Winners  |  Categories  |  Rules  |  Forms 2011 Rural Press Club of Victoria Journalism and Photography Awards Dinner A journey to Africa helped Alison Wynd of the Geelong Advertiser take out Journalist of the Year at this year's RPCV Journalism and Photography Awards. Ms Wynd wrote the eight page special report after travelling with a group of Geelong district residents to Mannya, as a guest of the Cotton On Foundation. The judges described the lift out as "a stand out piece of journalism". Jeremy Bannister of The Courier, Ballarat took out Photographer of the Year. He was singled out for his "dramatic and compelling" photography of the Victorian floods. Over 100 guests attended the awards dinner on Friday, 26 August. As well as finding out the winners of the coveted awards, guests were entertained by veteran journalist John Hamilton, who shared stories of his exploits which ranged from an audience with the King of Tonga to following Jimmy Carter on his campaign trail. The winners list BEST REGIONAL NEWS STORY Sponsored by Telstra WINNER Darren Linton Shepparton News "Muto faces the sack" HIGHLY COMMENDED Danny Lannen Geelong Advertiser "Geelong's walk" COMMENDED Kristy McDonald The Spectator, Hamilton "Legs up, who's had a pap smear lately?" Carlene Dowie and Kathryn Duxbury Carisbrook Mercury "Carisbrook floods" Andrew Mole The Weekly Times "Ducks pay the bills" BEST RURAL NEWS STORY Sponsored by Victorian Farmers Federation WINNER Fiona Myers The Weekly Times "Roll barred" HIGHLY COMMENDED Andrew Mole The Weekly Times "It's a fruitless task" Leslie White The Weekly Times "Down, down" Cathy Walker Shepparton News "Political bullets fly" BEST FEATURE STORY OR SERIES – ALL MEDIA Sponsored by TAC WINNER Greg Muller ABC Rural, Bush Telegraph "Alpine cattle return to the national park" series HIGHLY COMMENDED Kristy McDonald  The Spectator, Hamilton "Road safety" series Andrew Mole The Weekly Times "Mission fades as time blows by" BEST ONLINE STORY Sponsored by Rural Finance WINNER The Courier Online, Ballarat "The January floods" HIGHLY COMMENDED BEST ONLINE STORY Lucy Nash ABC Gippsland "Diary of a Showgirl" Rebecca McLaren ABC Local Radio, Horsham "Rain Reshapes Grampians National Park" BEST EDITING, SUB EDITING OR DESIGN Sponsored by Department of Sustainability and Environment WINNER Natalee Ward Farm magazine, The Weekly Times "Where the wild things are", "Out for a duck", "French polish" HIGHLY COMMENDED BEST EDITING, SUB EDITING OR DESIGN Travis Kennedy Home and Farm magazines, The Weekly Times "Factory Worker" and "Hip Hops" Mark Bogue The Weekly Times "Party Poopers", "Pollie has a crack", "A horse walks into a bar …" BEST AGRICULTURE STORY Sponsored by Dairy Australia WINNER Tim Lee ABC Television, Landline "Empire of the Sons" Highly COMMENDED Ebony Piera WIN News "McCain price dispute" COMMENDED Gemma Gadd The Weekly Times "High way or Subway for Wagyu" BEST VIDEO VISION Sponsored by Currie Communications WINNER Julian Fisher Nine Network "Rochester's worst ever flood" BEST NEWS PHOTOGRAPH Sponsored by CBH WINNER Yuri Kouzmin The Weekly Times "Blood Bath" HIGHLY COMMENDED Jeremy Bannister The Courier, Ballarat "Deluge" BEST FEATURE /GENERAL INTEREST PHOTOGRAPH Sponsored by Redstick Strategic Communications WINNER Alex Ellinghausen The Bendigo Advertiser "Locust cleanup" HIGHLY COMMENDED Kate Healy Wimmera Mail Times "Cultures Combine" THE RAY FRAWLEY AWARD – YOUNG JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR Alex Sinnott The Warnambool Standard "Federal Election 2010" JUDGES SPECIAL AWARD Sponsored by NAB WINNER Alison Wynd Geelong Advertiser "A Journey into Africa" HIGHLY COMMENDED