The 2023 Award for Press Gallery Journalist of the Year is now CLOSED.
OVERVIEW
This prestigious award aims to celebrate excellence in journalism by members of the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery.
The winner will receive $7,500 and have his or her name inscribed on the honour board permanently displayed at the National Press Club of Australia.
The award * for Press Gallery Journalist of the Year is unique as it is restricted to members of the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery only.
* Formerly known as the Paul Lyneham Award.
The Award is proudly supported by Westpac.
OBJECTIVES
To reward excellence in journalism for members of the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery.
ELIGIBILITY AND GUIDELINES
The award is open to all Press Gallery journalists who have held a Press Gallery pass to Parliament House in the past 12 months.
Entries will only be accepted for work published or broadcast between 01 July 2022 to 1 June 2023.
Submitted work must be the original work of the applicant.
Entries can be lodged by either the applicant or another Press Gallery member with the consent of the journalist being nominated.
Joint applications will be accepted. In the case of joint and or equal winners, prize money will be shared.
The annual award is for a story or series of stories covering a single issue or a range of issues, including opinion pieces. Entries covering federal public policy and national politics are encouraged; however other topical issues are welcome.
Entries can be submitted in any medium and should be accompanied by a brief written statement backgrounding the submission and a current CV of the applicant.
Applicants are required to disclose if their entry or related journalism is or has been subject to any form of litigation such as claims for defamation or libel etc. 3
In any event, applicants will indemnify the National Press Club, its judges and corporate partners from any claim for damages and other financial settlements awarded by a court.
Award submissions are to be lodged by 11:59pm Thursday 1 June 2023
Applications must be submitted at www.npc.org.au under the 2023 Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery Journalist of the Year Award Website Submission Form.
N.B. All applicants will receive an email confirmation that their submission has been received. Any applicant who does not receive the confirmation should contact Ella Hodgeman, coordinator@npc.org.au at the National Press Club.
READ FULL GUIDELINES HERE
JUDGING GUIDELINES
The Award recognises insightful analysis and coverage of national affairs and politics or news breaking that changes the course of the political or policy debate. It recognises outstanding journalism that informs readers/listeners/viewers or provides unique perspectives into contemporary issues.
The winner should display the highest standards of journalism with respect to:
• Impartiality, independence and accuracy
• The cultivation and defence of the public right to information about national politics and policy issues
• The display of wit and perceptiveness, particularly in analysis of the economic, social or political implications of contemporary issues
PRESENTATION
The award will be presented at the Mid-Winter Ball on Wednesday 21 June 2023 at the Australian Parliament House.
Westpac are supporting the award for Press Gallery Journalist of the Year and are independent of the award’s administration and judging.
Media Release
David Crowe - the Chief Political Correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age - has won the 2023 Federal Press Gallery Journalist of the Year Award.
The announcement was made tonight at the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery Midwinter Ball at Parliament House in Canberra.
This annual award recognises an outstanding body of journalism that combines insightful analysis and coverage of national affairs and politics or news breaking that changes the course of the political or policy debate, informing audiences with unique insights.
The judges said:
“He is scrupulously fair, always balanced and his sources are checked and double checked.
He’s both a news breaker and one of the sharpest analysts in the business.
His whole entry displayed thorough public interest reporting: from his forensic dismantling of the AAT to his analysis on how influence peddling works in Canberra. The judges noted Crowe "rubs the frosting off the glass" so people can see through the windows of Parliament House.
The subjects he writes about may be covered by other media - but long after others have moved on - Crowe has stopped to pull back the layers and find the real story that needs telling.
The judges noted his feature piece on an Australian aid convoy in Ukraine was a remarkable reflection on Crowe as a journalist - someone who needs to tell a story even if that means taking leave to go to one of the most dangerous places on earth.”
The judging panel was unanimous in awarding David Crowe Press Gallery Journalist of the Year.
David’ name will be inscribed on the National Press Club’s honour board and will receive a prize of $7500.
The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age’s Senior economics correspondent Shane Wright was highly commended by the judging panel. They said:
He was also our clear 2nd choice.
“The judges noted his writing was as good as you will see in print. Wright is a master craftsman, bringing a flair to economics that makes it less dry and more relatable. Shane follows policy from inception to implementation - so readers can see the real world outcomes of the big decisions our Government and the RBA are taking.”
The award is supported by Westpac and the judges were Gillian Bradford, Sophie Morris and Brendan Nicholson
Previous winners: Matt Price, Tony Walker, Laura Tingle, Paul Daley, Mark Riley, Lenore Taylor, Katharine Murphy, Lyndal Curtis, Nicola Berkovic, Matt Moran, Phil Coorey, Nick Butterly, Andrew Probyn, Annika Smethurst, Alex Ellinghausen, David Speers & Sharri Markson Samantha Maiden and Karen Middleton.
Media Contact: Maurice Reilly, National Press Club of Australia Ph: 0415 738 473
21 June 2023
