The Age's Nick McKenzie wins journalist of the year at Kennedy Awards
McKenzie's award was among eight recognising the work of The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald 's journalists on Friday night. McKenzie led the mastheads' groundbreaking Building Bad investigation, which earned the gong for outstanding investigative reporting.
The investigation – which won the Gold Walkley and Gold Quill and was the culmination of years of work by teams across the Age, the Herald, The Australian Financial Review and 60 Minutes – exposed allegations of intimidation and corruption in the building industry.
Age senior writer Michael Bachelard and Age investigative reporter Charlotte Grieve received the Kennedy Award for outstanding reporting on the environment for their exploration of whether carbon offset schemes in the outback are working.
Former Age political editor Michelle Grattan was honoured with the lifetime achievement award at the ceremony in Sydney, alongside inaugural Kennedy chairperson Peter Ryan.
The award for outstanding television current affairs reporting in the longform category went to Out of Order, a joint 60 Minutes investigation by Herald investigative journalist Eryk Bagshaw, Herald crime reporter Clare Sibthorpe, Good Food editor Bianca Hrovat and 60 Minutes associate producer Natalie Clancy.
The investigation exposed allegations of sexual harassment, drug abuse, and wage exploitation inside some of the country's most prestigious restaurants.
Age editor Patrick Elligett congratulated all winners and finalists. 'These results confirm The Age 's reputation as the country's premier outlet for investigative journalism,' he said.
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