Herald judged best of the best

Panpa’s judges said the Herald “fearlessly stands up when needed on major issues, but still knows how to have fun”.

The New Zealand Herald has been judged Newspaper of the Year at the annual Pacific Area Newspaper Publishers' Association awards.

The paper was up against the leading metropolitan newspapers in Australia and was the only New Zealand title to be shortlisted for the coveted award.

In declaring the Herald the best of the best, the Panpa judges said: "Across all sections, the New Zealand Herald excels, with bright, engaging treatment.

"It fearlessly stands up when needed on major issues, but still knows how to have fun. It is a compulsive read - both in print and online. The paper says its mission is to advocate, inform and entertain. It succeeds - in spades.

"This year's entries were of an exceptional standard. In many ways the variety of emphasis and style and approach to stories to cover shows the diversity of media choice across the region. Each title has articulated aggressive and comprehensive digital and business strategies as well as taking great pride in their print editions.

"It remains clear that across the board, print newspapers and their journalism continue to set the social and political agenda. The New Zealand Herald is absolutely a benchmark for this. Its balance of content is of a high quality publication and its importance to New Zealand society is clear. It has an exciting strategy and mission that will take the newspaper into a bright future."

The award, announced in Sydney, capped a memorable showing by the Herald - investigations editor Jared Savage won Panpa's prestigious Hegarty Award. The $10,000 scholarship, sponsored by MediaSuper, was awarded for the year's outstanding young news publishing executive.

Savage's portfolio included an investigation that led to National MP Maurice Williamson's resignation as a minister. He intends to use the award to travel to the United States next year to attend an investigative journalism conference and visit influential newsrooms such as the Washington Post and New York Times.

"I'm interested in learning how their investigative reporters work alongside data journalists and programmers to create in-depth and unique stories," he said.

Stephen Parker, of the Herald's sister paper the Daily Post in Rotorua, won the award for the top sports photograph from a regional newspaper.

Justine Black, creative services art director of the Herald's parent company, NZME, was named the designer/creative services professional of the year.

The Herald on Sunday was a finalist in the weekend newspaper category. Two online projects by the nzherald.co.nz team - the coverage of last year's election and the Gallipoli centenary - made the lineup of finalists for the Digital Publishing Innovation of the Year.

More than 700 entries were submitted for this year's awards, which covered print and digital newspaper publishing, photography, publishing innovation and print and production.

Major daily and weekend mastheads from Australia and New Zealand took part, with numerous entries from the wider Asia-Pacific region. The Newspaper of the Year awards are sponsored by Norske Skog.