Caro Meldrum-Hanna was the biggest winner at the Kennedy Awards for excellence in NSW journalism. The winners were announced at an event hosted by Ray Martin in Sydney on Friday night.
Meldrum-Hanna was named NSW Journalist of the Year and was part of the ABC’s Four Corners team who won four other awards.
Seven News was recognised with the Kennedy Award for Outstanding Television News Reporting for its coverage of the Lindt Café siege.
Sydney’s Director of News Chris Willis accepted the award on behalf of the Seven News team, dedicating the award to the memories of siege victims Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson and to the courage of the hostages who survived the ordeal.
“This is award is a tribute to the dedication and skill of every person working in the newsroom,” he said. “They faced a challenge no other news organisation in Australia has ever faced. And we all should be very proud of the coverage we provided to viewers throughout Australia.”
Senior cameraman Greg Parker received the award for Outstanding News Camera Work for his outstanding coverage of the siege.
Seven News had a pivotal role in the siege, with the Lindt Café located just 30 meters across the plaza from the Martin Place newsroom.
Senior correspondent Chris Reason was the only journalist granted access by police to remain in the evacuated newsroom to report live on the situation. Next to Reason was cameraman Greg Parker, who was positioned shoulder-to-shoulder with a police marksman recording every second of the 16-hour siege ordeal.
Network director of News Rob Raschke said: “We are very proud of this achievement. It is credit to a huge team of people who rallied in the toughest circumstances to deliver comprehensive rolling coverage from a makeshift studio and newsroom built in about two hours.”
The Kennedy Awards are named after veteran police reporter Les Kennedy, who died in 2011 at the age of 53.
LES KENNEDY AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CRIME REPORTING
Rebecca Le Tourneau, Tara Brown – 60 Minutes, Nine Network
CHRIS WATSON AWARD FOR REGIONAL PRINT REPORTING
Andrew Pearson, Daisy Huntly – The Daily Advertiser, Wagga
PAUL LOCKYER AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING REGIONAL BROADCAST JOURNALISM
Adam Harvey, 7.30 Report ABC TV
ROD ALLEN AWARD FOR RACING WRITER OF THE YEAR
Adam Pengilly, The Sydney Morning Herald
OUTSTANDING TURF REPORTING
Chris Roots, The Sydney Morning Herald
FLANNERY AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING RADIO REPORTING
Natalie Peters, 2GB
RADIO CURRENT AFFAIRS
Sharon Davis, Freelance
OUTSTANDING NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY
Andrew Meares, The Sydney Morning Herald
OUTSTANDING PORTRAIT
Nicholas Walker, The Good Weekend
OUTSTANDING ONLINE PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAY
Nicholas Walker, The Good Weekend
OUTSTANDING ONLINE VIDEO
Luke Blair, 60 Minutes
OUTSTANDING SPORT PHOTO
Brett Costello, The Daily Telegraph
CLIFF NEVILLE AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING TEAM PLAYER
Doug Ferguson, Nine News
OUTSTANDING TRAVEL WRITING
Kerry van der Jagt, Fairfax Media
PETER FRILINGOS AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING SPORT REPORTING
Caro Meldrum-Hanna, Four Corners, ABC TV
YOUNG JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Taylor Auerbach, The Daily Telegraph
JOHN NEWFONG AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS REPORTING
Bill Poulis, The Northern Daily Leader
GARY TICEHURST AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING NEWS CAMERA COVERAGE
Greg Parker, Seven News
HARRY POTTER AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING TELEVISION NEWS REPORTING
Seven News team
OUTSTANDING TELEVISION CURRENT AFFAIRS
Caro Meldrum-Hanna, Sam Clark & Max Murch, Four Corners ABC TV
PETER RUEHL AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING COLUMNIST
James Jeffrey, The Australian
OUTSTANDING FINANCE REPORTING
Adele Ferguson, Ruth Williams Fairfax Media
OUTSTANDING CONSUMER AFFAIRS REPORTING
Caro Meldrum-Hanna, Ali Russell & Mario Christodoulou, Four Corners, ABC TV
OUTSTANDING ONLINE NEWS BREAKING
Fiona Friend, Marc Dodd, Peter Lalor & Simon King, The Australian
SCOOP OF THE YEAR
Paul Maley, Greg Bearup, The Australian
OUTSTANDING COURT REPORTING
Louise Hall, The Sydney Morning Herald
OUTSTANDING ILLUSTRATION
Eric Lobbecke, The Australian
OUTSTANDING REPORTING ON THE ENVIRONMENT
Matthew Kelly, The Newcastle Herald
OUSTANDING FEATURE WRITING
Tim Elliott, The Sydney Morning Herald
OUTSTANDING INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
Caro Meldrum-Hanna, Sam Clark and Max Murch, Four Corners ABC TV
OUTSTANDING POLITICAL REPORTING
Andrew Clennell, The Daily Telegraph
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Ian Heads, OAM
2015 NSW JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Caro Meldrum-Hanna, Four Corners, ABC TV