The Weekend Herald was declared Canon Newspaper of the Year at the 2017 Canon Media Awards at the Langham Auckland on Friday. The Weekend Herald also won the Weekly Newspaper of the Year and Best Newspaper Front Page categories.
Judges Campbell Reid, News Corporation Australia’s news chief, The West Australian newspaper editor Brett McCarthy and ceo and editor-in-chief of RNZ, Paul Thompson, said the Weekend Herald was simply New Zealand’s most complete newspaper, unmatched in its exclusive reporting, quality of its writing and analysis, lifestyle content and commentary.
For the third year running The New Zealand Herald won Newspaper of the Year (more than 30,000 circulation) while the Nelson Mail won Newspaper of the Year (up to 30,000 circulation).
The annual Wolfson Fellowship to study at Cambridge University, UK, was awarded to Miriyana Alexander, editor of the Weekend Herald and Herald on Sunday.
Record entries
Staged by the Newspaper Publishers’ Association with Canon New Zealand as premier sponsor, the awards attracted a record number of entries – 2174, a 35% increase on last year. The awards, celebrated at a gala dinner at The Langham in Auckland attended by 580, recognise excellence in journalism across newspapers, magazines and digital media.
In other categories, best coverage of a major news event went to Stuff, Kaikoura Star, The Dominion Post, The Marlborough Express and The Press for their coverage of the Kaikoura earthquake. Stuff also won best editorial campaign or project with its #buythisbeachNZ campaign which raised $2m to buy a beach in Abel Tasman National Park.
New Zealand Geographic won Magazine of the Year and HOME was awarded best magazine design.
In the individual awards, NZ Herald journalist Matt Nippert won Reporter of the Year and the best investigation category. Nippert was also awarded joint runner-up for Business Journalist of the Year with Caleb Tutty.
Photographer of the Year went to Alan Gibson, NZ Herald and Videographer of the Year was won by Ross Giblin, Stuff, who also won best news video.
Sports star
Herald journalist Dylan Cleaver won a cluster of awards: Sports Journalist of the Year; reporter – health and lifestyle; feature writer-sport (long-form), largely on the back of his investigations into the long-term effect of concussion on the lives of former rugby players, and the opinion writer-sport category. Cleaver was also awarded a $6000 senior nib health journalism scholarship as was Aaron Leaman, of Stuff and Waikato Times. Leaman also won Regional Journalist of the Year, one of four finalists all from the Waikato Times.
Feature Writer of the Year (long-form) went to Joanna Wane, North & South, while Feature Writer (short-form) was awarded to Nikki Macdonald, The Dominion Post and Sunday Star-Times.
In the digital awards, NZ Herald won Website of the Year and Newshub won Best News Website or App.
Cartoonist of the Year went to Sharon Murdoch, Sunday Star-Times, The Dominion Post and The Press for the second year in a row and Duncan Garner, The Dominion Post, won Opinion Writer of the Year. Editorial Executive of the Year was awarded to Glen Scanlon, head of digital media at RNZ.
Photomeister
Photographer of the Year at the 2017 Canon Media Awards was won by New Zealand Herald’s photographer Alan Gibson.
Stand-outs in Gibson’s portfolio included capturing the heartbreak of a family mourning the deaths of an elderly couple at the hands of a methamphetamine-fuelled stranger, a sculptor at work at night in his homemade foundry, and a surfer caught on the crest of a giant wave on the Kaikoura Coast. The judges said Gibson’s portfolio was an excellent demonstration of photojournalism across all genres, his use of light and moment made him a worthy winner amongst a strong field.
Stuff videographer, Ross Giblin, won Videographer of the Year, where his footage included escaped bulls marauding through suburban gardens in Upper Hutt, the sensitive portrayal of a girl transitioning to become a boy and the pre-dawn training regime of young kayakers. The judges said Giblin, who also won Best News Video, not only had a great eye for pictures but also for a story, and the ability to seize an opportunity. Apart from technical skills, he showed courage, calmness and empathy.
