Aotearoa’s finest celebrated at 2026 NZ Media Awards

Aotearoa’s media industry came together to celebrate in excellence in journalism last week. It comes at a time when industry leaders say it is “more important than ever”.

The winners of the 53rd NZ Media Awards (formerly known as The Voyagers) were announced on May 22 during a black-tie event at the Grand Millenium hotel in Auckland. Comedian Jeremy Corbett hosted the ceremony for the third year in a row.

This year, 39 winners were announced across four categories:

• Written
• Audio, Digital and Video
• Photography
• All Media.

The wins ranged across the country’s media companies, both big and small.

Highlighting brilliant journalism

Stuff took home a grand total of 11 awards, including winning Digital News Provider of the Year for the third year running.

Its work on the reporting of the Tom Phillips shooting received Best Coverage of a Major News Event while the Sunday Star-Times won Weekly Newspaper of the Year.

Stuff was also winner and runner up in the Best Editorial Campaign category for the Waikato Times series: Fighting for our Med School and its campaign to teach 10,000 Kiwi kids to swim, respectively.

Stuff owner and publisher Sinead Boucher says this year’s awards highlighted brilliant journalism right across the industry in a year of impactful and important news.

“While I am extremely proud of all of the Stuff editorial teams and the tangible, positive difference they make every day for our audiences and advertisers, we know that journalism excellence across all media organisations is more important than ever, as New Zealanders grapple with a world awash in misinformation,” she says.

“I want to congratulate every single journalist, editor and media company who was honored at this year’s awards. Great journalism takes investment, care and often bravery. The best work of our competitors raises the bar for all of us.”

Other Stuff Group awards include:

• Best Newspaper Magazine for Sunday
• Best News Photography for Braden Fastier from the Nelson Mail
• Best Columnist for The Post’s Virginia Fallon
• Best Scoop for stuff.co.nz’s Tony Wall for his work on the hunt for Tom Phillips
• The Gordon McLauchlan Journalism Award for The Press’ Michael Wright
• Cartoonist of the Year awarded to Sharon Murdoch
• Best Current Affairs for Paddy Gower’s bowel cancer documentary, produced with stuff.co.nz

A shining example

It was also a proud night for NZME – the media company took home eight awards.

Head of content and strategy (video/audio) Sarah Bristow was named Editorial Leader of the Year. She won for her work launching weekday live news shows, Ryan Bridge Today. She later launched another show, Herald Now Business.

The New Zealand Herald won Metropolitan Newpaper of the Year. Meanwhile, the Rotorua Daily Post won both Regional Newspaper of the Year and Newspaper of the Year.

Judges called the Rotorua Daily Post a “shining example of a paper using limited resources for fine results in difficult times”.

Other awards for NZME include:

• Business Journalist of the Year for investigative reporter Matt Nippert, alongside a $5000 Brian Gaynor Initiatives cash prize
• Best Investigation for Jared Savage for his reporting of the McSkimming scandal
• Best Up and Coming Feature Writer for Eva de Jong
• Sports Journalist of the Year for former Herald journalist Benjamin Plummer

A world-class standard

National broadcaster TVNZ was also recognised with six award wins, including Q+A with Jack Tame. He won Best Current Affairs (Long) or Documentary for his interview with former police commissioner Andrew Coster.

Judges said Tame scrutinised Coster’s every word with poise, calm and fairness and said the interviewing was of a “world-class standard”.

Former political editor Maiki Sherman, who resigned from TVNZ two weeks ago, was awarded Political Journalist of the Year.

Sherman said in her speech that her position had become untenable following ongoing scrutiny and controversy over her conduct at a drinks event hosted by finance minister Nicola Willis in 2025.

She added that it had been a difficult fortnight. But she was determined to attend the awards and “stare this current situation in the face.”

The judges comments described Sherman’s storytelling as “exemplary, bringing impact and on-the-ground reality to a powerful political story”.

Re: News’ Zoe Madden-Smith won Video Journalist of the Year for the second year in a row. She noted in her speech that it was a bittersweet moment as Re: News closes this week after nearly a decade of serving youth audiences.

The judges commented on Madden-Smith’s innate ability to get up close with the talent and “allowing us to walk in their shoes”.

Other awards won by TVNZ:

• Le Mana Pacific Award for Indira Stewart
• Local Journalist of the Year for Jessica Roden
• Best Short-form Video for Tory Evans

Distinctive voices

Meanwhile, out of five nominations, RNZ’s Sam Sherwood won three awards: Reporter of the Year, News Journalist of the Year and Best Specialist Reporting.

The Spinoff won Best News, Current Affairs, or Specialist Publication. Judges praised its “strong journalism, multi-format depth, impressive metrics and a distinct voice now entrenched in the national news vernacular.”

Feature Writer of the Year was taken out by NZ Geographic’s Catherine Woulf, who judges described as the “clear winner”.