Exciting times for young reporter Shannon Redstall

Shannon Redstall reporting on the royal wedding in Windsor, England.

It has been a big month for former Kāpiti College head girl Shannon Redstall.

Not only did she win the Best New Broadcaster / On Air award in the NZ Radio Awards, but she's also covered Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in Windsor, England.

Winning the award was an exciting moment for The AM Show reporter/producer.

"I was absolutely gobsmacked and ecstatic.

"The moment was made extra special because my colleague Amanda Gillies was the presenter to announce it.

"We have worked really closely together over the last 18 months and she has been a great mentor to me.

"So hearing how proud she was really topped it off."

Covering the royal wedding has been one of her career highlights.

"It has been an incredible experience to travel overseas and work with a team of other journalists from Newshub.

"The interview opportunities have also been incredible and having the chance to report live from such a global news event is beyond what I thought possible for me at 23."

It was while at college that Shannon thought about a career in broadcasting after a teacher [Ruth Hogg] suggested the idea.

"She said 'I think you would be really good at that' and the thought never really left my mind."

Shannon studied Broadcast Journalism at the New Zealand Broadcasting School in Christchurch, before moving to Auckland in 2016 for a six month internship at Radiolive.

After her internship finished she was hired as a reporter for Newshub.co.nz before being offered a job on The AM Show when it started in February 2017.

Shannon loves the challenge, pressure, responsibility and variety of her job, which begins early each day of the working week.

"My alarm goes off at 2.45am and I'm in the office, ready to go at 3.30am.

"The first thing I do is have a look at the major New Zealand and international news websites to see what the big stories of the day are going to be.

"From here, I am responsible for a number of different segments in the show, including the panel and five things you are waking up to.

"Then I'm either out in the field reporting on a news story, playing 9 In 10 or helping the show go to air.

"After the show finishes, we have a debrief meeting at 9.15am where we talk through the show from that morning and look ahead to start planning for the next day.

"From there, we will be assigned an interview segment, with a topic and a number of potential interviewees we would like and we start prepping for the next morning.

"It's non-stop but I love it."

Kāpiti College principal Tony Kane was impressed with Shannon's award.

"Shannon had a confidence and ease with other people from early days.

"I remember her running a Christmas Carol singalong for Year 10s when she was only 14.

"Her ability to get 250 teenagers all singing along and classes enthusiastically competing against each other was simply extraordinary.

"She became head girl in her final year with an overwhelming vote from the students.

"She was inspirational in that role, always bubbly and enthusiastic, and with a knack for seeing the younger student who needed a kind word and to be drawn into things.

"She is an excellent communicator and genuinely nice person and I can see how that would work in the media."