Winner: Alex Lim, ABC News, “The mullet is alive and well in AFL”

Judges’ citation:

This innovative piece exemplifies digital innovation in journalism through its creative use of computational methods and engaging storytelling. The journalist, Alex Lim, used AI and image recognition software to visually analyse hundreds of AFL players’ hairstyles but also effectively used TikTok to share this Australian cultural phenomenon. His computational approach transformed a manually impossible task into an efficient data collection process, while his TikTok presence demonstrated skillful adaptation for social media platforms. The story’s success is evident in its broad appeal, engaging readers regardless of their interest in AFL or hairstyles. By applying data journalism techniques to pop culture, the piece achieved that rare combination of technical excellence, editorial innovation, and genuine audience engagement.

Highly Commended:

Visual Stories Team, The Age, “Faster, higher, stronger series”

The Visual Stories Team and Shane Wright, The Age, “AI language models - Budget speeches analysis”

Shortlisted:

Aisha Dow, The Age Visual Stories Team and Julia Carr-Catzel, The Age, “Scam-finding bot”