The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Media Awards were established in 2002 to recognise excellence in Australian sports journalism and broadcasting. The awards focus on analytical and insightful reporting and the presentation of sport and sporting issues. The awards are the only dedicated sports media awards in Australia. The Walkley Awards do have several sports categories.
The most prestigious award is the Lifetime Achievement Award that recognises exceptional service to sports journalism over an extended period of time. This award is determined by the Sport Australia Board.
Lifetime Achievement Award YearJournalist2002Harry Gordon2003Norman May2004Johnny Warren2005Alan Trengove2006Ian Heads2007Mike Gibson2008Bruce McAvaney2009Les Murray2010Caroline Wilson2011Roy Masters2012Peter Wilkins2013Ron Reed2014Ken Sutcliffe2015Mike Coward2016Rebecca WilsonRebecca Wilson honoured with ASC Lifetime Achievement Award for media 3/11/2018.2017Debbie Spillane2018Dennis Cometti2019Karen Tighe2020Jim Maxwell2021Mike Sheahan2022Tracey Holmes2023Ray Warren2024Margie McDonald2025Phil Hillyard
Best Reporting of an Issue in Australian Sport
YearJournalistsComments2002Kate McClymont and Anne Davies (Sydney Morning Herald) Bulldogs salary cap scandal2003Kyle Patterson (SBS)Soccer's Crawford Reform Process.2004Michael Davis (The Australian) His Fragile Brilliance (James Hird)2005Neil Jameson (Inside Sport) ‘Professional Foul’ 2006Nick McCallum (Fox Footy)'Blowing the whistle'2007Robert Drane and Ian Kennins (Inside Sport)Goodbye Grassroots2008Gerard Ryle and Jacquelin Magnay (Sydney Morning Herald)Firepower2009Mike Hurst (Daily Telegraph)Caster Semenya2010Adrian Proszenko, Brad Walter, Greg Prichard and others (Fairfax Media)Thunderstruck 2011Greg Prichard and Chris Barrett (Sydney Morning Herald) Want a Bet?2012Daniel Lane (Fairfax Media)'For 30 years, they had a monster in their midst' 2013Andrew Holden (The Age)Essendon FC drug scandal 2014Michael Warner, Mark Robinson and Chip Le Grand (Herald Sun and The Australian) Essendon drugs scandal2015Caro Meldrum-Hanna, Sam Clark and Max Murch (ABC Four Corners) ‘Making a killing’ 2016Nick Tabakoff (Daily Telegraph)Gotcha: The Parramatta Eels Salary Cap Scandal2017Louise Milligan, Lisa McGregor and Trish Drum (ABC Four Corners) ‘After the Game’,2018Leo Schlink (Herald Sun)'The big fix'2019Shark Island ProductionsThe Final Quarter2020Jessica Halloran and Julian Linden, The Australian and The Daily Telegraph'On Thin Ice: Katia's Story'2021Selina Steele, Michael Cain, Julian Linden Adrian Arciuli, Anna Henderson, Abdullah Alikhil Tackling abuse in football, The Daily TelegraphThe Taliban Takeover, SBS2022Julian Linden News CorpSwimming takes the plunge2023David Mark, ABC News Scott Gullan, Herald SunThe investigation into paedophile rock climbing coach Stephen Mitchell Peter Bol drugs scandal2024Julian Linden, News Corp‘China's secret doping cover-up’ 2025Jessica Halloran and Stephen Rice, The AustralianThe abuse of athletes, including Olympic gold medallist Nina Kennedy, by pole vault coach Alex Parnov.
