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Multichoice CNN African Journalist Awards Entry for 2013 FORM http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/WORLD/africa/africanawards/pdf/2013/2013-English-entry-form.pdf
2012 Winners and Finalists
Tom Mboya and Evanson Nyaga
Winner: Overall Winner CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2012
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Winner: Television Features Award
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Bio: Tom began his career as a journalist when he joined the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation in 2003 as a TV and radio news presenter, as well as talk show host for the radio programme ‘Economic Agenda'.
In 2004 he began working for Royal Media Services, once again as a TV and radio news presenter for Citizen TV and Radio Citizen. By 2005 his career had progressed to the position of news anchor for the same corporation. He later moved to Nation media group where he hosted prime time news on NTV Tonight and Easy FM.
In 2008 he became communications manager for ABC Media Consult, and two years later he returned to Citizen TV as a senior news anchor, where he remains to date, hosting prime time news on Citizen Live at Nine, in addition to producing human interest news features.
Bio: Evanson graduated from the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication in 2005 with a Diploma in Film Production and has worked as a cameraman for Media Machine (Production Company), Citizen TV and CCTV Africa, where he currently works. His work so far has already earned him an Acknowledgement Children Rights Media Award for News Article of the Year. Moreover, he shot a news story about internally displaced populations in Eldoret which won the International Catholic Press Association award in 2010.
Manar Attiya, Egypt
Winner: Francophone General News Award – Print
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Bio: Manar is an experienced print journalist, with 16 years' experience as a writer for the weekly paper Al-Ahram Hebdo. She began her career as a translator but had always desired to break through into journalism. She finally got her chance in 1997 when she began working at the Ahram Hebdo a French language newspaper in Egypt, initially translating articles by experienced journalists from Arabic into French. Eventually her own writing style was picked up by the editors at the newspaper, who asked Manar if she would like to start going on the field and writing her own pieces.
Joshua Anny, Ghana
Winner: Radio General News Award
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Bio: Joshua Anny describes himself as ‘a journalist, blogger and tweet addict who stumbled upon journalism after an argument with a colleague over orange pricing'. Having received a BA in English and Sociology from the University of Cape Coast in 2005 he worked as news editor for the Daily Express. In 2009 he became a senior writer with the Business & Financial Times and the Business Times, where he wrote film reviews, personality profiles and a daily column. In 2011 he joined Joyfm, where he remains to date as a broadcast journalist.
Parallel to this, he has worked as a freelance reporter/fixer since 2007, making contributions to the BBC African Service, 5Live (Up All Night). He has also contributed to The Washington Post and the Swedish magazine Omvarldern, and contributed on the Arts for a number of online blogs.
Adriaan Basson, South Africa
Joint Winner: Print General News Award
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Bio: Adriaan Basson began his career in journalism for the Beeld newspaper in 2003, where he reported on crime and courts and became a founding member of the paper's investigations unit.
He then moved to the Mail&Guardian in 2007, where he worked as a senior investigative reporter for three years. He is currently assistant editor for City Press.
Adriaan has been runner up and recipient of numerous distinctions, including the ‘Scoop of the year' award at the Beeld in 2003. He received the Media24 Investigative Journalist of the Year award in 2006 and again in 2008 when he was also co-winner of the South Africa Story of the year Mondi Shanduka Award. In 2009 he was also co-winner of the Taco Kuiper award as part of the Mail&Guardian team which produced a series of articles on the South African arms deal.
Najlae Benmbarek, Morocco
Winner: Francophone General News Award – Television
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Bio: Najlae's career as a journalist began in 2002 when she worked for the Maroc Hebdo. From 2004, while studying in the US, she worked as a freelance journalist in San Francisco, and directed the documentary Divided We Stand, filmed in Bosnia for Frontline/WORLD and broadcast on PBS. She also directed Banlieue Blues, a documentary on life in the outer suburbs of Paris after the Clichy-sous-Bois riots, and Waging Peace (broadcast on CNN), on the subject of US military presence in the Horn of Africa. For the next five years Najlae worked for 2M TV as a journalist and presenter for the investigative programme "Grand Angle". In 2011 she created her own production company, Nota Bene Productions.
