The Australian’s top journalists recognised in prestigious News Awards

The Australian has secured a raft of nominations for the News Awards, showcasing the national newspaper’s story­telling, investigations and agenda-setting journalism.

Hedley Thomas. Picture: Portia Large

The Australian has secured a raft of nominations for the News Awards, showcasing the national newspaper’s story­telling, investigations and agenda-setting journalism.

The awards, now in their 20th year, celebrate News Corp’ Australia’s most talented journalists, photographers, cartoonists and videographers who have made telling impacts on their ­communities.

The Australian’s team picked up 13 nominations for the awards, whose winners will be announced on October 22.

The masthead’s national chief correspondent Hedley Thomas and the team of Slade Gibson, national crime correspondent David ­Murray and editorial director Claire Harvey are nominated for Storytellers of the Year for the gripping true crime investigation podcast Bronwyn, which explores the disappearance of a young mother from her home near Byron Bay in May 1993.

Reporter Paul Garvey’s expose on the Direction 99 immigration visa debacle – which revealed that hundreds of criminals had stayed in Australia via a legal loophole and led to the demotion of then-immigration minister Andrew Giles – has been nominated for ­Investigation of the Year.

Also up in the Investigation of the Year category is the masthead’s groundbreaking coverage of sexual harassment and abuse allegations at Nine, led by media ­editor James Madden, Sophie Elsworth and Liam Mendes.

Workplace editor Ewin Hannan is ­nominated for Best Specialist Journalist for his coverage of the row between John Setka and the AFL. Also in the Best Specialist category is columnist Peta Credlin for her revelations that the Uluru Statement was longer and had more attachments than pro-voice referendum activists had let on.

Mendes has secured a nomination in the visual journalism catagory for his reporting of former Nine chair Peter Costello’s downfall, crime in Alice Springs, and unrest in Israel and Ukraine.

Sports reporter Will Swanton has been recognised in the Interview of the Year category for his Heart of Sport: Inside the dreams that really matter piece.

The Australian’s editorial design lead Sean Callinan earned a joint nomination in the visual journalism category.

Legal affairs correspondent Ellie Dudley and NSW politics reporter Alexi Demetriadi are both finalists for Young Journalist of the Year after a year of major scoops in law and politics.

The Australian Business Network’s reporters and columnists, John Stensholt, Eric Johnston and Bridget Carter are competing for the title of Keith McDonald Business Journalist of the Year.

And Johannes Leak will seek to retain the Bill Leak Cartoonist of the Year award for a second year.