Category: Awards

Liz Hayes, Gareth Harvey, Anushri Sood and Sonia Serrao from Under Investigation with Liz Hayes, Channel Nine, ‘Shots Fired’ have been named the winners of the 2024 Media Diversity Australia Award for their, ‘Shots Fired‘.

The Nine team’s win was announced in Sydney tonight alongside all the winners in the Walkley Foundation’s Mid-Year Celebration of Journalism.

The Media Diversity Australia Award administered by the Walkley Foundation honours journalists who are making an outstanding contribution through their reporting or coverage of diverse people or issues in Australia. This includes culturally and linguistically diverse communities (CALD) and people with disability (PWD).

It celebrates reporting that demonstrates notable courage in raising awareness of CALD and/or PWD experiences and perspectives, as well as innovation in the telling of these stories. It recognises the significance of media coverage in providing nuanced reporting which serves to alter perceptions and attitudes, challenge stereotypes and fight misinformation.

‘Shots Fired’ is the first full investigation into the killing of Kumanjayi Walker. Story producer Anushri Sood researched, directed and produced the story. Host/managing editor Liz Hayes and executive producer Gareth Harvey brought decades of storytelling experience and senior editor Sonia Serrao crafted it into a compelling visual narrative.

Media Diversity Australia CEO Mariam Veiszadeh said, “Anushri Sood and the team at Nine’s ‘Under Investigations’ should be very proud of this outstanding piece of journalism. The media’s powerful role in exposing injustice and by extension, challenging discriminatory systems is clearly exemplified in their work. Given this is the first time a commercial media network is the recipient of this award, it’s a testament that to the fact that stories like these resonates with audiences everywhere.”

Congratulations to Hagar Cohen and Raveen Hunjan from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s 7:30 for winning the 2023 Media Diversity Australia Walkley Award for their impactful piece ‘Racism allegations lead to staff exodus’. Thank you to award sponsor the National Ethnic Broadcasters Multicultural Council. 

Hagar and Raveen’s win was announced at the Walkley Foundation’s Mid-Year Celebration of Journalism event. The Media Diversity Australia Award administered by the Walkley Foundation honours journalists who are making an outstanding contribution through their reporting or coverage of diverse people or issues in Australia. This includes culturally diverse communities and people with disability.

Jason Om is an award-winning reporter, writer and presenter with the ABC’s 7.30 program. He’s previously worked for ABC News Breakfast, the ABC News Channel, ABC Life and Lateline. His memoir, All Mixed Up, will be released in April 2022. Jason started his career as a cadet at SBS.

Read an interview with Jason.

Alex McDonald is a producer with the ABC’s 7.30 program in Sydney. He was a member of the ABC’s National Reporting Team and investigated alleged sexual misconduct at the Australian Defence Force Academy, revealed evidence of allegedly corrupt deals between Nauruan officials and Australian businesses, and worked on a Walkley-nominated investigation into the misuse of funds and defrauding of Indigenous-run organisations. He has worked as a researcher at Four Corners and as a reporter in the ABC’s Sydney newsroom.

Ake Prihantari has been working at ABC Jakarta Bureau for 17 years. She enjoys being a producer and loves being involved in long-form news stories. Through her work with the ABC, she developed a passionate interest in Indonesian law, more so than when she was a law student. Recently she has just found out that climbing stairs and doing long walks are more therapeutic than writing complaint letters to big corporations – and that yoghurt soju is the best cocktail ever invented.

From biker gangs to prison, Mahmood Fazal is an Afghan-Australian writer on a mission to amplify the voices we don’t hear. After abandoning his role as the sergeant-at-arms of the Mongols Motorcycle Club, Mahmood has devoted his life to bare-knuckle stories that challenge our views on crime, violence, imprisonment and radicalisation. He was awarded Journalist of the Year at the 2018 Publish Awards and shortlisted for Best Documentary at the Australian Podcast Awards. Mahmood is currently writing a memoir, due to be published by Harper Collins in 2021. His writing appears in VICE, The Monthly, i-D and The Saturday Paper.

Read an interview with Mahmood.

Rebecca Metcalf is a filmmaker and journalist, currently a shooter-producer at The Feed on SBS. She has also produced for VICE and Audible and has worked as a print news reporter/editor. No Gangsters in Paradise is her first audio documentary. Rebecca aims to make work that allows for nuance and experiments with form.

Kirk Docker is the producer, rarely seen interviewer and co-creator of the award-winning ABC show You Can’t Ask That. He first came to public attention for contributing vox pop segments to Hungry Beast. Shot by YCAT partner Aaron Smith, these voxies showcased the openness, compassion and curiosity that marks their work today. Before and after Beast, Kirk made shortform video for website Vive Cool City, Hello Stranger for the ABC and Demolition Man for A&E.