Scanning the newly released list of Walkley Award finalists on Thursday, The New Daily readers will notice some familiar names in the running for Australia’s most prestigious journalism honours.

Political journalist Samantha Maiden leads the nominations for ‘Scoop of the Year’ with her December 2019 story, Hawaii Two-O: Scott Morrison’s bushfire holiday. 

It is a story not soon forgotten. Maiden, then TND‘s political editor, broke the story that the Prime Minister was on holiday in Hawaii while Australia endured its worst bushfire season on record.

For a week prior, the rumour mill had churned with Australians wondering where Mr Morrison was after he disappeared from view while the nation burned.

Tweet from @MsLWorthington

Maiden revealed the Prime Minister had flown business class to Hawaii with his wife and daughters. She also noted that Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese seemingly had no issue with it.

“I have many criticisms of Scott Morrison – one of them isn’t when he chooses to go on leave with his family,” Mr Albanese said at the time.

Scott Morrison is pictured in Hawaii as Australia burns.

There are also more familiar names on the Walkley book awards longlist, with two authors who write for TND in the running.

Columnist Garry Linnell and Pell correspondent Lucie Morris-Marr have both been nominated for the prestigious prize.

Tweet from @luciemorrismarr

Morris-Marr is an investigative journalist who covered the trials of Cardinal George Pell for TND. Her nominated best-selling book, Fallen, is an examination of one of the most controversial legal cases Australia has seen.

You can read some of her coverage here.

Garry Linnell is a regular columnist for TND and former director of news and current affairs for the Nine Network. He has also been editorial director for Fairfax and is a former editor of The Daily Telegraph and The Bulletin. His nominated book Buckley’s Chance, is about the incredible true story of mythical Australian figure, William Buckley.

You can read some of his columns here.

Award-winners will be announced on the Walkley website from 7pm on Friday, November 20.