Guardian Australia nominated for four Walkley awards
Guardian Australia’s in-depth reporting on Indigenous deaths, the death of an asylum seeker, a documentary film about Bolivia and innovative data stories about the census have been recognised in the nation’s top journalism awards.
At simultaneous events in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, Guardian Australia was nominated in the Walkleys categories of innovation, long feature writing, Indigenous affairs and television camerawork.
Data editor Nick Evershed and Ash Jonceski were shortlisted for Stories from the Census, which revealed detailed information about your suburb and how it had changed since the previous census.
Reporter Calla Wahlquist was shortlisted for a moving series of reports about the deaths of Indigenous Australians Elijah Doughty, Ms Dhu and Jayden Bennell.
Walkley award-winning writer Ben Doherty was nominated again in the long feature writing category for his story “The death of Omid Masoumali” about the Iranian refugee who set himself alight on Nauru last year.
Doherty exclusively spoke to his partner about the split-second decision that ended his life.
Guardian Australia’s Daniel Fallshaw was nominated for his camerawork on the documentary The Fight, which told the story about people with disabilities in Bolivia who marched across the Andes to the seat of the government in La Paz, asking to speak to the president, Evo Morales.
A Guardian Australia audio feature about a Sudanese refugee detained on Manus Island under Australia’s offshore detention regime was also nominated for a Walkley.
Produced by the Wheeler Centre and published by Guardian Australia, The Messenger podcast chronicles daily life on Manus Island for Abdul Aziz Muhamat, a Zaghawa man from the Darfur region of Sudan, who fled his homeland in 2013 only to find himself locked up indefinitely in Papua New Guinea. It was produced by Sophie Black and Behind the Wire Team.
The Age’s Josh Gordon, Richard Willingham and Benjamin Preiss were nominated for scoop of the year for their coverage of the Victorian expenses scandal, alongside the Herald Sun’s Annika Smethurst for her stories about Susan Ley’s expenses and William Summers’ revelation of Barnaby Joyce’s dual nationality.
The ABC’s Middle East correspondent, Matt Brown, who has already won the 2017 Lowy Institute media award, has again been recognised for his coverage of Isis for AM on ABC Radio.
The 62nd annual Walkley Awards, which received more than 1,200 entries, will be broadcast live on the Sky news Public Affairs Channel, APAC (channel 648), from 8pm and live-streamed on walkleys.com.