Goldrush: More Aussie winners from 2025 New York Festivals Radio Awards

There’s been plenty of gold for Australian audio creators at the 2025 New York Festivals Radio Awards.

The AFP won for its Search Among the Sunflowers podcast, about the decade-long investigation into the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in 2014 and the role the AFP played in the search and pursuit of justice for the families left behind.

The 18 month project was produced by Media Heads in conjunction with the AFP.

Media Heads was heavily involved in the initial concept and development, as well as conducting 18 interviews over a year and a half, travelling
halfway across the world to do them.

Media Heads entered the podcast into the New York Festivals Awards. It also designed and co-wrote the scripts, working with Anna Spargo-Ryan as well as Dom Evans at Earsay on the sound design and audio production.

The AFP assisted in identifying victims and finding evidence the plane had been brought down by missile attack. Then Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus KC recorded the introduction to the podcast, while Foreign Minister Penny Wong read out the names of the Australians lost in this tragedy.

AFP Assistant Commissioner Peter Crozier, who led the investigation said “I want to thank the families who participated in the podcast. While time can numb grief, it will never dilute the deplorable way their loved ones were taken from them.”

“We do amazing work at the AFP, but what always humbles me is how Australians pull together during times of tragedy and say to one another: share some of your pain with us, so you don’t have to shoulder it all by yourself.”

Along with 9Podcasts‘ Gold for The Ultimate Sacrifice and Guy Pearce and audio producer Des Shaw (ex 96fm Perth) enjoying similar success for the doco Jeff Buckley Forever, other Gold winners include the ABC in the documentary category for Expanse: Spies in the Outback, News Corp Australia for its involvement in Cocaine Inc, NZME for Heaven’s Helpline and German companies Major Label, Zweitausendeins and Radio Bremen for their audio book recording of Nick Cave‘s The Sick Bag Song.