FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AOTEAROA STUDENT PRESS ASSOCIATION (ASPA)
2009 ASPA Awards results
September 13, 2009
The following are the placegetters and winners of the 2009 ASPA Awards, held in Wellington on September 12, 2009.
Best Website
Third: In Unison
Second: Salient
First: Craccum
Dompost.co.nz web editor Patrick Crewdson said Craccum’s homepage was the most visually-appealing of the sites and
included bonus features which weren’t in the print edition.
Best Headline
Second equal: In Unison, with “Exploiting Excessive Empathy as a Form of Recession Relief in Three Easy Steps (Or: How I
made a fake charity, and used it to buy myself some Chicken McNuggets)”, and Gyro, with “Trousers lowered, awareness
raised”.
First: Critic with “Students spitroasted at CoC fight”.
Listener staff reporter Sarah Barnett said it was a great pun that showed Critic knew its audience, and was relevant to
its audience without being forced.
Best Cartoonist
Third equal: Michael Leung of Canta and Valentine Watkins of Craccum
First equal: Robyn Kenealy of Salient and Maria Brett of Critic
Cartoonist and illustrator Dylan Horrocks said Robyn Kenealy’s cartoons had distinctive personal drawing with a lot of
character, and Robyn’s had “all kinds of smarts going on just below the surface”.
Editorial cartoonist Jim Hubbard said Maria Brett’s cartoons were an impressive comic book style, with a good use of
angle, movement and perspective.
Best Original Photography
Third: Matt Jenkinson of Canta
Second: Erin Gaffney of In Unison
First: Clinton Cardozo of Debate
The judges said Clinton’s concert photos captured the moment, and they liked his use of black and white photography.
Best Sports Writer
Second equal: Adam Howard of Salient and Ian McDonald of In Unison
First: Brad Kreft of Critic
NZPA deputy news editor Greg Tourelle said Brad Kreft’s column on the pain of encountering elderly golfers was easily
the best entry in the category: “Delightfully dry, it was well written, with the clever pullback from the cynical
ageism just at the right time.”
Best Education Series
Third: Helen De Reus and Ben Thomson of Critic
Second: Sarah Robson of Salient
First: Joshua Drummond of Nexus
A judge said Nexus’ coverage of the van Leeuwen affair was an engaging investigation of issues that lie at the core of
what a university is, or ought to be. It showed what student media is capable of, with some tenacious digging.
Best Humour Content
Third: Ryan Boyd of Debate
Second: Jeremy Bryson of Chaff
First: Joseph Harper of In Unison
TV personality Jeremy Wells said Jospeh Harper’s piece on the lameness of charity was particularly clever piece on
charity and its lameness, an “original idea, well constructed linguistically and graphically.”
Best Reviewer
Third equal: Uther Dean of Salient and Daniel Copeland of Gyro
Second: Antony Parnell of Nexus
First: Joseph Harper of In Unison
Music reviewer and blogger Simon Sweetman said Joseph’s entries stood out amongst the rest. He writes like a reviewer
rather than a blogger, with a good level of opinion and information
Best Columnist
Third: Michael Langdon of Salient
First equal: Dr Love of Magneto and Liz Willoughby-Martin of Critic
Public Address news columnist Russell Brown said Dr Love wasn’t the only column this year to adpot a humorous persona,
but it was easily the most successful. It’s a good blend of dry wit and useful information about things the reader might
actually want to know.
Scoop co-editor Alastair Thompson said Liz's column is entertaining, charming and occasionally funny as well as being
informative and beautifully crafted - a natural columnist with a consistently good product.
Best Cover
Third: Craccum
Second: Satellite
First: Salient
Metro magazine art director Charlie McKay said Salient’s covers could easily live on his coffee table. Salient used
typography in an interesting way and had a current visual style.
Best Editorial Writer
Third: Matthew Harnett and Valentine Watkins of Craccum
Second: Jackson Wood of Salient
First: Ryan Boyd of Debate
Dominion Post editor Bernadette Courtney said “Ryan's editorials are quirky but hit you between the eyes immediately.
They made me sit up and take notice and read on and on. Ryan's writing is tight, imaginative and funny. He has a bright
future.”
Best Feature Writer
Third equal: Anthonie Tonnon of Critic and Rosabel Tan of Craccum
Second: Stacey Knott of In Unison
First: Sarah Robson of Salient
Asia New Zealand foundation media adviser Charles Mabbett said Sarah’s articles were of a very high journalistic
standard, well-researched and well-written, and she was the most consistent entrant.
Best News Writer (Unpaid)
Third: Stephen Smith of Debate
Second: Nicholas Mark of In Unison
First: Jessy Edwards of Salient
The judges said Jessy’s story on bums bumming around Victoria University showed confident writing, while her other
stories had genuine new value and were well-written.
Best News Writer (Paid)
Third: Aimee Gulliver of Critic
Second: Michael Oliver of Salient
First: Stacey Knott of In Unison
Blogger, freelance writer and former Salient news editor Keith Ng said Stacey was the clear cut winner, and her ability
to engage with her subjects made her stories outstanding.
Best Feature Content
Second equal: Joshua Drummond of Nexus and Matt Russell of Chaff
First: Nina Fowler of Salient
Investigative journalist Nicky Hager said Nina’s article on the political crisis in Fiji was "a thoughtful and skillful
examination of a subject where the mainstream media have spectacularly failed the public ... her work is an excellent
example of journalism explaining the news.”
Best Design
Second equal: Magneto and Salient
First: Chaff
Former Salient designer Chris Elder said Chaff used its larger format well, an interesting and reader-oriented design
and excellent technical execution of newsprint to keep everything legible.
Best Small Publication
Third: In Unison
Second: Gyro
First: Magneto
Journalist and media commentator Denis Welch said Magneto was easily the best small publication, for its bold design
and high production standards, its good ideas and great attitude. It had the best sense of humour, including some
brilliant satire, and it has begun to deliver on its aim of ‘becoming the most kick-ass student publication in the
land'.
Best Publication
Third: Critic
The judges said it was a very polished publication with consistent and well-written content.
Second: Craccum
The judges said it had varied coverage, a consistently high standard of writing and interviewing, and was committed to
political issues and university matters.
First: Salient
The judges said Salient is chock full of good reading from start to finish. It is intelligent, irreverent and packed
with attitude and personality without being up itself, with good news and features, and endless content.
ENDS