"Above all, our News Awards are about recognising good journalism, a quality which is as essential to our newer platforms as it is our established print products. "

Gary Hughes, The Australian Gary’s moving account of losing his home and almost his life became the world’s signature piece for the Victorian bushfires. His coverage since then has had high impact: it shaped public opinion and the royal commission and Centrelink reversed its policy on victims.

Herald Sun. Reaching 60 per cent of Victorians in print and online, the Herald Sun has developed a unique relationship with readers, typified by its response to the Black Saturday bushfires. Besides its brilliant online coverage, the paper produced a free 16-page guide for survivors and launched a Yellow Ribbon campaign to support victims.

Townsville Bulletin. Despite producing more pages with fewer staff than any other News Limited regional, the Bulletin increased circulation and doubled its website traffic with a powerful mix of news breaking, successful campaigns and connection to its readers through fresher design and new sections.

Central Coast Express Advocate. The Express Advocate, on the NSW Central Coast, has built a readership of more than 200,000 from a regional population of 300,000. One of its campaigns forced the government to abandon plans for a sand mine next to a school. It has a strong news edge and attracts 6000 unique browsers a week to its website.

Delicious
With its sheer energy and entrepreneurial spirit, delicious. has transformed itself into a powerhouse in the crowded food magazine market, with initiatives including books, diaries, reader events, master classes and its successful Café Awards all helping to take the magazine to a new level.

Taste
After launching its lift-out in The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun and Courier-Mail in March, Taste’s growth exploded to 1.5 million unique browsers a month and 16 million page impressions. A host of new tools have led to exceptional audience engagement and a powerful offering to advertisers.

The Punch
When The Punch launched, the goal was to achieve 60,000 visitors in the first month. It got 200,000, and has had more than three million page impressions. It is unpredictable, intelligent - and fun, engaging and informing readers along the way. It has more than 250 contributors and published 30,000 reader comments.

Yoni Bashan, The Sunday Telegraph
Yoni’s talent for sniffing out a story and his tenacity in pursuing it have led to spectacular successes: he uncovered the identity of two corrupt detectives, exposed a police cover-up of violence at Mardi Gras and secured exclusive interviews about the murder of a Sydney family.

Danny Lannen, Geelong Advertiser
Danny revealed Geelong teenager Chanelle Rae was cyber bullied before she killed herself, becoming the fourth suicide from the same school in six months. The story lifted taboos on reporting suicide and opened vital national debate.

The Fiji Times
While other media in Fiji caved in to government intimidation, The Fiji Times fought back with relentlessly creative and courageous ways to bypass censorship despite threats of violence, closure and deportation.  Readers are grateful – circulation and website unique browsers are up.

Paul Kent, The Daily Telegraph
One judge described Paul’s five-part series on Ebony, starved to death by her parents, as "one of the most powerful pieces I have read". With an acute eye for detail and the ability to dig up a fresh angle, Paul’s skilful writing delivers punch without cliché.

Justine Ferrari, The Australian
Justine’s coverage of education consistently sets the national agenda by breaking stories, challenging accepted wisdom and scrutinising governments, schools and teachers. Her work has sparked a level of debate that is driving real improvements for children.

Tony Raggatt, Townsville Bulletin
Tony broke the local story of emerging troubles at Storm Financial a month before anyone else and then relentlessly pursued it, writing 31 splashes in nine months as one of Australia’s biggest corporate collapses unfolded.

Mike Sheahan, Herald Sun
Mike has had one of his strongest years ever, dominating AFL commentary with columns and scoops that consistently set the agenda, including his ultimately successful call for Richmond coach Terry Wallace to resign and a campaign against the controversial practice of tanking.

Luke McIlveen, The Daily Telegraph
When radio hosts Kyle and Jackie O hooked a teenage rape victim to a lie detector test, Luke came up with Vile and Tacky O, a headline borrowed by papers nationwide. He also topped the clumsy antics of Taronga Zoo’s baby elephant with Trunk and Disorderly.

Warren Brown, The Daily Telegraph
From a Coogee Bay gelato for the prime minister to a moving tribute to the work of Heath Ledger, Warren has the capacity to move readers – and make them laugh.  His fine sense of the absurd is displayed in a cartoon after serial killer Ivan Milat cut off one of his fingers.

Craig Borrow, Herald Sun
The winner of this award in 2007 and a finalist last year, Craig once again delivers a broad portfolio ranging from wildlife shots to studies of the human condition. The judges were impressed by his ability to think outside the square for a genuinely different shot.

Alex Coppel, Sunday Herald Sun
Alex’s photo of a CFA fire truck silhouetted against a wall of smoke and flame became an iconic image of the Victorian bushfires. Taken during a time of personal risk, the photo was republished countless times in newspapers and magazines around the world.

Ray Hirst, The Advertiser
While a personal finance section is usually dry material for illustration, Ray transforms it with delightful, handcrafted sculptures which become three-dimensional works of art, not only telling the story but also delivering a subtle message in a highly innovative way.

Chris Davies, The Sunday Mail, Brisbane
Judges were impressed by the innovative and contemporary look of Chris’ work.  His designs for the Black Saturday bushfires and the Michael Jackson tribute complemented the words with meaningful designs to create a superb journalistic package.