Bongani Fuzile of the Daily Dispatch was named for Standard Bank Sikuvile Journalist of the Year; former Muslim news editor, writer and poet James Matthews was given the Allan Kirkland Soga Lifetime Achiever Award; and The Citizen photographer, Jacques Nelles, was named Upcoming/Rising Star for his Picture of Parachute The moon walk. 

All the winners received R15 000, a trophy and a certificate, while all finalists received certificates. Commendation Certificates are awarded at the judges’ discretion.

The category winners are: 
  • Hard news – Yolande Stander, Lee-Anne Butler, Angela Daniels, Gareth Wilson and Hendrick Mphande – Knysna Burns (The Herald)
  • Columns/Editorial – Laura Lopez Gonzalez – Does evil cast a long shadow? (Bhekisisa/Mail & Guardian)
  • Enterprise News –  Bongani Fuzile – We found them (Miners) (Saturday Dispatch)
  • Feature Writing – Lucas Ledwaba – Body of work: The last people stand alone in the face of platinum’s bulldozers, A new Lady Selborne is rising from apartheid’s ashes, A township obliterates a rural life bulldozed by apartheid (Mail & Guardian)
  • Investigative Journalism – Antoinette Muller, Branko Brkic, Pauli van Wyk, Adriaan Basson, Richard Poplak, Adi Eyal, Micah Reddy, Susan Comrie, Angelique Serrao, Stefaans Brümmer, Marianne Thamm, Sam Sole, Tabelo Timse, Pieter-Louis Myburgh, Craig McKune, Lionel Faull, Rebecca Davis, Sally Evans and Lester Freamon – Gupta leaks (State Capture) (Daily Maverick/Amabhungane/News 24) 
  • Editorial Cartoons – Jonathan Shapiro – Body of work: Political Business (Sunday Times/Daily Maverick)
  • Graphic Journalism – Jaco Grobbelaar – The life and times of OR Tambo (Graphics 24 for City Press)
  • Popular Journalism – Angelique Serrao and Pieter du Toit – Markus Jooste, the blonde polo player and a room with a view (News 24/Huffington Post)
  • News Photographs – Bongani Shilubane – Scramble to register (Pretoria News)
  • Feature Photographs – Esa Alexander – Drought and the big thirst (The Times) 
  • Sports Photographs – Ettienne Van Rensburg – Half and half (Vaalweekblad)
  • Presentation – Theuns Kruger – Kop aan kop (Graphics 24 for Beeld)
  • Multiplatform – Elsabé Brits, Rudi Louw and Le Roux Schoeman – Chris Barnard: Die lewe nalatenskap van ’n mediese pionier (Netwerk 24)
The 2018 judging panel included Dinesh Balliah, Gus Silber, Latiefa Mobara, Mike Siluma, Tyrone August, Phil Mthimkhulu, Pippa Green, Mary Papayya, Neo Ntsoma, Lizeka Mda, Ryland Fisher, Thabo Leshilo and Liesel Louw-Vaudram.

For more information, visit www.pdmedia.org.za. You can also follow PSS on Facebook or on Twitter.