Category 1: Hard News
| Name | Title | Publication |
|---|---|---|
| Frank Maponya and Sandile Ndlovu | School of horrors | Sowetan |
| Mzilikazi wa Afrika | High commissioner exposed as drug mule | Sunday Times |
| Mzilikazi wa Afrika | Minister smuggles friend on state jet | Sunday Times |
Category 2: Columns / Editorial
| Name | Title | Publication |
|---|---|---|
| Phillip de Wet | Winegum racism | Mail & Guardian |
| Mondli Makhanya | Tragic fall of Brian | City Press |
| Adriaan Basson | Decoding Pravin Gordhan | News24 |
Category 3: Enterprise News
| Name | Title | Publication |
|---|---|---|
| Laura Lopez Gonzalez | The big chill: Health posts freeze threatens services | Health-E News/Daily Maverick |
| Lisa Steyn | From boom to bust in five years | Mail & Guardian |
| The Star Women’s Team 2016 | The rise of women’s power | The Star |
Category 4: Feature Writing
| Name | Title | Publication |
|---|---|---|
| Estelle Ellis | Shock closure of frail care centres and Toxic river spill | The Herald |
| Shaun Smillie | Raising private Mtolo | The Times |
| Hanlie Retief | Apartheid was ’n familliekwaal | Rapport |
| Hlengiwe Nhlabathi | Mashaba: Mayor in waiting | City Press |
Category 5: Investigative Journalism
| Name | Title | Publication |
|---|---|---|
| Suzanne Venter | Life Esidimeni | Rapport |
| Sipho Masondo | Watergate | City Press |
| Mzilikazi wa Afrika | Minister smuggles a friend on state jet | Sunday Times |
Category 6: Editorial Cartoons
| Name | Title | Publication |
|---|---|---|
| Brandan Eugene Reynolds | Body of work | Rapport |
| Jonathan Shapiro | Body of work | M&G |
| Wilson Mgobhozi | Body of work | The Star |
Category 7: Graphic Journalism
| Name | Title | Publication |
|---|---|---|
| Lebohang Elvin Nethononda | Soweto uprising 1976 | The Star |
| Rudi Louw | 2016 F1 World championship | Graphics24 for City Press |
| Jaco Grobbelaar | Guptas strike black gold | Graphics24 for City Press |
Category 8: Popular Journalism
| Name | Title | Publication |
|---|---|---|
| Stephen Molobi | Pastor Doom | Daily Sun |
| Philani Mzila | Meet Nathi’s nyatsi | Sunday Sun |
| Norman Masungwini | Mapona Minister | Sunday Sun |
Category 9: News Photographs
| Name | Title | Publication |
|---|---|---|
| Alon Skuy | Cliff/Dali/Oscar | The Times |
| Phando Jikelo | Grabouw Meyhem | Cape Times |
| Motshwari Mofokeng | Youth gone off the rails | Daily News |
Category 10: Feature Photographs
| Name | Title | Publication |
|---|---|---|
| Phando Jikelo | Blind and in despair amid hardship | Cape Times |
| Jaco Marais | Freedom through art | Die Burger |
| Leon Sadiki | I’m the celebrity love | City Press |
Category 11: Sports Photographs
| Name | Title | Publication |
|---|---|---|
| Alon Skuy | Caleb’s quest for the stage | The Times |
| Phando Jikelo | BlitzBoks fall at final hurdle | Daily News |
Category 12: Presentation
| Name | Title | Publication |
|---|---|---|
| Vuyo Singiswa and Sarah Buitenbach | FM covers 2016 | Financial Mail |
| Narianan Nelandri | June 16: 40 Years on | The Star |
Category 13: Multiplatform
| Name | Title | Publication |
|---|---|---|
| Athandiwe Saba; Delwyn Verasamy and Malcolm Sekgothe | Unitrans stall over vital back pay | Mail & Guardian |
| Liesl Pretorius; Ross Eyre; Lailah Ryklief; Ray Joseph | Dying for a toilet | City Press |
| Graeme Hosken; Alon Skuy, Boikhutso Ntsoko | #DeathDrive | The Times /TimesLive |
Category 14: Multimedia
| Name | Title | Publication |
|---|---|---|
| Le Roux Schoeman | Kan jy van snoek alleen oorleef | Netwerk24.com |
| Susan Comrie | Pushing heroin | City Press Online |
| Jerusha Sukhdeo-Raath | Frontline – In conversation with... | News24 |
As per tradition, categories 15 to 18 will only be announced at the Awards ceremony, which will take place on Thursday, 19 October 2017 at The Venue Greenpark (also known as Johannesburg World Trade Centre) in Sandton, Gauteng.
Category 15: ‘SA Story of the Year’
Category 16: ‘Upcoming/ Rising Star of the Year’
Category 17: ‘Journalist of the Year’
Category 18: Allan Kirkland Soga Lifetime Achiever Award
