ABC journalists, photographers and camera operators dominated the Quill Awards for excellence in Victorian journalism throughout 2025, taking out more than a dozen of the 30 categories.
Veteran journalist Heather Ewart received the Melbourne Press Club Lifetime Achievement award for her career as a political reporter, overseas correspondent and, most recently, as presenter of the ABC TV series that showcases country Australia, Back Roads.
Heather Ewart was handed the honour by her husband and former ABC journalist Barrie Cassidy. (Supplied)
Regional reporter Ashlee Aldridge won Best Breaking News or Live Coverage for her reporting of the state’s biggest breaking news story of 2025 — the fatal shooting of two police officers by alleged gunman Dezi Freeman in Porepunkah.
The judges said Aldridge acted swiftly on a news tip from a local resident and was the first reporter to arrive in Porepunkah. She worked solo and delivered nine hours of continuous live radio and TV coverage, while also filing still images, blog posts, and a story for that night’s TV bulletin.
Victorian regional reporter Ashlee Aldridge won the award for best breaking news report for her coverage of the Porepunkah shooting. (Supplied)
“Her coverage spoke to the frantic and unpredictable nature of the incident, to the fear gripping locals, and to the profound sadness and shock experienced once it became clear two police officers had been killed,” the judges said.
The Business Reporting award went to Adele Ferguson and Chris Gillett for their 7.30 investigation into childcare failures at daycare provider Affinity.Â
Adele Ferguson won two Quill awards and was highly commended in one and shortlisted in another. (Supplied)
Ferguson and Gillett, along with Ben Butler and Lara Sonnonschein, won the Grant Hattam Quill for Investigative Journalism for their story for 7.30 and Four Corners that revealed shocking cases of abuse in child care.Â
“Their reporting of confronting material was unfailingly sensitive and meticulous, and they never lost sight of the need to reform failing systems,” the judges said.
Ferguson also won the Graham Perkin Australian Journalist of the Year award.Â
Melbourne journalists (from left) Elise Kinsella and Rachael Brown with ABC News Victoria Metro Editor Sarah Jaensch and Metro Deputy Editor Monique Hore. (ABC News)
Sports reporter Marnie Vinall won the award for coverage of Women in Sport for the adversity faced by Kyneton Women’s Football Team.
Bendigo-based reporter Sarah Lawrence took out the award for Indigenous Affairs Reporting for the story Crisis on Country: Inside the neglected village of Cummeragunja, which delved into housing challenges facing Aboriginal people in Victoria and New South Wales.
The Science, Medical and Health Reporting award went to Rachel Carbonell, Loretta Florance and Ninah Kopel for their investigation into whistleblower evidence on zinc sunscreen products.
Reporters Bec Symons and Danielle Pope won for Regional and Rural Journalism with their reporting directly leading to state government action and changes at LaTrobe Regional Hospital.
The award for reporting on Disability Issues went to Jessica Longbottom, Ben Butler and Danielle Bonica for the investigation into exploitation in the National Disability Insurance Scheme, which gave voice to vulnerable participants, many of whom were isolated and fearful.
Investigative reporter Jessica Longbottom and photographer Danielle Bonica. (Supplied)
The judges said their multi-platform series “challenged stigma and highlighted systemic failures to detail the real-life experiences … faced by some of the most vulnerable people in our society”.
In audio media, the ABC’s Rachael Brown won the Podcasting award, and the 774 ABC Melbourne Mornings team won the Radio Current Affairs prize for an impactful segment about squatters moving into a Melbourne woman’s property after her address was posted online.
ABC Melbourne local radio Mornings presenter Raf Epstein with senior producer Erin Mathews. (Supplied)
Ballarat journalist Eden Hynninen took out the Radio News award for her coverage of toxic boarding student behaviour at Ballarat Grammar School.
Melbourne reporters Elise Kinsella, Rachael Brown and Ben Knight won in the News Story — TV and Video category, and Simon Winter took the gong for Outstanding Camera Work over four minutes for the Australian Story episode about Louisa Ioannidis, who was found dead in a creek in 2011.
And Charlotte Wilkes was named 2025 Victorian Student Journalist of the Year for her story, which dealt with accusations by five female patients of misconduct by two male massage therapists.
ABC journalists who were ‘highly commended’ in multiple Quills categories included Gillian Aeria, Lachlan Bennett, Tyrone Dalton, Danny Tran, Madi Chwasta, Alice Walker, Daniel Miles, Josie Taylor, Monique Hore and camera operators Pete Healy and Andrew Altree-Williams.
Herald Sun reporter Robyn Riley won the Gold Quill for her scoop about an IVF mix-up that led to a woman unknowingly giving birth to a stranger’s baby, and Selina Zhang from 9News won Young Journalist of the Year.