ABC winners and finalists honoured at NSW Kennedy Awards

ABC journalists and teams were honoured with major awards at the 2022 NSW Kennedy Awards, for regional broadcast journalism, radio journalism, nightly and long-form TV current affairs,reporting on the environment and court and legal affairs, portrait photography and investigative reporting.

A joint team entry from ABC journalists on the north coast won for the ABC’s coverage of the extreme weather and floods that devastated northern NSW  this year.

ABC Chief Photographer Brendan Esposito won the Outstanding Portrait Photography prize for his moving images of refugees fleeing Ukraine.

Two Four Corners reports were awarded: “Ghosts of Timor”, reported by Mark Willacy, which revealed allegations of misconduct during Australia’s 1999 East Timor intervention; and “Cosmetic Cowboys”, reported by Adele Ferguson, which exposed alarming practices in the cosmetic industry.

Other winning stories included 7.30‘s coverage of the the housing crisis by Ella Archibald-Binge and the controversies surrounding former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, led by Paul Farrell and Alex McDonald, and VicForest’s logging practices, led by Michael Slezak.

Sally Sara and Victoria Pengilley received another award for their radio coverage of the fall of Kabul to the Taliban for RN Breakfast and The World Today.

Full list of ABC winners and finalists

The Paul Lockyer Award: Regional Broadcast Journalism

• ABC North Coast Team Entry: Northern Rivers Floods – ABC North Coast WINNER
• Bronwyn Herbert and Leah White: Flood Legacy – ABC North Coast
• Charlotte King and Andy Burns: Regional neglect: Staff shortages blamed for ‘inexcusable’ spine-deep bedsore 7.30

The Chris Watson Award: Regional Journalism – Print and Online

• Joanna Woodburn: Why rural NSW is fed up and demanding a lifeline for health – ABC Online

The Sean Flannery Award: Outstanding Radio Journalism

• Hannah Ryan and the Background Briefing team: The mums accused of poisoning their kids – Radio National
• Sally Sara and Victoria Pengilley: Fall of Kabul – Radio National WINNER

Outstanding Podcast

• Marc Fennell and Zoe Ferguson: Stuff The British Stole

Outstanding Portrait Photography      

• Brendan Esposito: All Eyes On Us WINNER

The Peter Frilingos Award: Outstanding Sports Reporting 

• Tracey Holmes: Afghanistan Rescue – ABC Online

Young Journalist of the Year   

• Kamin Gock: body of work

The John Newfong Award: Indigenous Affairs Reporting    

• Isaac Nowroozi: Water quality in remote NT communities – ABC News Channel, 7pm News
• Bridget Brennan, Andy Burns and Kirstie Wellauer: The Fight For Fishing Rights – 7.30

The Mike Willesee Award: Outstanding Nightly Television Current Affairs           

• Ella Archibald-Binge: The changing face of homelessness – 7.30, ABC Online WINNER
• Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop, Echo Hui and Martin El Hage Smiley: Daryl Maguire fraud scandal – 7.30

The David Leckie Award: Outstanding Television Current Affairs (Long Form)   

• Adele Ferguson and Lauren Day: Cosmetic Cowboys – Four Corners
• Mark Willacy, Stephanie March, Josh Roberston and Kyle Taylor: Ghosts of Timor – Four Corners WINNER

Outstanding Consumer Affairs Reporting      

• Amy Bainbridge and Lucy Kent: Cryptocurrency scams target Australians – 7.30

Outstanding Court and Legal Affairs Reporting        

• Paul Farrell and Alex McDonald: Gladys Berejeklian – 7.30 WINNER
• Background Briefing team entry: Scientists vs The Law – Background Briefing

Outstanding Reporting on the Environment  

• Michael Slezak, Mark Doman, Laura Kewley, Alex Palmer and Katia Shatoba: VicForests logged illegally and spied on opponent – 7.30 WINNER

Outstanding Investigative Reporting  

• Adele Ferguson, Lauren Day and Klaus Toft: Cosmetic Cowboys – Four Corners and Nine Publications WINNER
• Anne Connolly, Ali Russell and Stephanie Zillman: State Control – Four Corners
• Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop and Echo Hui: Gladys Berejiklian corruption scandal – ABC News Digital

Outstanding Political Reporting

• Kevin Nguyen: The Hidden Campaign

Media contact: Sally Jackson | ABC Communications | jackson.sally@abc.net.au