Journalist Hedley Thomas and producer Slade Gibson have won the 2018 Gold Walkley Award for The Teacher's Pet podcast series.

It is the second time The Australian journalist has won the top prize, and he said he was keen to keep making podcasts.

"This is what I want to do from now on," he said as he accepted the award for the 14-episode investigation on Thursday night.

It delves into the unsolved case of missing Sydney mother Lyn Dawson and was described by judges as "a masterclass in investigative journalism".

"The investigation uncovered long-lost statements and new witnesses, and prompted police to dig again for the body of Lyn Dawson," they said.

The Teacher's Pet has been hugely popular and has been downloaded by 27 million listeners across the world, according to the Walkley Foundation.

It is the only Australian podcast to hit the number one spot in the US, the UK, Canada and New Zealand.

Dorney wins Outstanding Contribution to Journalism

The 63rd annual Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism was held in Brisbane on Thursday night.

The ABC had 24 nominations and won eight awards.

Sean Dorney, who for more than 40 years was the ABC's Papua New Guinea and Pacific correspondent, won the Outstanding Contribution to Journalism award.

"I've always strived to tell it straight," Dorney said as he accepted the award to a standing ovation.

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The ABC and Fairfax team also received two Walkley awards for their investigations into Don Burke, the ABC's Team Unravel True Crime won the coverage of Indigenous affairs, and Four Corners accepted four awards for their investigative work.