On Friday night I won BEST TECHNOLOGY REVIEWER at the 2025 Australian IT Journalism Awards – also known as ‘The Lizzies’. It’s Australia’s night of nights for technology journalists and PR people. It was the third time I walked away with the award but it was definitely the most satisfying because last year was tough.
I had to rebuild this site twice in the wake of a hack that almost wrecked the business. At the same time I had to keep up with the day-to-day technology grind as I redesigned Image Matrix Tech to be a responsive news and reviews site. It was a lot of work and at times it almost defeated me but I ploughed ahead. So it was with great delight that I accepted the Best Technology Reviewer award despite a difficult 2024 behind the scenes.
The award was judged on several examples but at the top of the list was my review of the Dreame A1 Robot mower. It was an impressive piece of technology and that made it easier to review. A good device will get me excited and I think that comes across on the videos too. I had the A1 for three or four months so I could give it a really in-depth report. This is when you find out if the tech is any good. Will it be OK after months in the wind and rain? Many people don’t get to review products for this long but I always push hard for longer access because consumers are paying a lot of money.
My reviews take much longer to make than many others in the business. That’s fine, because other tech outlets turn a lot of stories around daily and need their reviews to be quick too. We all serve different needs. But I really think the reason my reviews do well is because they have the detail only time allows for and b-roll that makes sense to the viewer. It takes that extra time to get the shots that match the voiceover explaining how the devices works. I’m prepared to do this anytime, day or night. I also want it to look good and if it entertains at the same time, that’s a bonus. All Image Matrix Tech videos are recorded and published in 4K, with only the very odd exception. If I spot an error after uploading a large file, I will delete it, fix it, then start again. I cannot stand videos with mistakes in them. I think it makes you look sloppy and that’s not good enough. So if you want some sort if insight into why I’ve won three times, that’s basically it.
I also added a supporting article to go with review videos last year. This added much needed technical weight to the overall package. Links, graphics and text combine with video to give the consumer two ways to soak up the data before making a decision to buy. I hate nothing more than seeing people being ripped off. In the end, the consumer matters most but I’ll definitely take an award like this from my industry peers any day.
Many thanks to the PR teams that keep me supplied with review gadgets, good and bad. I can have anywhere between five and 20 devices being reviewed simultaneously. Some need more attention than others.
And to my fellow finalists, and there were many, thank you for providing such a competitive environment. It makes us all work harder each year. EFTM’s Trevor Long was the first to yell out and congratulate me personally on the night. I was extremely pleased to see him take away the Best Consumer Tech Journalist award.
See you at The Lizzies in 2026.