John M. Lewis Shepparton News "Billy Bell" Tim Lee ABC Television, Landline "Rodeo Juniors" PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR Sponsored by RACV Jeremy Bannister, The Courier, Ballarat JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR Sponsored by RoyalAuto Alison Wynd Geelong Advertiser 2011 RPCV award sponsors 2011 Rural Journalism & Photography Awards have now closed The Rural Press Club of Victoria's 2011 Rural Journalism & Photography Awards are now open. The awards recognise excellence in agricultural and rural journalism & photography, in both the print and electronic media. They are open to all journalists and photographers who have covered rural issues in Victoria and the Riverina in 2010-11. Entries must be submitted by Friday, 8 July. Winners will be announced on Friday, 26 August at the Awards dinner at the Hilton on the Park, Melbourne. Download entry details and form here 2010 RPCV Journalism and Photography Awards The Rural Press Club of Victoria's 2010 Rural Journalism & Photography Awards recognise excellence in agricultural and rural journalism & photography, in both the print and electronic media. Over 130 guests gathered at the Hilton on the Park, East Melbourne on Friday, 27 August for the annual 2010 rural and regional journalism and photography awards dinner. We are grateful for our 2010 sponsors. They include: 1. Telstra (Best regional news story) 2. VFF (Best rural news story) 3. TAC (Best feature story or series - all media) 4. AWB (Best editing, sub editing or design) 5. Dairy Australia (Best agricultural story) 6. CBH Grain (Best news photograph) 7. Coretext (Best feature/general interest photograph) 8. Melbourne Wholesale Fruit, Vegetable and Flower Markets (Best video vision) 9. NAB (Judges Special Award) 10. RACV (Photographer of the Year) 11. RoyalAuto (Journalist of the Year) For a full list of winners and commended, please click here. Journalist of the year 2010: Tim Lee, Landline, ABC Television with sponsor Jeremy Bourke from RACV/RoyalAuto and Minister Joe Helper Photographer of the year 2010: Alex Ellinghausen, The Advertiser (Bendigo) with sponsor Jeremy Bourke from RACV/RoyalAuto and Minister Joe Helper Judges special award 2010: Sarah Hudson, The Weekly Times accepts her award from Roger Gaudion, NAB Agribusiness Judges Special Award 2010: Natalee Ward, The Weekly Times, accepts her award from Roger Gaudion, NAB Agribusiness. The Ray Frawley Award - Young Journalist of the Year 2010 Alex Sinnott, The Standard, Warrnambool, accepts his award from Mary Frawley Best video vision 2010: Michael Arena, WIN News, Victoria (Pictured is Stephen Marshall collecting the award on behalf of Michael) with sponsor David Fussell from Melbourne Wholesale Fruit, Vegetable and Flower Market Best feature/general interest photograph 2010 Zoe Phillips, The Weekly Times accepts her award from Brad Collis of Coretext Best news photograph 2010: Nigel Hallett, The Colac Herald, accepts his award from Peter Ainsworth, CBH Grain Best agriculture story 2010: Darren Gray, The Age, accepts his award from Felicity Gallagher, Dairy Australia Best sub editing 2010: Richard Bryce, on behalf of the Newsroom at the Shepparton News. This award was sponsored by AWB Limited Best feature story or series 2010: Tim Lee, ABC Television, Landline, accepts his award from Emily Bogue, TAC Best rural news story 2010: Ed Gannon, editor of The Weekly times, accepts the award on behalf of winner Andrew Mole of the Weekly Times from Brendan Rowswell, VFF Best regional news story 2010: Angela Carey, editor of the The Courier, Ballarat, accepts the award from Paul Crisp, Telstra, on Kim's behalf.