Victorian journalists and photographers have taken out awards at today’s announcement of the Australian Star Prizes for Rural Writing, Broadcasting and Photography.
The prizes at both a state and a national level were announced at a sell-out Victorian Rural Press Club breakfast.
The Star Prizes are run in conjunction with the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists recognising excellence in agricultural journalism and photography and give Victorians a chance to compete on the world stage.
The Geelong Advertiser’s Peter Ristevski took out the top prize in the Australian Star Prize for Rural Photography for his picture of an owner and their horse being rescued after getting stuck in the mud.
The judges said Peter’s photo exquisitely captured a scene of desperation with the young owner cradling the head of the bogged horse in her arms.
Also announced at the breakfast was the winner of the Kubota Australian Star Prize for Rural Writing. Nathan Dyer was named as the national winner for a piece published in RM Williams Outback Magazine about the Ord River Irrigation Scheme.
The judges commented the writer demonstrated a great knowledge and understanding and had done wonderful research and was also able to tell a story in a way which captivated the reader.
For this honour, Nathan has won a trip to Argentina to represent Australia at the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists Congress.
Victorian journalists also took out the Online category of the Rabobank Australian Star Prize for Rural Broadcasting.
A joint entry from Lucy Barbour and Larissa Romensky on Victoria’s only female dog trapper was announced as a category winner and will now be judged on an international level.
Entries are submitted at a state level for the Star Prizes and winners are chosen to go onto represent Victoria at a national level of judging. The category winners in the national level are then judged against other entries from all over the world at the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists Congress.
State Level
Kubota Australian Star Prize for Rural Writing : Eliza Adamthwaite (Border Mail)
Rabobank Australian Star Prize for Rural Broadcasting:
Radio – Flint Duxfield (ABC)
TV – Tim Lee (ABC)
Online – Lucy Barbour and Larissa Romensky (ABC)
Australian Star Prize for Rural Photography:
People – Peter Ristevski (Geelong Advertiser)
Production – Steve Hynes (Warrnambool Standard)
Landscape – Ben Robson (Border Mail)
Victorian award recipients at a national level
Kubota Australian Star Prize for Rural Writing: Nathan Dyer (Freelance)
Rabobank Australian Star Prize for Rural Broadcasting – Online category: Lucy Barbour and Larissa Romensky (ABC)
Australian Star Prize for Rural Photography – People category and overall winner – Peter Ristevski (Geelong Advertiser)