Walkley Awards 2021: winners

Archival photo.

Veteran reporter George Negus was the recipient of the Walkley Awards Outstanding Contribution to Journalism last night.

“Known for his charisma, his peerless and fearless approach, and his signature moustache, Negus has reported through decades of technological, political and social change for news organisations including, ABC, SBS, Channel Nine, Network 10, The Australian and The Australian Financial Review,” said the Walkley Foundation.

The award was accepted by his son Serge, with a standing ovation from the room of journalists at the Sydney Convention Centre.

Sandra Sully & Anton Enus hosted the event, held over from 2021 due to the pandemic.

Samantha Maiden was awarded the Gold Walkley for her reporting for news.com.au on “Open secret: The Brittany Higgins story”.  She also won the All Media: Coverage of a Major News Event or Issue.

Nine dominated the Television categories including with reporter Nick McKenzie and producer Joel Tozer sharing the Current Affairs long form and Investigative Journalism categories.

ABC, SBS and Al Jazeera were also winners.

TV and related categories (winners in bold):

Public Service Journalism
Avani Dias, Ali Russell, Ange McCormack and Laura McAuliffe, Four Corners, ABC TV and triple j Hack, ABC Radio, “Tinder: A Predators’ Playground”, “Federal Government meets with Tinder after ABC investigation” and “Tinder changes safety policies after Hack investigation”
Lisa Wilkinson and The Project Team, The Project, Ten, “Brittany Higgins”, “Lisa Wilkinson editorial” and “Canberra March4Justice”
Naaman Zhou, Guardian Australia, “Australia’s delivery deaths: the riders who never made it and the families left behind”, “’They don’t have brakes, the tyres are gone’: food delivery companies accused of bike safety failures” and “Uber Eats riders earning as little as $5 for deliveries crossing multiple NSW suburbs”

Coverage of Indigenous Affairs
Stefan Armbruster, SBS World News, “Second round vaccinations in Torres Strait”, “Anger in the Torres Strait over Scott Morrison’s undelivered COVID-19 vaccine announcement” and “Australia spent $13 million on this security post in the Torres Strait. A year on, it’s still empty”
Karla Grant, Julie Nimmo, Michael Carey, Mark Bannerman and the Living Black Team, Living Black, NITV, “Taken”, “Missing Pieces” and “Heritage Victory”
Laura Murphy-Oates, Lorena Allam, David Maurice Smith and Jeremy Worrall, Guardian Australia, “Australia’s anguish: the Indigenous kids trapped behind bars”, “The WA cops rounding up Indigenous kids: a ‘toxic and racist environment‘” and “‘Hell scared’: how a terrified homeless boy found himself locked up alone in the ‘hole‘”

Coverage of Community or Regional Affairs
Andrew Messenger, Northern Daily Leader, “‘You feel so powerless’: little room for kids in rural mental health”, “Banksia Mental Health Unit: children’s services ruled not ‘economies of scale’ in plan for new mental health unit” and “Tamworth Banksia Mental Health modelling says New England North West won’t need more general-purpose beds until 2031”
Nathan Morris and Kath Sullivan, Landline, ABC, “Welcome back, Darling”
Cherie von Horchner, Barrier Truth, “Wilcannia abandoned”

Sports Journalism
Jessica Halloran, Sharri Markson and Claire Harvey, The Australian, “Drugs, sex, domestic violence: football’s dark cover-up”, “Misguided star waiting at home of rival to exact revenge” and “Crime Squad on trail of NRL cover-up over Sam Burgess claims”
Caitlin Shea, Greg Hassall and Andrew Cooke, Australian Story, ABC, “Luc Longley: One Giant Leap”
Michael Warner, Herald Sun, “‘Do Better’: The Secret Collingwood Racism Report”

Innovation
Kylie Boltin, Ella Rubeli, Ravi Vasavan and Emma Anderson, SBS, “Ravi and Emma”
Matilda Boseley, Guardian Australia, “Guardian Australia TikTok”
Emma Morris, Samuel Tate, Genelle Weule, Nathan Bazley and the Mt Resilience Team, ABC, “Mt Resilience”

Production
Aimee Amiga, Matthew Absalom-Wong and Cormac Lally, Instagram, Facebook and theage.com.au, “Nazis Next Door: Social and Digital Delivery”
Rhiona-Jade Armont and the 101 East team, Al Jazeera English, “This is Myanmar’s State of Fear”
Patrick Forrest, Elise Potaka, David Ma and Calliste Weitenberg, The Feed, SBS, “Faking Influence – tv, digital interactive and Instagram”

Coverage of a Major News Event or Issue
Samantha Maiden and the news.com.au team, news.com.au, “Open Secret: The Brittany Higgins story”
Louise Milligan and the Four Corners Team, Four Corners, ABC, “The Canberra Bubble”
Laura Tingle and James Elton, 7.30, ABC, “Women, politics and accountability”

Television/Video: Camerawork
Dean Brosche, The Feed, SBS, “The Button Man A murderous monster, or a quiet recluse?”
Simon Hydzik and Matt Anderson, 7NEWS, Sunrise and The Latest, Seven, “Cyclone Seroja Coverage”
Andy Taylor, ABC TV, “Exposed – The Ghost Train Fire”

Television/Video News Reporting
Amelia Adams, Today and Nine News 6pm, Nine, “Capitol Attack”
Tim Arvier, Nine News 6pm and Today, Nine, “Ambulance Delays”
Peter Fegan, Nine News 6pm, Nine, “The Investigation of Andrew Laming”

Television/Video Current Affairs Short (Less Than 20 Minutes)
Christine Ahern, A Current Affair, Nine, “Epping Disgrace”
Kathryn Diss, 7.30, ABC TV, “Inside America’s COVID crisis”
Elise Potaka, Calliste Weitenberg, David Ma and Patrick Forrest, The Feed, SBS, “Faking Influence”

Television/Video Current Affairs Long (More Than 20 Minutes)
Sarah Ferguson, Tony Jones, Patricia Drum and Lauren Day, Four Corners, ABC, “Fox and the Big Lie”
Nick McKenzie and Joel Tozer, 60 Minutes, Nine, “Nazis Next Door”
Lisa Wilkinson, Angus Llewellyn and Darryl Brown, The Project, Network Ten, “Brittany Higgins”

Investigative Journalism
Nick McKenzie and Joel Tozer, 60 Minutes and The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, Nine, “Nazis Next Door”, “Inside Racism HQ: How home-grown neo-Nazis are plotting a white revolution” and “From kickboxing to Adolf Hitler: the neo-Nazi plan to recruit angry young men”
Louise Milligan, Lucy Carter, Peter Cronau and Jeanavive McGregor, Four Corners, ABC, “Inside the Canberra Bubble”, “Scott Morrison, senators and AFP told of historical rape allegation against Cabinet Minister” and “Bursting the Canberra Bubble”
Ben Schneiders, The Age and The Sunday Age, “Scientology stashes millions in Australia”, “Scientology is shrinking fast and getting richer. How is this possible?” and “The peculiar experience of being targeted by Scientology”

Walkley Documentary Award Shortlist
Addicted Australia, Jacob Hickey and Darren Dale, Blackfella Films and SBS
Firestarter – The Story of Bangarra, Ivan O’Mahoney, Wayne Blair and Nel Minchin, In Films, ABC
Incarceration Nation, Helen Morrison and Dean Gibson, Bacon Factory Films, Bent3land Productions and NITV

Update: The Walkley Foundation has withdraw an award after Nine News withdrew allegations and apologised to former Liberal National MP Andrew Laming.

George Negus Tribute: