Les Murray earns lifetime achievement honour
The face of football, Les Murray, has been honoured with the Lifetime Achievement
Award at the 2009 Australian Sports Commission Media Awards.
ASC CEO Matt Miller said popular SBS football authority Murray was a deserving
recipient, joining a select band of previous winners that includes Bruce McAvaney,
Mike Gibson and Harry Gordon.
“Les is synonymous with Australian sport and has made a significant and influential
contribution to sports journalism for more than 30 years,” Mr Miller said.
“He is known as the face and voice of football and is credited with championing the
great rise in popularity of the sport in this country.
“It is fitting that the 2009 award has gone to someone so passionate about what they
do, and who has done so much to shape sports journalism and broadcasting in
Australia.”
Other major awards, presented at Melbourne’s Crown Casino tonight, went to ABC’s
Gerard Whateley (best contribution by an individual), Inside Sport (best contribution
by an organisation) and The Daily Telegraph’s Mike Hurst (best reporting of an
issue).
Now in its eighth year, the event rewards excellence in sports journalism and is
Australia’s only dedicated sports media awards.
“Sport is integral to the Australian way of life and plays an important role in how we
see ourselves and how we are seen internationally,” Mr Miller said.
“The continued promotion of Australian sport can only help encourage a new
generation of young people to take up sport.
“Our media performs an important role bringing sport to life, tackling the issues and
making it accessible to the community.
“They deserve this recognition for their craft and I congratulate all winners and
finalists for their outstanding work.”
A full list of ASC Media Awards winners follows.
Contact: Bevan Hannan, 0418 605 541.
Embargo: 10.30pm, 3 December 2009
2009 Australian Sports Commission Media Awards winners
Category
Winner
Best Reporting of an Issue
Mike Hurst — Caster Semenya (The Daily
Telegraph)
Best Contribution to the
Coverage of Sport — by an
Organisation
Inside Sport
Best Contribution to the
Coverage of Sport — by an
Individual
Gerard Whateley (ABC)
Best Profiling of an Athlete,
Team or Coach — Broadcast
Media
Roger Carter — ‘When We Were Racers — Sir Jack
Brabham’ (Australian Story, ABC Television)
Best Profiling of an Athlete,
Team or Coach — Print Media
Jessica Halloran — Jelena Dokic (Fairfax)
Best Sports Journalism from
Rural, Regional or Suburban
Media
Samantha Derrick — ‘Never Too Old: seniors in
sport’ (WIN Television)
Best Journalism on
Community Sport
Travis Cranley — ‘Kiddie Wars’ (Inside Sport)
Best Sports Photography
Quinn Rooney — ‘Water Relief’ (Getty Images)
Discretionary Awards
Lifetime Achievement Award
for Contribution to Sports
Journalism
Les Murray (SBS Television)
Special Commendation for the
Best Online Contribution to
Sport
Finn Bradshaw, Ondrej Foltin, Matthew Kitchin and
Matthew Pinkney (Herald Sun superfooty.com.au)
Special Commendation for the
Best Journalism on Women in
Sport
Merryn Sherwood — The Canberra Times and
Canberra United — Making a Difference for
Women’s Sport (The Canberra Times)
Special Commendation for
Best Sports Journalism by a
Student
Elise Holman — Sky News Sport (Charles Sturt
University)
NEWS 
