MACA Media Awards

The MACA Media Awards seeks to challenge negative stereotypes towards older people by highlighting examples of balanced and realistic media reporting on older people and ageing.

Winners announced - MACA Media Awards 2022

Winners for the 2022 MACA Media Awards were announced at a ceremony in Sydney on Wednesday 30 March.

Winners are highlighted in the below list of finalists.

We received over 180 nominations– a record for the MACA Media Awards. The stories reveal the extraordinary breadth and vitality of seniors’ lives, encompassing work, travel, health, Indigenous issues, recreation and countless other pursuits and achievements.

Winner – Gold MACA

Congratulations to Anthony Hawwa for taking out the Gold MACA Award.

The Gold MACA is presented to an individual whose use of media has made a notable contribution to the realistic portrayal of older people and the development of a community in which older people are valued and respected.

2022 Winners and Finalists

Advertising

WINNING ENTRY: Australian Seniors: Life’s Booming: Dare to Date (series 2).

Finalists:

• St George and Sutherland Shire Leader: Free Course for over-50s women celebrates the ageing process
• NSW Ageing and Disability Commission: Know Your rights

Health and lifestyle

WINNING ENTRY: Beverley Hadgraft and Rachel Smith, DARE Magazine “I just wanted to honour my truth”

Finalists:

• Wiriya Sati, ABC News: Women, never allowed to dance as girls, live their dreams performing burlesque
• Marnie Vinall, The Guardian: Gleefully single seniors: ‘If I wanted to feel complete, it had to come from within

Images

WINNING ENTRY: Jessica Hromas, The Guardian: Moree elders: proud, strong and always resilient:

Finalists:

• Frances van Zinnen and Natalie Hitoun, Inner West Council's Inner West Fest: Celebrating our Community Heroes:
• Steve Gonsalves, DARE magazine Shake Rattle & Roll:

Influencers

WINNING ENTRY: Lex Marinos, Patricia 'Little Pattie' Amphlett: Baby Boomers Guide to Life in the 21st Century - entire season 2

Finalists:

• Pastor Uncle Ray Minniecon, The Drum: Getting vaccinated is an act of love
• Grahame Hutchison, Instagram: 16right_media:

News

WINNING ENTRY: Therese Murray, The Senior: Legendary pianist Ruth Slenczynska celebrated her 97th birthday with a new record deal

Finalists:

• Peggy Giakoumelos, SBS News: Change Agents: Rhonda Collard-Spratt
• Housnia Shams, ABC Radio Sydney: Why mature-aged entrepreneurs are more successful than their younger counterparts

Current affairs

WINNING ENTRY: Anthony Hawwa, The Project: Australia's 101-Year-Old Fisherman

Finalists:

• Tania Lee, SBS Chinese: ‘Too embarrassed to tell the children’: The older Chinese women who 'depend' on soup kitchens to get by
• Sallese Gibson, The Project: Lonely No More

Responding in crisis

WINNING ENTRY: Yumi Lee and Christine Hall, Older Women’s Network NSW: COVID Update: Be Informed, Keep Safe and Stay Well

Finalists:

• Emma Siossian, ABC News: How a sewing class is helping stitch a bushfire-ravaged community back together
• Keely Johnson, ABC Rural News Farmers transformed home into wildlife refuge to save animals after 2019 bushfire