the year
Supported by Twitter
- Cason Ho, Curtin University and Western Independent, “What we don’t say” “Blazing hearts” and “Lip service”
- Charlie McLean, University of Technology Sydney, VICE World News and Central News (UTS), “Australia’s Vape Laws Just Got Even Tighter. The Black Market Isn’t Worried” “Why underfunded ICAC is still best corruption watchdog: special report” and “Doctor shopping: how insurers are ‘gaming’ workers comp”
- Rafqa Touma, University of Technology Sydney and Guardian Australia, “‘Stealthing is rape’: the Australian push to criminalise the removal of a condom during sex without consent” “Mitochondrial donation: how an IVF procedure could help Australian families ‘break the genetic chain’” and “Underestimated: why young women are shying away from economics”
June Andrews Award for Industrial Relations Reporting
Supported by MEAA
- Andre Dao, Michael Green and Sherry Huang, The Monthly, Schwartz Media, “On the Chain”
- Adele Ferguson and Chris Gillett, Sydney Morning Herald, Nine and 7.30, ABC, “Humanitarian disaster’: Australian construction giant CIMIC in underpayment scandal” and “Hundreds of foreign workers left in limbo by Australia’s biggest construction company”
- Ben Schneiders and Royce Millar, The Age, “Steph Lentz was sacked this year for being gay. It was perfectly legal” “Religious schools in Victoria to lose the right to sack LGBTQ staff” and “Australia’s top private schools are growing richer and faster than ever”
June Andrews Award for Freelance Journalist of the Year
Supported by Media Super and MEAA
- Martin McKenzie-Murray, The Monthly and Sydney Morning Herald, “Grace notes” “Australian Purgatory” and “Fringe parties, white supremacists and other grifters are mining the paranoia of our times”
- Andrew Quilty, Harper’s Magazine and Rolling Stone, “When the Raids Came” “Once the World Looks Away We Are All Dead” and “Where the Taliban Rule”
- Dale Webster, The Regional, “’Big four’ banks casting a dangerous shadow” “Why I spent a year counting every bank in regional Australia” and “What anyone making a submission to Australia’s latest regional banking inquiry should know first”
June Andrews Award for Women’s Leadership in Media
Supported by PwC
- Kate Allman, Lucy Small and Selina Steele, Tracks Magazine and The Daily Telegraph, “‘I thought the days of women being paid less were over’: Global Surf Industries covers pay gap from longboard competition” “Equal Pay for Equal Play: Mick Fanning, Steph Gilmore call to stop funding unless sports offer prizemoney parity” and “Moana Jones Wong’s Pipeline Masters victory highlights surfing’s pay, sponsorship divide”
- Caitlyn Rintoul, The West Australian, “WA mining giants unite for apology to female mine workers and back calls for sex assault inquiry” “WA’s resources sector is bringing about cultural change at breakneck pace” and “WA Government commissions sweeping independent probe into sex attack scourge in State’s resources sector”
- Sally Sara and Victoria Pengilley, RN Breakfast and The World Today, ABC Radio, “Taliban interview” “Shukria Barakzai” and “Hasina Safi”
Our Watch Award
Administered by The Walkley Foundation
- Bethany Atkinson-Quinton and Madison Griffiths, Broadwave, “Tender: Roia Atmar”
- Natassia Chrysanthos and David Leser, Good Weekend and Good Weekend Talks, Sydney Morning Herald, “Sex, schoolkids and where it all goes wrong” and “‘What heartache or trauma could have been avoided?’: teen hook-up culture’s social fallout”
- Karla Grant, Ross Turner, Michael Carey and Nick O’Brien, NITV, “Carly and Keenan: Struggle of Our Lives”
Humanitarian Storytelling Award
Supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross and administered by The Walkley Foundation
- Eric Campbell and Brietta Hague, Foreign Correspondent, ABC, “The Cruel Sea”
- Andrew Quilty, Harper’s Magazine, “When the Raids Came”
- Calliste Weitenberg, Will Reid, Jordan Bryon, Micah McGown and Simon Phegan, Dateline, SBS, “Escape from Afghanistan”
Media Diversity Australia Award
Supported by Media Diversity Australia, MultiConnexions, The National Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcasters Council and administered by The Walkley Foundation
- Patrick Abboud and Simon Cunich, Lockdown Productions and Audible, “The Greatest Menace: Inside the Gay Prison Experiment”
- Belinda Hawkins, Kristine Taylor and Roger Carter, Australian Story, ABC, “No Place Like Home”
- Angela Skujins, CityMag, Solstice Media, “Colonisation’s worst nightmare”
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 and the Hantomeli Foundation, the winners of the June Andrews Award for Arts Journalism and The Pascall Prize for Arts Criticism will each receive $5000 in prize money.
