UNAA Media Peace Awards 2016 - Winners Announced!

UNAA Media Peace Awards 2016 - Winners Announced!

The UNAA Media Peace Awards are known for showcasing journalistic work that captivates, alarms and defiantly holds a mirror up to the Australian condition. This year was no exception.

Australia’s treatment of refugees and asylum seekers and Indigenous people were strong themes in this year’s entries, which were again received from across Australia and included both freelance and employed journalists.

The Guardian’s Nauru Files was judged the winner in three categories for the way it so masterfully detailed instances of abuse and trauma that are otherwise kept from public view.

This quest to expose the human cost of Australia’s policy of indefinite detention was continued in Eva Orner’s film Chasing Asylum, winner of the newly introduced Protecting Freedom Award. The film’s disturbing expose shows life from within Australia’s detention centres and the severe mental detriment suffered by those left in legal limbo.

Sarah Dingle won the Promotion of Indigenous Recognition category for her radio report WA’s Stolen Wages Shame, while the ABC’s Jane Bardon impressed judges with her commitment to fully explore the true situation of Indigenous housing standards.

Four Corners’ extraordinary expose, Australia’s Shame, was awarded the Best TV Documentary Award. This media investigation into the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre made headlines around the world, with an immediate and ongoing impact.

The winners of the 14 Awards were announced at a Presentation Dinner on 24 October to commemorate United Nations Day.

Protecting Freedom Award

Eva Orner: Chasing Asylum

Print

Paul Farrell, Nick Evershed, Helen Davidson, Ben Doherty, David Marr and Will Woodward, Guardian Australia:The Nauru Files

TV - News and Current Affairs (sponsored by SBS)

SBS World News: Syria - Five Years of Crisis

TV - Documentary (sponsored by SBS)

Caro Meldrum-Hanna, Mary Fallon, Elise Worthington, Four Corners ABC TV: Australia's Shame

Radio - News

Jane Bardon, ABC News and Current Affairs: Indigenous Residents

Radio - Documentary

Christine El-Khoury: ABC RN Background Briefing, Anti-Muslim Extremists: How far will they go?

Photojournalism

Darrian Traynor: Gaza's Forgotten Voices

Online

Paul Farrell, Nick Evershed, Ri Liu, Helen Davidson, Josh Wall, Ben Doherty and Will Woodward, Guardian Australia: The Nauru Files

Special Commendation: Beau Donelly, Felicity Lewis, Matthew Absalom-Wong, Jo Gay, Chris Hopkins, Paul Jeffers, Chris Hyde, Sarah Keayes, Luis Ascui, Fairfax Media: Australian Muslim Voices

Promotion of Indigenous Recognition

Sarah Dingle, ABC RN Background Briefing: WA's Stolen Wages Shame

Promotion of Positive Images of the Older Person (sponsored by Cbus Super)

Kristopher Flanders, NITV The Point: Elders Games

Promotion of Women's Rights and Issues (sponsored by the Victorian Government)

Jenny Brockie, Alex Tarney, Sarah Hudson, Nakari Thorpe, Ross Scheepers, Erin Reimer, SBS Insight: Mothers Who Leave

Promotion of Children's Rights and Issues

Paul Farrell, Nick Evershed, Helen Davidson, Ben Doherty, Josh Wall, Ri Liu and Will Woodward, Guardian Australia: The Nauru Files

Promotion of Social Cohesion (sponsored by the Australian Multicultural Foundation and Scanlon Foundation)

Waleed Aly and Tom Whitty, The Project, Network Ten: Send Forgiveness Viral

Promotion of Disability Rights and Issues

Jenny Brockie, Kyle Taylor, Asena Basak, Ross Scheepers, Erin Reimer, SBS Insight: Sex and Disability

Proudly sponsored by: