The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald received 21 finalist nominations in the 2026 Kennedy Awards for Excellence in Journalism [1], [2].

These nominations signal a strong period of reporting for the two publications, highlighting their influence in the Australian media landscape through diverse storytelling and investigative work.

The Kennedy Awards are designed to recognize excellence in journalism from a wide array of professionals, including reporters, photographers, editors, and artists [3]. The high number of nominations for these two outlets suggests a concentrated level of editorial success across various beats and mediums.

An editor from The Age said the publications have been recognized with 21 finalist nominations in this year’s awards [1]. The nominations span a variety of categories, reflecting the breadth of the newsrooms' current output.

A reporter said the awards recognize excellence from reporters, photographers, editors, and artists across diverse subjects [3]. This multidisciplinary approach is central to the criteria used by the Kennedy Awards to identify the top tier of journalistic achievement in the region.

The 2026 awards cycle continues to evaluate the finalists based on their contributions to public discourse and the technical quality of their reporting. The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald remain among the most nominated entities in this year's competition [1], [2].

“The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald have been recognised with 21 finalist nominations”

The concentration of 21 nominations within two related publications underscores the dominance of these legacy media brands in Australia's professional journalism circuit. By securing a high volume of finalist spots across multiple disciplines, from photography to editing, these outlets demonstrate a comprehensive operational strength that allows them to compete across the entire spectrum of the Kennedy Awards' categories.