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Finalists for the 52nd Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism were announced tonight at simultaneous events in Sydney and Melbourne. ABC Radio’s Leigh Sales and SBS TV’s Les Murray announced the finalists in Sydney at The Blacket Hotel. Meanwhile writer/broadcast Helen Razer, award-winning photographer David Dare Parker, and Walkley Advisory Board member and managing editor of Business Daily Malcolm Schmidke fronted the Melbourne announcement at Melbourne’s Span Galleries.
It was another major year in the craft of journalism with more than 1100 entries in the awards – underlining the importance of The Walkley Awards as Australia’s most prestigious and comprehensive media accolade. A total of 106 nominees were announced in the Walkley shortlist, who will now go on for judging by the esteemed Walkley Advisory Board across 34 categories in print, radio, television, photography and all media.
The shortlist reflects the year’s stories; from the tragedy of Garuda Flight 200 to the moving story of Australian terminally ill doctor, John Elliott; from the government’s response to terrorism, the storm-ravaged Newcastle, and the intervention into indigenous communities.
A long-list of finalists in the Walkley Award for Best Non-Fiction Book will be announced in Sydney on Wednesday, October 24 followed by the shortlist announcement on Monday November 12. Winners will be announced at the Walkley Award Gala Ceremony on November 29 at the Royal Hall of Industries in Sydney. The delayed package of the award presentation will be broadcast on SBS TV the same night and streamed live at www.sbs.com.au/walkleys
Walkley winners announced on the night will also vie for the pinnacle of Australian journalistic achievement, the illustrious Gold Walkley. Past Gold Walkley winners have included the ABC’s Tim Palmer for his coverage of the Asian tsunami, The Australian Financial Review team for its reporting into Rene Rivkin’s business dealings, Kate McClymont and Anne Davies of The Sydney Morning Herald for their unearthing of the Bulldogs salary cap scandal and The Age’s Andrew Rule for his investigation of the Geoff Clarke rape allegations. Most recently, the ABC Four Corners team of Liz Jackson, Lin Buckfield and Peter Cronau won the 2006 Gold Walkley for “Stoking the Fires”, their exposure of power rivalries in volatile East Timor.
The Walkley Advisory Board is made up of senior journalists across the media including managing editor of The Australian Financial Review, Paul Bailey; political editor for Network Ten, Cathy Border; 2UE’s Mike Carlton; ABC Stateline presenter, Quentin Dempster; 7.30 Report journalist Heather Ewart; Media Alliance AJA Federal President, Alan Kennedy; chief political correspondent for the Nine Network, Laurie Oakes; the Herald Sun’s Malcolm Schmidtke and editorial director of The Australian Women’s Weekly, Deborah Thomas.
The Walkley-nominated photography goes on show in the annual Nikon-Walkley Press Photo Exhibition at the Australian Centre for Photography, Paddington, October 26 – November 10, 2007.
For further information please contact Fran Barlow, tel: 9333 0917 or email: fran.barlow@alliance.org.au
A full list in pdf format is available for download here. |
