Stuff’s Journalism Shines At Voyager Media Awards

Stuff has won a slew of trophies at the country’s leading media awards, collecting 20 wins across the 51 categories.

Announced via an online ceremony on Friday night, Stuff’s Voyager Media Awards honours speak to its strength in local reporting and multi-platform storytelling.

Journalists across the country were recognised for their craft, including Regional Journalist of the Year Hamish McNeilly (The Press) and Community Journalist of the Year, Virginia Fallon (Kāpiti Observer). Stuff’s Lawrence Smith won Video Journalist of the Year; and Dana Johannsen took out Sports Journalist of the Year.

The Waikato Times won Newspaper of the Year (up to 30,000 circulation) for the third year running, with reporter Aaron Leaman also picking up the Regional Journalism Scholarship (joint winner). The Sunday Star-Times was awarded Weekly Newspaper of the Year, while Sunday took out Best newspaper-inserted magazine.

Stuff performed strongly in the photography categories with Stacy Squires landing a Judges’ prize for the single best news photo. His entry was one of the stand-out images from the Christchurch mosque attack, which judges described as “heartbreaking and haunting”. Stuff also won both podcast categories for Best narrative/serial (White Silence, produced with RNZ) and joint winner Best episodic/recurrent (Out of My Mind).

Stuff’s Product of Australia: sending convicts to NZ story won Best team investigation with judges praising storytelling of the highest standard. Stuff Circuit won Best TV/video documentary for Infinite Evil, exposing online image board 8chan.

Editorial Director Mark Stevens congratulated all the winners and said the accolades reflected the vital role of quality, local journalism.

“Trusted journalism has never been more important than it is now, at a time when our industry is under great strain. I’m immensely proud of this year’s winners - from Stuff and across the wider industry - and all journalists who work hard every day to uncover and report stories that matter.”

The Voyager wins follow the news that Stuff has climbed into the top 20 list in the 2020 Colmar Brunton Corporate Reputation Index. Stuff also featured in the top 10 Kiwi brands that displayed high advocacy for its Covid-19 response. 

Stuff’s 2020 Voyager Media Awards Winners:

NEWSPAPERS

Best newspaper front page

The Press

Newspaper of the Year (up to 30,000 circulation)

Waikato Times

Weekly Newspaper of the Year

Sunday Star-Times

REPORTING

Reporting - Crime and justice

Blair Ensor - The Press

Best team investigation

“Product of Australia: sending convicts to NZ” - Stuff

Community Journalist of the Year

Virginia Fallon - Kāpiti Observer

Regional Journalist of the Year

Hamish McNeilly - The Press

Sports Journalist of the Year

Dana Johannsen - Stuff

VIDEO JOURNALISM AND BROADCASTING

Best TV/video documentary

“Infinite Evil” - Stuff Circuit and Māori Television

Video Journalist of the Year

Lawrence Smith - Stuff

MAGAZINES

Best newspaper-inserted magazine

Sunday

DIGITAL

Podcasts - Best episodic/recurrent

“Out of My Mind” - Stuff

Podcasts - Best narrative/serial

“White Silence” - Stuff and RNZ

FEATURE WRITING

Best feature writer - junior

Joel MacManus - Stuff

Feature writing - Social issues

Florence Kerr - Stuff

GENERAL

Best headline, caption or hook

Barnaby Sharp - Nelson Mail

Regional Journalism Scholarship

Aaron Leaman - Waikato Times

PHOTOGRAPHY

Best photography - features

Braden Fastier - Nelson Mail

Best photography - news

George Heard - The Press

Judges’ prize for the single best news photo

Stacy Squires - The Press, Dominion Post, Sunday Star-Times

RUNNERS-UP

Feature Writer of the Year

Michelle Duff - Stuff

Best photography - sport

Iain McGregor - Stuff

Best individual investigation

Matt Shand - Waikato Times, Dominion Post

Business Journalist of the Year

Nikki Macdonald - Dominion Post and Stuff

Broadcast Reporter of the Year

Paula Penfold - Stuff Circuit

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