A total of 49 finalists have been named from a highly competitive field of 300 entries, with coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games making up nearly half of the finalists.

The Media Awards recognise excellence in Australian sports journalism, broadcasting, production, digital media, podcasts and photography. They are the only dedicated sports media awards in Australia.

The finalists represent a range of outlets and sports, including the ABC, News Corp, SBS, NITV, Seven Network, Nine Network, Nine newspapers, Optus Sport, Paramount+ and more.

Emma Kemp (Sydney Morning Herald), Will Swanton (The Australian) and Julian Linden (News Corp) have been named as finalists in two separate categories for their work across the nomination period.

Olympic and Paralympic medallists turned media professionals Libby Trickett, Chloe Dalton, Ellie Cole and Elizabeth Wright are also among the finalists.

In addition to announcing a new recipient of the prestigious Lifetime Achievement award, which was last year awarded to Ray Warren OAM, the ASC will also recognise a Rising Star which will be presented to a journalist aged 30 or under or who are new to the industry for their exceptional work across the year.

Nominees for this award include Cole (Nine), Zachary Gates (Nine), Lillian Rangiah (ABC), Dalton (The Female Athlete Project) and Libby and Georgie Trickett (Sportish).

For the first time, sports documentaries have their own standalone category with stories on the Steelers wheelchair rugby team, the Canberra Capitals WNBL team, and A-League clubs the Central Coast Mariners and Western Sydney Wanderers named as finalists.

ASC CEO Kieren Perkins OAM said the ASC Media Awards continue to be an important occasion for the sector.

“It’s been another outstanding sporting year, and the media play a central role in telling the stories that connect us to sport, whether that’s at the local footy club or on the world stage,” he said.

“The standard of sports journalism this year was exceptional, and I congratulate all of the finalists for progressing in such a high calibre field of entries.”

Finalists will be invited to the event at the Sydney Cricket Ground on 19 February 2025 after being held in Melbourne for the past two years.

Congratulations to the 2024 finalists:

Best sport coverage by an individual – broadcast

• Amanda Shalala, ABC Sport
• Brenton Speed, Nine Network
• Corbin Middlemas, ABC Sport
• Ellie Cole, Nine Network (Rising Star nominee)
• Gerard Whateley, SEN / Fox Footy / Nine Network

Best sport coverage by an individual – written

• Emma Kemp, Sydney Morning Herald
• Julian Linden, News Corp
• Konrad Marshall, Good Weekend
• Peter Badel, News Corp
• Will Swanton, The Australian

• ABC Sport Daily, Patrick Stack / ABC Sport
• The Female Athlete Project, Chloe Dalton (Rising Star nominee)
• The Final Word Cricket Podcast, Geoff Lemon and Adam Collins
• The Howie Games, Mark Howard / Listnr
• Sportish, Libby Trickett and Georgie Trickett (Rising Star nominee)

Best coverage of a sporting event

• News Corp / Sky News / Fox Sports, Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games
• Nine Network, Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games
• Optus Sport, UEFA EURO 2024
• Sydney Morning Herald / The Age, Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games

• Daniel Pockett, ‘Coates Hanger’
• Dannion Hards, ‘Lifesaver in Flight’
• Delly Carr, ‘Jess Fox celebrates Noemie Fox’s win’
• Robert Cianflone, ‘Over the top’