InDaily journalist wins prestigious award
InDaily journalist Charlie Gilchrist won the Political Report Award at the South Australian media industry’s night of nights.
A comprehensive report into the University of Adelaide’s overturned 2024 student union elections was awarded the Political Report Award at the 2025 South Australian Media Awards last night.
InDaily journalist Charlie Gilchrist took out the prestigious trophy for his story, which revealed allegations of misconduct during the election process.
This included revelations that students took other students’ phones and voted on their behalf without their consent during the election, and that a group breached election rules through unauthorised campaigning.
The judges said Gilchrist’s entry “showed tenacity and endeavour in exposing corrupt activities in student union elections at Adelaide University”.
“He dealt with a Chinese student political element which was hellbent on rigging results and exposed the unsavoury practices for what they were,” the judges said.
“Reporting of this standard deserves to be awarded with the 2025 MEAA award for Best Political Report.”
Gilchrist said he was “very excited and honoured to win the 2025 Political Report Award at the SA Media Awards”.
“With the fragile state of democracy in the world at the moment, the role of journalists to shine a light on wrongdoing is as important as ever,” he said.
You might like
“I want to thank my brother for suggesting this story and Solstice Media for having the confidence in me to tell it.”
He was one of 18 winners last night at the SA Media Awards, hosted by the journalists’ union, the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance.
Gilchrist was joined on the night by other Solstice Media finalists, Claudia Dichiera and Zoe Rice.
Dichiera was a finalist for her business reporting on the fall of Adelaide’s hospitality industry for sister publication CityMag. Rice was a finalist in the best feature category for SALIFE Magazine’s insight into the Power of Song.
Other winners included Nine’s Ben Avery who was crowned 2025 Journalist of the Year, and the ABC’s Eva Blandis who was named Best Young Journalist.
The awards celebrate the achievements of journalists, photographers and media professionals over the past year and attracted 14 per cent more entries in 2025 compared to last year.
Full list of 2025 winners
Text Formats – News, proudly sponsored by Adelaide University
Sean Fewster, Gemma Jones & Kathryn Bermingham, The Advertiser, ‘On the Nose – the David Speirs Video’
Text Formats – Feature, proudly sponsored by Adelaide University
Che Chorley, Lincoln Rothall & Daniel Keane, ABC, ‘Surface Tension’
Television/Video Journalism – Feature
Ben Hyde, Ruicheng Liang, Neely Karimi & Steve Grice, The Advertiser, ‘While I Was Sleeping’
Stay informed, daily
Radio/Audio Journalism – Feature, proudly sponsored by ABC
Ben Avery, Nine Network, ‘Just Married: The Anthea Bradshaw Mystery’
Radio/Audio Journalism – News Reporting, proudly sponsored by Media Super
Briana Fiore, ABC, ‘Losing Ashleigh – Asthma in SA’
Visual Storytelling, proudly sponsored by Media Super
Bill Ormonde, ABC, ‘Out of the Darkness’
Multimedia News or Feature, proudly sponsored by Media Super
Nicholas Maher, ABC, ‘International Law & Democracy Explained’
Best Rural/Regional Journalist
Bill Ormonde, ABC, ‘Body of Work’
Business, Economics or Finance Report
Luke Williams and Emma Brasier, The Advertiser, ‘Millions Missing: The Cost of No Accountability in Davenport’
Culture and Arts Report
Jack Evans, ABC, ‘BTN High – Class of Cabaret’
Freelance Journalist, proudly sponsored by Media Super
Megan Spencer, Freelance for Virtual War Memorial Australia, ‘Bringing His Spirit Home: Private Arthur Thomas Walker, Ngarrindjeri ANZAC’
Investigative Journalism, proudly sponsored by ABC
Brad Crouch, The Advertiser, ‘The Secret ICAC Tapes’
Political Report
Charlie Gilchrist, InDaily, ‘University of Adelaide Student Elections Overturned’
Social Equity Report, proudly sponsored by SACOSS
Stephanie Richards, ABC, ‘Uncovering SA’s Baby Removal Practices’
Sports Report
Ian Henschke, freelance screened by Run Nation Film Festival, ‘The Golden Mile’
Julie Duncan Memorial Award for Student Journalism, proudly sponsored by Adelaide University
Rachel Forbes
(Highly Commended: Kate Kinnear)
The Max Fatchen Award for Best Young Journalist, proudly sponsored by SA Unions
Eva Blandis, ABC, ‘Body of Work’
Journalist of the Year, proudly sponsored by Adelaide University
Ben Avery, Nine Network
