The New Zealand Herald has been labelled a “powerhouse news operation” as it claims the two biggest prizes – Newspaper
of the Year and Website of the Year – along with many individual awards at the 2020 Voyager Media Awards
Website of the Year, NZME’s nzherald.co.nz also won a rare digital double, claiming Best News Website/App at the Voyager Awards, screened online on Friday evening
(22 May 2020).
The New Zealand Herald weekday newspaper was awarded Newspaper of the Year (more than 30,000 circulation) and the
country’s overall Voyager Newspaper of the Year – the 10th time in 13 years that Herald titles have won the big
accolade.
As well as major news and sporting events over the past 12 months, the NZ Herald launched its Premium digital
subscription service, supporting its commitment to in-depth, quality journalism.
The Voyager judges who awarded nzherald.co.nz Website of the Year ahead of Stuff, Newsroom, Radio NZ and The Spinoff said: “This was an incredibly strong field in
2019, but it was the Herald which impressed the judges most, owing to a bold strategy for expanding its audience and a
powerhouse news operation that dominated the biggest moments of an eventful year.”
For Best News Website/App, nzherald.co.nz beat finalists Stuff, Radio NZ, and Newsroom. The Voyager judges said: “It was the Herald website that led the way on
the biggest stories, including the Christchurch mosque shooting. The Herald best captured the impact of the ‘They Are
Us’ message on the Christchurch murders in a strong field.”
Awarding The New Zealand Herald the overall Voyager Newspaper of the Year, the judges said: “Ultimately, we could not
look past the New Zealand Herald’s consistency and comprehensiveness and its record of setting the news agenda with
incisive daily journalism. The Herald is a strongly-edited paper with a depth of content that sets it apart.”
NZME Managing Editor Shayne Currie paid tribute to NZME’s newsrooms throughout the country. “From the Christchurch
mosque attacks to the tragedy of the Whakaari White Island eruption, and from the major sporting events to countless
investigations and hard-hitting journalism, our reporters and teams have excelled. That’s been further amplified with
our relentlessly excellent coverage and analysis of the COVID-19 crisis.”
Individual NZ Herald journalists were also honoured, including political editor Audrey Young, named Political journalist
of the year, Alan Gibson, judged photographer of the year, and Nicholas Jones, awarded feature-writer of the Year
(short-form).
The NZ Herald’s multi-platform “Fighting the Demon” documentary was awarded Best Innovation in Digital Storytelling.
Congratulating Voyager Media Award winners, NZME CEO Michael Boggs paid tribute to everyone involved in journalism
throughout New Zealand. “In these challenging times, Kiwis have turned to you in even greater numbers for clarity and
understanding. You have stepped up to the challenge and delivered, regardless of where in New Zealand you work, or who
you work for. You are doing our industry, your businesses, and yourselves proud.”
A full list of the NZME Voyager Award Winners and Finalists can be found here.