David Swan and the ABC Take Top Honours

ABC News and David Swan, technology editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age have walked away with the Gold Lizzies, taking the top honours at the 22nd Annual Samsung IT Journalism Awards.

Produced by media intelligence platform Influencing, the Awards recognise the most outstanding journalists and outlets covering technology in Australia each year.

This year our event’s new home at Doltone House in Jones Bay Wharf played host to around 300 guests and sponsors, with the harbour providing a stunning backdrop for red carpet arrivals & cocktails from 6.30pm.

Below – Marc Fennell of the ABC with Graeme Philipson Best Columnist winner Jackson Ryan on the red carpet.

(Event Photos by Elly at Fluential Studio / fluential.au)
(Event Photos by Elly at Fluential Studio / fluential.au)

Free to enter, and predominantly peer-judged, these awards are only possible thanks to our Name Sponsor Samsung Australia, our lifelong event partners at Watterson, our partners Amazon Web ServicesOptusCiscoNetApp, the Australian Computer SocietyMeta, our design & print partners Canva and our Official Gin Sponsor Aussie Broadband.

With 23 categories contested by 140 entrants, the awards were as closely fought as they have ever been. This year The Age and Sydney Morning Herald’s David Swan and ABC News have taken home the top awards known as the gold Lizzies, taking home Best Journalist and Best Title respectively.

This was the third win for both parties. David Swan also scored the trophy for Best Technology Journalist and Best Telecommunications Journalist with a highly commended in the Best Technology Issues category.

Meanwhile ABC News also took home Best Gaming Coverage and Best News Coverage in addition to their Best Title win. The ABC team is pictured below with our Naming Rights sponsor Samsung Australia.

Left to to right: Julian Fell (ABC); Ben Spraggon (ABC); Matea Rojas, Head of Corporate Communications at Samsung Australia; Gianfranco Di Giovanni (ABC) and Jackson Ryan.

(Event Photos by Elly at Fluential Studio / fluential.au)
(Event Photos by Elly at Fluential Studio / fluential.au)

“Once again, the Samsung Australian IT Journalism Awards proved what a special event it is – it is remarkable that even after 22 years it continues to grow in importance and stature,” said Influencing CEO and show host / MC Phil Sim (Pictured below presenting this year’s Pioneer of IT Media to industry veteran Len Rust).

“Our 2024 awards once again served their mission. Primarily, that is to recognise excellence in technology media and journalism, with the ambition that it inspires journalists to rigorously investigate and report on critical technology-related issues faced by the world today.”

“However, it is also about bonding the community – it is the one event that brings together technology journalists, and the people they work with, to renew friendships and build new ones, and with more than 280 people in attendance, it certainly achieved that again.”

(Event Photos by Elly at Fluential Studio / fluential.au)
(Event Photos by Elly at Fluential Studio / fluential.au)

We would like to once again thank all our sponsors for their support; the community of media communications professionals who choose to join in support of the event each year, and of course all our entrants, finalists and winners at this year’s Samsung Australian IT Journalism Awards.

The complete list of winners and highly-commendeds is below. Thank you everyone for making the event special, we look forward to bring this event to you again in 2025.

2024 IT Journalism Award Winners
Alicia Camphuisen Best New Journalist
Petra Stock
HC: Emily Spindler-Carruthers

Best Security Journalist
David Swan
HC: Patrick Gray

Best Technical Journalist
David Braue
HC: Jeremy Nadel

Best Gaming Journalist
Fergus Halliday
HC: Daniel Van Boom

Best Gaming Coverage
ABC News
HC: GamesHub

Paul Zucker Best Technology Industry Journalist
Jessica Sier
HC: Nick Bonyhady

Best Game Reviewer
Edmond Tran
HC: Amanda Yeo

Best Technology Reviewer
John Davidson
HC: Alex Kidman

Best Technology Issues Journalist
Ariel Bogle
HC: David Swan, Julian Fell

Pioneer of IT Media
Len Rust

Best Short Form Content
Tobias Venus
HC: Cam Wilson

John Costello Best Business Technology Journalist
Justin Hendry
HC: Paul Smith

Best Business Coverage
The Australian Financial Review
HC: Mi-3

Best Consumer Technology Coverage
The Age & Sydney Morning Herald
HC: SmartCompany, Canstar Blue

Best News Coverage
ABC News Story Lab
HC: The Age & Sydney Morning Herald

Graeme Philipson Best Columnist
Jackson Ryan
HC: Paul Smith

Cass Warneminde Best News Journalist
Ariel Bogle
HC: Andrew Birmingham, Joseph Brookes, David Braue

Best Independent Media
Checkpoint Gaming
HC: The Martech Weekly, Player2

Helen Dancer Best Consumer Technology Journalist
Alex Kidman
HC: Fergus Halliday

Best Audio Program
Risky Business
HC: Download This Show, Debunks

Best Video Program
SBS
HC: Tobias Venus

Best Telecommunications Journalist
David Swan
HC: Paul Smith

David Hellaby Best Media Relations
Salvatore Di Muccio
HC: Angela

Best Corporate Content
David Braue
HC: Huntley Mitchell

Gold Lizzie: Best Journalist of the Year
David Swan

Gold Lizzie: Best Title of the Year
ABC

About Samsung Australian IT Journalism Awards
Known affectionately as The Lizzies and held every year since 2003, the Australian IT Journalism Awards acknowledge the most outstanding journalists and outlets covering technology in Australia each year. Content, Journalism, Beat/Vertical and Media Relations – there are 21 separate awards, plus our two special categories: Title of the Year, currently held by the Australian Financial Review; and Journalist of the Year, currently held by David Braue. Ensuring audiences have an accurate, balanced & accessible understanding of technology is critical for Australia’s future commercial growth. The peer-judged awards advance this cause each year, by publicly identifying and encouraging good tech journalism. https://www.thelizzies.com/

Media Contact:
Mike Woodcock
Chief Commercial Officer
Influencing & the Mediaconnect Group
www.Influencing.com
mike@mediaconnect.com.au / mike@Influencing.com
O: +61 2 9894 6277
M: +61 411 969 248

Follow #Lizzies or #Lizzies24 on Instagram & Twitter

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