NZGAJC Photography and Journalism Awards Winners Announced
Posted: 01-Oct-2022
Freelance journalist Kate Evans, writing for New Zealand Geographic, took out this year’s top award in the New Zealand Guild of Agricultural Journalists and Communicators’ annual journalism awards for two stories focusing on southern bluefin tuna fishing.
Ministry for Primary Industries Rongo Award winner Kate Evans presented by Gillon Carruthers, MPI Deputy Director-General Public Affairs
One of the stories took the photographer seven years to shoot. Over that time, southern bluefin tuna populations went from being critically endangered to making a dramatic recovery, so instead of being another extinction story, Kate’s feature detailed a rare example of science and good governance turning a cross-border fishery around. Along with an interview with Francisco Blaha, an Argentinian New Zealander tuna fisherman these two won the Ministry for Primary Industries Rongo Award recognising excellence in agricultural journalism for its originality, exceptional storytelling, and depth of quality research. This was the 50th year of the Rongo award being awarded.
Runner-up in the Rongo award was an entry from Anne Lee for two articles in the Dairy Exporter special feature on contract milking.
The Pāmu Agricultural Journalism Encouragement Award, established to recognise the work of journalists who are new to specialising in agricultural journalism, went to Shawn McAvinue, for items which appeared in Southern Rural Life on Peter Black fetching top price at his last ram sale, eradicating diseases in the beekeeping industry and a celebration of a planting project on the banks of the Pomahaka River.
The 2022 were announced at an awards dinner in Wellington. A total of 14 awards were presented; 11 for journalism, a new award for digital story-telling, one for communications, and one for photography. Judges for each category came from a range from professional backgrounds, from established journalists to industry leaders.
The newest category, the OverseerFM Digital Storytelling Award, which was created to recognise the importance of excellence in telling stories digitally that share a picture of a future state in farm planning, went to Perriam Media & Sarah's Country for work with Ministry for the Environment on Freshwater Farm Plans & Intensive Winter Grazing, and a three-part podcast series on Sarah's Country called Table Swap.
The Primary Sector Communications Campaign Award, sponsored by the New Zealand Guild of Agricultural Journalists and Communicators, was went to Perriam Media, for work with the Ministry for the Environment for their collaboration on Sarah's Country's 'Table Swap'.
President of the New Zealand Guild of Agricultural Journalists and Communicators, Neal Wallace, said, “For 20 years our awards have celebrated professionalism and excellence in agricultural journalism and photography. Agricultural journalism highlights the importance of not just food and fibre production to all of New Zealand, but the rural communities and people behind the stories. It is critical in telling the stories and giving a face to the issues and challenges facing the sector’.
The full list of award winners are:
- Ministry for Primary Industries Rongo Award was won by the Kate Evans for two stories. One on the recovery of southern bluefin tuna populations and the other, an interview with Francisco Blaha, an Argentinian New Zealander tuna fisherman. The runner up was Anne Lee for two articles in the Dairy Exporter special feature on contract milking Article 1 and Article 2
- OverseerFM Award for Farm Planning Digital Storytelling was won by Perriam Media & Sarah's Country for work with Ministry for the Environment on Freshwater Farm Plans & Intensive Winter Grazing, and a three-part podcast series on Sarah's Country called Table Swap.
- Ko Tātou This Is Us Biosecurity Journalism Award was won by the REX Today team from Mediaworks for two radio interviews on TodayFM on Mycoplasma Bovis and the foot and mouth disease outbreak in Indonesia.
- AgResearch Science Writers Award was won by Carol Stiles, for two programmes on RNZ Country Life. one on the world's largest worm farm and the other on heat tolerant cows.
- Ministry for Primary Industries Fit for a Better World Award was won by Sarah Perriam-Lampp for a deep-dive episode on regenerative farming and an article published in the Feb / March 2022 Latitude Magazine highlighting innovative and progressive farmers and growers.
- Federated Farmers Broadcast Journalism Award was won by Carol Stiles two items that were broadcast on RNZs Country Life programme. Listen to the feature on cleaning out sheep manure from under wool sheds. Listen to the feature on the evolving culture of shearing.
- Beef + Lamb Hard News Award was won by Joanna Grigg, for two articles NZ Farm Life Media focussing on He Waka Eke Noa and on-farm sequestration.
- Zespri Export Journalism Award was won by Rebecca Howard, for two articles for BusinessDesk on the risks of NZ exports to the Chinese market and the New Zealand – European Union free trade deal.
- TUANZ Rural Connectivity Award was won by Tony Benny for articles in Dairy Farmer magazine covering an industry get together at Canterbury University and a balanced view on rural connectivity internationally.
- Alliance Group Ltd Red Meat Industry Journalism Award was won by Karen Treblicock for two articles published in NZ Dairy Exporter. One on how the country deals with bobby calves and the other on the Wagyu industry setting new records.
- Federated Farmers Rural Photography Award was won by Alan Gibson for a photo of Brian Basi and his partner Rachel Bunnick pictured in front of their happy herd on the 72-hectare Putaruru property where they contract milk 230 cows, which appeared in NZ Dairy Exporter April 2022.
- DairyNZ Dairy Industry Award was won by Jackie Harrigan, for articles which appeared in NZ Dairy Exporter. One on Award-winning cheeses at Cartwheel Creamery in the Manawatu and another on Project Interceptor, where in conjunction with the Taranaki Regional Council they developed a wetland and then monitored its performance
- Pāmu Agricultural Journalism Encouragement Award was won by Shawn McAvinue, for items which appeared in Southern Rural Life on Peter Black fetching top price at his last ram sale, eradicating diseases in the beekeeping industry and a celebration for a planting project.
- NZGAJC Primary Sector Communications Campaign Award was won by Perriam Media & Ministry for the Environment for their collaboration on Sarah's Country's 'Table Swap'. Watch Sarah's Country Sister's interview with Sara Clarke, listen to the table swap podcast series, and check out the social media campaign.
--ENDS--
All the winning entries will be published on the NZGAJC website at www.nzgajc.org.nz
About the NZGAJC
The New Zealand Guild of Agricultural Journalists and Communicators was established in 1958 as a professional membership society for those working with a focus on agriculture.
Members of the NZGAJC are writers, broadcasters and communicators of work relating to this country's primary production sector, which contributes around two-thirds of the nation's exported goods and is a major regional employer.
For more information, contact
Sara Passmore, National Secretary, ph 0224356117
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