NZME celebrates nominations at Voyager Media Awards

Ryan Bridge TODAY / Herald NOW is a finalist in the 2026 Voyager Media Awards' best innovation in digital storytelling category. Photo / Michael Craig.

NZME is celebrating a swathe of nominations at the prestigious 2026 Voyager Media Awards.

The company – which owns the NZ Herald and seven regional mastheads - is in the running for top newsroom awards, including digital news provider of the year (nzherald.co.nz), metropolitan newspaper of the year (NZ Herald), weekly newspaper of the year (Herald on Sunday) and regional newspaper of the year (Rotorua Daily Post).

The Herald’s reporting on the Jevon McSkimming scandal is nominated for best coverage of a major news event. Jared Savage, who spearheaded that reporting, is nominated for best investigation for his work on the case.

Jevon McSkimming. Photo / Samuel Rillstone

Less than a year after it launched, Herald NOW/Ryan Bridge TODAY is a finalist for best innovation in digital storytelling. Managing editor for multimedia Sarah Bristow, who was integral in the show’s launch, is a finalist for editorial leader of the year.

NZME has several other journalists in the running for individual awards: Eva de Jong for best up and coming feature writer, Katie Harris for news journalist of the year, Thomas Coughlan for political journalist of the year, David Fisher for best specialist reporting, Matt Nippert for business journalist of the year and Corey Fleming for video journalist of the year.

Michael Burgess and Benjamin Plummer were both nominated as sports journalist of the year, and Guy Body and Richard Dale are vying for cartoonist/animator of the year.

Dean Purcell is up for two awards – Best Photo Story for his coverage of the 2025 Waitangi Day celebrations and Best Photography – Features.

Mike Scott and Carolyne Meng-Yee are up for Best Current Affairs (short) for revealing the story (and secret tapes) where Philip Polkinghorne was confronted by his then-lover.

Philip Polkinghorne leaves the Auckland High Court after the not guilty verdict. Photo / Dean Purcell

NZME editor-in-chief Murray Kirkness says the “nominations reflect the journalistic excellence that defines our newsrooms.

“This recognition is a testament to our team’s commitment to delivering high-quality, impactful journalism across all platforms.

“This recognition from our industry peers validates our continued investment in accurate, quality reporting and storytelling.”

See the full list of finalists at the Voyager Media Awards.