NSW will be home to the esteemed Walkley Awards gala for two years, attracting the country’s best journalists, photographers, editors and media professionals to Sydney and regional NSW to celebrate Australia’s rich media landscape.

The NSW Government has partnered with the Walkley Foundation to present the upcoming awards ceremony at the International Convention Centre, Sydney on Thursday 28 November, 2019.

Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said it was fantastic to see the Walkleys return to NSW.

Ayres commented: “Sydney remains Australia’s major events capital so it is fitting for us to welcome the Walkley Awards back as we host this significant event for the media industry.

“The NSW Government is proud to support groundbreaking, world-class journalism, and the continued shift in how we consume news means it has never been more critical for Australian media to innovate and integrate into our day-to-day lives.”

He added: “The Walkley Awards will bring more than 900 of the country’s top reporters, storytellers and media leaders to NSW, shining a spotlight on Sydney’s unique strengths in the hospitality, business and technology sectors to a highly influential audience.

“Industry events and conferences bring enormous benefit to regional NSW because we know that overnight business visitors often spend more than holiday makers – on average the visitor expenditure is almost double.”

Walkley Foundation director Kerry O’Brien said the move to regional NSW for next year’s award ceremony reflected the dispersal of Australia’s media industry.

O’Brien commented: “It’s heartening to see the NSW Government’s support for the Walkley Awards.

“We’re very pleased that the 2020 Walkley Awards will be putting the spotlight on the importance of regional journalism and the struggle to build a sustainable future for the media serving communities outside the big cities.”