Her other distinctions include Best Mediterranean News Report at the International Festival of Mediterranean Documentary and News Film in 2009 and in 2010 was received a CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Award.
Demelza Bush, South Africa
Joint Winner: Digital Journalism Award
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Bio: Demelza is a Journalism graduate who has built up a solid portfolio of job titles within the media industry, from teaching assistant in a Multimedia Workshop and television journalist, to photographer. She has been working at the Mail&Guardian online since 2010, taking on the roles of videographer, photographer and journalist.
She has taken part in several collective exhibitions, such as Grocott's Then and Now exhibition at the Albany Museum and the Human Condition exhibition, at the National Arts Festival. Her work has also been exhibited in Europe, in the Waiting and Watching: South African Moments, at the deBuren Cultural Centre, in Brussels, Belgium. Demelza is also actively involved with a number of charities, including the SPCA, and is a keen contributor to the work of Gay and Women's Rights associations.
Arsénio Henriques, Mozambique
Winner: Portuguese Language General News Award – Television
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Bio: Arsénio Henriques began his career in journalism in 2002, and worked as a reporter for the sports weekly Desafio and for the TV Channel STV. In 2004 he began covering Current Events and Politics for both STV and the O País newspaper. The following year he started working as a presenter for the news, as well as editor.
His work so far includes moderating the political debate programme "Debate da Nação", working as a correspondent in South Africa for STV, covering the Football World Cup in 2010, as well as reporting on Presidential events abroad.
Isabel João, Angola
Winner: Portuguese Language General News Award – Print
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Bio: Isabel, who is originally from Zaire, studied journalism at the Agostinho Neto University in Luanda, Angola, and has worked as a print journalist for the weekly newspapers Independente and Novo Jornal.
Ahaoma Kanu, Nigeria
Winner: Tourism Award
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Bio: Originally an engineer by training, in 2005 Ahaoma switched to a position as a Public Relations officer and from there he went on to work as Arts and Entertainment Editor of the National Daily newspaper in 2006, a position which he holds to date.
Since 2007 he has also worked as a Media and Publicity Coordinator for the Down Syndrome Foundation Nigeria, on a volunteer basis. This work has earned him a Recognition Award by the Down Syndrome Association of Nigeria (DSAN) in 2008, for raising awareness for people with Down's Syndrome in this country. Ahaoma's other achievements include being First Runner Up at the Golden Pen Awards and a nomination for the Olu Aboderin Entertainment Reporter of the Year in 2009 Nigeria Merit Award (NNMA), an award which he was again nominated for and received in 2010.
Charles Kinyua Kariuki, Kenya
Joint Winner: Television News Bulletin Award
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Bio: Charles is a cameraman and editor with a Diploma in Film and TV Production. His broadcast media experience has seen him involved with the shooting of documentaries, media stories and features in Kenya and South Africa for a variety of local television stations. He works frequently for NTV, in his role as a communications assistant at World Vision, Kenya, where he is in charge of video production. His responsibilities include news gathering, video and editing and script writing for media stories and features as well as documentaries. Charles is a previous winner of a CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards, in 2010, as well as winner of the KEMEP Award for Best Television Journalist in Population and Development.
Craig McKune, South Africa
Joint Winner: Digital Journalism Award
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Bio: Craig McKune is a journalist with a scientific background having received a BSc in Botany in 2002 and has working as an Environment Officer at Table Mountain National Park. Since 2003 he has worked as a freelance journalist for publications such as the Big Issue, Stage Magazine and Concrete Wave, writing pieces on general subjects but also on areas as varied as Science, the Environment, Politics, Entertainment and Travel. He was a staff reporter for the Cape Times from 2008 to 2011 and is now an investigator for the Mail &Guardian Centre for Investigative Journalism.
Clive Mtshali, South Africa
Joint Winner: MSD Health & Medical Award
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Bio: Clive received his initial training in the television industry at the SABC where he worked from 1981 as a film cameraman for four years before being redeployed to the news department.
