Luke Shambrook reunited with his mother after being found alive in bush near Eildon in April 2015. Joe Armao won best news photograph for his shot of this "miracle on the mountain". Photo: Joe Armao

Adele Ferguson has been named Australian Journalist of the Year and been awarded the Melbourne Press Club's Gold Quill – recognising her journalism as the best in Victoria – at an awards ceremony on Friday night.

The awards capped an outstanding night for The Age, which took home seven major awards.

The ceremony praised Ferguson's work for The Age and Four Corners, describing her expose of corruption and abuse in the 7-Eleven retail empire as "an outstanding feat of investigative journalism".

Adele Ferguson has been named Australian Journalist of the Year and been awarded the Melbourne Press Club's Gold Quill.

The stories triggered the resignation of 7-Eleven's Australian founder and chairman, high-level inquiries and big compensation payouts.

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The judges in the Graham Perkin Australian Journalist of the Year award said "Ferguson holds the torch to the belly of the big end of town. Her fearless accounting of financial malpractice delivers us journalism equal to the power of the regulators she often leads to the scene of the crime."

Ferguson and Sarah Danckert also won the best business story Quill for the series. The Age's digital and design team won best use of digital media award for their multi-media presentation of the story.

Waleed Aly was awarded for best columnist for his work with The Age, with judges praising his powerful, clear-eyed and effortless logic.

Sunday Age editor Duska Sulicich​ won the award for best headlines. And designer Richard Giliberto won best graphic for a warning of the dangers of climate change.

Andrew Dyson won best cartoon for a "timeless image about lifestyle choices". 

In collaboration with Four Corners, journalists Nick McKenzie and Richard Baker won best television feature for an investigation into gangland killings and police corruption. The report uncovered serious failings in Victoria's witness protection program.

Joe Armao was awarded best news photograph for his shot of "a miracle on the mountain", capturing  "the tender, heartfelt moment" when 11-year-old autistic boy Luke Shambrook​ was found alive in rugged bushland, after being missing for more than four days, and was reunited with his mother.