"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. "

Anthony Klan, The Australian Anthony's persistent investigation into the Federal Government's Building the Education Revolution scheme exposed one of the biggest wastages of government money in the nation's history. The series shifted public opinion about the BER, sparked a $14 million inquiry and highlighted flaws in the procurement methods of governments nationwide.

The Australian With a major redesign that forged new sections in-paper, a new online national affairs section and the launch of the country’s first newspaper app for the Apple iPad, The Australian has had a huge year. Its consistently strong journalism increasingly sets the media agenda. Weekday sales are up close to 3 per cent.

The Weekly Times A finalist in this category last year, the paper goes from strength to strength, having re-energised its traditional brand with new inserted magazines and sections, a vibrant website and a more sophisticated approach. Readers have noticed: circulation is up, advertising revenue is growing, and 91 per cent of Victorian farmers now read the paper.

Port Douglas and Mossman Gazette The paper took on a competitor and had the confidence to produce a glossy tourist magazine to distribute nationally and in New Zealand. Its readership area has some of the richest holidaymakers and poorest residents, yet the paper engages both with strong campaigns and innovation – all on a tiny budget.

GQ Australia The small team at GQ has transformed it into Australia’s No.1 premium men’s lifestyle title. With a new emphasis on strong journalism, a website, a digital app, a redesign and a high-profile events program, GQ has seen a 110 per cent increase in readership.

AdelaideNow, for its coverage of the South Australian election The site broke new ground for newspapers with live broadcasts during the campaign and on election night, fun online polling, Facebook marketing and personalities interacting on Twitter. Importantly, the coverage had a journalistic substance that is rare in this arena.

Cameron Stewart, The Australian After sitting on the story for five days to protect national security, Cameron exposed details of the Operation Neath counter-terrorism raids on the morning they happened. Judges called it a powerful scoop of enormous national importance.

Mel Mansell and The Advertiser editorial team Advertiser editor Mel Mansell has replaced deeply-embedded parts of editorial culture with a new order that has taken his paper from the printed edition to the cutting edge of digital publishing.

Rosie Squires, The Sunday Telegraph Going undercover as a volunteer in an aged care home, Rose delivered a powerful first-hand account and secret pictures. Judges said her exposés on rogue cab drivers and backyard fashion sweatshops "displayed all the traits we want in future journalists".

The Daily Telegraph’s I Promise campaign This ambitious road safety campaign led ultimately to fewer road deaths, which police attributed to the paper’s efforts. It embraced print, online, television and radio, enlisted high profile ambassadors and attracted key support from major organisations.

Trent Dalton, QWeekend (Courier-Mail) A previous winner and two-time finalist for this award, Trent’s work is often refreshingly uplifting. Judges said his account of a euthanasia support group was a confronting but remarkable piece.

Mark Robinson, Herald Sun In addition to plentiful exclusives, such as revealing the end of Jason Akermanis’ career at Western Bulldogs and Kevin Sheedy’s move to Sydney, Mark’s online column The Tackle attracts 80,000 views a week, while his Best of the Blog boosts print readership.

Susannah Moran, The Australian Susannah impressed judges with the tenacity and patience with which she unravelled complex issues into readable exclusives. Her series of revelations about the tax fight over the Myer millions was the result of forensic investigation and patient footslogging.

Grant McArthur, Herald Sun Grant has broken a swathe of world exclusives on his Melbourne medical round, from the tale of how a terminally ill baby was saved by an experimental treatment to his scoops on the surgery that separated co-joined twins Trishna and Krishna. Judges praised Grant for "newsworthy stories that are also uplifting – a rare combination."

John Whistler, Sunday Mail, Adelaide John's work is consistently amusing and thoughtful about the headline as much as the story. Classics include A Job for Special Branch for a story on CCTV cameras hidden in trees and They Can’t Handle the Tooth for one on waiting lists for dental treatment.

Gary Ramage, News Group photographer Few photographers can beat Gary’s endurance in pursuit of the shot. His image of teen sailor Jessica Watson off Cape Horn was a needle-in-haystack find involving three attempts and protracted negotiation, while his moving essay on child victims of the Afghanistan war also involved considerable risk and absolute determination.

Adam Elwood, Preston Leader Adam's picture of a policeman poised to shoot an injured kangaroo as a tram approaches is photojournalism at its best. Judges praised his clever crop of the policeman’s head, saying it dehumanised the action and made it more chilling.

Mark Knight, Herald Sun Mark's astonishing output of great cartoons proved his talent for joining seemingly unrelated events to make a witty point. His Julia Gillard images punctured a tired campaign cliché, while his view of the Melbourne Storm controversy was perfectly tuned.

Eric Lobbecke, The Australian Eric's illustrations were among the most definitive and memorable of the year, from an icy Kevin Rudd on climate change to Rudd the Napoleon in retreat. His Peter Garrett as a pink bat defined the failure of the home insulation program.

Jack Milenkovic, GQ A major relaunch under Jack’s art direction helped transform the magazine into a slicker men's lifestyle title with rising circulation. Judges said Jack's use of 3D art to create the magazine’s signature look was a fantastic initiative.