The ABC's journalism has been richly awarded at the 2022 Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism with its journalists and teams winning top honour the Gold Walkley and 10 other awards.
Anne Connolly, Stephanie Zillman and Ali Russell took the Gold, as well as the award for Public Service Journalism, for their gripping investigation "State Control", the year-long investigation into Public Guardian and Trustee agencies, which control the lives of around 50,000 Australians.
The judges said: "This was enlightening and determined reporting, giving power to voiceless people and allowing them to tell a story of complete powerlessness. Prompting debate about law reform in various states, it has the potential to effect large-scale public policy reform."
In all the ABC had 26 finalists across 15 categories in this year's Walkley Awards, which were announced in Sydney on Thursday night.
"These awards are testament to the talent, hard work and incredible dedication of our people," said ABC Director, News Justin Stevens.
"Our journalists and teams are passionate about bringing the best public interest journalism to Australians and it's wonderful to see their hard work recognised by their peers.
"The ABC's journalism has never been stronger, more impactful or more accessible to all Australians."
Brendan Esposito was named Press Photographer of the Year and former Four Corners Executive Producer Sally Neighbour was honoured for Outstanding Contribution to Journalism.
The coverage of the Northern Rivers flood catastrophe by the ABC's North Coast team of Joanne Shoebridge, Julie Ray, Renata Gombac and Justine Frazier was awarded for best Coverage of Community & Regional Affairs.
Across the globe, Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop's searing reporting on war crimes in Ukraine won for best Radio/Audio News and Current Affairs.
The compelling investigation by Lorna Knowles, Nikki Tugwell and Clare Blumer, "Painful Past: the John Wright series", took two awards, for Sports Journalism and short-form TV/Video Current Affairs.
The award for long-form TV/Video Current Affairs went to Adele Ferguson, Klaus Toft and Lauren Day for their investigation "Cosmetic Cowboys: The unregulated world of cosmetic surgery", which included stories for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Four Corners.
Ryan Sheridan won TV Camerawork for his skilful work on Four Corners reports "Despair and Defiance" and "Feral".
The Innovation prize went to Mark Doman, Michael Slezak and the Digital Story Innovation team for their work using 3D techniques to tell immersive stories in 'Lawless' loggers; Culture in the Crosshairs; The 'Syria playbook'; and How a Tongan volcano shocked the world.
Full list of ABC finalists and winners
2022 GOLD WALKLEY
Anne Connolly, Ali Russell and Stephanie Zillman, ABC Four Corners, "State Control" WINNER
NIKON-WALKLEY PRESS PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
Brendan Esposito, ABC WINNER
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO JOURNALISM
Sally Neighbour WINNER
PUBLIC SERVICE JOURNALISM
- Anne Connolly, Stephanie Zillman and Ali Russell, ABC Four Corners, "State Control" WINNER
- Katri Uibu, ABC News, "Bad parent: Life at the hands of Australia's child protection system"
INNOVATION
- Matt Liddy, ABC News, "The Australian election map has been lying to you"
- Mark Doman and Michael Slezak, ABC, "Using 3D techniques to tell immersive stories" (1, 2, 3) WINNER
COVERAGE OF INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS
- Charlotte King and Carly Williams, ABC, Background Briefing, "The Fight for Control Over Black Births"
- Louise Milligan, Naomi Selvaratnam and Lauren Day, ABC TV, Four Corners, "Heart Failure"
COVERAGE OF COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS
- Sam Carmody, Anthony Pancia, Wayne Webb and Zac Webb, ABC, Background Briefing, ABC South West and Undalup Association, "The Ghosts Are Not Silent"
- Samantha Jonscher and Alex Barwick, ABC Alice Springs, "Gendered violence in Central Australia"
- Joanne Shoebridge, Julie Ray, Renata Gombac and Justine Frazier, ABC North Coast, "Northern Rivers flood catastrophe" WINNER
SPORTS JOURNALISM
- Lorna Knowles, Nikki Tugwell and Clare Blumer, ABC, "Painful Past: the John Wright series" WINNER
- Jeremy Story Carter, ABC National Regional Reporting Team, "Death of a footy club"
RADIO/AUDIO NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS
- Andrew Probyn and Matthew Doran, ABC, "The Macron-Morrison Spat"
- Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop, ABC, "Ukraine war crimes" WINNER
- David Sparkes, ABC, "Northern NSW floods"
RADIO/AUDIO FEATURE
- Alex Mann, Rachael Brown, Mahmood Fazal and the Background Briefing team, ABC Background Briefing, "What happened to the Saudi sisters?
PRODUCTION
- Mark Willacy, Stephanie March, Josh Roberston and Kyle Taylor, ABC Four Corners, "Ghosts of Timor"
TELEVISION/VIDEO: CAMERAWORK
- Matthew Davis, ABC Foreign Correspondent, "Myanmar's Forgotten War" and "Keep Hawaii Hawaiian"
- Ryan Sheridan, ABC Four Corners, "Despair and Defiance" and "Feral" WINNER
TELEVISION/VIDEO NEWS REPORTING
- Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop and Phil Hemingway, ABC, "Ukraine war coverage"
TELEVISION/VIDEO CURRENT AFFAIRS SHORT (LESS THAN 20 MINUTES)
- Lorna Knowles and Nikki Tugwell, ABC, 7.30, "Painful Past: the John Wright series" [1, 2, 3] WINNER
- Josh Robertson, Mark Willacy, Kyle Taylor and Echo Hiu, ABC, 7.30, "Fallen Star"
TELEVISION/VIDEO CURRENT AFFAIRS LONG (MORE THAN 20 MINUTES)
- Anne Connolly, Stephanie Zillman and Ali Russell, ABC, Four Corners, "State Control"
- Belinda Hawkins, Kristine Taylor and Roger Carter, ABC, Australian Story, "No Place Like Home"
- Adele Ferguson, Klaus Toft and Lauren Day, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Four Corners, "Cosmetic Cowboys: The unregulated world of cosmetic surgery" WINNER
INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM
- Adele Ferguson, Joel Tozer, Klaus Toft and Lauren Day, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, 60 Minutes, and Four Corners, "Cosmetic Surgery in Crisis"
WALKLEY DOCUMENTARY AWARD SHORTLIST
- Ben Lawrence and Gabriel Shipton, Ithaka, Shipton House and ABC
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