Otago Daily Times managing director Sir Julian Smith received a special award on Friday night for his services to publishing.
Sir Julian said he was surprised to receive the award, which he believed was for his work on the business side of the ODT.
The presentation was made at the Canon Media Awards in Auckland.
The ODT is one of New Zealand's last independently owned newspapers.
Sir Julian said it's the good journalism which makes the industry strong, and has made the ODT successful.
He said he's confident in an age of changing media, that printed newspapers will continue to thrive.
