Brisbane to host annual Walkley Awards until 2018

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk today announced Queensland had secured the prestigious The Walkley Awards in Brisbane from 2016 to 2018.

 The Premier said the awards recognised the best of Australian journalism.

 “A robust media is the cornerstone of our democracy and we know Queensland’s proud history of journalism excellence,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

 “We are approaching the 30^th anniversary of Phil Dickie’s expose in The Courier-Mail on corruption in Queensland, Chris Masters’ Four Corners report “The Moonlight State” and the subsequent Fitzgerald Inquiry.

 Phil Dickie was awarded the Gold Walkley in 1987 and Chris Masters, also honoured with a Gold Walkley (in 1985), was also recognised.

 Tourism and Major Events Minister Kate Jones said this year's Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism would take place at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on 2 December 2016, bringing the country's leading media outlets, executives and journalists to Queensland.

 “We are delighted to welcome such a significant event back to Brisbane and host Australia's media in Queensland,” Ms Jones said.

 “The Walkley Awards has been the gold standard for journalism for the past 60 years and is the pinnacle of achievement for the Australian media.”

 Walkley Foundation Trustee Chair Quentin Dempster said: “We're delighted to bring the Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism to Brisbane, a city with a tradition of powerful journalism.

“Through this partnership the Queensland Government is demonstrating its continuing commitment to quality, independent journalism as fundamental to a robust, accountable democracy.”

Ms Jones said business events such as the Walkley Awards were important drivers of tourism for the state.

 “Queensland had a 17 per cent increase in domestic business-related visitors to close to 4.5 million in the year to March 2016,” she said.

 “Of those business visitors, Brisbane welcomed close to 1.4 million, an increase of 13 per cent on the previous year.

 “I welcome the partnership between Tourism and Events Queensland and the Walkley Foundation for securing this event for Brisbane through to 2018.”

For more information or to nominate in this year’s Awards, please visit the Walkley Awards website.

Media: Matt Jutsum 0408 998 940