Canon Media Awards finalists announced

MEDIA RELEASE

21st April 2011

Canon Media Awards finalists announced

The finalists in the Canon Media Awards 2011 have been announced with the awards attracting a record 1,314 entries. This figure represents the most competitive pool of talent since the awards’ inception and a promising sign for the growth of the industry.

Entries span all genres and outlets of New Zealand media from magazines to newspapers and their websites, photographers to cartoonists.

Newspaper Publishers’ Association chief executive Tim Pankhurst says the high caliber of submissions has meant a tough time and much deliberation for the international judging panel.

“The judges commented on the strength of the submissions and the talent we have working in New Zealand media, and I would like to take the opportunity to thank them for all their hard work.”

“The awards celebrate outstanding contributions throughout 2010, with much of the work coming out of two tragic events taking place in New Zealand – the Pike River mining disaster and the initial Canterbury earthquake,” says Pankhurst.

“The rapid development of new media was reflected in the quality and growth of video, new applications and some very effective story telling with the integration of print and online. Investigative reporting, too, is in good heart and this was a particularly demanding area to judge,” he says.

A total of 32 judges were drawn from NZ, Australia and the UK and came from magazines, newspapers, online, photography and design – a number of whom are former editors.

Mike Johnston, Country Manager of Canon New Zealand extends his congratulations to all the finalists and says they are delighted to be recognising the achievements of the media industry.

“The Canon Media Awards are a celebration of the great people who shape our media landscape and we are proud to encourage the country’s many talented and creative photographers, journalists, artists, designers and subeditors; both in print and online.”

The finalists list sees a number of appearances from publications such as NZ Listener and North & South alongside the big players The Dominion Post, The New Zealand Herald and The Press battling in a variety of categories.

The nbr.co.nz, nzherald.co.nz, stuff.co.nz and thepress.co.nz are all finalists for Best Online News Site while the Best Senior Photographic Portfolio is contested by Andrew Gorrie (The Dominion Post), Iain McGregor (The Press), Mark Mitchell (The New Zealand Herald) and Phil Reid (The Dominion Post).

Canon has been involved with the annual Newspaper Publishers’ Association (NPA) awards, formerly known as the Qantas Media Awards, since 2006 as the sponsor of the photographic section.

The awards dinner will be held at the Sky City Convention Centre in Auckland on Friday May 27. For more information and a full list of finalists, visit www.canonmediaawards.co.nz

Ends

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