Kennedy Awards 2014: winners

Four Corners reporter Adele Ferguson was the toast of the Kennedy Awards last night in Sydney.

Ferguson won 4 awards including Journalist of the Year in the NSW Journalism awards, for her Four Corners story with Fairfax on a David and Goliath legal battle with the Commonwealth Bank.

The story also picked up for Investigative Reporting, Finance Reporting and Current Affairs.

TEN, Nine, SBS and Prime also won an award each, while Seven won two, for News Camera coverage and Television Reporting.

Seven News crime reporter Robert Ovadia won for reports into the Australian Defence Force’s so-called ‘Knights of the Jedi Council’ sex ring and alleged cover-up, produced by Paula Doneman.

“Paula and I are humbled by the trust placed in us by honest, reliable sources who risked their own livelihoods allowing us to uncover the truths others would prefer hidden. This is a tribute to their courage and fortitude,” Ovidia said.

“Our editor, Duncan Farr, and graphic artist, Tony Fox, did extraordinary work to get these complex exposés to air. Our thanks also go to our News Directors Rob Raschke, Chris Willis and Ross Dagan who backed us all the way and allowed Paula and I enough slack to keep digging for the truth.”

LES KENNEDY AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CRIME REPORTING
Caro Meldrum-Hanna, Deb Masters and Mary Fallon, Four Corners, ABC
Linton Besser, Janine Cohen and Mario Christodoulou, Four Corners, ABC
Jodie Duffy, The Illawarra Mercury

PAUL LOCKYER AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING REGIONAL BROADCAST REPORTING
Catherine Clifford, ABC Tamworth
Amy Phillips, Prime7 News, Lismore
Sally Block, ABC 7.30 Report

OUTSTANDING TURF REPORTING
Greg Bearup, The Australian
Patrick Galloway, ABC TV
Andrew Bensley, SKY Racing

CLIFF NEVILLE AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING TEAM PLAYER AND MENTOR
Alison Piotrowski, A Current Affair, Nine Network
Michael Thompson, The Ray Hadley Show, 2GB
Wes Hardman, Nine News

NSW YOUNG JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Sarah Whyte, The Sydney Morning Herald
Joel Tozer, SBS
Taylor Auerbach, The Daily Telegraph

GARY TICEHURST AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING NEWS CAMERA COVERAGE
Paul Walker, 7News
IIankovan Frank, Nine News
Paul Bousfield/Paul Walker – Nine News, 7News

HARRY POTTER AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING TELEVISION NEWS REPORTING
Antoinette Lattouf, TEN News
Robert Ovadia, Tony Fox, Duncan Farr, & Paula Doneman, 7News
Gabrielle Boyle, Nine News

OUTSTANDING TELEVISION CURRENT AFFAIRS REPORTING
Adele Ferguson, Deb Masters, and Mario Christodoulou, Four Corners, ABC
Ross Coulthart, and Steve Pennells, Sunday Night, Channel Seven
Caro Meldrum-Hanna, Deb Masters, and Mary Fallon, Four Corners, ABC

OUTSTANDING FINANCE REPORTING
Adele Ferguson, Deb Masters, and Mario Christodoulou, Four Corners, Fairfax
Nabila Ahmed, Sue Mitchell, and James Chessell, Australian Financial Review
Linton Besser, Janine Cohen and Mario Christodoulou, Four Corners, Fairfax

OUTSTANDING CONSUMER AFFAIRS REPORTING
Ben Doherty and Sarah Whyte, Fairfax Media
Linton Besser, Janine Cohen, and Mario Christodoulou, Four Corners, ABC
Quentin McDermott, Peter Cronau and team, Four Corners, ABC

OUTSTANDING INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
Ross Coulthart, Sunday Night
Adele Ferguson, Four Corners
7News Team

OUTSTANDING POLITICAL REPORTING
Brigid Glanville, ABC News
Andrew Clennell, The Daily Telegraph
Lee Jeloscek, 7News

NEW SOUTH WALES JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Natalie O’Brien, The Sun Herald
Adele Ferguson, Fairfax, ABC
Andrew Clennell, The Daily Telegraph