Ry Crozier was recognised as Australia's Best News Journalist at the Red Rock IT journalism awards last Friday. The award - known as a "Lizzie" - followed iTnews.com.au editor Brett Winterford being awarded the 2009 Editor of the Year at the Bell Publishing Awards.
Crozier (pictured on the left) filed many original, breaking news stories that went viral across the internet in the past year including how Apple repaired costly cracks in its Sydney store, the impact McDonald's free wi-fi had on its restaurants and a credit card fraud that netted 19,000 stolen numbers. He was also the only Australian IT reporter to cover the entirety of the Roadshow v iiNet trial last year that was reported internationally and set precedents in ISPs' liability for their users' online behaviour.
Crozier thanked his colleagues and Haymarket Media management for their support.
"I was convinced I didn't have a shot so when the announcement was made it was a big surprise, albeit a pleasant one," Crozier said.
"Credit has to go to Haymarket managing director Jeremy Vaughan for investing in a crack team of journalists, editor in chief Nate Cochrane, editor Brett Winterford and reporter Liz Tay at a time when there wasn't a lot of money being pumped into tech.
"I'd also thank Rhys Williams and the interactive team for the redesign of the website and to former iTnews managing editor Helen Frost for believing I could return to journalism after my time as a PR."
Winterford, who was the first editor of an online news outlet to be recognised as Editor of the Year at the Bell Awards, praised Crozier's "spectacular eye for detail and strong commitment to his readers".
"Few journalists get thanked as often as Ry after he turns his eye to sifting through the noise and revealing the truth," Winterford said.
"These two awards really highlight how hard we've worked and how far we've come in a very short period of time at iTnews.com.au," he said. "I thank our loyal readers for helping us build this community and even occasionally pointing out when we get it wrong.
"We're very excited about the future of the site."
Phil Sim, chief executive officer of awards organiser Media Connect, said Crozier won for "churning out scoops on a daily basis".
"[And] when he does latch on to a scoop, he gives it the kind of depth and substance that enables the story to still stand-up months down the track when it comes to award judging," Sim said.
Former Australian technology journalist and category judge Agnes King said Crozier's "type of journalism should be rewarded and aspired to".
"[He] has a magnificent capacity to humanise technology; it's like reading New Idea, tech-style."
Editor in Chief Cochrane said the winning combination of Winterford and Crozier was hard for even broadsheets and international online competitors to beat.
"Crozier beat out top journalists from The Sydney Morning Herald and the Australian Financial Review to take home the Lizzie," Cochrane said. "This win clearly stamps iTnews.com.au as the best news team for Australia's IT decision makers."
Zara Baxter and Will Maher (pictured on the right of Crozier) from Haymarket magazine PC Authority were awarded the Lizzie for Best Personal Technology Coverage and highly commended in the best magazine category.
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