The New Zealand Herald has won a total of 24 Canon Media Awards just weeks after NZME (formerly APN New Zealand) announced that the paper’s newsroom would be shifted and merged with stablemate The Radio Network.
The Herald won the top industry prize, Newspaper of the Year, and nzherald.com won Best Website in the awards event at Sky City Convention Centre in Auckland. Columnist of the Year went to Herald journalist Michele Hewitson and Herald Investigations Editor Jared Savage was named Reporter of the Year. The Herald’s Viva was named Best Newspaper Inserted Magazine.
“We’re absolutely thrilled,” said Herald editor, Shayne Currie. “This year’s awards – as well as our 60-plus finalists – epitomise the depth and breadth of the Herald’s journalism today.”
NZME CEO Jane Hastings said she was “delighted” with the results. “I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our teams, whether recognised at the awards or not, for their ongoing dedication and motivation to deliver the very best NZME Publishing has to offer.”
Later this year, NZME will merge its Auckland operations and shift the Herald, The Radio Network and daily deal website GrabOne into a new building.
The move, to begin November 1, will bring together journalists from the Herald and radio station Newstalk ZB into one newsroom - similar to a move undertaken earlier this year in Perth by Channel Seven and The West Australian.
The aim of the move was to bring about “a new corporate culture,” according to Sarah Judkins, NZME director of group transformation. “It’s hard to create a new culture moving one business into another but with a brand new location it will be much more natural – like creating one new business rather than bringing three businesses together,” she said.
While details of the newsroom merger are still to be determined, the Herald and Newstalk staff would “keep their own character” but would likely collaborate on breaking news, said Judkins.
“Journalists who work in radio have a lot in common with those in publishing,” she said. “Radio and entertainment brands like TimeOut will also be able to collaborate.” However, there would still be a focus on maintaining the individuality of the brands “within a broader corporate umbrella.”
The building, currently being fitted out by property developer Manson TCLM, is described as a modern work environment with showers and other amenities to encourage staff to cycle, and spaces where staff can congregate to foster collaboration.
A complete list of winners can be found here.