A comprehensive InDaily report on human rights breaches at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, by reporter Bension Siebert and designer Paige Mewett, was the joint winner of the award for best feature. The award was shared with News Corp’s Roy Ecclestone for his piece on the fire that engulfed the Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island.

InDaily reporter Stephanie Richards was highly commended in the award for best regional or rural report in any medium for her investigation into the lack of safe water in one of South Australia’s most vulnerable remote towns. The winner of that award was the ABC’s Bec Whetham for her report on whether SA’s country towns are really dying.

The ABC’s Nick Harmsen and Patrick Martin were big winners for their investigation into country MP travel allowances – reportage that upended the careers of government ministers and sparked an ICAC investigation.

The investigation swept up awards for best news report in print or digital, best long-form TV report, best broadcaster, best investigative coverage, scoop of the year, and the coveted “gold award”.

Network 10’s Alan Murrell and Cam Inglis won best television report for their work on the Cudlee Creek fires. Best radio report went to Nine’s Keziah Sullivan for her report on the Edithburgh fire evacuation.

InDaily editor David Washington said the awarded investigations, and other work awarded on the night, show the importance of public interest journalism.

“These InDaily reports and the ABC’s fine work are examples of why independent, fearless journalism is so important to the community,” he said.

Since the RAH report was published, Siebert has taken up a job with the ABC and Mewett is working in the public sector.

“We were sad to lose two fine staff members, but we have increased our editorial staffing at InDaily over this year – a rarity for newsrooms in Australia.”

For the full list of winners, go here.