Best Coverage of a Sporting Event YearJournalistsCoverage title20051197 RPH AdelaideSouth Australian National Football League (SANFL).2006SBS 2007Nine NetworkAmazing Adelaide2008SBSCycling2009Inside Sport2010Broadcast Media - Nine Network Print Media - Sydney Morning HeraldState of Origin 2010 Sport coverage2011Broadcast Media - SBS Print Media - (The Sunday Telegraph) Cycling Sport coverage2012Broadcast Media - Fox Sports Print Media - The Sunday Age 2011-12 KFC T20 Big Bash League Winners, sinners, grinners 2013Broadcast Media - Fox Sports Digital Media - Toby Forage SBS Rugby 2013 Tour de France2014Sporting Event - Network Ten Digital Media - Fox Sports and News Corporation) Big Bash Cricket Network Sport — ‘Taking the world game to every Australian’2015 Sporting Event - The Age Digital Media - cricket.com.au 2014 AFL grand final 2015 Ashes test series2016Sporting Event - Network Ten Digital Media - Seven Network2015-16 Big Bash League Olympics on 72017Sporting Event - Fox Sports Digital Media - Seven Network Horn v Pacquiao – World Title’ ‘Summer of 7Tennis 2017’2018 Sporting Event - Seven Network 2018 Commonwealth Games2019The Age & The Sydney Morning Herald2019 Ashes series2020 Sporting Event - Fox Sports Australia Boxing Day Test2021 Sporting Event - Seven NetworkTokyo 2020 Olympics2022News CorpCommonwealth Games, Birmingham2023Optus Sport2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup2024Nine Network News CorpParis 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games2025Seven Network Bathurst 1000
Best Individual Sport Coverage YearJournalists2006Robert Drane (Inside Sport)2007Michael Dodge (Herald Sun)2008Will Swanton (Fairfax Media)2009Gerard Whateley (ABC)2010 Broadcast Media - Gerard Whateley (ABC) Print Media - Mike Colman (The Courier-Mail)2011Broadcast Media - Michael Tomalaris (SBS) Print Media -David Sygall (The Sun-Herald) 2012Broadcast Media - Gerard Whateley (ABC) and (Fox Sports) Print Media - Richard Hinds (Sydney Morning Herald) 2013Television - Gerard Whateley (Fox Footy and ABC) Print Media - Caroline Wilson (The Age) Radio - Gerard Whateley (ABC 2014Television - Gerard Whateley (ABC) and Fox Footy) Radio - Gerard Whateley (Grandstand AFL) Print Media - Will Swanton (The Australian) 2015Broadcast Media - Gerard Whateley (ABC and Fox Footy) Print media - Will Swanton (The Australian) Digital Media - David Weiner (Fox Sports)2016Broadcast Media - Bruce McAvaney (Seven Network) Print Media - Will Swanton (The Australian) Digital Media - Jack Kerr (freelancer)2017Broadcast Media - Kelli Underwood (Fox Sports and ABC) Print Media - Konrad Marshall (Good Weekend Magazine)2018Broadcast Media - Lucy Zelic (Special Broadcasting Service) Print Media - Andrew Webster (The Sydney Morning Herald) Digital - Michael Chammas (NRL.com)2019Broadcast Media - Gerard Whateley (SEN Radio and Fox Footy) Print Media - Konrad Marshall (Good Weekend) Digital - Mary Konstantopoulos (Ladies Who League)2020Audio - Quentin Hull, ABC Radio Written -Peter Badel, The Courier-Mail Video - Joint winners: Zac Bailey, NRL.com and Kelli Underwood, ABC and Fox Sports Australia2021Audio - Neroli Meadows, Ordineroli Speaking Video - David Culbert, Seven Network Written - Phil Lutton, The Sydney Morning Herald 2022Audio - Neroli Meadows, Ordineroli Speaking Written - Phil Lutton, The Sydney Morning Herald Written - Peter Badel, News Corp2023Broadcast - Gerard Whateley, SEN / Fox Footy Written - Tom Decent, The Sydney Morning Herald2024Broadcast - Corbin Middlemas, ABC Sport Written -Will Swanton, The Australian 2025Broadcast - Bruce McAvaney - Seven Network / SBS Written - Peter Badel – The Courier Mail
