Link, who has been with the Tamworth title for two years, was named as a finalist in the Chris Watson Award for outstanding regional newspaper reporting.

Watson was a widely respected editor of the Newcastle Herald who mentored countless regional journalists during his long career. He died in 2013.

Also short-listed for the regional award were Carla Hildebrandt, formerly of the Mandurah Mail, and masthead entries from the Tumut and Adelong Times and Tumbarumba Times.

The Northern Daily Leader, Newcastle Herald and Mandurah Mail (Western Australia) are all part of ACM, the largest independent media network in Australia and publisher of this website.

More than 100 finalists across all categories of the Kennedy Awards were named at Royal Randwick racecourse on Wednesday night.

Kate McClymont (The Sydney Morning Herald), Nick McKenzie (60 Minutes/The Age) and Sharri Markson (The Daily Telegraph) are in the running for the $25,000 journalist of the year award, which is the richest prize in Australian journalism.

Kennedy Foundation chairman Rocco Fazzari said the judges were highly impressed with the standard of submissions.

"In some categories it took judges days to finally sort out finalists from big fields, some of which had near-record entries," he said.

The Kennedy Awards' gala dinner was originally scheduled for August 7 but has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Organisers have yet to name a new date but are hoping for the spring.

The full list of 2020 finalists:

1 Les Kennedy Award for Outstanding Crime Reporting - Simon Bouda (A Current Affair); Australian Story: An Innocent Abroad (ABC); Michael Usher and team: Framed, the story of Scott Austic (7 News)

2 Paul Lockyer Award for Outstanding Regional Broadcast Reporting - Prime 7 Local News - Coast Team; Jane Goldsmith (NBN News); ABC Background Briefing/Landline

3 Chris Watson Award for Outstanding Regional Newspaper Reporting - Carla Hildebrandt (Mandurah Mail); Madeline Link (Northern Daily Leader); The Tumut and Adelong Times, Tumbarumba Times

4 Rod Allen Award for Racing Writer of the Year - Damien Ractliffe, Chip Le Grand (The Age); Ray Thomas (Daily Telegraph); Chris Roots (Sydney Morning Herald)

5 Sean Flannery Award for Outstanding Radio Journalism - Gavin Coote (ABC Audio Current Affairs); Steve Cannane and Kyle Taylor (ABC Background Briefing); Elini Psaltis (World Today ABC)

6 Outstanding Podcast - Mark Whittaker: Blood Territory; Kimberley Pratt and Stephanie Coombes: First Person series (10 News First); The Eleventh (ABC Radio Programs)

7 Outstanding News Photo - Sam Ruttyn (Sunday Telegraph); Nick Moir (Sydney Morning Herald); Dallas Kilponen (freelance pic for the Sydney Morning Herald)

8 Outstanding Portrait - Richard Dobson (Sunday Telegraph); James Brickwood (Australian Financial Review Magazine); John Appleyard (Wentworth Courier)

9 Outstanding Sports Photo - Brett Costello: Canberra Raiders (Daily Telegraph); Phil Hillyard: James Tedesco (Daily Telegraph); Micky Capparelli, freelance (Jeff Horn knockout)

10 Outstanding Online Video - Let Her Speak: Nina Funnell, Lori Youmshajekian;(news.com.au) Paul Walker: CBD Stabber (7News); Tom Compagnoni: The Forgotten Sydney of AC/DC (Sydney Morning Herald)

11 Power of the Lens: "The People's Choice Award" - to be announced at the gala event

12 Vince O'Farrell Award for Outstanding Illustration - Christopher Downes (Mercury newspaper); Eric Lobbecke (The Australian); Cathy Wilcox (Sydney Morning Herald)

13 The Cliff Neville Award: Outstanding Team Player - to be announced at the 2020 gala event

14 Peter Frilingos Award for Outstanding Sports Reporting - Julian Linden: Chinese swimmer (Sunday Telegraph); Neil Breen: Josh Reynolds (9 News); Steve Cannane and Kyle Taylor: Bet 365 scandal (ABC)

