Young Walkley Finalist 2024 - Young Australian Journalist of the Year for Coverage of Community and Regional Affairs Finalist
Walkley Foundation
May 2024
1. Jehovah’s Witness Investigation: When justice comes knocking
2. Regional students living in tent can’t get to school
3. Rural bushfire survivor disadvantaged
Judges' comments: "Briana Fiore's compelling account of a child abuse survivor's pursuit of justice is an example of high impact journalism that held a powerful church to account and shone a light on mandatory reporting laws. The harrowing investigation is part of a body of work that reflects the reporter's ability to tell strong and engaging community-based stories with sensitivity, tenacity and creativity".
Andrew Olle Scholarship Winner
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
2025
The Scholarship is designed to commemorate the life and work of esteemed journalist, broadcaster and program maker Andrew Olle by creating career development opportunities for ABC journalists and program makers early in their careers and promoting the values that epitomised Andrew Olle's journalism. It also provides opportunity for talented journalists to develop their skills and potential under the guidance of experienced journalists who are leaders in their field.
WAAMH News & Media Award
WA Association for mental health
Nov 2024
The Fights of our Lives — A Boxing Story.
Briana Fiore and Anthony Pancia, ABC Great Southern, for their work on ‘The Fights of our Lives – A Boxing Story’, which provides hope for those struggling with their mental health in regional WA by profiling examples of people who used boxing to help overcome their mental health challenges. It features Former SAS soldier Guy Mead who, after losing his son to drug misuse, started a free boxing gym in rural Western Australia to help at-risk youths and adults who needed support. His free boxing program requires fighters to volunteer in the community as ‘payment’. A diverse range of other people also share their experiences of grief, loss, anxiety, depression and bullying. By featuring a former soldier and other men who show it’s okay to be vulnerable, this story helps break down stereotypes surrounding men’s mental health, and it features helplines to encourage people to reach out for help. It has evoked a strong response from the audience.
Community and regional photography winner
WA Media Awards
August 2024
Briana Fiore (ABC) “Refugees in rural Australia, Country town Imam, and Gay conversion therapy still legal”
"Fiore has produced three engaging photographs capturing community and regional life in Western Australia through portraiture. As well as portraying diverse migrant culture identities, with images of a young child on a bus and strong depiction of an imam, her portrait of non-binary Tiger Bird and their dog was particularly impressive."
Camerwork finalist
WA Media Awards
Aug 2024
Briana Fiore (ABC) “Skimpies post #Me Too”
Culture and Arts Report – THE A.H. Kornweibel Arts Prize finalist
WA Media Awards
Aug 2024
Briana Fiore (ABC) “Concerns over music festival near sacred Wave Rock”
Legal Affairs Report finalist
WA Media Awards
Aug 2024
Briana Fiore (ABC) “Jehovah’s Witness Investigation: When Justice Comes Knocking”
Feature Photograph and Photographic Essay finalist
WA Media Awards
Aug 2024
Briana Fiore (ABC) “From Australia’s ‘worst’ footy team to Premiership heroes”
Best Radio Report Finalist
SA Press Club Awards
Nov 2024
Losing Ashleigh — Asthma in South Australia
Best Coverage of a Community Sports Issue - Rural and Regional Finalist
Australian Sports Commission
Dec 2023
The Fights of our Lives — A Boxing Story.
It recognises the best example of responsible, well-researched and analytical coverage of issues affecting community sport in rural and regional Australia.
The Gilmour-Christian Prize — Western Australia’s Best Sports Report
WA Media Awards
Oct 2023
The Fights of our Lives — A Boxing Story.
Judges’ comments: “This is a beautifully produced online work, with superb use of captivating evocative photography and videos. The interesting and complex narrative was woven artfully throughout. There was evidence of trust from the carefully selected subjects and, in line with this category’s criteria, their stories provoked strong emotion. A well researched, brilliantly told piece worthy of this year’s top sport story prize.”
Western Australia’s Best Regional Stories Finalist
WA Media Awards
Oct 2023
‘Mark Wales — The True Survivor, Suicide and the Catholic Church and Aged Care Non-Compliance Reports’
Best Feature Story
Rural Media Association of Western Australia
Nov 2022
Judges’ comments: “An excellent example of feature writing conveying a deeply emotional personal story. The subject — a strong, confident and powerful public persona in an ex-SAS soldier and reality TV star — made this a really high impact story. It’s clear that Briana made a strong connection with the subject and his brother and their ties to the Pilbara. The piece exhibited a strong narrative and finished with a really clear message of hope for other survivors of abuse. It’s a powerful bit of writing.”
Runner-up Caroline Jones Young Journalist Award
Women in Media
Oct 2022
Judges’ comments: "Briana's stories are original and news breaking, requiring investigative work, and her writing style is strong and direct...Briana is talented and clearly has a bright future ahead of her."
And "massive scoop, brilliant sensitive writing. The work is thorough, self-initiated through an FOI... Of huge public interest and importance. Culture changing."
The Charmaine Dragun Memorial Award
Youth Affairs Council of Western Australia
Oct 2022
2022 Recipient: Recognises an outstanding journalist, photographer or media contributor under the age of 25 who has committed to fair and balanced reporting on young people or youth issues.
Western Australia’s Best Health/Medical Report Finalist
WA Media Awards
Oct 2022
‘A culture of secrecy: Patient deaths linked to legionella bacteria in contaminated hospital water.’
Western Australia’s Best New Journalist or Cadet: The Eaves-Prior-Day Prize
WA Media Awards
Nov 2021
Judges’ comments: “Briana Fiore demonstrated a dedication to the craft, breaking important stories that had a profound impact on the Harvey community. Her news sense, dogged determination and concise writing stood out and in turn meant her articles made a real difference in the regional community. As the sole reporter for the local newspaper, her efforts to pursue a story for months on end whilst publishing varying other stories is a credit to her resolve and a reflection of her hard work and how capable she is as a bright young journalist.”
Western Australia’s Best News Coverage Print Finalist
WA Media Awards
Nov 2021
‘Bunbury Hospital Investigation.’
Western Australia’s Best Regional and Community News Story
WA Media Awards
Nov 2021
Judges’ comments: “Briana’s proactive efforts to highlight issues of importance to the local Filipino community eventually led her to reveal the dysfunction at Bunbury Hospital and the role the hospital’s issues had played in the death of a young mother. Her ability to break, and build on, this story was a direct result of the trust she had built with the local community and was a shining example of the power of regional journalism.”
Walkley Award: Young Australian Journalist of the Year for Coverage of Community and Regional Affairs
The Walkley Foundation
Jun 2021
Judges’ comments: “Briana’s initiative to start a beat for her Filipino community ultimately led to the exposure of Bunbury Hospital’s toxic culture and fatal failings, including the death of a mother during childbirth. The relationships and trust she forged resulted in breaking stories that ensured the issues were not only brought to light, but investigated by authorities.”