Maiki Sherman keeps moving forward after award win

OPINION: Maiki Sherman is continuing to live her best life. Just weeks after her departure from TVNZ dominated headlines and sparked fierce debate across the media landscape, she has returned to social media with a simple message that speaks volumes.

The award-winning high-profile journalist shared photographs from the 2026 New Zealand Media Awards, where she was named Political Journalist of the Year. The post featured images of her accepting the award and enjoying the evening, accompanied by the words: “Political Journalist of the Year 2026. Update the timeline we must.”

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Image: Maiki Sherman accepts the Political Journalist of the Year award at the 2026 New Zealand Media Awards, a recognition judges said reflected her ability to take audiences inside major political stories while holding those in power to account. (Maiki Sherman / New Zealand Media Awards)

The post Sherman made was a reminder of an achievement nobody can take away. Her award was one of the biggest honours handed out at the Media Awards. Judges praised her political reporting and storytelling, recognising work that took viewers inside major political stories and held powerful figures to account.

The timing is significant because when Sherman resigned from TVNZ in May after weeks of public scrutiny surrounding allegations linked to comments made during a confrontation with another journalist, the saga generated extensive media coverage.

It also comes after an online environment that many argued crossed the line from accountability into personal attacks.

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Image: A smiling Maiki Sherman enjoys the celebrations at the 2026 New Zealand Media Awards, reflecting a moment of pride following her Political Journalist of the Year win. (Maiki Sherman / New Zealand Media Awards)

One of the recurring themes from many defending Sherman on social media was that her years of reporting and professional achievements were being overshadowed by a single incident.

The award offers a different perspective on that narrative as the judges were assessing journalism. Their verdict was absolutely clear.

From Māori media to the parliamentary press gallery and eventually becoming TVNZ’s first Māori political editor, Sherman’s rise was not some sort of accident. It was built newsroom by newsroom, story by story, in one of the toughest reporting environments in the country.

Image: ACT leader David Seymour addresses reporters at Parliament on April 28, where he described Ani O’Brien as “one woman with a free Substack account” and claimed the allegations had been hidden by a year-long “conspiracy of silence”. (Screenshot / parliamentary media stand-up / ACT Party)

The fresh images show the journalist celebrating a career milestone and serving as a reminder that, despite a recent attempt by fringe micro-blogger Ani O’Brien to tarnish her reputation through a bias one-sided Substack smear article later amplified by Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour, she remains one of the country’s most recognised political reporters.

The timeline now includes another fact. Sherman is a 2026 Political Journalist of the Year winner. Judging by the latest social media post, she is not looking backwards.

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