The Graham Perkin Australian Journalist of the Year Award is the most coveted prize in Australian journalism. The winner receives a $20,000 prize, a certificate and permanent recognition for excellence. The Perkin is independently administered by the Melbourne Press Club, which appoints the judges. The award is sponsored by The Age and Virgin Australia.
Richard Baker & Nick McKenzie were jointly named the 2017 Australian Journalist of the Year for a body of work that included reporting on Chinese influence over Australian politics, and the Victorian Lobster with a Mobster scandal.
The award was presented at the 2017 Quill Awards for Excellence in Victorian Journalism at Crown Palladium on 16 March 2018.