John Ferguson of The Australian has won the Scoop of the Year Quill with “Police investigate mass poisoning in Leongatha”.

Judges’ citation

John Ferguson’s reporting was the spark that lit the fuse on the story that gripped Melbourne in 2023 – the mushroom deaths. John’s initial story was immediate, detailed, and intriguing. It blended old-fashioned journalism with the demands of a relentless news cycle.

Knowing it had secured a major scoop, The Australian rushed to publish John’s story online on a Saturday morning, prompting newsrooms around the country and across the globe to follow what was to be the most talked-about story of the year.

This report forced Victoria Police to reveal more details about its investigation, such was the level of interest. John followed his initial report with a series of exclusives, including a one-on-one interview with the woman at the centre of the story.

Highly Commended

Dan Oakes, ABC News, “The mushroom deaths”

Cameron Stewart, The Australian, “Red Sea Warship”

Shortlisted

Benita Kolovos and Paul Karp, Guardian Australia, “Lidia Thorpe quits Greens party to pursue black sovereignty”