The Age’s Nick McKenzie wins journalist of the year at Kennedy Awards

Investigative reporter Nick McKenzie has claimed the title of Kennedy Awards journalist of the year for a third time, in the annual celebration of excellence in journalism.

McKenzie’s award was among eight recognising the work of The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald‘s journalists on Friday night. McKenzie led the mastheads’ groundbreaking Building Bad investigation, which earned the gong for outstanding investigative reporting.

The investigation – which won the Gold Walkley and Gold Quill and was the culmination of years of work by teams across the Age, the Herald, The Australian Financial Review and 60 Minutes – exposed allegations of intimidation and corruption in the building industry.

Age senior writer Michael Bachelard and Age investigative reporter Charlotte Grieve received the Kennedy Award for outstanding reporting on the environment for their exploration of whether carbon offset schemes in the outback are working.

Former Age political editor Michelle Grattan was honoured with the lifetime achievement award at the ceremony in Sydney, alongside inaugural Kennedy chairperson Peter Ryan.

The award for outstanding television current affairs reporting in the longform category went to Out of Order, a joint 60 Minutes investigation by Herald investigative journalist Eryk Bagshaw, Herald crime reporter Clare Sibthorpe, Good Food editor Bianca Hrovat and 60 Minutes associate producer Natalie Clancy.

The investigation exposed allegations of sexual harassment, drug abuse, and wage exploitation inside some of the country’s most prestigious restaurants.

Age editor Patrick Elligett congratulated all winners and finalists. “These results confirm The Age’s reputation as the country’s premier outlet for investigative journalism,” he said.

Herald associate editor Kathryn Wicks was named outstanding team player or mentor, in recognition of her unseen work as the backbone of the newsroom. She shared the award with 60 Minutes executive producer Kirsty Thompson.

The Sydney Morning Herald’s Angus Thomson was named young journalist of the year, while Herald photographer Flavio Brancaleone took out the outstanding news photography and the people’s choice - power of the lens awards for his work Death, Devotion, Habemus Papam.

The Age and Herald were recognised with 15 finalist nominations in this year’s Kennedy Awards, which were named in honour of the late Herald crime reporter Les Kennedy.

Senior Age reporter Sarah Danckert and journalist Carla Jaeger were finalists in the outstanding business reporting category for their story “Cash for the boys”, which looked at how underworld figures pulled the strings at ASX-listed technology group Dubber.

Cartoonists Cathy Wilcox and Matt Golding were both nominated in the outstanding cartoon category, which was won by the AFR’s David Rowe for his work Coronation of Elon.

Age/Herald foreign affairs and national security correspondent Matthew Knott and photographer Kate Geraghty were joint finalists in the outstanding foreign correspondent category for their work on the Israel-Hezbollah war.

Former chief political correspondent, now European correspondent, David Crowe was nominated for outstanding columnist.

Australian Financial Review journalists Neil Chenoweth and Mark Di Stefano were awarded for their outstanding finance reporting on the downfall of MinRes and its embattled founder Chris Ellison.

Nine News reporter Lauren Tomasi took home the gong for outstanding television news reporting for her submission “Shooting the messenger”.

Tomasi was reporting live from protests in Los Angeles when a police officer fired a rubber bullet at her leg, in an incident Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called unacceptable.

The finalists for journalist of the year, alongside McKenzie, were The Sunday Telegraph’s Linda Silmalis, and ABC Four Corners′ Adele Ferguson, Chris Gillett and Ben Butler.

News Corp’s Peter Badel and Jacquelin Magnay were awarded scoop of the year.

The 2025 Kennedy Awards attracted more than 900 entries.

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