BusinessDesk journalist Cécile Meier has gone back-to-back at the New Zealand Shareholders’ Association business journalism awards, winning the best feature category at Thursday evening’s prizegiving in Auckland.
Meier received the feature writing award for her two-part investigation into early childhood education and its winners and losers.
The award follows last year's achievement when she won the business news award for her work on the Ministry of Health and Te Whatu Ora's spending on consultants.
NZ Herald investigative journalist Matt Nippert picked up this year’s business news award for his exposé on startup drinks company Arepa and its health benefit claims.
BusinessDesk had several other finalists in the awards, including Victoria Young, Dileepa Fonseka and Meier in the business news category, and Ian Llewellyn, who was in the business commentary category.
The overall winner was Tim Hunter of the National Business Review, who also won the business commentary award.
NBR’s Kate McVicar won the emerging journalist of the year award.
The NZ Shareholders’ Association Business Journalism Awards were established to encourage, identify and applaud outstanding business journalism in NZ.
Finalists and winners
Business news
- Victoria Young, BusinessDesk: Leaked: Fletcher’s pipe problem
- Cécile Meier, BusinessDesk: Health IT project Hira reset
- Matt Nippert, NZ Herald WINNER: ‘Brain Drink’ maker fighting to catch a ride on the currant
- Dileepa Fonseka, BusinessDesk: Ministry of Foreign Affairs cloud IT investigation
Business commentary
- Jenny Ruth, Just the Business: Is Fletcher’s capital raising the most unfair ever?
- Tim Hunter, National Business Review WINNER: The hidden treasure in a Duval share offer
- Ian Llewellyn, BusinessDesk: When the facts change – the end of the golden weather for gentailers
Business features
- Jonathan Milne, Newsroom: EV holiday power blowouts put pressure on lines network
- Cécile Meier, BusinessDesk WINNER: Daycare dollars
- Maria Slade, National Business Review: Mysterious publisher leaves string of workers out of pocket
Visual journalism
Shareholders’ association chief executive Oliver Mander signalled its commitment to expanding the awards from 2025 to include a “multimedia” category, supporting entries based on broadcast platforms, such as podcasts or visual journalism.
“In the same way that we argue for all investors to be allowed access onto a level playing field, we think it’s only fair that those specialising in multimedia journalism are afforded the same opportunity,” he said.
Mander also noted the difficult environment facing journalists, given the headwinds relating to social polarisation, the rise of alternative media sources and the ongoing fragmentation of media channels.
The awards are sponsored by stock exchange operator NZX and KiwiSaver provider Simplicity.
Cécile Meier's success follows BusinessDesk journalist Riley Kennedy being judged best dairy sector journalist at last week's annual awards for the NZ Guild of Agricultural Journalists and Communicators.
The DairyNZ Dairy Industry Award is for exceptional journalism that covers the dairy sector.
* This story has been updated to add comments from NZ Shareholders’ Association CEO Oliver Mander and a photo from the awards evening.
