Kate McClymont leads Herald pack at Kennedy Awards Kate McClymont Photo: James Alcock Sydney Morning Herald investigative reporter Kate McClymont has been recognised for her unrivalled coverage of former Labor ministers Eddie Obeid, Ian Macdonald and ICAC's inquiries into a series of mining licences. McClymont picked up gongs for outstanding court reporting and scoop of the year - co-written by fellow investigative reporter Linton Besser - at the Kennedy Awards for Excellence in NSW Journalism on Friday. She also won the award for outstanding crime reporting for a Good Weekend feature on one of history's biggest bank heists. The awards are named after veteran Herald police reporter Les Kennedy, who died in 2011 at the age of 53. Joanne McCarthy, a senior writer at Fairfax Media newspaper The Newcastle Herald, was named the NSW Journalist of the Year for her coverage of the child sex abuse in the Catholic Church. Fairfax Media business writer Adele Ferguson won the award for outstanding columnist and shared the award for outstanding finance reporting with fellow business reporter Chris Vedelago. Herald sports reporter Chris Roots was named racing writer of the year, while photographer Janie Barrett won the award for outstanding online photographic essay for a series that followed a young woman waiting for a life-saving heart/lung transplant. Herald artist Rocco Fazzari picked up the award for best illustration, and Canberra-based photographer Andrew Meares won for outstanding online video. More than 30 journalists across NSW were recognised for their commitment to news reporting at the awards, which were attended by nearly 600 people including NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell. Other winners included 2GB broadcaster Ray Hadley for outstanding radio commentator, 60 Minutes's producer Howard Sacre for outstanding mentor, Channel Nine reporter Simon Bouda for outstanding television news reporting and The Australian's Rick Morton for young journalist of the year. The full list of winners is: ONLINE NEWS BREAKING Ean Higgins - The Australian OUTSTANDING COURT REPORTING Kate McClymont - The Sydney Morning Herald SCOOP OF THE YEAR Linton Besser & Kate McClymont - The Sydney Morning Herald SPLASH OF THE YEAR Josh Massoud, Rebecca Wilson & James Hooper - The Daily Telegraph ILLUSTRATION Rocco Fazzari - The Sydney Morning Herald