In 1993, the assassination of Chris Hani and its aftermath attracted considerable foreign media interest in South Africa. Having done some freelance work for various foreign media networks and news agencies, Clive subsequently secured a year's contract with the BBC, covering the build-up to the 1994 elections, right through to the inauguration of President Mandela. He then joined the Associated Press Television news agency, where he had the opportunity to travel extensively throughout Africa.
He then re-joined the SABC in 2001 as Manager for the News Camera department, where he stayed for six years, then went on to work for e.tv as a Senior Cameraman, a position he holds to date.
Andrew Mulenga, Zambia
Winner: Arts & Culture Award
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Bio: Andrew Mulenga began his career as a graphic designer in 1994. In 2003 he was appointed Deputy Editor for the Education Post, a youth-oriented weekly pullout aimed at encouraging young readership. He is currently an independent Arts and Culture journalist and administrator, and continues to submit weekly art reviews, critiques and interviews to The Post in a column entitled ‘Mulenga's Hole in the Wall', as well as monthly contributions to the Bulletin & Record magazine in Zambia.
Since his days as deputy editor for the Education Post he has developed a passion for working with young people and is currently helping to organise a nationwide schools Art & Design competition. He is also a mentor for the Matero Girls High School Art Club.
Nimrod Taabu Mwagamoyo, Kenya
Joint Winner: Television News Bulletin Award
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Bio: Nimrod Taabu Mwagamoyo began working for The Standard newspaper as an assistant reporter in 2000. Later in the same year he became news anchor and reporter for the Kenya Television Network, where he worked for the next four years. During this time, he produced a weekly Swahili News Round-up Programme for the Mombassa audience that eventually led to the establishment of a successful Swahili News Bulletin. In April 2004 he joined the Nation Media Group (Nation Centre, NTV) as a senior anchor and reporter in the Editorial department, where he remains to date.
Among his achievements Nimrod counts publishing a story for The Standard newspaper on the City Council's controversial plans to demolish houses in the Eastlands. The project had many loopholes and after the story was published it was abandoned by the Government. He was also the first anchor at KTN to present the news both in English and in Swahili, and hosted the first Swahili Television talk show in NTV entitled ‘Mahuluki'.
Jephitha Mwai Mwangi, Kenya
Joint Winner: Sport Award
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Bio: Jephita received his diploma in Film and Video Production from the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication in 2008 and has been working at Citizen TV, Royal Media Services, for the past four years as a cameraman and reporter.
Waihiga Mwaura, Kenya
Joint Winner: Sport Award
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Bio: Waihiga began his work in the media with an internship at the Nation Media Group, Business Desk in 2008. He has a BSc in Computer Science and is currently undertaking an MA in Communication – Electronic Media. He has been employed with Royal Media Services since 2009. His duties include working as a journalist with Citizen TV and hosting live interviews on the Power Breakfast show – the number one Breakfast show in Kenya. He also anchors sports news over the weekend on Citizen Weekend, and has taken on the role of assistant producer, working on several productions including Sakata – the popular dance competition show on Citizen TV.
John Muchangi Njiru, Kenya
Winner: HIV/AIDS Reporting Award
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Bio: John Muchangi Njiru graduated with a Bachelor in Arts, Language and Literary Studies from Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya in 2004. His journalistic career began a year earlier, as a features writer for The People Daily newspaper in the areas of Business, Environment and Developmental Issues. In 2005 he was promoted to the position of Science editor for the same publication, responsible for the Education, Environment and Agriculture pullouts. In 2007 he became features writer with The Star newspaper, covering Health and Environment news stories, a role which he fills to date.
Verashni Pillay, South Africa
Joint Winner: Digital Journalism Award
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Bio: Verashni Pillay received her Bachelor of Journalism degree in 2007 at Rhodes University, South Africa. She freelanced for several publications during her studies, including the Mail&Guardian and the Laugh it Off annual and was shortlisted for a Marie Claire student journalism award. In 2006 she received a full bursary from Media24 for her honours year and as a result was given the opportunity to work for News24 upon graduation, from 2007 to 2009.
