Critic Wins Big at Student Press Awards

Otago University student magazine Critic Te Arohi was the big winner at the 2018 Aotearoa Student Press Awards this weekend, picking up each awards and winning the overall award of Best Publication for the second year straight.

The awards were judged by some of New Zealand’s most prestigious journalists, including the Editors of Stuff, the NZ Herald, The Listener, and Vice New Zealand.

Critic was ranked first by all four of the judges for Best Publication. NZ Herald Premium Content Editor Miriyana Alexander called it “brave and provocative… pushing boundaries, taking risks and raisin merry hell.”
Stuff Editor Patrick Crewdson called it “exuberant, savvy, and self-deprecating in its acerbic bite… it’s a sign of a raucous, risk-taking spirit.”

News Editor Charlie O’Mannin won two awards, Best Reporter and Best Student Politics Reporter, for stories including an expose on a local landlord, a ‘sexist and bullying’ tradition at Selwyn College, and coverage of the Proctor bong protest.

Caroline Moratti also won two awards, sweeping both Best Feature Writer and Best Feature, standing out for her coverage of underpaid RAs at Otago University Residential Colleges. Editor of Vice NZ, James Borrowdale called her “a writer of great versatility and potential.”

Other Critic winners were Esme Hall for Best Opinion Writer, Joel MacManus for Best Editorial Writer, and Callum Doyle for Best Headline.

University of Wellington magazine Salient also had a strong night, placing second for Best Publication, and picking up five awards in total, including Best News Story for a piece about a residential hall serving undercooked chicken that received rave reviews from judges.

The full list of winners is below:

Best Humour
1. Liam Powell – Salient
2. Todd Murray – Massive
3. Jennifer Daruwalla - Debate

Best Headline
1. Critic
2. Craccum
3. Nexus

Best Editorial Writer
1. Joel MacManus – Critic
2. Louise Lin – Salient
3. Lyam - Nexus

Best Culture/Lifestyle Reporter
1. Shariff Burke – Salient
2. Jess Thompson – Critic
3. Grace Mitchell – Nexus

Best Opinion Writer
1. Esme Hall – Critic
2. Te Paea Hoori – Salient
3. Lachlan Mitchell – Craccum

Best Sports Reporter
1. Leilana Baker – Massive
2. Charlie Hantler _ Critic
3. Cameron McRobie – Nexus

Best Reviewer
1. Archie Porter – Nexus
2. Peri Miller – Massive
3. Mary Gwendolon - Craccum

Best Illustration
1. Debate
2. Salient
3. Massive

Best Student Politics Reporter
1. Charlie O’Mannin - Critic
2. Louise Lin – Salient
3. Debate

Best Columnist
1. Sasha Beattie – Salient
2. Henessey Griffiths – Critic
3. Kasharn Rao – Massive

Best Feature Writer
1. Caroline Moratti – Critic
2. Daniel Smith – Salient
3. Jennie-Louise Kendrick – Nexus

Best Feature Article
1. Critic
2. Debate
3. Craccum

Best News Reporter
1. Charlie O’Mannin – Critic
2. Equal = Ruby Ash – Salient/Angus Shaw – Salient
3. Bethany Reitsma – Massive

Best News Story
1. Angus Shaw – Salient
2. Sinead Gill – Critic
3. Massive staff reporters - Massive

Best Cover
1. Salient
2. Critic
3. Debate

Best Design
1. Debate
2. Salient
3. Craccum

Best Publication
1. Critic
2. Salient
3. Debate
ends

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