15 2020 Young Journalist of the Year - Lauren Golman (A Current Affair); Zoe Samios (Sydney Morning Herald); Joshua Hanrahan (Daily Mail Australia)

16 Outstanding Travel Writing - Katrina Lobley (Weekend Australian); John Borthwick (Weekend Australian); Anabel Dean (Island Life magazine)

17 Lifetime Achievement Award - to be announced at the 2020 gala event

18 John Newfong Award for Outstanding Indigenous Affairs Reporting - Michaela Whitbourn (Sydney Morning Herald); Living Black NITV; Australian Story, Making His Mark

19 Gary Ticehurst Award for Outstanding TV News Camera Coverage - Tim Myer (7 News); Cam Wallis (7 News); Paul Walker (7 News)

20 Harry Potter Award for Outstanding Television News Reporting - Chris O'Keefe (9News); Keiran Gilbert, Andrew Clennell (Sky News); Tegan George (10 News First)

21 Outstanding Television Current Affairs Reporting - Mark Willacy: The Killing Field (Four Corners); Nick McKenzie, Grace Tobin, Nick Toscano: Crown Unmasked (60 Minutes); Tara Brown, Naomi Shivaraman (A Current Affair)

22 Mike Willesee Award for Outstanding Nightly TV Current Affairs Reporting - Tracy Grimshaw (A Current Affair); Paul Farrell, Alex McDonald (7.30 ABC); Dimity Clancey, Laura Mangham: Silent Killer (A Current Affair)

23 Peter Ruehl Award for Outstanding Columnist - Louise Roberts (Daily Telegraph); Will Swanton (The Australian); Michael Pascoe (The New Daily)

24 Outstanding Finance Reporting - Adele Ferguson (Sydney Morning Herald); Nick McKenzie, Grace Tobin, Nick Toscano (60 Minutes and Fairfax/Nine); Aaron Patrick: Westpac Compliance Series (Australian Financial Review)

25 Outstanding Consumer Affairs Reporting - Amy Bainbridge, Lucy Kent, Loretta Florance: Bankruptcy Hunters (7.30 ABC); Natasha Robinson (The Australian); Alison Branley (ABC)

26 Outstanding Online News Breaking - Sarah Thompson, Anthony Macdonald, Tim Boyd (Australian Financial Review); Nine News bushfire coverage; Benedict Brook, Gavin Fernando ((News.com.au)

27 Outstanding Court Reporting - Adam Cooper, Melissa Cunningham (The Age); Hagar Cohen (ABC); Michael Ruffles, Michael Evans (Sydney Morning Herald)

28 Outstanding Reporting on the Environment - Oliver Murray, Shannon Molloy, Stephanie Bedo (News.com.au); Peter Hannam (Sydney Morning Herald); ABC Landline and ABC Background Briefing

29 Rebecca Wilson Award 2020: Scoop of the Year - Chris O'Keefe (9 News); Mark Willacy: The Killing Field (Four Corners); Anna Caldwell, Richard Noone (Daily Telegraph)

30 Outstanding Investigative Reporting - Family of Suspects (Seven Network); Kate McClymont, Jacqueline Maley (Sydney Morning Herald); The Killing Field (Four Corners)

31 Jim Oram Award: Outstanding Features Writing - Nick McKenzie (The Age); Trent Dalton (The Australian); Garry Maddox (Sydney Morning Herald)

32 Tom Krause Award for Outstanding Foreign Correspondent - Adam Harvey (ABC Syria); Fiona Pepper (ABC, BBC); Ashlee Mullany (Seven Network)

33 Outstanding Political Reporting - Annelise Nielsen (Sky News); Chris O'Keefe: Ruby Princess (9News); Andrew Tillett (Australian Financial Review)

34 2020 Kennedy Award for Australian Journalist of the Year - Kate McClymont (Sydney Morning Herald); Nick McKenzie (60 Minutes/The Age); Sharri Markson (Daily Telegraph)