In 2009 she was recruited by the Mail&Guardian online, where she produced a series of video interviews with the country's biggest political parties. She is currently tasked with overseeing and commissioning all editorial content online, spearheading convergence with the newspaper and setting up social and media platforms and running special projects. Verashni also writes a widely-read weekly column on current affairs and is a regular guest on radio and TV to comment on current affairs and social media.
Piet Rampedi, South Africa
Joint Winner: Print General News Award
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Bio: Piet Rampedi graduated with a BA in Communication and Political Science from the University of South Africa in 2001 and became a journalist with e.tv in 2002. The following year he moved to the SABC, where he became a TV news journalist. After five years with the SABC he was hired by City Press, covering general news and politics. Earlier this year he began working at the Sunday Independent as a Senior Investigative Reporter.
Piet was the recipient of the 2008 City Press Journalist of the Year award, and in 2010 he was the winner of the Media24 Newspaper Journalist of the Year Award, as well as the Vodacom Journalist of the Year award in the Print Media category.
Antoine de Ras, South Africa
Winner: Mohamed Amin Photographic Award
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Bio: Antoine de Ras is a photojournalist who has worked on assignment and as a stringer for AP, Reuters, AFP, EPA and UNICEF. In 2001 he became a full-time staffer at Rapport, an Afrikaans Sunday newspaper, and later moved over to Sunday paper City Press and from there to The Star daily, where he has been a senior photographer for the past four and a half years.
Antoine has covered some major international news, from Pope John Paul II's funeral, the ‘Hain' earthquake, the recent Somalia famine relief in Mogadishu as well as the Egyptian uprising in 2011 and coverage of the big ‘Choucha' migrant refugee camp in Tunisia near the Libyan border. Both of these last two assignments were self-funded and initiated. He is currently busy with a long-term documentary project dealing with the social interaction and integration of different ethnic population groupings in a new dramatic South Africa.
Antoine has won numerous national and international distinctions, including being nominated for the prestigious ‘Bayeux Calvados' Award in 2009.
Megan Small, South Africa
Joint Winner: MSD Health & Medical Award
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Bio: Megan graduated in Journalism from Rhodes University in 2003 and worked at 702 talk radio station for two years as a current affairs producer and news reporter on weekends, then moved to e.tv's 3rd degree, where she has been for over six years.
Megan has tackled a broad range of issues during her broadcasting career, from exposing the plight of an HIV-positive teacher who was dismissed from her position because of her HIV status to investigating police negligence and alleged brutality. She has moderated studio debates on such controversial themes as the resignation of President Thabo Mbeki and the refusal of the South African government to allow the Dalai Lama to enter the country. Her story on elephantiasis sufferer Nana Ntoblela set a record for viewership of 3rd degree in 2011.
In 2007 Megan won the Vodacom Regional Award for an investigation into a murder that the police had not managed to solve. She has also won the Television Category for the Webber Wentzel Journalist of the Year 2011 award, for an investigation into the disbanding of the Directorate of Special Operations (Scorpions).
Joy Summers, South Africa
Winner: The Coca-Cola Company Economics & Business Award
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Bio: Joy is an experienced and award-winning television producer. In 1995 she began working for the actuality and investigative programme Carte Blanche, which is one of the longest-running television programmes in South Africa, and in 1997 she was asked to take over as story editor for the show. She spent 11 years in a variety of roles for Carte Blanche, including director of the live-to-tape broadcasts on Sundays, and managing editor of the local edition of the show.
Her honours include the Television Feature Category of the Vodacom Journalist of the Year in 2009 and the Siemens Science Profile Award in the Health category, as well as the National Press Club North-West University South African Journalist of the Year in 2010, and a merit award at the SAB Environmental Journalist of the Year Awards. In March 2011 she won the Television In-depth Features Award for Acid Mine Drainage from the National Press Club – North-West University.
Gerald Tenywa, Uganda
Winner: Environment Award
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Bio: Gerald Tenywa graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1994, and went on to work at the Tropical Environment Foundation from 1995 to 2000. He then joined the New Vision newspaper as a freelance Environment reporter, and has been a full-time staffer for this publication since 2004, where his role has evolved with the express purpose of increasing the visibility of environmental issues in the media. From 2004 to 2007 Gerald also undertook postgraduate studies in Environmental journalism.
