Campbell's award - for his poignant comment on Julia Gillard's prime ministership - was announced at a gala ceremony in Brisbane on Thursday night.

Canberra Times former deputy editor Gerard Ryle, who now leads the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, was also honored for his work on offshore tax havens.

Fairfax Media dominated the awards, our staff members collecting the Gold Walkley and the Photographer of the Year, as well as accolades across news, sport, social equity journalism, business investigations and sports photography.

Newcastle Herald journalist Joanne McCarthy won the coveted Gold Walkley for her long-running investigation into the sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy in Newcastle and the Hunter Valley.

Sydney Morning Herald photographer Kate Geraghty won the Nikon-Walkley Press Photographer of the Year.

The Herald's Wolter Peeters won the Sports Photography prize for his images of rowers preparing for a day of competition.

Fairfax Media's South Asia correspondent Ben Doherty and colleague Sarah Whyte won the All Media Social Equity Journalism award for a series on the Bangladesh garment makers supplying Australians with cheap clothing, while investigative duo Nick McKenzie and Richard Baker won the news reporting Walkley for their reports on the drug trade through Sydney Airport and other stories.

Fairfax reporters Adele Ferguson and Chris Vedelago won the business journalism award, while the Herald's Cathy Wilcox won a Walkley for her cartoon ''Kevin cleans up''.

McCarthy and her colleagues Chad Watson, Ian Kirkwood and Jason Gordon won the All Media Coverage of Community and Regional Affairs Walkley for their ''Shine the light'' series, which campaigned for the establishment of a royal commission into child sexual abuse.

The Age's chief football writer Caroline Wilson won the Walkley for commentary, analysis and opinion.