Herald and NZME announce finalists in Voyager Media Awards 2019

NZME mastheads - The New Zealand Herald, Weekend Herald and Herald on Sunday. Photo / File

The Herald and NZME have received 56 nominations across the business in this year's Voyager Media Awards.

The Weekend Herald is the incumbent in the weekly newspaper of the year category after taking the top honour in 2018 and 2017.

The NZ Herald has also been nominated for newspaper of the year with a circulation of more than 30,000.

The Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post have both been nominated for newspaper of the year with a circulation of up to 30,000.

The Herald is also in contention for website of the year and best news website or app.

Both the Herald on Sunday and Hawke's Bay Today have received finalist nods for best newspaper front page.

Herald journalists have received two nominations for best team investigation for work produced during the health series Fair Care and the political examination of the appointment of Police Deputy Commissioner Wally Haumaha.

Meanwhile NZME has been nominated for the best innovation in storytelling for its Not for Sale campaign.

A number of Herald journalists including political, health, crime and opinion writers have also received nominations for their individual work.

Kirsty Johnston is a finalist in the general reporter of the year category while Sam Hurley, Nicholas Jones and Jared Savage have all been named finalists in the best single news story category. Herald photographer Brett Phibbs and Rotorua Daily Post photographer Ben Fraser are both finalists in photographer of the year.

More than 70 judges based in nine countries have co-judged the entries over the past five weeks to select the finalists from thousands of pieces of work.

All winners will be announced at a gala dinner in Auckland held on May 17.

The full list of nominations can be read here.