He has garnered several awards for his coverage of forest destruction, for communication and advocacy on Environment and for investigating pollution. In 2008 he was the winner in the Environmental category at the Business Journalism Awards, and in 2009 he was Media Award winner under the ‘100 years for Nature Awards' organised by Nature Uganda. He was consecutive winner, in 2010 and 2011, of the Print Category of the Sustainable Tourism Awards organised by STAR-Uganda, a USAID project, and in 2011 he also won the Ozone Africa Media Award given by the United Nations Environment Programme.
Tunde Akingbade, Nigeria
Highly commended
Bio: Tunde Akingbade is a journalist and published author who began his career in 1984 as a freelance reporter for The Guardian newspaper. He went on to work as a senior reporter and correspondent for the Sketch Press, The Guardian on Sunday and African Concord. By 1991 he was working as copy editor and then as editor for the African Science Monitor. Since 2007 he has been Environment writer on a freelance basis for The Guardian on Sunday.
Tunde's published works include monographs on the Environment, Health, and Political essays. He has also adapted novels by Wole Soyinka and Amos Tutuola into radio plays.
Idris Akinbajo, Nigeria
Highly commended
Bio: Idris Akinbajo has worked for Next newspapers since 2008 as an investigative reporter on the Enterprise desk, where he has written stories focusing primarily on regulatory failure, corruption and Human Rights abuses. He was part of the investigative team which exposed several high profile corruption cases including the involvement of Nigerians in the $180mn "Haliburton bribery scandal".
Edward Echwalu, Uganda
Highly commended
Bio: Edward is a photojournalist and blogger who graduated from the Makerere University in Kampala with a BA in Mass Communication in 2005 and has been a visual blogger since 2006, focusing on youth-related posts. He is a co-founder of the online paper/blog The Ivory Post, where he reported on University events around the country from 2007 to 2008. In 2008 he also became a journalist for The Daily Monitor, and later a photojournalist and blogger for The Observer.
Edward was awarded the Cranimer Mugerwa Photojournalism Award in 2009, and was one of the Top Ten shortlisted journalists for the ACP Photo Awards in 2010.
Teresa Sofia Fortes, Cape Verde
Highly commended
Bio: Teresa is an experienced print and broadcast journalist who has worked at the A Semana newspaper in Cabo Verde for 14 years. She graduated with an Honours degree in Journalism from Universidade Nova, Lisbon in 1998 and then took an internship at RDP-África (Portugal). From 1999 onwards she worked in the "Jornal Económico" radio programme for Praia-FM radio station in Cabo Verde, and made weekly contributions for Rádio Comercial (Portugal), BBC Africa and RDP-África.
Ramusel Graça, São Tome e Príncipe
Highly commended
Bio: Ramusel has been a journalist and presenter for the television channel Televisão Santomense since 2000. He has also contributed on a freelance basis for the digital blog "Tela Non" and worked as a correspondent for IPSNEWS (Inter Press Service), Panapress (a pan-African news agency) and PlusNews, a news agency specializing in HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria news and analysis. Over the course of his career he has also produced Health news pieces and worked as a consultant for UNICEF. In 2008 he was the winner of the Gibela Award for Best New Journalist.
Musikilu Mojeed, Nigeria
Highly commended
Bio: Throughout Musikilu's career he has investigated and written extensively on politics, elections, corruption and human trafficking. His career began as a General Assignment reporter for the Nigerian Tribute in 1993 and he later worked as a reporter and researcher for Independent Communications Network and TELL Communications. In 2004 he became chief correspondent for Punch Nigeria (Investigations desk) before going on to be deputy enterprise editor for Timbuktu Media Limited. In the beginning of 2011 he became Enterprise editor for Next newspapers, and since January 2012 he has become managing editor for Premium Times News.
Alongside his work as a staff writer, Musikilu has also worked as a US Correspondent for The Interdependent in New York.
