The News Publishers’ Association has announced the finalists for the 2026 Voyager Media Awards.
The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on May 22 at the Grand Millenium Hotel in Auckland.
This year, 114 finalists were named across 722 entries and 38 awards categories. More than 67 judges volunteered their time to judge the work submitted.
Industry celebration
The Voyager Media Awards is time for the media industry in Aotearoa to come together to celebrate both excellence in journalism and its role in keeping the country informed, says the awards organisers.
In the running for Digital News Provider of the Year are the websites run by 1News, NZ Herald and Stuff Group – the latter won the category in 2025.
In the Written category, NZ Herald is up again for Metropolitan Newspaper of the Year, alongside Stuff’s The Post and last year’s winner, Allied Media’s Otago Daily Times.
The Spinoff, NBR and locally made zine Coup de Main all received nods for Best News, Current Affairs or Specialist Publication.
Cash prize for business journalism
Meanwhile, News Journalist of the Year lists 1News’ Barbara Dreaver, NZ Herald’s Katie Harris and RNZ’s Sam Sherwood as finalists.
Last year’s Video Journalist of the Year, Zoe Madden-Smith, is a finalist again in the same category alongside NZ Herald’s Corey Fleming and RNZ’s Nick Monro.
The Brian Gaynor Initiatives (BGI) is contributing a cash prize of $5,000 for the Spark NZ Business Journalist of the Year winner at this year’s Voyager Awards.
The prize is a recognition of high-quality business journalism, honouring the legacy of Brian Gaynor, one of New Zealand’s most astute and influential business columnists.
BGI chair Anna Gibbons says: “Brian was a strong believer in the important role of high-quality business journalism in society. This prize is a further tangible commitment by the Brian Gaynor Initiatives to promote and encourage excellence in business journalism.”
The finalists named in this category include NZ Herald’s Matt Nippert, Stuff’s Nadine Roberts and The Post’s Nikki Macdonald.
Event information
- Date: Friday, May 22
- Time: Doors open at 6pm, Award Ceremony commences 7pm sharp
- Venue: Millennium Ballroom, Grand Millennium, Auckland
- Dress code: Black tie
Publishers can book their tickets directly with the NPA. Freelancers and other people wanting to attend can purchase their tickets by contacting the NPA.
Voyager is grateful to its 2026 sponsors which include premier sponsor Voyager Internet, gold sponsors ANZ Bank New Zealand and NZ On Air, silver sponsors Spark NZ and Sport NZ and bronze sponsor the Media Copyright Agency.
Full list of finalists below
| Category | Finalists |
| Photography | |
| Best Photography – Features | David Unwin | The Post / Stuff Group Dean Purcell | NZ Herald / NZME Richard Robinson | New Zealand Geographic/Kōwhai Media |
| Best Photography – News | Alex Cairns | stuff.co.nz / Stuff Group Braden Fastier | Nelson Mail / Stuff Group George Heard | NZ Herald / NZME |
| Best Photography – Sport | Andrew Cornaga | Photosport Ltd Hannah Peters | Getty Images Joe Allison | Getty Images |
| Best Photo Story | Cole Eastham-Farrelly | RNZ – Feral Dean Purcell | NZ Herald / NZME – Waitangi Day celebrations Richard Robinson | New Zealand Geographic / Kōwhai Media – Freshwater eels, our tuna |
| Photographer of the Year | Braden Fastier | Nelson Mail / Stuff Group Iain McGregor | The Press / Stuff Group Richard Robinson | New Zealand Geographic / Kōwhai Media |
| Audio, digital and video | |
| Best Shortform Video | “It’s Not Me”: The Human Cost of Unauthorized Political Advertising – Roihana Nuri, Ripeka Timutimu | Aukaha News Stone Acquittal – Cushla Norman, Arun Jeram and team | 1News / TVNZ The Queen of Drag – Tory Evans | TVNZ |
| Best Current Affairs (short) – Sponsored by NZ On Air | ‘I know you did it’: Secret tapes reveal escort’s confrontation with lover Polkinghorne – Mike Scott, Carolyne Meng-Yee and team | NZ Herald / NZME Mururoa – Leigh-Marama McLachlan, Joe Whitehead | Marae / TVNZ Paddy Gower Has Issues – Bowel Cancer – Paddy Gower | stuff.co.nz / Stuff Group |
| Best Current Affairs (long) or Documentary – Sponsored by NZ On Air | Interview with former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster – Jack Tame and team | Q+A with Jack Tame / TVNZ The Haka Party Incident – Katie Wolfe, Tim Balme | RNZ The Stolen Children of Aotearoa – Aaron Smale and team | Whakaata Māori |
