The annual Aotearoa Student Press Association (ASPA) Awards were held at The Hunter Lounge recently, with nine university and polytechnic publications entered in the competition.
The big award of the night, Best Publication, saw Salient place second to Otago’s Critic as judged by journalist Max Rashbrooke, Metro Editor Simon Wilson, and academic David Large.
Salient received six first placings, equal to Critic. News Editor Chris McIntyre took home awards for Best Sports Writer (shared with Critic) and Best Headline (Uni can’t get it up; fee rise swears this never happens). Henry Cooke used his win for Best Feature Writer to remind the 45-strong crowd that “Beyoncé had the best music video ever made.” News Intern Sophie Boot won Best News Writer (Unpaid), and Salient also took home the award for Best Website.
2014 Co-Editors Duncan McLachlan and Cameron Price shared Best Feature with Debate’s Nigel Moffiet, for their piece on the future of the gay identity. Regrettably, McLachlan and Price did not win until after the former had asked the category’s judge Nicky Hager what he did for a living.
“I write books,” the investigative journalist told McLachlan.
The evening’s MC, former Salient Editor and self-described “student media aficionado” Jackson Wood, hailed those present members of the “ex-student-media mafia” who had gone on to various positions in New Zealand journalism. In addition to Salient, Canterbury’s Canta, Massey’s Massive and Otago’s Critic sent representatives to “celebrate excellence in student media”.