Guardian Australia’s Matilda Boseley wins major award at 2026 Walkley mid-year media prizes

Guardian Australia’s Matilda Boseley has taken out one of the top honours at the 2026 Walkley mid-year media prizes. Photograph: Lisa Favazzo/The Guardian View image in fullscreen Guardian Australia’s Matilda Boseley has taken out one of the top honours at the 2026 Walkley mid-year media prizes. Photograph: Lisa Favazzo/The Guardian Guardian Australia’s Matilda Boseley wins major award at 2026 Walkley mid-year media prizes Boseley won for her high-profile, multiplatform political explainer series, Parliamen-Tea: explaining the chaos of Australian politics Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Guardian Australia’s Matilda Boseley has taken out one of the top honours at the 2026 Walkley mid-year media prizes, winning the award for innovative storytelling. Boseley won for her high-profile, multiplatform political explainer series, Parliamen-Tea: explaining the chaos of Australian politics , engaging a younger generation in national policy debate. The category recognises journalism that breaks standard structural moulds to reach and inform audiences through dynamic digital platforms and creative production formats. Boseley was recognised for her fast-paced commentary, clear graphic breakdowns and accessible short-form video storytelling, stripping complex federal legislation, budget measures and shifting party dynamics into engaging visual journalism. The Sydney Morning Herald’s Riley Walter took home the top accolade of the night, named the John B Fairfax family young Australian journalist of the year. Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email A rising force in crime investigation journalism, Walter also won the short-form journalism and specialist and beat reporting categories for his series of investigations, including a staff ring that allegedly defrauded the NAB of $150m. The ABC Four Corners team of Louise Milligan, Mary Fallon, Mayeta Clark and Lara Sonnenschein won the women’s leadership in media prize for the investigation titled Scarred, exposing systemic institutional failures through deeply personal accounts of women’s experiences with trauma and inequality. Allow Instagram content? This article includes content provided by Instagram . We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue' . Allow and continue The ABC was also recognised in the Our Watch award for excellence in reporting on violence against women, with Claudia Long, Chantelle Al-Khouri and Hannah Meagher winning for the 7.30 reports on sexual predators within the driving instructors industry. In the science and environment reporting category, the ABC’s Tom Hartley was recognised for his multiplatform investigation on vitamin B6. Independent journalist Nina Funnell won the freelance journalist of the year prize for her news.com.au campaign, Keep Counselling Confidential. The investigation campaigned to protect the legal privacy of assault survivor