| Best Original Podcast or Series | Diagnosis of a Crime with Melanie Reid – Melanie Reid, Bonnie Sumner and team | newsroom.co.nz Mata with Mihingarangi – Mihingarangi Forbes, Annabelle Lee-Mather, Natasha Vela | RNZ The Stolen Children of Aotearoa with Aaron Smale – Aaron Smale, Ruth Korver and team | RNZ |
| Best Innovation in Digital Storytelling | Four phones, three weeks: Everything we saw on teen TikTok – Kate Newton, Hingyi Khong | RNZ Herald NOW – Video News Innovation – Sarah Bristow, Ryan Bridge and team | NZME “It’s Not Me”: Leveraging Digital Agility and Real-Time Audience Feedback – Roihana Nuri, Ripeka Timutimu | Aukaha News |
| Video Journalist of the Year – Sponsored by NZ On Air | Corey Fleming | NZ Herald / NZME Nick Monro | RNZ Zoe Madden-Smith | Re: News / TVNZ |
| Digital News Provider of the Year – Sponsored by Voyager Internet | 1news.co.nz | TVNZ nzherald.co.nz | NZME stuff.co.nz | Stuff Group |
| All Media | |
| Best Columnist, Opinion or Critique | Hayden Donnell | The Spinoff Jonathan Milne | newsroom.co.nz Virginia Fallon | The Post / Stuff Group |
| Best Up and Coming Journalist | Emma Andrews | RNZ Janhavi Gosavi | TVNZ Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | The Spinoff |
| Best Investigation | Jevon McSkimming – Sam Sherwood | RNZ Jevon McSkimming scandal – Jared Savage | NZ Herald / NZME Nelson Hospital – Jessica Roden | 1News / TVNZ |
| Best Scoop | Andrew Coster – Jack Tame | Q+A with Jack Tame / TVNZ Prime Minister’s Press Secretary – Paula Penfold | stuff.co.nz / Stuff Group Tom Phillips – Tony Wall | stuff.co.nz / Stuff Group |
| Best Specialist Reporting | Barbara Dreaver: Foreign Affairs | 1News / TVNZ David Fisher: NZ Defence Force | NZ Herald / NZME Sam Sherwood: Police / Law | RNZ |
| Best Coverage of a Major News Event | Jevon McSkimming – NZ Herald / NZME NZ Cook Islands relationship breakdown – 1News / TVNZ The end of the manhunt: Tom Phillips shooting – stuff.co.nz / Stuff Group |
| Best Editorial Campaign or Project | Feral – RNZ Fighting for our Med School – Waikato Times / Stuff Group Life Savings – The Post / stuff.co.nz / Stuff Group |
| Le Mana Pacific Award – Sponsored by ANZ Bank New Zealand | Ann-Tauilo Motuga | Sunpix Indira Stewart | TVNZ Mark Papalii | RNZ |
| Te Tohu Kairangi Award – Sponsored by ANZ Bank New Zealand | Aaron Smale | Whakaata Māori, RNZ, NZ Listener Ella Stewart | RNZ Hikurangi Jackson | Whakaata Māori |
| Business Journalist of the Year – Sponsored by Spark NZ | Matt Nippert | NZ Herald / NZME Nadine Roberts | stuff.co.nz / Stuff Group Nikki Macdonald | The Post / Stuff Group |
| Cartoonist/Animator of the Year | Guy Body | NZ Herald / NZME Richard Dale | NZ Herald / NZME Sharon Murdoch | Stuff Group |
| Gordon McLauchlan Journalism Award | Gill Higgins | TVNZ Michael Wright | The Press / Stuff Group Shahlin Graves | Coup De Main |
| Local Journalist of the Year | Jessica Roden | 1News / TVNZ Lucy Cooper | The Post / Stuff Group Rob Drent | The Devonport Flagstaff |
| News Journalist of the Year | Barbara Dreaver | 1News / TVNZ Katie Harris | NZ Herald / NZME Sam Sherwood | RNZ |
| Political Journalist of the Year | Guyon Espiner | RNZ Maiki Sherman | 1News / TVNZ Thomas Coughlan | NZ Herald / NZME |
| Sports Journalist of the Year – Sponsored by Sport New Zealand | Benjamin Plummer | NZ Herald / NZME Dana Johannsen | RNZ Michael Burgess | NZ Herald / NZME |
| Editorial Leader of the Year | Blair Ensor | Stuff Group Phil O’Sullivan | TVNZ Samson Samasoni | Pacific Media Network Sarah Bristow | NZME |
| Written | |
| Best Up and Coming Feature Writer | Eva de Jong | NZME Justin Agluba | Craccum Luis G. Portillo | TVNZ |
| Feature Writer of the Year | Catherine Woulfe | New Zealand Geographic / Kōwhai Media Sam Sherwood | RNZ Steve Braunias | NZ Listener / newsroom.co.nz / NZ Herald |
| Best News, Current Affairs or Specialist Publication | Coup De Main NBR The Spinoff |
| Best Newspaper Magazine | Sunday – Rātapu / Stuff Group Your Weekend – Rā Whakatā / Stuff Group |
| Community Newspaper of the Year | Ashburton Guardian Mountain Scene / Allied Media The Devonport Flagstaff |
| Regional Newspaper of the Year | Nelson Mail / Stuff Group Rotorua Daily Post / NZME Waikato Times / Stuff Group |
| Metropolitan Newspaper of the Year | Otago Daily Times / Allied Media NZ Herald / NZME The Post / Stuff Group |
| Weekly Newspaper of the Year | Herald on Sunday / NZME Sunday Star-Times / Stuff Group The Weekend Press / Stuff Group |
| Reporter of the Year – Sponsored by Voyager Internet | Paula Penfold | stuff.co.nz / Stuff Group Sam Sherwood | RNZ Steve Kilgallon | stuff.co.nz / Stuff Group |
