The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2024 South Australian Media Awards.

The judges have selected category finalists from a strong field. They commented on the exceptional quality of the entrants, and the difficulties they faced in choosing the top entrants in many of the categories.

In two categories no finalists have been named and the winner will be announced at the event.

In the Business, Economics or Finance Report category the judges decided not to award a winner this year.

Winners of the categories will be revealed at an Awards Ceremony on Saturday, July 6 at Gallery Adelaide.

Tickets for the event are now on sale, including for partners and guests, via Eventbrite.

The finalists for 2024 are:

Text Format – News

• Brad Crouch (News Corp) “Trying our patients”
• Peta Doherty (SBS) “This Adelaide housing development is being built on one of the state’s largest mass burial sites”
• Sowaibah Hanifie (7 News) “Impact of Gaza war on Australians”

Text Format – Feature

• Angelique Donnellan, Daniel Keane, Sara Garcia (ABC) “Building on a Burial Ground”
• Roy Eccleston (Freelance) “Body Language”
• Sarah Hender (Freelance) “The Final Act”

Television/Video – News

• Peta Doherty (SBS) “This Adelaide housing development is being built on one of the state’s largest mass burial sites”
• Hannah Foord (Seven News) “Accused Killer Speaks”

Television/Video – Feature

To be announced at the event.

Radio/Audio – Feature

• Helen Karakulak, Jacinta Bowler, Ellen Phiddian (RiAus) “Debunks: Electric Vehicles”
• Megan Spencer (Virtual War Memorial Australia) “The Sudden Storm: The Bangka Island Massacre”
• Caroline Winter (Freelance) “Sick as a Dog”

Radio/Audio – News Reporting

To be announced at the event.

Visual Storytelling

• William Bailey (The Murray Valley Standard) “Body of Work”
• Che Chorley (ABC) “Body of Work”
• Justina Ward, Sam McKenzie (ABC) “The Science of Bushfires”

Multimedia News or Feature

• Shari Hams (ABC) “Influencers on notice as consumer watchdog sets sights on undisclosed ads on social media”
• Evelyn Leckie (ABC) “Woman sues Google twice”
• Nicholas Maher (ABC) “International Crises: Explained”

Best Rural/Regional Journalist

• Eliza Berlage (ABC) “Wine oversupply crisis”
• Eugene Boisvert (ABC) “South East SA work”
• Sophie Landau (ABC) “Connection, care, compassion”

Business, Economics, or Finance Report

No award in 2024

Commentary, Analysis, Opinion and Critique

• Walter Marsh (Crikey!) “Rupert Murdoch: From rise to retirement”
• Evelyn Leckie (ABC) “A drop in the ocean”
• David Simmons (Solstice Media) “Banksy bungle”

Culture and Arts Report

• Roy Eccleston (The Australian) “Body Language”
• Helen Karakulak, David Simmons, Angela Skujins (Solstice Media) “ ‘Do or die’ for West End venues”
• Angela Skujins (Solstice Media) “The inner turmoil of tinnitus”

Freelance Journalist

• Daniel Clarke “Lost in the Woods”
• Megan Spencer “Virtual War Memorial Australia Schools Podcasts”
• Caroline Winter “Sick As A Dog”

Investigative Journalism

• Leah MacLennan (ABC) “South Australian greyhounds captured on video apparently being kicked, punched”
• Charlotte Varcoe (The Border Watch) “Mount Gambier Racetrack Troubles”
• Riley Walter (The Advertiser) “Child protection failures”

Social Equity Report

• Eugene Boisvert (ABC) “Maria Shipwreck Truth-telling”
• Peta Doherty (SBS) “This Adelaide housing development is being built on one of the state’s largest mass burial sites”
• Riley Walter (The Advertiser) “Flinders Ranges Sacred Site Destruction”

Sports Report

• Cale Matthews (ABC) “Sport Burnout”
• Michelle Wakim (ABC) “Menstruation and Sport”

The Max Fatchen Award for Best Young Journalist

• Isabel McMillan (The Advertiser) “Body of Work”
• Josh Brine (ABC) “Body of work”
• Sophie Holder (ABC) “Body of work”

The Julie Duncan Award for Student Journalism

• Alana Pahor
• Chelsea McLean
• Rachel Forbes

The 2024 Journalist Of The Year Award will be announced on the evening of the SA Media Awards celebration, Saturday, July 6 at Gallery Adelaide.

For more information, please email MEAAstateawards@walkleys.com.

An initiative of MEAA, the SA Media Awards support and encourage professional and ethical reporting, and celebrate excellence in South Australian journalism.