Dean was judged in the top five reporters and is in line for the Voyager Reporter of the Year title. His fellow finalists are NZME colleague Jared Savage, of the NZ Herald, newsroom.co.nz reporter Dileepa Fonseka and Alison Mau and Carmen Parahi from Stuff.
All winners of the 2021 Voyager Media Awards will be announced at a glitzy cocktail celebration at the Auckland Town Hall tomorrow evening by MC Toni Street.
The event is a sell out - all 520 tickets being snapped up in record time.
Reporter of the Year entrants were required to submit four pieces of work from the previous calendar year, as well as a supporting narrative.
"I chose four pieces I was obviously proud of, but that also showed the diversity required of a community newspaper journalist," says Dean.
"I believe the pieces were also about inspirational people and that probably helped in the judging process."
The stories were about volunteer firefighter Murry Gillard's 50 years of service, Chantelle Good's kidney disease battle and Tom Davies' bid to help her by donating a kidney, a first person piece about the careers of Te Awamutu Walk of Famers Tim and Neil Finn to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Split Enz's most commercial LP, and the emotional reconciliation of Tainui and Ngā Puhi at Mātakitaki Pā - site of one of New Zealand's bloodiest Musket War battles.
Dean says he is honoured to be recognised by his peers in the industry and to continue the good work of the Te Awamutu Courier that has been a hallmark of the paper for 110 years.
In his long career with the paper, the Te Awamutu Courier has had a number of successes.
These include: Runner-up Best Front Page in the 1990 Community Newspaper Association Better Newspaper Competition and third for Advertising Feature or Supplement at the 1991 event; Best Community Newspaper finalist 1992 and 1998 Qantas New Zealand Media Awards; Best Front Page finalist 1993 Qantas New Zealand Media Awards; winner 2011 Most Successful Advertising Feature - Community Newspapers APN Regional Media Awards; winner 2011 Waipā Heritage Award; winner 2013 Community Involvement Award - Community Newspapers APN Regional Media Awards; winner 2014 Community Newspaper of the Year APN Regional Media Awards; runner-up 2014 Community Involvement Award - Community Newspapers APN Regional Media Awards; winner Te Wiki Reo Māori for media - Ngā Tohu Reo o Raukawa 2015.
In 2014 Dean was runner-up Community Reporter of the Year - APN Regional Media Awards.
He says the Te Awamutu Courier is a proud community newspaper with 110 years heritage.
"I have been fortunate to be part of the golden era of Te Awamutu's newspaper," says Dean.
"A new team followed the great work under editor Ted Hunwick.
"We were led briefly by Grant Dixon, then Grant Johnston was editor and a team including me, Colin Thorsen and Cathy Asplin brought the news and views to Te Awamutu readers for over quarter-of-a-century.
"My colleagues have all retired and I am proud of the young journalists who have followed - Bethany Rolston, and now Caitlan Johnston and Jesse Wood.
"Covid showed us the importance of community and connectivity and I believe the Te Awamutu Courier has continued to deliver on both front," he says.