Best News Photo was awarded to Blair Pattinson, Otago Daily Times. The judges said Pattinson captured an iconic news picture of Queenstown police wrestling two criminals to the ground after a long car chase was stopped by a herd of sheep.
Mike Scott, New Zealand Herald, won Best Photo Essay with his riveting portrayal of young girls in rural China having their hair chopped off to make into wigs for the Western market. Scott was also runner-up in the Videographer of the Year category for his video that accompanied the “black gold” hair trade story, and was part of a team that won best sports video.
Christel Yardley, Waikato Times, won Best Photo (junior) with an image capturing a tender moment between an elderly woman caring for her husband after he was abused at a rest home.
NZ Herald photographer Chris Cameron’s startling image of an Americas Cup boat racing with seal leaping out of the water, won him Best Sports Photo. The judges said, “stunning pic!”
Sponsor happy
Canon NZ ceo Kim Conner said: “It is an honour to celebrate the deserving recipients tonight and the significant role they play in sharing the stories happening within our community and around the world.
“Canon have proudly supported the Canon Media Awards for the last 11 years, celebrating New Zealand’s finest journalists.”
THE WINNERS
Digital
Best Blog Site: Villainesse
Best News Website or App: Newshub
Website of the Year: NZ Herald
Feature Writing (long-form, +2500 words)
Best Feature Writer – Junior: Don Rowe, 1972 magazine and New Zealand Geographic
Feature Writer – arts and entertainment: David Larsen, Metro
Feature Writer – business and politics: Simon Wilson, Metro
Feature Writer – crime and justice: James Mahoney, Metro
Feature Writer – general: Aaron Smale, RNZ
Feature Writer – health and lifestyle: Kirsty Johnston, NZ Herald
Feature Writer – sport: Dylan Cleaver, NZ Herald
Feature Writer of the Year: Joanna Wane, North & South
Feature Writer of the Year (runner-up): Aaron Smale, Mana magazine, North & South and RNZ
Feature Writing (short-form, up to 2500 words)
Best Feature Writer – Junior: Christopher Reive, Taranaki Daily News
Feature Writer – arts and entertainment: Charlie Gates, The Press
Feature Writer – business and politics: Mava Enoka, The Wireless
Feature Writer – crime and justice: Jared Savage, NZ Herald
Feature Writer – general: Adam Dudding, Sunday Star-Times
Feature Writer – general (runner-up): Madeleine Chapman, The Spinoff
Feature Writer – health and lifestyle: Greg Bruce, NZ Herald
Feature Writer – sport: Jonathan Carson, Sunday Star-Times
Feature Writer of the Year: Nikki Macdonald, The Dominion Post and Sunday Star-Times
General
Best artwork/graphics: Toby Morris, RNZ and The Wireless
Best artwork/graphics (runner-up): Richard Dale, NZ Herald
Best headline: Matthew Dallas, Manawatu Standard
Best headline (runner-up): Ian Allen, Marlborough Express
Best trade/specialist publication and/or website: Jackie Harrigan, NZ Dairy Exporter magazine
Cartoonist of the Year: Sharon Murdoch, Sunday Star-Times, The Dominion Post and The Press
Cartoonist of the Year (runner-up): Toby Morris, RNZ and The Wireless
Reviewer of the Year: Duncan Greive, NZ Herald and The Spinoff
Magazines
Best magazine design: HOME
Best magazine design (runner-up): Mana magazine
Best newspaper-inserted magazine: Your Weekend/The Dominion Post, The Press and Waikato Times
Magazine of the Year: New Zealand Geographic
Newspapers
Best newspaper front page: Weekend Herald
Canon Community Newspaper of the Year: Feilding-Rangitikei Herald
Canon Newspaper of the Year: Weekend Herald
Newspaper of the Year (more than 30,000 circulation): NZ Herald
Newspaper of the Year (up to 30,000 circulation): Nelson Mail