Best Sport Profile YearJournalistsStory coverage2005Angus Fontaine (Inside Cricket) The Warrior Within’ (Justin Langer)2006Broadcast Media - Ben Cheshire (ABC Australian Story) Print Media - Peter Lalor (The Australian) 'One Perfect Day' (Death of cyclist Amy Gillett) 'Mongrel Streak'2007Broadcast Media - Wendy Page and Ian Harley (ABC Australian Story) Print Media - Anthony Sharwood Alpha Magazine 'Man of the Century' (Barry 'Nugget' Rees) 'Running for his life'2008Broadcast Media - (ABC Australian Story) Print - Media - Caroline Wilson (The Age)'She's not there' (Sally Robbins) 'How football failed one of its own'2009Broadcast Media - Roger Carter (ABC Australian Story) Print Media - Jessica Halloran (Fairfax Media) 'When We Were Racers' (Sir Jack Brabham) 'Jelena Dokic'2010Broadcast Media - John Taylor (ABC) Print Media - Amanda Hooton (Good Weekend Magazine) 'Boxing hopeful' (Dane Mulivai) 'Mark Webber – Mark 1’2011Broadcast Media - Mary Gearin(ABC 7.30 Report) Print Media - Robert Drane (Inside Sport) 'Mick and David' (Mick Malthouse and David Buttifant) 'Bloodlines' (Adam Goodes)2012Broadcast Media - Denise Reardon (Fox Sports) Print Media - Paul Connolly (The Global Mail)Profiles: Julian Huxley ‘The fastest man you've never heard of’ (Josh Ross)2013Broadcast Media - Caitlin Shea and Roger Carter (ABC) Print Media - Wayne Smith (The Australian) Know Thy Enemy That Sinking Feeling2014Broadcast Media -Ryan Smith, Denise Reardon, Frank Chidiac, Maria Cardomatis and Lisa Shaunessy (Fox Sports) and South Sydney Media) Print Media - Jake Niall (The Age) ‘Slammin’ Sam’ (Sam Burgess) ‘Inside the world of Liam Jurrah’2015Broadcast Media - Brad Smith, Mike Hirchfield and Mick Neill (Fox Footy) Print media - Robert Drane (Inside Sport) ‘Dan Menzel – a long way home’ ‘The blame game’ (Ahmed Saad)2016Broadcast Media - Winsome Denyer, Tim Wilson and Marc Smith(ABC Australian Story) Print Media - Will Swanton (The Australian) 'True Grit – David Pocock' 'Jarryd Hayne'2017Broadcast Media - Adrian Brown (Whooshka Media) Print Media - Grantlee Kieza (The Courier-Mail) Digital Media - Nathan Ryan (Fox Sports), ‘ ‘Outsiders’ ‘Prized Fighter - Jeff Horn’ 'Beyond the Game: Inside the NRL World'2018Broadcast Media - Andy Maher (1116 SEN) Print Media - Will Swanton (The Australian) Jarrod Lyle interview 'Is this bloke a thug' (Robert Whittaker)2019Broadcast Media - Josh Cable, Marcus Cobbledick (Good Thing Productions) Print Media - Samantha Lane (The Sydney Morning Herald & The Age)‘Collingwood: From the Inside Out’, ‘Adam Goodes’2020Broadcast - Adrian Brown, Richard Ostroff, Whooshka Media and Cricket Australia Iain Payten, The Sydney Morning Herald ‘The Test – A New Era for Australia’s Team’ ‘Judging Jane Saville’2021Broadcast Media - Australian Story ABC TV Written Media - Konrad Marshall, Good Weekend Luc Longley: One Giant Leap Patty Mills: All the right moves2022Broadcast - Fearless, JamTV / Disney Written - Emma Kemp and Carly Earl, The GuardianThe inside story of the AFLW The Medal Maker2023Broadcast, JamTV / Stan Written - Greg Baum, The Age Danielle Laidley: Two Tribes But wait, there’s Moore: why the Collingwood captain is not a conventional footballer2024Written - Kirby Short Cricket Australia: ‘Comes in waves, the fall and rise of Josie Dooley2025Written - Andrew Webster - The Australian
Best Sport Podcast YearTitle2022Head Noise, The Australian2023The Howie Games, Mark Howard / Listnr2024The Final Word Cricket Podcast, Adam Collins and Geoff Lemon2025In The Beginning - Liam Flanagan and Courtney Atkinson
Best Sports Documentary YearTitle2024Came From Nowhere - Western Sydney Wanderers FC SBS2025Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story - In Films / Nine Network
Best Coverage of Sport for People with a Disability YearJournalistsStory Title2010Dwayne Grant (Gold Coast Publications)‘Never Say Never’ 2011Leanne West (Network Ten) ‘David and Michelle’ 2012Stathi Paxinos (Fairfax Media)‘London Paralympic Games’ 2013Mike Dalton (Nine Network)Special Olympics Junior Games2014Emma Greenwood (Gold Coast Bulletin)‘He who dares lives’ 2015Amanda Shalala (ABC Radio Grandstand) ‘Grandstand para-sport profiles’ 2016 Seven Network 'Rio 2016 Paralympic Games'2017Jim Callinan (Sky News Australia) ‘Oz Day 10K Wheelchair Road Race'2018Matt Carmichael (Seven Network) 2018 Winter Paralympics and 2018 Commonwealth Games2019Australian Broadcasting Corporation2018 Invictus Games2020Matt Carmichael (Seven Network) Paralympic Presence2021Tom Decent (Sydney Morning Herald / The Age)The power of the Paralympics2022Matt Carmichael (Seven Network) 2023Bowls Australia2024Elizabeth Wright ABC Sport 2025Elizabeth Wright ABC Sport
Best Sports Journalism from Rural or Regional media