The Melbourne Press Club last awarded its best in journalism for 2021, hosted by Jacqueline Felgate.
Seven News, Nine News and ABC News were amongst TV winners.
Veteran sports journalist Caroline Wilson of Footy Classified was awarded a Lifetime Achievement for her work in sports journalism.
“I don’t claim to be the world’s greatest mentor, but I’m so proud… to see so many women working in footy now. And also… that people just don’t have to put up with now what I’ve had to put up with over the years,” she said.
The Gold Quill went to Michael Warner of the Herald Sun for reporting on Collingwood racism.
Samantha Maiden won Australian Journalist of the Year for breaking the story of Brittany Higgins’ alleged rape in Parliament House.
TV & related categories, winners in bold:
Breaking News
7NEWS Melbourne, 7NEWS, ‘Construction Protests’
Christine Ahern, Nine News, ‘CFMEU Protests’
Matt Johnston, Shannon Deery, Kieran Rooney, Mitch Clarke, Herald Sun, ‘Victoria’s Covid-19 restrictions’
Caroline Wilson, Footy Classified, ‘Alastair Clarkson departs Hawthorn’
Coverage of an Issue or an Event
Shannon Deery, Matt Johnston, Kieran Rooney, Mitch Clarke, Herald Sun, ‘Restrictions revealed’
Clay Lucas, The Age, ‘Broken homes: aged care and the horror of St Basil’s’
Ben Schneiders and Royce Millar, The Age, ‘Class Divide: Sacked for being gay’
Cassie Zervos, 7NEWS, ‘Missing Campers’
TV Camera Work (Creative)
Glenn Edwards, Nine News, ‘Runway Revamp’
Ryan Mason, Nine News, ‘Plane Graveyard’
Steven Ramplin, A Current Affair, ‘Dingo Whisperer’
TV Camera Work (Shot of The Year)
Oli Bourguignon, 7NEWS, ‘Wild Scenes: Union Protest’
Glenn Edwards, Nine News, ‘Melbourne Protests’
Jason Edwards, Herald Sun, ‘Anti-Lockdown Protests’
Hamish Russell, 10 News First, ‘Gippsland Flood Rescue’
TV/Video Feature
Alexis Daish, A Current Affair, ‘Doyle Talks’
Georgia Done, Lisa Wilkinson, Anthony Hawwa and Josh Wedd, The Project, ‘Enough is Enough’
Adele Ferguson, Klaus Toft, Lauren Day, ABC Four Corners, ‘Cosmetic Cowboys’
Nick McKenzie and Joel Tozer, 60 Minutes / The Age, ‘Nazi’s Next Door’
TV/Video News
Cameron Baud, 7NEWS, ‘Delta Removalists Uncovered’
Lana Murphy, Nine News Melbourne, ‘Contact Tracer Predator’
Michael Slezak and Laura Kewley, ABC 7.30, ‘”Lawless” loggers’
Cassie Zervos, 7NEWS, ‘Greg Lynn arrest’
Coverage of Women in Sport
Christie Cooper, 7NEWS Melbourne, ‘Girls’ Footy’
Tom Cowie and Rachael Dexter, The Sunday Age, ‘How one woman’s story shook the sport of powerlifting’
Damien Ractliffe and Craig Butt, The Age, ‘Tackling steep rise in women’s contact sport injuries’
Rhiannon Stevens, ABC Online, ‘The Strongest Woman in The World’
Excellence in Indigenous Affairs Reporting
Andy Burns and Shahni Wellington, ABC 7.30 and ABC News, ‘Footage of police arrests leaves Indigenous Australians feeling unsafe in their own community’
Yoo-rrook: A time for truth team, The Age, ‘Yoo-rrook: A time for truth’
Excellence in Science, Medical and Health Reporting
Alexis Daish, A Current Affair, ‘The Shadow Pandemic’
Liam Mannix, The Age, ‘COVID-19: evidence-based reporting’
Chris Vedelago, The Age, ‘Doubts over shaken baby science used to convict’
Grant Hattam Quill For Investigative Journalism
Ben Butler, Elise Worthington and Neil Chenoweth, Guardian Australia, ABC, and Australian Financial Review, ‘Pandora Papers’
Sarah Curnow and Josie Taylor; ABC News, ‘Data breach’
Adele Ferguson, Lauren Day and Klaus Toft, The Age, ‘Cosmetic Surgery Underbelly’
Nick McKenzie and Joel Tozer, The Age, ‘Neo Nazis exposed’
Innovation in Journalism
Matilda Boseley, Guardian Australia, ‘Guardian Australia TikToks’
Michael Slezak, Mark Doman and Katia Shatoba, ABC News, ‘”Lawless” loggers’
Sharnelle Vella, ‘Who wants facts?’
Bang Xiao, ABC News, ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’
Regional and Rural Journalism
Charmayne Allison and Catherine Grey, Shepparton News, ‘Beyond the Addiction’
Emma Field, Andy Burns and Charlotte King, ABC Gippsland, Countryhour and News, ‘Petfood investigation reveals dodgy racehorse burials’
Harrison Tippet, The Geelong Advertiser, ‘Out in the Cold’
Dale Webster, The Regional, ‘”Big four” banks casting a dangerous shadow’
Reporting on Disability Issues
Adam Carey, Sunday Age, ‘Autistic siblings removed from specialist school after good results’
Luke Henriques-Gomes, Guardian Australia, ‘Reporting on the National Disability Insurance Scheme’
Jessica Longbottom, ABC News, ‘The Australian-born children the government wants to deport because they have a disability’
Jewel Topsfield, The Age, ‘”It doesn’t define me”: What is it like to live with dementia?’
Reporting on Multicultural Affairs
Christopher Hopkins and Margaret Simons, The Guardian, ‘”We Thought we were Australian”‘
Sumeyya Ilanbey and Melissa Cunningham, The Age, ‘How coronavirus closed in on the City of Hume’
Bang Xiao, Jarrod Fankhauser, Steven Viney, ABC News, ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’
Road Safety Reporting
Sherryn Groch, The Age, ‘The horrible thud: How can we stop roadkill?’
Lana Murphy, Nine News, ‘Southbank Survivor’
Olivia Shying and Harrison Tippet, Geelong Advertiser, ‘Deadly December’
Brianna Travers, Herald Sun, ‘Bye Mum, I’ll be fine’
Sports Feature
Russell Jackson, ABC News, ‘Rod Owen’s Secret’
Chip LeGrand, The Age, ‘Cruel game’
Konrad Marshall, Good Weekend magazine, ‘All the right moves’
Damien Ractliffe, Craig Butt, Mark Stehle and Richard Lama, The Age, ‘Head on: Rising concussion rates in community footy exposed amid calls for action on youngsters’
Young Journalist of the Year
Caitlin Cassidy, The Guardian, a body of work
Mitch Clarke, Herald Sun, a body of work
Olivia Jenkins, Herald Sun, a body of work
Shannon Schubert, ABC News, ‘Shining a light on regional issues and the failures at Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre’
Photo: Twitter