2025 Rural Media & Communicators SA/NT Award Winners Announced

The stars of rural media and communications in South Australia and the Northern Territory have been officially recognised for their outstanding skills and achievements over the past year.

The winners of the 2025 Rural Media & Communicators (RMC) SA/NT awards have been announced, with SA’s Kerry Staight from ABC Landline and Che Chorley from ABC News being crowned Rural Journalist of the Year and Rural Photographer of the Year respectively.

Sponsored by Rural Business Support and presented by Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development and Minister for Forest Industries, Clare Scriven MLC, the Rural Journalist of the Year Award recognised Kerry Staight’s strong body of work across all journalism award categories.

RMC SA/NT chair of journalism judges Alistair Lawson said through her rigorous field reporting, careful narrative structure and a clear commitment to rural communities, Kerry’s stories brought complex agricultural and regional issues to a broad audience with depth, authority and humanity. 

“She has truly mastered the craft of rural broadcast journalism and rural Australia is better for it,” Alistair said.

Prior to taking out the top journalism title which she has now earned multiple times, Kerry was also recognised as Best Rural Journalist – Video/Television, an award sponsored by AgCommunicators.

As well as being named Rural Photographer of the Year (sponsored by Rural Business Support), Che Chorley captured awards for Best Rural Photographer – People (sponsored by Stock Journal) and Best Rural Photographer – Production (sponsored by RCS).

Now a two-time Rural Photographer of the Year, Che was recognised for a portfolio of entries which, according to the judges, stood out for its “consistency and clarity in portraying agricultural and rural scenes…with technical control, compositional strength and cohesion”.

Catherine Miller of Stock Journal was awarded Best Rural Journalist – Print (sponsored by Fuller Communications), while Joanna Tucker of Yorke Peninsula Country Times received the Best Rural Journalist – Regional Print award, sponsored by AgCommunicators.

Amelia Walters of ABC News won the AgCommunicators-sponsored Best Rural Broadcast Journalist – Digital/Online award, and Elsie Adamo of ABC South East SA took out the Best Rural Journalist – Audio/Radio award, sponsored by South Australian Horticultural Services.

Other photography awards were won by Rebecca Flack from Bec Shaw Photography in the Best Rural Photographer – Natural/Landscape/Rural Scenes category (sponsored by PIRSA), while Catherine Miller of Stock Journal was named Best Rural/Regional Photojournalist (sponsored by Doyle Media Services).

The award for Best Royal Adelaide Show Story – sponsored by The Show Society Foundation – was won by Alisha Fogden of Stock Journal, a publication which also triumphed in the Best Royal Adelaide Show Photo category (sponsored by The Show Society Foundation) which was awarded to Jacqui Bateman.

Awards were also presented for Social Media Influencer and Best Rural Communicator, sponsored by AgCommunicators and RCS respectively. 

Anthony De Ieso of Thorndon Park Produce was named Rural Social Media Influencer of the Year for his efforts to enhance the profile of horticultural production.

Dr Mary Retallack of Retallack Viticulture and Ecology took out the Best Rural Communicator Award for her impactful environmental stewardship campaign.

The winners of the main categories are eligible to progress to the national Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists Star Awards, and if successful, to the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) Star Awards at the next IFAJ Conference, where the RMC winners have regularly excelled in the past.

Scroll down for the full list of winners.

2025 Rural Media & Communicators SA/NT Awards Results

JOURNALISM

2025 Rural Journalist of the Year
Sponsored by Rural Business Support
Winner: Kerry Staight, ABC Landline 

2025 Best Rural Journalist – Print
Sponsored by Fuller Communications
Winner:  Catherine Miller, Stock Journal         
Highly commended: Kiara Stacey, Stock Journal

2025 Best Rural Journalist – Regional Print
Sponsored by AgCommunicators
Winner: Joanna Tucker, YP Country Times

2025 Best Rural Broadcast Journalist – Audio / Radio
Sponsored by South Australian Horticultural Services 
Winner: Elsie Adamo, ABC South East SA
Highly Commended: Jessica Schremmer, ABC

2025 Best Rural Broadcast Journalist – Video / Television
Sponsored by AgCommunicators
Winner: Kerry Staight, ABC Landline
Highly Commended: Casey Treloar, 7NEWS                                 

2025 Best Rural Broadcast Journalist – Digital / Online
Sponsored by AgCommunicators
Winner: Amelia Walters, ABC News
Highly commended: Kiara Stacey, Stock Journal

2025 Best Royal Adelaide Show Story
Sponsored by Show Society Foundation
Winner: Alisha Fogden, Stock Journal 

PHOTOGRAPHY

2025 SA & NT Rural Photographer of the Year
Sponsored by Rural Business Support
Winner: Che Chorley, ABC News

2025 Best Rural Photographer Award – Nature/Landscape/Rural Scenes
Sponsored by the Department of Primary Industries and Regions
Winner: Rebecca Flack, Bec Shaw Photography
Highly Commended: Che Chorley, ABC News
Best single photograph: Rebecca Flack, Bec Shaw Photography

2025 Best Rural Photographer Award – Production 
Sponsored by RCS 
Winner: Che Chorley, ABC News
Best single photograph: Che Chorley, ABC News

2025 Best Rural Photographer Award – People 
Sponsored by Stock Journal
Winner: Che Chorley, ABC News
Highly Commended: Elsie Adamo, ABC South East SA
Best single photograph: Ben Macmahon, Macmahon Images

2025 Best Rural/Regional Photo Journalist Award
Sponsored by Doyle Media Services
Winner: Catherine Miller, Stock Journal
Highly Commended: Elsie Adamo, ABC South East SA

2025 Best Royal Adelaide Show Photo
Sponsored by The Show Society Foundation
Winner: Jacqui Bateman, Stock Journal

INFLUENCERS & COMMUNICATORS

2025 Social Media Influencer Award
Sponsored by AgCommunicators
Winner: Anthony De Ieso, Thorndon Park Produce
Highly Commended: Belinda Carlson, CRC Northern Australia

2025 Rural Communicator Award 
Sponsored by RCS
Winner: Dr Mary Retallack, Retallack Viticulture and Ecology
Highly Commended: Sue Pratt, AgCommunicators
Highly Commended: Jordan Norman, Ag Institute Australia