Best coverage of sport for people with disability

This award recognises the best coverage of sport for people with disability. Entries can focus on the participation of people with disability in sport, including as grassroots participants, volunteers, elite athletes, officials, coaches and administrators.The intent of this award is to recognise the overall promotion of sport for people with disability and is not restricted to profile stories on individuals. Entries should demonstrate responsible and well-researched coverage and provide detailed and innovative insight into people with disability participating in sport.

2022 Winner

Matthew Carmichael, Seven Network

Matthew Carmichael integrates Paralympic sport into Seven’s regular news coverage in the national and 6pm news bulletins. His coverage included being on the ground for the Beijing Winter Paralympics to showcase the small yet determined team to highlight their incredible achievement's and celebrate Ben Tudhope's first Paralympic medal.

Finalists

Amanda Shalala, ABC

Amanda Shalala’s series of Para sport stories, opens in a new tab explored a range of important themes affecting athletes with disability in the lead up to and during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Her coverage combined analysing complex issues, in-depth athlete profiles helping them share their own passions, and coverage of their performance during the games.

Kieran Pender, The Guardian

Too often, history forgets the stories of trail-blazing Australian Paralympians, and documenting Paralympic achievements has been inconsistent or omitted entirely. Kieran Pender shared the story about a small team of inspirational volunteers working to remember and record Australia’s Paralympic achievements, opens in a new tab. Their work has made a huge difference, leading to half a million words and 20 million page views, and helped rectify some long-held historic misconceptions.

Tilly Werner, CODE Sports

Tilly Werner has dedicated herself to increasing coverage for disability sports, opens in a new tab, including spotlighting Goalball, CP Football and ParaTriathlon, helping disability sports to feature alongside major leagues on the newly launched CODE Sports website. Using CODE's longform style has given Werner the opportunity to delve deeper in these stories.