Former TVNZ political editor Maiki Sherman has been recognised as New Zealand’s Political Journalist of the Year at the 2026 New Zealand Media Awards, cementing her reputation as one of the country’s leading political reporters.
The award comes only weeks after Sherman resigned from TVNZ following intense public scrutiny and controversy surrounding events inside Parliament’s press gallery.
Sherman made history as the first wahine Māori to lead TVNZ’s political reporting team, following years covering politics and Māori affairs across several major news organisations including Te Karere, Whakaata Māori, Newshub and 1News.
Her journalism career began in Māori media before she entered the Parliamentary Press Gallery in 2012, where she quickly built a reputation for hard-hitting political reporting and strong coverage of Māori issues and national affairs.
Sherman’s recognition at the media awards is being viewed by many within the industry as acknowledgement of both her journalistic skill and long-standing contribution to political reporting in Aotearoa.
The award also arrives amid wider conversations about pressure within New Zealand’s media industry, newsroom culture, and the treatment of Māori journalists in high-profile public roles.
Sherman resigned earlier this month after a five-day suspension from Parliament linked to a press gallery incident involving another journalist. The controversy sparked significant debate across political and media circles, with some commentators arguing the scrutiny surrounding Sherman became disproportionate.
Despite the difficult circumstances surrounding her departure from TVNZ, Sherman’s win highlights the regard many within the journalism sector continue to hold for her political reporting and contribution to Māori representation in mainstream media.
Sherman has previously received recognition for Māori journalism and is widely regarded as one of the country’s most prominent Māori political correspondents of the modern era.
