Richard Baker and Nick McKenzie exposed a bribery cover-up within the RBA across two articles,RBA held evidence of bribery/Who knew what when, inThe Age on August 11.
A photograph from Glenn Campbell's award-winning essay of Arnhem Land elders reburying ancestral bones,which had been held by the Smithsonian Institution in the US for 60 years.
The prize for most outstanding contribution to journalism was given to WikiLeaks,with founder Julian Assange making his acceptance speech in a pre-recorded video.
The Walkley board said WikiLeaks showed a courageous and controversial commitment to journalism,delivering an"avalanche of inconvenient truths".
The ABC'sFour Corners won the Gold Walkley forA Bloody Business, exposing animal cruelty in Java and Sumatra slaughterhouses.
The Age's parent company,Fairfax,was recognised with seven awards.
The book award went toAge contributing editor Russell Skelton forKing Brown Country:The Betrayal of Papunya.
Fairfax photographer Glenn Campbell won for his photo essayStolen Spirits inThe Age,which captured Arnhem Land elders burying ancestral bones.
The Age editor-in-chief Paul Ramadge said the awards confirmedThe Age's standing for mounting powerful investigations in the public interest.
"Nick McKenzie and Richard Baker were far and away the best investigative reporters in the country over the past year,so it is fitting that they have been recognised,"he said.
"The RBA investigation is special because of the tenacious work by these two reporters to uncover the truth,despite enormous barriers."
Mr Ramadge said Campbell and Skelton's wins added to a great awards night forThe Age.
The Walkley for journalistic leadership was posthumously awarded to ABC journalist Paul Lockyer,tragically killed in a helicopter crash in August with pilot Gary Ticehurst and cameraman John Bean.
More than 700 people filled Brisbane's Exhibition and Convention Centre for the ceremony.
THE WINNERS
Best Print,Online and Wire Service:News Report Joseph Catanzaro,The Weekend West,"Secret Toll of War"
Social Equity Journalism Trent Dalton,Qweekend The Courier-Mail,"Home is Where The Hurt is"
Best Online JournalismEleanor Bell,Ed Giles&Suzanne Smith,ABC,"Beating the Odds"
Daily Life/Feature PhotographyStuart McEvoy,The Australian,"Cyclone Yasi – Maria Domandi"
Best Three HeadingsRita Williams,The Sydney Morning Herald,"Three Headings"
Coverage of Indigenous AffairsKathleen Skene,The Townsville Bulletin,"Family First"
Coverage of Community and Regional AffairsNigel Hopkins,Adelaide Hills Magazine,"Inside Inverbrackie"
Best Sports Journalism Caro Meldrum-Hanna,7.30,ABC TV"Harness Racing Under Scrutiny"
Sport Photography Adam Pretty,Getty Images,"Shanghai World Swimming Championships 2011"
Radio News and Current Affairs Reporting Mark Willacy,ABC Radio,"Rikuzentakata Tsunami"
Radio Feature,Documentary or Broadcast Special Katrina Bolton,ABC Radio,"Drink,Death and Dollars"
Magazine Feature Writing Mike Colman,Qweekend The Courier-Mail,"Tree of Life"
Best Scoop of the Year Matt Moran and Hugh Riminton,Ten News,Network Ten,"Skype Scandal"
CartoonDavid Rowe,The Australian Financial Review,"Mini Murdoch"
ArtworkSimon Bosch,The Sydney Morning Herald,"The Dark Legacy of Child Abuse"
Sustained Coverage of an Issue or Event Natasha Bita,The Australian,"Virus in the System"
Newspaper Feature WritingJill Baker,Herald Sun,"The big C and me"
Journalistic LeadershipPaul Lockyer
News PhotographyNeville Madsen,Toowoomba Chronicle,"Toowoomba flood rescue"
Business JournalismAngus Grigg and Jamie Freed,The Australian Financial Review,"NSW Labour and the $1 land deal"
Photographic EssayGlenn Campbell,The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age,"Stolen Spirits"
International JournalismYaara Bou Melhem,Dateline,SBS TV"Struggle for Freedom"
Best Broadcast Camerawork Jeremy Ward,Seven News,"Lockyer Valley Flood"
Television News ReportingErin Edwards,Geoff Breusch,Jeremy Ward,Luke Miers&Sally Eeles,Seven Network,"Lockyer Valley Flood"
Television Current Affairs Reporting (Less than 20 minutes)Monique Schafter,Hungry Beast,ABC TV,"Trapped in your own Body"
Television Current affairs feature,documentary or special (More than 20 minutes) Sarah Ferguson,Michael Doyle&Anne Worthington,Four Corners,ABC TV"A Bloody Business"
Investigative JournalismRichard Baker&Nick McKenzie,The Age,"RBA held evidence of bribery/Who knew what when?"
Broadcast and Online Interviewing Tony Jones,Lateline ABC TV,"Christopher Hitchens","Malcolm Turnbull",and"Chris Bowen"Interviews"
Commentary,Analysis,Opinion and CritiqueLaura Tingle,The Australian Financial Review,"Liars,clunkheads,rent seekers and gamblers;Federal Politics 2010-11"
DocumentaryDarren Dale,Tony Krawitz and Chloe Hooper,Blackfella Films and SBS TV"The Tall Man"
Walkley Book Award Russell Skelton,"King Brown Country:The Betrayal of Papunya"Allen&Unwin
Nikon-Walkley Press Photographer of the Year Phil Hillyard,The Daily Telegraph
Outstanding Contribution to JournalismWikiLeaks
Gold WalkleySarah Ferguson,Michael Doyle&Anne Worthington,Four Corners,ABC TV"A Bloody Business"