Voyager Media Awards: Hawke’s Bay Today, NZ Herald celebrate big wins

Hawke’s Bay Today, the NZ Herald and the Weekend Herald have celebrated big wins at tonight’s Voyager Media Awards.

The Herald’s Michael Craig won the Photographer of the Year award, and former Herald reporter Sam Sherwood snared Reporter of the Year.

Hawke’s Bay Today collected the coveted Newspaper of the Year prize for its coverage of Cyclone Gabrielle during a difficult time for the region.

The Voyager Media Awards judges commented on how Hawke’s Bay Today’s sustained and comprehensive coverage in the most challenging circumstances was an exemplar of a newspaper serving its community when it mattered most.

They unanimously agreed Hawke’s Bay Today’s response to Cyclone Gabrielle was an “extraordinary effort in extraordinary times”.

“The paper wisely used the resources of the NZME group to assist its local team, who reported without fear … calmly providing verified, localised information amid the chaos.”

The win followed Hawke’s Bay Today’s success at the recent International News Media Association’s 2024 global awards in London for a free edition it produced in the immediate aftermath of the cyclone.

It was recognised as the best use of print.

In other NZME success at the Voyagers, the Weekend Herald won the award for Weekly Newspaper of the Year, and the NZ Herald won Metropolitan Newspaper of the Year.

Judges said of the Weekend Herald: “It is the complete package: a mix of incisive news and insightful features, replete with compelling reads across business, sport, lifestyle and opinion. The paper balances in-depth, serious journalism and lighter relief in a bundle that demands to be kept within arm’s reach through the course of a weekend.”

In voting the NZ Herald the Metropolitan Paper of the Year, the judges commented “the New Zealand Herald’s journalistic depth and breadth, striking photography and sharp design are a cut above any other daily newspaper.”

Murray Kirkness, NZME editor-in-chief, said he was “hugely proud of the whole team”.

“Particularly our Hawke’s Bay Today team, ably led by Chris Hyde. Their dedication to sharing local stories and keeping their community informed, even though many of them were personally impacted by the flooding, was nothing short of remarkable. It’s fantastic to have them recognised and celebrated this evening following their recent success on a global scale at the INMA Global Media Awards last month.

“From breaking news to in-depth investigative pieces, covering important local issues, lifestyle and entertainment — NZME’s journalism plays a big part in Kiwis’ lives and it’s fantastic to have that recognised tonight.

“These accolades serve as a testament to our commitment to high quality, trusted journalism,” Kirkness said.

Matt Wilson, NZME chief operations officer — publishing, said: “From our journalists, photographers, printing, our customer service and delivery network, producing high-quality newspapers is a big team effort and it’s great to have that recognised tonight. The success in newspapers is reflected by a stable, loyal audience and highly engaged readers, which is fantastic for advertisers.”

Michael Boggs, CEO of NZME said: “At NZME we are committed to protecting the craft of journalism, and it was terrific to celebrate a number of individual awards tonight, and the strength of our teams and the high quality of our journalism.

“NZME is committed to being New Zealand’s leading news destination and keeping Kiwis in the know, and our print and digital platforms play a huge part in us being able to reach nine out of 10 Kiwis — a phenomenal number.”