Jessica Halloran of The Australian has won the 10th Harry Gordon Australian Sports Journalist of the Year, sponsored by Chamption Data.

She won the award for a stand-out body of work across a range of mediums that included stories on the sexual abuse of young athletes and high-impact profiles.

Judges' citation

Jessica’s body of work was a clear stand out.

Her series of reports on ”Predator in the Vault” on sexual abuse of young athletes are now subject to various investigations.

Jessica displayed determination and the ability to earn the trust and respect of those involved, to finally get the story to print in painstaking detail.

Her Mollie O’Callaghan feature, in the lead up to the Paris Olympics, was a clever use of modern media techniques.

While her book on the life of former tennis star Jelena Dokic and the recent release of the documentary, in which she was co-director and co-writer, also delivered huge impact.

Jessica’s work was of the highest quality across a number of mediums.

The winning entry

• Predator In The Vault, The Weekend Australian, 14-15 December 2024
• ‘I was crying, begging’: sport chiefs face searing Parnov questions, The Australian, 16 December 2024
• Mollie's Magic, The Weekend Australian magazine, June 2024
• Unbreakable - the Jelena Dokic story, November 2024

Other finalists

Michael Gleeson, The Age

• Noah Lyles had a 100m problem. In four perfect steps, he solved it, The Age, 5 August 2024
• Screenshot found on Peter Bol’s phone contained doping information, The Age, 24 May 2024
• The Australian teenager who is already banking on winning Olympic gold – twice, The Age, 6 December 2024
• The investigation into how the Swans could be so dismal on grand final day must be unsparing, The Age, 29 September 2024
• The unravelling of former young AFL star Harley Balic, The Age, 25 April 2024

Will Swanton, The Australian

• Cricketer. Larrikin. Lifesaver: The redemption of Mitch Marsh, The Australian
• ‘I screamed. Loudly. It couldn’t be true’: a mother’s agony, The Australian
• Alexa Leary and the nightmare inside a Paralympics fairytale, The Australian
• Gold glory at 14, Trew story … like, what’s not to like?, The Australian
• Right man, right time, for all the right reasons, The Australian

Michael Warner, Herald Sun

• Demon Drug Bombshell, Herald Sun, 21 March 2024
• Footy Drugs 'Rort', Herald Sun, 27 March 2024
• Secret reports cleared Hawks, Herald Sun, 30 May 2024
• New Pies Racism Scandal, Herald Sun, 31 July 2024
• Harley Balic’s father Eddie slams AFL drugs secrecy amid Sport Integrity Australia probe, Herald Sun, 24 April 2024

This award carries an $8,000 prize, courtesy of Champion Data.