The Weekend Herald has won the top honour at the annual Qantas Media Awards, judged overall newspaper of the year.
Its triumph last night came after an unprecedented quinella in the newspaper categories, with the Weekend Herald declared best weekly paper and the New Zealand Herald best daily newspaper (circulation above 25,000).
The Weekend Herald victory comes just three months after it won the supreme award in the Commonwealth Media Awards.
At the presentation ceremony in Auckland last night, the Herald won 14 awards - and had 21 more finalists, dominating the nationwide newspaper field.
The supreme individual award of a fellowship at Cambridge University went to Phil Taylor of the Sunday Star-Times, winner of the feature writing category.
Herald Australia correspondent Greg Ansley and education reporter Bronwyn Sell were two finalists in the senior reporter of the year category (won by Miriyana Alexander of the Sunday Star-Times), Malcolm Evans was best cartoonist, Nick Perry was best junior reporter and Patrick Gower was best student journalist.
Herald writers won five of the nine categories for best single stories (including the rare distinction of all three finalists in the government and foreign affairs category), a feature writing award and three honours for best columns.
Among the stories recognised were Warren Gamble's coverage of the refugee crisis from Kosovo and Greg Ansley's news and features from East Timor.
Staff photographers Paul Estcourt and Russell Smith were finalists in the senior photographer award won by Phil Walter of Fotopress.
The Herald was also a finalist for best editorial project for the campaign to name the Gisborne pathologist, which led to the ministerial inquiry into misdiagnosed cervical smears.
Judges of the newspaper awards were Britons Peter Sands, director of the Editorial Centre, Peter Wilson-Leary, editor of Newsquest Media Group, and Martin Oldaker, editor-in-chief of the Guardian and Gazette newspapers.
They said of the Weekend Herald: "It is very impressive. This newspaper would challenge for honours on the international stage. It oozes quality and attention to detail from front to back and this in a publication that can run to 10 sections."
The daily Herald entry exhibited "authority in its coverage of national and international events. It has real depth and yet it lightens the load superbly, giving the overall package both pace and vibrancy."
The Qantas Media Awards are the country's premier journalistic competition.
THE WINNERS
Qantas fellow to Wolfson College, Cambridge: Phil Taylor, Sunday Star-Times.
Nikon Missouri photo workshop prize : Phil Walter, Fotopress.
REPORTERS
Senior. Overall Winner: Miriyana Alexander, Sunday Star-Times. Finalists: Greg Ansley, NZ Herald; Mary Anne Gill, Waikato Times; Karen Howard, The Dominion; Bronwyn Sell, NZ Herald.
Junior. Overall Winner: Nick Perry, NZ Herald. Finalists: Quentin Reade, Waikato Times; Lisa Wilde, Daily Post.
Best Single Stories - General. Winner: Bronwyn Sell, NZ Herald (Bullying's Scars Can Last a Lifetime). Finalists: Jock Anderson, National Business Review (The Case of the Judge and the Private Brief); Helen van Berkel, Waikato Times (The Day I Lost Jon).
Government, Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs. Winner: Warren Gamble, NZ Herald (Making do in Camp of Grief). Finalists: Greg Ansley, NZ Herald (Timor: Bringing Killers to Account); Bernard Orsman, NZ Herald (NZ First Woman Faces GST Charges).
Business, Finance, Consumer Affairs. Winner: Deborah Hill, National Business Review (IRD Drags its Feet over Transfer-Pricing Bomb). Finalists: Karyn Scherer & Geoff Senescall, NZ Herald (Spotlight goes on FCL Share Trading).
Crime, Justice. Winner: Alison Horwood, NZ Herald (Fatal Attraction). Finalists: Miriyana Alexander, Sunday Star-Times (Mind Over Matter for Police). Eugene Bingham and Alison Horwood, NZ Herald (Lone Drifter Seethed with Resentment); Philip Kitchin, Dominion (Queen of Cons).
Health, Medicine. Winner: Miriyana Alexander, Sunday Star-Times (Six Die in Women's Health Scandal). Finalists: Fiona Barber, NZ Herald (Cancer Victim Loses Case); Karen Howard, The Dominion (Mum's Agony: Sterilise my Girl); Kathryn McNeil, The Press (Hospital Recalls 1300 Patients).
Science, Technology. Winner: Donna Chisholm, Sunday Star-Times (A Disquieting Note at ESR). Finalist: Kim Newth, Sunday Star-Times (Our Best Brains Search for Life on Mars).
Environment, Conservation. Winner: Angela Gregory, NZ Herald (Not in my Backyard).
Arts & Entertainment. Winner: Sarah Catherall, Sunday Star-Times (Te Papa Roasted for Poor Kiwi Art Display).
Sport & Racing. Winner: Mary Anne Gill, Waikato Times (She's on Top of the World & Lovely Leilani). Finalists: Gordon Brown, Daily News (Googlies, Bouncers and Not One Cricket Field in Sight); Mike Houlahan, NZPA (Cup Victory Leaves Rider Stunned); Angus Morrison, Evening Post (We are the Chumpions).
Information Technology. Winner: Chris Barton, NZ Herald (Users Pay Millions Extra for Delay). Finalist: Adam Gifford, NZ Herald (High-Tech Experts, Politicians Slam Winz IT Moves).
FEATURE WRITER
Senior. Overall Winner: Phil Taylor, Sunday Star-Times. Finalists: Bruce Holloway, Waikato Times; Karen Howard, The Dominion.
Junior. Overall Winner: Nadine Napier, Marlborough Express & Timaru Herald. Finalists: Heather Peacocke, The Southland Times; Jonathan Milne, The Dominion.
