Nowra local and WIN News cameraman Michael Pignataro has been named a finalist in the prestigious Kennedy Media Awards.
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Pignataro, who has been behind the lens at WIN for 10 years, is one of three finalists in the Gary Ticehurst Award for outstanding TV News Camera Coverage.
He is a finalist alongside Nine News’ Adam Bovino and 7 News’ Greg Parker.
Pignataro is delighted to be a finalist.
“I’ve entered the awards a few times before but to be a finalists this time if fantastic,” he said.
“It’s very satisfying.”
His nominated footage was of a car crash in a flash flood in Dapto.
“I was filming the flood on the way to work and there was a sound of a collision,” he said.
“I turned and a car and truck had collided and were spinning down the road.
“It was one of those situations, do I go and help or keep filming? Thankfully there were other people there and they came to the aid of both drivers and I was able to keep filming.
“I think being able to film the actual emotion and reaction to the crash was one of the things that got me over the line.”
Pignataro changed careers in his late 30s from being a chef, returning to another of his passions from when he was a teenager.
“I always had an interest in the news and started as a freelance cameraman,” he said.
“WIN gave me an opportunity about 12 years ago and then I moved into the newsroom in 2010 and have been there ever since.”
The NRMA Kennedy Awards for Excellence in Journalism recognise the country’s finest media professionals and those major contributors to the industry.
The awards were established following the death of crime reporter Les Kennedy.
The awards will see the presentation of the richest prize in Australian news media – the Coca-Cola Kennedy Award for Australian Journalist of the Year worth $25,000.
Among a host of awards on the evening, the Young Journalist of the Year will receive $5000.
The sixth annual NRMA Kennedy Awards – the media’s black tie night of nights – will be staged in the grand ballroom of Royal Randwick from 7pm on August 11.