June Andrews Award for Arts Journalism
Supported by Meta and Copyright Agency
- Kelly Burke, Guardian Australia, “Multiple allegations of toxic culture at Sony Music Australia as CEO Denis Handlin leaves” and “Sony Music HQ warned of workplace culture at Australian label under Denis Handlin decades ago”
- Marc Fennell, Corrin Grant, Ninah Kopel and Dean Brosche, SBS, “Framed”
- Chip Le Grand, The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, “Rogue Gallery: Tristian Koenig and the case of the missing artworks” “Top global dealer among victims of art rogue” and “Twiggy steps in to help artist “fleeced” by gallery owner”
The Pascall Prize for Arts Criticism
Supported by the Hantomeli Foundation and administered by the Walkley Foundation
- Declan Fry, Australian Book Review and Inside Story, “The gospel of Stan Grant: Questions of history and identity” “Killing the cop in your head: Forty ways of looking at Veronica Gorrie’s Black and Blue” and “Old man yells at cloud: Christos Tsiolkas turns to autofiction”
- Sarah Krasnostein, The Saturday Paper, “Solos” “Alone” and “Katla”
- Jeanine Leane, Sydney Review of Books, “Staring Back” and “As We Are: A Call Across the Islands”
Thank you to our judges
Each year hundreds of journalists, editors and producers give their time to judge our awards. Thank you to all those who judged this year:
- Drew Ambrose, Al Jazeera English
- Rob Beaumont, WIN NEWS
- Chris Bendall, The Project
- Michael Brissenden, Walkley Judging Board chair
- Jenny Brockie, Journalist
- Liz Burke, news.com.au
- Rowan Callick, freelance, former China Correspondent
- Zena Chamas, freelance journalist
- Hagar Cohen, 7.30, ABC
- Rhanna Collins, NITV
- Matt Connellan, SBS World News
- Alexis Daish, Nine
- Lisa Davies, AAP
- Shannan Dodson, Engagement, Strategy and Indigenous Sector Specialist
- Ben Doherty, Guardian Australia
- Sean Dorney, Former ABC
- Jane Doyle, Seven
- Lin Evlin, SBS News
- Chris Feik, Black Inc.
- Jeremey Fernandez, ABC News
- Nick Galvin, Sydney Morning Herald
- Mary Gearin, ABC
- Steph Harmon, Guardian Australia
- Chris Hopkins, Freelance Photojournalist
- Dan Illic, Presenter/Comedian/Filmmaker
- Narelda Jacobs, Ten
- Anita Jacoby AM, Media executive and award-winning producer, Non-executive director
- Christian Jantzen, WIN News
- Dee Jefferson, ABC Arts
- Alex Johnston, WIN News
- Melanie Kembrey, Sydney Morning Herald
- Lachlan Kennedy, Ten
- Sophie Kuryl, Journalist, WIN Tasmania
- Tarla Lambert, Women’s Agenda
- Stella Lauri, WIN News
- Stephen Lunn, The Australian
- Josie MacRae, Nine
- Alex Mann, ABC Radio
- Rory McClaren, ABC SA
- Christine Middap,, The Weekend Australian Magazine
- Kishor Napier-Raman, Crikey
- Alex Needs, Nine
- Laura Murphy Oates, Guardian Australia
- Mary-Louise O’Callaghan, former South Pacific Correspondent, The Australian
- Robert Ovadia, Seven
- Charis Perkins, AFR Life and Leisure
- Melanie Petrinec, The Courier Mail
- Olivia Pirie-Griffiths, Junkee Media
- Elise Potaka, SBS
- Ella Rubeli, Documentary maker
- Ali Russell, ABC
- Diana Simmonds, Stagenoise.com
- Petra Starke, Freelance Journalist
- Emily Steinhardt, WIN Queensland
- Sarah Stinson, Seven
- Kate Sullivan, SBS News
- Kath Sullivan, ABC National Reporting Team
- Gayle Tomlinson, Illawarra Mercury
- Joel Tozer, 60 Minutes, Nine
- Helen Vatsikopoulos, UTS
- Jim Waley
- Martin White, Ten
- Dorothy Wickham, Melanesia News Network
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