Newshub wins several top honours at 2024 Voyager Media Awards

Newshub has taken several of the top categories at the annual Voyager Media Awards in Auckland.

The awards are bittersweet, coming six weeks to the day before the newsroom closes down on July 5.

Investigations Correspondent Michael Morrah and camera operator Nick Estelrich won the prestigious prize for Best Coverage of a Major News Event, for their reporting on the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.

The judges said: "Michael Morrah managed to reach some of the most isolated communities devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle and stayed with the story, revealing authorities had information that should have triggered evacuation notices nine hours before people had to be rescued from rooftops. They said his investigative journalism moved the Government and distinguished his entry from others featuring fine reporting of the impact of the year's worst natural disaster."

Alexa Cook from Newshub's Wellington bureau won News Journalist of the Year.

The judges said her portfolio showcased classic news coverage of fast-breaking stories, enterprising solutions to technical and logistical challenges and real insight within the stories presented as well-written and produced stories.

Cook's Auckland Newshub colleague Nick Truebridge was runner-up in the same category.

A story about bullying and mobile phones by the Paddy Gower Has Issues programme won the Best Current Affairs (short) category.

The Voyager judges said the story "zeroed in on a contemporary issue which was confrontational for every parent and relevant to every child. It showcased the power of raw video and a young victim's voice, layered with solid research, diverse angles, and craftsmanship. Gritty and powerful, the programme's call to ban cell phones in schools preceded a change in New Zealand legislation."

Newshub's Interim Head of News Richard Sutherland has paid tribute to the winners.

"The common thread running through their work is passion, determination, and a commitment to look at the big issues that have an impact on all our lives," he said.

"These reporters and their stories are emblematic of the work of Newshub since it came into being as 3 National News back in 1989."

"I'm so proud of them, and everyone at Newshub, who continue to show an outstanding commitment to their profession and their audiences, during what has been an incredibly stressful time for themselves and their colleagues."

Newshub's owner, Warner Bros. Discovery, confirmed in April that it would close Newshub as part of a wider restructuring of its New Zealand television business.

Newshub's final bulletin will air on Three on Friday 5 July. It is being replaced by a new 6pm programme that will be produced by digital and newspaper company Stuff.

Newshub has taken several of the top categories at the annual Voyager Media Awards in Auckland.

The awards are bittersweet, coming six weeks to the day before the newsroom closes down on July 5.

Investigations Correspondent Michael Morrah and camera operator Nick Estelrich won the prestigious prize for Best Coverage of a Major News Event, for their reporting on the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.

The judges said: "Michael Morrah managed to reach some of the most isolated communities devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle and stayed with the story, revealing authorities had information that should have triggered evacuation notices nine hours before people had to be rescued from rooftops. They said his investigative journalism moved the Government and distinguished his entry from others featuring fine reporting of the impact of the year's worst natural disaster."

Alexa Cook from Newshub's Wellington bureau won News Journalist of the Year.

The judges said her portfolio showcased classic news coverage of fast-breaking stories, enterprising solutions to technical and logistical challenges and real insight within the stories presented as well-written and produced stories.

Cook's Auckland Newshub colleague Nick Truebridge was runner-up in the same category.

A story about bullying and mobile phones by the Paddy Gower Has Issues programme won the Best Current Affairs (short) category.

The Voyager judges said the story "zeroed in on a contemporary issue which was confrontational for every parent and relevant to every child. It showcased the power of raw video and a young victim's voice, layered with solid research, diverse angles, and craftsmanship. Gritty and powerful, the programme's call to ban cell phones in schools preceded a change in New Zealand legislation."

Newshub's Interim Head of News Richard Sutherland has paid tribute to the winners.

"The common thread running through their work is passion, determination, and a commitment to look at the big issues that have an impact on all our lives," he said.

"These reporters and their stories are emblematic of the work of Newshub since it came into being as 3 National News back in 1989."

"I'm so proud of them, and everyone at Newshub, who continue to show an outstanding commitment to their profession and their audiences, during what has been an incredibly stressful time for themselves and their colleagues."

Newshub's owner, Warner Bros. Discovery, confirmed in April that it would close Newshub as part of a wider restructuring of its New Zealand television business.

Newshub's final bulletin will air on Three on Friday 5 July. It is being replaced by a new 6pm programme that will be produced by digital and newspaper company Stuff.

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