Advertiser.com.au wins website of the year for third year in a row at PANPA Newspaper of the Year awards

SOUTH Australia’s number one online destination, Advertiser.com.au, has achieved an extraordinary hat trick — named Australasia’s News Site of the Year for the third year in a row.

PANPA Award. Picture: Stephen Laffer

SOUTH Australia’s number one online destination for news, sport and entertainment, Advertiser.com.au, has achieved an extraordinary hat trick, named the Australasia and Pacific region’s News Site of the Year for the third year in a row.

Capping a remarkable night for News Corp SA, Messenger Community News’s weekly CBD publication The City was named the Non-Daily Community Newspaper of the Year.

The prestigious Pacific Area Newspaper Publishers’ Association awards were announced last night at a gala ceremony in Sydney.

It was an incredible third consecutive win for Advertiser.com.au as best website after picking up the award in 2013 and tying for the win in 2014 with Taiwan’s Apple Daily.

Advertiser editor Sam Weir said that to be recognised as the best website across Australia and entire Pacific region once was a great honour, but to win three years in a row was truly exceptional.

“The Advertiser’s team works around the clock to provide South Australians with world-class coverage and innovation on their desktops, mobile phones or tablets,” he said.

“From major news stories such as January’s bushfires and the tragic death of Crows coach Phil Walsh to consistently breaking the agenda-setting stories that matter for South Australians, our newsroom delivers every day for our loyal readers.

“This award is a credit to the hard work and creativity of the entire newsroom but special mention goes to Advertiser.com.au’s incredible digital team. I’d particularly like to thank our large and growing audience across all platforms.”

Advertiser digital editor Michael Owen-Brown said the accolade was a testament to the site’s connection with the South Australian community.

“Our entry demonstrated the fact that when big stories break, the state turns to us for fast, accurate and innovative coverage,” he said.

“The judges acknowledged that we are right at the forefront of digital innovation and social media integration — and we will continue to push the boundaries in this incredibly exciting era for journalism.”

The City was named Non-Daily Community Newspaper of the Year.

Messenger editor Jessica Leo said The City’s team had worked incredibly hard to produce a publication that resonated with the residents and workers of our rapidly evolving CBD.

“It’s a fabulous time to be in Adelaide right now and it’s an honour that The City is able to chronicle this growth and vibrancy,” she said.

The judges said: “The Advertiser continues to lead the way in Australia with its commitment to digital journalism and digital experiences for its readers.

“It has smart ideas and is leading most, if not all, its peers in Australia and NZ. Great effort demonstrated by excellent social media integration. The Advertiser is not only a leader, but can articulate its story in a powerful, compelling way.”

The Advertiser was also a finalist for the Daily Newspaper of the Year Award, while the Sunday Mail was nominated in the Weekend Newspaper of the Year category, which was won by The Weekend Australian.

The Advertiser’s Matt Turner was highly commended in the National/Metropolitan portrait photography category for his entry, The Chef and The Gardener.

The New Zealand Herald was named best metropolitan daily newspaper.