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Celebrating Excellence in Rural Storytelling

The Rural Press Club of Queensland has championed outstanding rural journalism for more than five decades. Our awards and scholarship recognise the journalists, photographers and digital storytellers who keep rural and regional Queensland’s voice alive — and support the next generation entering the profession.

Award Programs

Queensland Rural Media Awards (QRMA)

The RPC host the Queensland Rural Media Awards event in February each year in Brisbane. The awards recognise Queensland’s most outstanding journalists, photographers and digital producers for excellence in covering rural and regional stories and is one of the most prestigious accolades for rural media professionals in the state.

Awards are branded by the calendar year of the eligible work (e.g. the “2026 awards” recognise work published in 2026 and are presented in February 2027).

  • Eligibility

Open to working journalists and photographers who are current RPC members.

New members can sign up at the time of entering the awards - SIGN UP HERE

  • Eligible work

Stories and photographs published or broadcast in the prior calendar year (e.g. 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2026 for the 2026 awards to be announced in February 2027).

A single story may form one entry; one entry per category per journalist or team.

A story produced outside of Queensland is eligible to enter the awards if the story features a Queensland subject or content relevant to Queensland. For example a story published by the Sydney Morning Herald about the Paradise Dam located in Queensland is eligible to enter the awards.

  • Prizes

A travel bursary to support professional development, or a cash prize — made possible by sponsors

  • Announcement

The Queensland Rural Media Awards lunch will be on the third Friday in February each year at a venue located in Brisbane city.

  • Sponsors

Sponsors interested in supporting an award category should contact the Club for details.

  • Judging

Entries are assessed on how effectively the journalist uses their primary medium, scored 50% content, 25% style and 25% balanced objectivity

  • National pathway

Queensland winners progress as finalists for the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists (ACAJ) Star Prize awards for rural broadcasting, writing and photography. National Star Prize winners receive financial support towards attending the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) congress.


Winners of the Australian award entries progress to judging to be considered for an International Federation of Agricultural Journalists award.
 

The awards are structured around the categories below, with the winner of each category progressing to the final overall award.

The winner of each journalism category becomes a finalist for the overall Queensland Rural Story of the Year award.

Journalism category

  • Best written story published in print or online
  • Best video story produced for television
  • Best broadcast story produced for radio or podcast
  • Best single story told using multiple mediums (photo, audio, and video etc) in a digital format.

Photography Category

The winner of each photography category becomes a finalist for the overall Queensland Rural Photo of the Year award.

  • People photo
  • Landscape photo
  • Production photo

Queensland Young Journalist

One recipient will receive the Queensland Young Journalist of the Year award.
 

Nomination Forms

Queensland Rural Journalism Award

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Queensland Rural Journalism Student Scholarship

Each year the RPC supports one university student to pursue a career in rural and agricultural media. The scholarship provides a $5,000 cash award — to be used by the recipient as they choose — together with the opportunity to network with and learn from Queensland’s leading rural journalists.

The recipient will receive mentoring support from the RPC committee and invited to attend RPC events throughout the year, to interview event speakers and prepare an article to be published on the RPC website.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Currently enrolled in a journalism or communication course at a Queensland university
  • Able to demonstrate prior involvement, commitment, understanding and/or a genuine interest in Queensland’s rural and regional communities
  • A passion for and motivation to transition to a career in rural journalism or agriculture communications upon graduation
  • An Australian citizen or permanent resident, aged 25 years or under

The RPC Selection Committee’s decision is final. 

The scholarship recipient will be announced during the Queensland Rural Media Awards in February.

Past winners

2025 Queensland Rural Media Award Winners

Queensland Rural Journalism Award

  • Radio - Lydia Burton and Eric Barker, Beef Central - ‘The Week in Beef: Top trends that define 2025 “the Goldilocks years” podcast’.
  • Multimedia - Eric Barker, Beef Central - ‘‘Stressless’ loading ramp applies fresh thinking to an old challenge’
  • Print - Judith Maizey - ‘Project stalls over EPBC’
  • Television - ABC Landline team - 2025 Western Queensland Floods coverage: Executive Producer: Cathie Schnitzerling, Pip Courtney, Halina Baczkowski, Aaron Kelly, Laura Lavelle, Arianna Levy, Maddelin McCosker, Kristy Sexton-McGrath, John Taylor, Jenny Woodward, Glen Armstrong, Dean Caton, Russel Talbot, Pete Murray, Lisa Domrow, Kathy Dean, Joanne Tolsher, Peter Mullins

