Dominion Post journalist, Jon Morgan, walked away with the top award for agricultural journalists at the 2009 awards night for the New Zealand Guild of Agricultural Journalists and Communicators.

He won the supreme award,  the BNZ Partners’ Rongo Award recognising excellence in agricultural journalism, for a portfolio of two articles,  one on wines from the Gimblett gravels in Hawke’s Bay, the other on Firstlight Foods.

The award for runner-up went to the team from the Country-Wide monthly newpaper, for two series, one on the future of the monitor farm programme and the burden of local government  rates on rural people.

At Friday night’s awards dinner, a total of eighta wards were presented, seven for journalism and one for photography. The key objectives of the awards are the encouragement and recognition of excellence in agriculturaljournalism.

This year, the Guild has introduced a new award, encouraging and recognising excellence among journalists with three or less years reporting on agricultural issues.    The winner of the inaugural Guild Agricultural Journalism Encouragement Award went to Blair Ensor of the Marlborough Express.  

Another new award this year is the Horticulture New Zealand Journalism Award, which was won in its inaugural year by Dominion Post farming editor, Jon Morgan.  He also won the The AGMARDT Agribusiness Journalism Award.

The winner of the Rural Women of New Zealand Award was Aaron Smale, for two articles that appeared in Young Country.

The AgResearch Science Writers Award was established to enhance standards of science writing, especially about pastoral agriculture, was won by Susan Murray, from Radio New Zealand’s Country Life progamme.

The BNZ partners also sponsors the Farm Business Writing Award,  which was won this year by Jackie Harrigan, for two articles in Country-Wide.

The Federated Farmers Rural Photography Award was won by Dominion Post farming editor, Jon Morgan.

For more information

Awards Administrator / Guild Secretary –      

Sue Miller,

04 233 1842    0274 510 339