NRL.com chief reporter Michael Chammas has won a prestigious award for his reporting and analysis of rugby league.
The annual Sport Australia (formerly known as the Australian Sports Commission) awards were announced at a gala dinner in Melbourne on Thursday night, hosted by SA chief executive Kate Palmer.
Chammas won the 2018 "Best Coverage of a Sport by an Individual – Digital Media" after submitting a body of work, including athlete profiles, news stories/analysis and podcasts across both print and broadcast formats for NRL.com.
Chammas also co-hosts the "Inside the NRL" panel show, which is streamed live every Monday of the Telstra Premiership season on the NRL digital channels.
Chammas studied journalism at Western Sydney University before joining the Illawarra Mercury, then Sydney Morning Herald as a sports journalist. He took up the role of chief reporter for NRL.com when the new digital website was launched in late 2017.
The SA award recognises a person, who has delivered exceptional coverage of sport through digital media during the nomination period. They have to demonstrate responsible and well-researched coverage, while providing an innovative insight into topics.
NRL.com columnist Mary Konstantopoulos was also a finalist in this category and was given a "Highly Commended" by judges for her work last year.
Konstantopoulos initially began the "Ladies Who League" brand but has also branched out into cricket with her "Ladies Who Legspin" social media platform.
She encourages women to get involved in conversations about sport, while discussing issues across both genders as they arise using Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and sports websites like NRL.com.
Chammas’s night wasn’t over after receiving the digital award, as he was also a finalist in the "Best Profiling of an Athlete, Team or Coach – Print Media".
He received a "Highly Commended" from judges for his feature article on Brisbane Broncos and NSW Origin centre, James Roberts, who has had a troubled past but continues to go from strength to strength in rugby league. The piece was entitled "Help Him or He’ll End up Six Feet Under".
The winner of this category was Will Swanton from The Australian newspaper for his profile on world champion in mixed martial arts, Rob Whittaker, under the title "Is This Bloke A Thug?"
