Seven West Media among finalists for Kennedy Awards, including The West Australian Sports Editor Jakeb Waddell

The West Australian’s sports editor Jakeb Waddell has again been nominated for his headline craft in the prestigious Kennedy Awards.

Waddell has been recognised for his dry wit and puns on a series of iconic back pages, which bring colour to the newspaper’s sports section.

Three headlines, ‘The Lying King’, ‘Falcon Hell!’, and ‘Demon Awwww’ were part of the entry for the Outstanding Three Headlines category.

The first was used as the back page splash on May 23 when news broke Perth Wildcats record breaker Bryce Cotton had returned to the NBL after having left the WA side despite declaring he would not play for a rival club.

West Perth’s WAFL troubles after the sacking of coach Jason Salecic was at the heart of “Falcon Hell” as coaches quit over the decision.

The final nominated headline came on January 23 after Australian tennis ace Alex De Minaur was eliminated from his home grand slam.

Liam Bartlett, John Varga, Ben Fogarty and Luke Mortimer are finalists for Outstanding Reporting on the Environment for Spotlight segment Indonesia’s Dirty Nickel Trade.

7NEWS Podcasters Alison Sandy, Liam Bartlett, Marc Wright and Cassie Woodward are also a chance at a top gong in the Outstanding Crime Reporting category with The Truth About Amy.

The podcast series investigating the death of Amy Wensley, which was initially ruled a suicide but is now being treated as a potential homicide.

Finalists were selected after a judging process involving 101 of the nation’s most experienced media professionals.

Kennedy Foundation Chairperson Carl Dumbrell said it had been another extraordinary year for journalism.

“It’s been another extraordinary year, with more than 900 entries of exceptional quality. This is clear evidence that not only is a Kennedy Award held in the highest esteem, but that the finest traditions of Australian journalism remain alive and thriving,” he said.