The Seven Network’s 7NEWS and 7NEWS Spotlight were recognised at the 2026 Kennedy Awards for Excellence in Journalism held in Sydney on Friday night.
7NEWS Melbourne’s crime reporter Cassie Zervos took out Scoop of the Year for breaking the news of Dezi Freeman’s death after a 216-day manhunt.
While on maternity leave, Zervos received a tip-off that police had located Freeman and learned, within minutes, that he had been fatally shot.
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She dropped everything to travel to the remote Victorian property and went on to lead 7NEWS’ coverage of the major unfolding story in the days that followed.
Crime Editor Cassie Zervos took out Scoop of the Year. Credit: The Morning Show 7NEWS Spotlight’s Michael Usher, Gemma Williams, Phil Goyen and Ben Fogarty were recognised with the award for Outstanding Television Current Affairs Reporting – Long Form for Face to Face with My Children’s Killer, a deeply moving documentary that gave voice to a family’s extraordinary journey through grief and forgiveness.
With more than 27 million views worldwide, the special followed grieving father Danny Abdallah as he came face-to-face in prison with the man responsible for killing his three children and their cousin in one of Australia’s most heartbreaking road tragedies.
Cameraman Nicholas Castellaro, who was on the ground for 7NEWS during the Bondi terror attack, was awarded Outstanding News Camera Coverage for his raw and courageous vision of the tragedy as it unfolded.
His footage captured one of Australia’s most significant breaking news events, demonstrating exceptional composure and journalistic instinct in the face of extraordinary danger.
7NEWS cameraman and video journalist James Cannon was a finalist in the same category for his reporting from the Iran-Lebanon conflict, delivering powerful, firsthand images from one of the world’s most dangerous and complex news environments.
The team behind Kiss & Kill, Alison Sandy, Marc Wright, Cassie Woodward, Jason Blandford and Katrina Blowers were awarded the Outstanding Reporting on Human Rights, Social or Religious Affairs Award for their 10-part investigative podcast series that shone a light on so-called “killer narcissists” and explored the prevalence and patterns of domestic violence, combining long-form audio storytelling with broadcast journalism to push the issue into mainstream conversation.
RMIT journalism student Mia Catugno was named the recipient of Kennedy Foundation Scholarship.
Monash University journalism student and 7NEWS Melbourne reporter Ava Cashmore was awarded Student Journalist of the Year for her body of work.
Kiss & Kill, Alison Sandy, Marc Wright, Cassie Woodward, Jason Blandford and Katrina Blowers were awarded the Outstanding Reporting on Human Rights, Social or Religious Affairs Award. Credit: 7NEWS Sarah Stinson was selected by the Kennedy Foundation Board as this year’s recipient of the Cliff Neville Award for Outstanding Team Player or Mentor, recognising her impact on the industry and the countless people she has supported throughout her career.
As Seven’s Director of Morning Television, Stinson is known for her passion, leadership and unwavering belief in people, helping shape the culture behind Australia’s number one breakfast television brands Sunrise, Weekend Sunrise and The Morning Show.
Accepting the award, Stinson told the room: “To receive an award that carries Cliff’s name is an extraordinary honour… Leadership is seeing something in someone before they can see it in themselves.
“I care enormously about the people I work with. I want them to be ambitious, I want them to feel the same passion I do after so long in this industry. And as they so often do, I want them to walk into my office with ideas far better than mine,” she said.
The Kennedy Awards honours follow last week’s TV WEEK Logie Award for Best News Coverage, recognising the outstanding work of the 7NEWS and Sunrise teams in delivering compassionate, trusted coverage of the Bondi terror attack.
“This recognition reflects the breadth and quality of journalism being produced across Seven’s News & Current Affairs division every day. Our teams are committed to informing Australians with accuracy, integrity and impact,” Seven’s Director of News & Current Affairs, Ray Kuka, said.
“We’re incredibly proud of all our winners and finalists tonight and the many colleagues behind the scenes who contribute in countless ways to these successes.”
The Kennedy Awards are among Australia’s most prestigious journalism awards. Established in 2011 in memory of respected crime reporter Les Kennedy, they celebrate excellence across 35 categories spanning reporting, storytelling, camerawork, photography and editorial leadership.