The winners of the 2025 Mid-Year Media Prizes have been announced by the Walkley Foundation, spotlighting standout work from early-career journalists and niche media specialists across Australia.
ABC’s April McLennan took out the top honour, named this year’s John B Fairfax Family Young Australian Journalist of the Year.
Her award followed dual wins in the Public Service Journalism and Coverage of Community & Regional Affairs categories, with judges praising her investigations into non-consensual childbirth procedures and misconduct allegations involving a former Launceston mayor.
The Walkley Judging Board described her work as “tenacious, well-researched and deeply committed to public interest journalism”.
The annual mid-year prize series is separate from the Walkley Awards held in November and judged by panels with expertise across specialist fields. The prizes are peer-judged and awarded purely on merit and journalistic excellence.
Full list of winners below
2025 John B Fairfax Family Young Australian Journalist of the Year: April McLennan, ABC News & ABC Tasmania. Supported by Jibb Foundation.
Shortform Journalism: Lucas Baird, Australian Financial Review, ‘Cybercriminals break into Australia’s pension pot’. Supported by ABC.
Longform Feature or Special: Rhiona-Jade Armont, SBS Dateline, ‘Cambodia’s Surrogacy Crackdown’. Supported by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
Coverage of Community and Regional Affairs: April McLennan, ABC Tasmania (Launceston), ‘Birth rights’
Innovative Storytelling: Lia Walsh, ABC News TikTok and Instagram accounts, ‘A Trump hater selling Trump merch’, ‘Has anyone checked on the Aussie expats?’, ‘Aussie journalist vs US frat party’. Supported by Business News.
Visual Storytelling: Christopher Tan, SBS World News, ‘WA videojournalism body of work’
Public Service Journalism: April McLennan, ABC News, ‘Former Launceston mayor Danny Gibson accused of unwanted sexual advances, sexting theatre student’. Supported by Telum Media.
Student Journalist of the Year: Ella Loneragan, Western Independent (Curtin University), The West Australian, ‘The game blame’, ‘Queues for loos: another equity issue?’. Supported by the University of Sydney.
Coverage of Science and the Environment Prize: Claire Aird, Greg Muller, Claudianna Blanco, LiSTNR, Southern Cross Austereo, ‘Secrets We Keep: Should I Spit’ podcast series. Supported by the University of Sydney Faculty of Science.
Freelance Journalist of the Year: Prue Lewarne (SBS Dateline, SBS World News) for international coverage including The Beast – Mexico’s Deadliest Train, Argentina’s Milei, and Argentina Poverty.
Women’s Leadership in Media Prize: Calliste Weitenberg (SBS Dateline) for a body of work including Romania’s Webcam Girls, India’s Virginity Test, and In the wake of Andrew Tate’s arrest, Romanian cam girls speak out. Supported by MECCA M-POWER.
Our Watch Award for Excellence in Reporting on Violence Against Women: ABC News Breakfast team (ABC) for Not Just A Number – ABC News Breakfast Special Coverage. Administered by the Walkley Foundation.
Media Diversity Australia Prize: Ben Smee & Melissa Davey (Guardian Australia) for In the Box: how children with FASD end up in police cells. Supported by Media Diversity Australia, Australian Multicultural Foundation, and Multicultural NSW.