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Laurie Oakes wins top Quill Award

Nine News Political Editor Laurie Oakes has won the top gong at last nights Quill Awards for journalists.

Nine News Political Editor Laurie Oakes has won the Graham Perkin Australian Journalist of the Year Award at last nights Quill Awards.

The Awards held by the Melbourne Press Club recognise excellence in journalism.

Oakes, who was recently lauded with the Gold Walkley Award becomes only the fourth journalist to win both in the same awards year.

He won the award in recognition of his two major stories during the 2010 Federal Election campaign. Oakes had received inside information that Julia Gillard had reneged on a deal with Kevin Rudd about a leadership challenge, and that she had opposed paid parental leave and pension rises.

Oakes beat out Kerry O’Brien for the top prize.

Les Carlyon, the chair of the judging panel, said, “Laurie Oakes last year did something few journalists ever do. He broke two stories that not only changed the course of a federal election campaign but also lingered until its end … and perhaps even until this day. He was, as he so often has been in the past, the classic news‐breaker, an inspiration to journalists everywhere.

“His exclusive stories in 2010, the interviews he conducted during the campaign, his columns for the Herald Sun and the Daily Telegraph and his book On The Record, which appeared just after the election campaign – all these met the defining criteria for this award. And these criteria are that the journalism should be both memorable and excellent.”

Nine News reporter Tim McMillan took home the Quill Award for Best TV News Report for his reporting into allegations of rape against members of the St Kilda Football Club.

Nine’s Director of News and Current Affairs Mark Calvert said, “In Laurie and Tim, we have two of the country’s finest reporters. They both share a brilliant flair for news gathering of the highest standard and these awards are testament to their pursuit of journalistic excellence.”

4 Responses

  1. Happy to see Laurie and Tim win those awards. And it’s true channel 9 do have the best reporters. So sad though a lot of stupid people in australia watch the fake crap channel 7 news and affairs. Finally these awards judges know that channel 9 is better than channel 7 at reporting news

  2. This is pathetic to be honest. A bias Liberal wins over Kerry. Sorry don’t like this result at all. The election coverage showed us that yet he wins the top honour. Stupid to be honest.

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