Queensland Rural Story of the Year

ABC TV Landline - 2025 Western Queensland Floods - Executive Producer: Cathie Schnitzerling, Pip Courtney, Halina Baczkowski, Aaron Kelly, Laura Lavelle, Arianna Levy, Maddelin McCosker, Kristy Sexton-McGrath, John Taylor, Jenny Woodward, Glen Armstrong, Dean Caton, Russel Talbot, Pete Murray, Lisa Domrow, Kathy Dean, Joanne Tolsher, Peter Mullins

Queensland Rural Photography Award

  • People - Shan Goodwin — 'For the love of cows'
  • Production - Fiona Lake — 'Caught in the dry - Bull Catching'
  • Landscape - Fiona Lake — 'Cleanskins winding down the jump-up'

Queensland Rural Photographer of the Award

Fiona Lake — 'Caught in the dry - Bull Catching'

Young Queensland Rural Journalist of the Year

Hannah Walsh

RPCQ Student Scholarship Award

Milly Buck

2024 Queensland Rural Media Award Winners

Queensland Rural Journalism Award

  • Radio - Kalle Buchanan from ABC Queensland Country Hour for Lightbulb Lupins
  • Multimedia - Maddelin McCosker and Abbey Halter from ABC Western Queensland for Endometriosis battle harder for rural women
  • Print - Sally Gall from Queensland Country Life for Ticked off
  • Television - Halina Backzkowski from ABC TV Landline for Lightbulb Lupins

Queensland Rural Story of the Year

Maddelin McCosker and Abbey Halter from ABC Western Queensland for Endometriosis battle harder for rural women.

Queensland Rural Photography Award

  • People - Ashton Brown from The Guardian for Grazier Jim Diekmann with lost sheep to wild dogs
  • Production - Mandy McKeesick from Opal Heart Media for Goats of Gold
  • Landscape - Paula Heelan from The Showcase for A Chilly Start

Queensland Rural Photo Award

Mandy McKeesick from Opal Heart Media for Goats of Gold.

Young Queensland Rural Journalist of the Year

Meg Bolton from ABC Landline.

2023 Queensland Rural Media Award Winners

Queensland Rural Journalism Award

  • Radio - Angel Parsons from Triple J Hack for Daughters for farm succession
  • Multimedia - Tobi Loftus from ABC News for Climate-change changing Queensland
  • Print - Lucy Kinbacher, Sally Gall, Helen Walker and Ben Harden from Queensland Country Life for their Special report during National Road Safety Week about Queensland roads.
  • Television - Pip Courtney from ABC TV Landline for Cows for Cambodia

Queensland Rural Story of the Year

Pip Courtney from ABC TV Landline for Cows for Cambodia

Queensland Rural Photography Award

  • People - Sally Gall for her photo of Long Paddock Legend and drover Terry Hall published on the front page of the Queensland Country Life with the headline Where’s the water?
  • Production - David Martinelli for his image titled Ruling the chicken roost published by the Sunday Mail.
  • Landscape - Paula Heelan for her image of Ochre pits West MacDonnell Ranges published by Outback magazine with the headline Art of country.

Queensland Rural Photo Award

Sally Gall from Qld Country Life for her photo of Long Paddock Legend and drover Terry Hall

Young Queensland Rural Journalist of the Year

Harry Clarke Country Caller

2022 Queensland Rural Media Award Winners

Queensland Rural Journalism Award

  • Radio - Sunshine Coast based ABC reporter Jennifer Nicholls, for her stories about the Mary River flooding
  • Digital Online - Elly Bradfield, senior producer with ABC Rural Queensland
  • Print - Eric Barker from AgCarbon Central for the Carbon Agriculture series
  • Television - Halina Backzowski from ABC Landline for Ability Agriculture

Queensland Rural Story of the Year

Halina Backzowski from ABC Landline for Ability Agriculture

Queensland Rural Photography Award

  • People - Allie Lee from Bush Journal for Visions of Home
  • Production - Brian Cassey for Fall armyworm
  • Landscape - Lisa Alexander from Bush Journal for the channel country comes alive

Queensland Rural Photographer of the Year

Lisa Alexander from Bush Journal for the channel country comes alive

Young Queensland Rural Journalist of the Year

Lucy Kinbacher, Queensland Country Life

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