Best Single Newspaper Features: Government, Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs. Winner: Ian Stuart, NZPA (Dili). Finalists: Greg Ansley, NZ Herald (East Timor); Pattrick Smellie, Sunday Star-Times (East Timor).
Business, Finance, Consumer Affairs. Winner: Neal Wallace, Otago Daily Times (Survival of the Heartland). Finalists: Andrea Fox, Dominion (Time to Wake Up to an Ageing Population); Deborah Hill, NBR (The Brat Pack)
Human Relations. Winner: Stefan Herrick, Evening Post (Our Little Secret). Finalists: Bruce Holloway, Waikato Times (At the End of the Day); Karen Howard, Dominion (Home Versus House); Sarah Daniell, Evening Post (Hit & Miss).
Crime, Justice. Winner: Karen Howard, Dominion (The Hell of a Sex Attack). Finalists: Claire Guyan, Evening Post (Den of Iniquity); Phil Taylor, Sunday Star-Times (Collision Course).
Health, Medicine. Winner: Kathryn McNeil, The Press (Battling the Super Bugs). Finalists: Diana Dekker, Evening Post (The Bite of the Black Dog); Jill Worrall, Timaru Herald (Sadness as an Era Ends).
Science, Technology. Winner: Donna Chisholm, Sunday Star-Times (Hip, Hope Or Hype. Finalist: Fiona Cassie, NZ Education Review (Curiously Accidental Goal).
Environment, Conservation. Winner: Carroll du Chateau, NZ Herald (Urban Blight). Finalists: Fiona Cassie, NZ Education Review (Education Through Growth); Jill Worrall, Timaru Herald (Going into Bat).
Arts & Entertainment. Winner: Lindsay Mutch, Timaru Herald (Scintillating Scarfies). Finalist: Graham Reid, NZ Herald (Positive Vibration).
Sport & Racing. Winner: Neal Wallace, Otago Daily Times (A Matter of Balance). Finalists: Ian Stuart, NZPA (Sir Edmund Hillary); Angus Morrison, The Evening Post (Les Miserables).
Motoring. Winner: Dave Moore, The Press (Fuel's Paradise). Finalist: Lindsay Mutch, Timaru Herald (Big Day for 'Petrol Heads').
Information Technology. Winner: Andrea Malcolm, Computerworld (Primal Scream - Base Industries Respond). Finalist: Chris Barton, NZ Herald (NZ Computer Crime Laws Caught in Legal Arguments).
Tourism & Travel. Winner: Phil Taylor, Sunday Star-Times (2000 A Chatham Islands Odyssey). Finalists: Robin Charteris, Otago Daily Times (Letters from The Balkans); Carroll du Chateau, NZ Herald (The Last Place on Earth).
Magazine Feature Writer Senior. Overall Winner: Lauren Quaintance, North & South. Finalists: Cate Brett, North & South.
Junior. Overall Winner: Veronica Schmidt, Metro.
Best Single Magazine Features Government, Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs. Winner: David McLoughlin, North & South (Winz of Change).
Business, Finance, Consumer Affairs. Winner: Bruce Ansley, Listener (The Future of Work). Finalist: Lauren Quaintance, North & South (Is Kevin Roberts God?).
Human Relations. Winner: Cate Brett, North & South (Bully Boys). Finalist: Warwick Roger, North & South (Sea of Heartbreak).
Crime, Justice. Winner: Lauren Quaintance, North & South (Death of a Marriage). Finalist: Matt Philp, Listener (Trial & Error).
Health, Medicine. Winner: Andrew Heal, Metro (The New Zealand Patient). Finalists: Lauren Quaintance, North & South (The Agony over Ecstasy). Matt Philp, Listener (Chronic Condition).
COLUMNIST
Overall Winner: Bill Ralston, Metro. Finalists: Richard Bentley, NZ Herald; Paul Holmes, NZ Herald.
Best Single Columns: Politics. Winner: Bill Ralston, Metro. Finalists: John Armstrong, NZ Herald; Ruth Laugesen, Sunday Star-Times.
Business, Finance & Consumer Affairs. Winner: Rod Oram, NZ Herald. Finalists: Mary Holm, NZ Herald; Paul White, NZ Herald.
Humour. Winner: Richard Bentley, NZ Herald. Finalists: Chrissy Lloyd-Jones, NZ Herald; James Mconie, Waikato Times.
CARTOONIST
Winner: Malcolm Evans, NZ Herald. Finalists: Tom Scott, Evening Post; Garrick Tremain, freelance; Malcolm Walker, freelance; Mark Winter, Southland Times.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Senior Winner: Phil Walter, Fotopress. Finalists: Paul Estcourt, NZ Herald; Russell Smith, NZ Herald.
Single Best Picture by a Senior Winner: Phil Walter, Fotopress (Soldier Farewell).
Junior Winner: Mark Taylor, Ashburton Guardian. Finalists: Bastiaan Beentjes, NZ Herald; Rebecca Scott, The Daily News.
BEST NEWSPAPER FRONT PAGE
Winner: Sunday Star-Times. Finalists: Weekend Herald; Sunday News; New Zealand Truth.
BEST NEWSPAPER
Overall Winner: Weekend Herald. Finalist: NZ Herald.
Best Daily Newspaper over 25,000 circulation. Winner: NZ Herald. Finalist: Evening Post.
Best Daily Newspaper up to 25,000 circulation. Winner: Evening Standard. Finalist: Timaru Herald.
Best Weekly Newspaper: Weekend Herald