Weekly Newspaper of the Year: Weekend Herald
Opinion Writing
Opinion Writer – business and politics: Simon Wilson, Public Address, RNZ and The Spinoff
Opinion Writer – general: Lizzie Marvelly, Weekend Herald
Opinion Writer – humour/satire: Steve Braunias, NZ Herald
Opinion Writer – sport: Dylan Cleaver, NZ Herald
Opinion Writer of the Year: Duncan Garner, The Dominion Post
Photography
Best feature photo: Richard Robinson, New Zealand Geographic
Best general photo: Paul Taylor, Hawke’s Bay Today
Best news photo: Blair Pattinson, Otago Daily Times
Best photo (junior): Christel Yardley, Waikato Times
Best photo essay: Mike Scott, NZ Herald
Best portrait photo: Meek Zuiderwyk, Metro
Best sports photo: Chris Cameron, NZ Herald
Photographer of the Year: Alan Gibson, NZ Herald
Videography
Best feature video: Mike Scott, NZ Herald
Best news video: Ross Giblin, Stuff
Best sports video: Brett Phibbs, Mike Scott and Peter Visagie, NZ Herald
Videographer of the Year: Ross Giblin, Stuff
Videographer of the Year (runner-up): Mike Scott, NZ Herald
Reporting
Best coverage of a major news event: “Kaikoura earthquake”, Stuff, Kaikoura Star, The Dominion Post, The Marlborough Express and The Press
Best editorial campaign or project: “#buythisbeachNZ”, Stuff
Best editorial campaign or project (runner-up): “Panama papers” RNZ, TVNZ and Nicky Hager
Best investigation: Matt Nippert, NZ Herald
Best Reporter (Junior): Donna-Lee Biddle, Stuff and Waikato Times
Best (single) news story: Olivia Carville and Mike Scott, NZ Herald
Business Journalist of the Year: Gareth Vaughan, Interest
Business Journalist of the Year (runner-up): Matt Nippert and Caleb Tutty, NZ Herald
Community Journalist of the Year: Paul Taylor, Mountain Scene
Regional Journalist of the Year: Aaron Leaman, Stuff and Waikato Times
Reporter – arts and entertainment: Vicki Anderson, Stuff and The Press
Reporter – crime and justice: Eugene Bingham, Phil Johnson, Toby Longbottom and Paula Penfold (Stuff Circuit team)
Reporter – general: Lane Nichols, Weekend Herald
Reporter – health and lifestyle: Dylan Cleaver, NZ Herald
Reporter – Maori and ethnic affairs: Renee Kahukura Iosefa, Maori Television
Reporter of the Year: Matt Nippert, NZ Herald
Science and Technology Award: Kate Evans, New Zealand Geographic
Sports Journalist of the Year : Dylan Cleaver, NZ Herald
Sports Journalist of the Year (runner-up): Liam Napier, Sunday Star-Times
Student Journalist of the Year: Miri Schroeter, Manawatu Standard
nib Health Journalism Scholarships
nib Health Journalism Scholarship – Junior: Rachel Thomas, Stuff
nib Health Journalism Scholarship – Senior: Dylan Cleaver, NZ Herald AND Aaron Leaman, Stuff and Waikato Times
Editorial Executive of the Year :Glen Scanlon, head of digital media, RNZ
Wolfson Fellowship: Miriyana Alexander, Editor of the Weekend Herald and Herald on Sunday
NPA Outstanding Achievement Awards:
Donna Chisholm, feature writer and editor
Matamata Chronicle, 50 years’ publishing
NZ Cartoon Archive, 25 years’ archiving cartoons
Ross Setford, photographer
Staged by the Newspaper Publishers’ Association with Canon as premier sponsor, the awards attracted a record number of entries – 2174, a 35% increase on last year. Photographic and videography entries were up significantly this year compared to last. The awards, celebrated tonight (May 19) at a gala dinner at the Langham in Auckland, recognise excellence in journalism across newspaper, magazine and digital media.
Oops!
Ed says: Yesterday’s Canon report was wildly incorrect; somehow, we managed to merge two reports – including last year’s.
Our thanks to the dozens of readers who wasted no time in pointing this out!
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