Peter Nkanga, Nigeria
Highly commended
Bio: Peter began his career in Journalism in 2008 as an investigative reporter and photographer for NEXT Newspaper, where he primarily wrote investigative stories with a focus on Human Rights abuses, corruption and regulatory failure. He also provided audiovisual content for the newspaper's online platform. Since September 2011 he has been working as a freelance Human Rights journalist, providing in-depth reportage with audio-visual content for international and local media organisations.
Peter's particular field of expertise has lead to his taking on the duties of independent elections observer for Civil Society Organisations as well as undertaking commissioned investigations into Human Rights abuses. He has been the recipient of several professional awards, most notably the Wole Soyinka award for Investigative reporting (in 2010 and 2011), and the FAIR African Investigative Journalist of the Year in 2011.
Elor Nkereuwem, Nigeria
Highly commended
Bio: Elor Nkereuwem has spent the past three years working as the only female journalist in the investigations unit at Next, a Nigerian Daily newspaper. Elor has also recently graduated with a BSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics.
Stephen Ssenkaaba, Uganda
Highly commended
Bio: Stephen Ssenkaaba has over seven years experience in print media, having worked for Uganda's newspaper, the New Vision, since 2003 as a staff features writer. He has written extensively on varied subjects, particularly on Development, Education, Culture and the Visual Arts.
Major projects undertaken by Stephen include participating in educational promotional projects (‘Newspapers in Education') in different schools in Uganda and conducting interactive debates and learning activities in schools. These projects addressed issues on peace and conflict resolution, justice and democracy. They were aimed at raising awareness of important issues among secondary school children, as well as promoting literacy.
Nelson Wesonga, Uganda
Highly commended
Bio: Nelson Wesonga has been working as a journalist since 2002, when he started writing for The New Vision as a freelance reporter. He then went on to write for the East African Procurement News and became a writer for Focus magazine in 2008. He has also worked as a freelance photojournalist for the Daily Monitor. In this capacity he took a photo of Dr. Robert Mugabe dozing during the SMART Partnership dialogue in Kampala which sparked some debate, as the big men appeared to ‘spend much time napping.' He was managing editor for the Lab Scroll in 2010, and later in the same year became staff writer for the Daily Monitor, where he remains to date.
2012 Winners and Finalists
Tom Mboya and Evanson Nyaga
Winner: Overall Winner CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2012
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Winner: Television Features Award
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In 2004 he began working for Royal Media Services, once again as a TV and radio news presenter for Citizen TV and Radio Citizen. By 2005 his career had progressed to the position of news anchor for the same corporation. He later moved to Nation media group where he hosted prime time news on NTV Tonight and Easy FM.
In 2008 he became communications manager for ABC Media Consult, and two years later he returned to Citizen TV as a senior news anchor, where he remains to date, hosting prime time news on Citizen Live at Nine, in addition to producing human interest news features.
Winner: Francophone General News Award – Print
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Bio: Manar is an experienced print journalist, with 16 years' experience as a writer for the weekly paper Al-Ahram Hebdo. She began her career as a translator but had always desired to break through into journalism. She finally got her chance in 1997 when she began working at the Ahram Hebdo a French language newspaper in Egypt, initially translating articles by experienced journalists from Arabic into French. Eventually her own writing style was picked up by the editors at the newspaper, who asked Manar if she would like to start going on the field and writing her own pieces.
Winner: Radio General News Award
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Bio: Joshua Anny describes himself as ‘a journalist, blogger and tweet addict who stumbled upon journalism after an argument with a colleague over orange pricing'. Having received a BA in English and Sociology from the University of Cape Coast in 2005 he worked as news editor for the Daily Express. In 2009 he became a senior writer with the Business & Financial Times and the Business Times, where he wrote film reviews, personality profiles and a daily column. In 2011 he joined Joyfm, where he remains to date as a broadcast journalist.
Parallel to this, he has worked as a freelance reporter/fixer since 2007, making contributions to the BBC African Service, 5Live (Up All Night). He has also contributed to The Washington Post and the Swedish magazine Omvarldern, and contributed on the Arts for a number of online blogs.
Joint Winner: Print General News Award
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Bio: Adriaan Basson began his career in journalism for the Beeld newspaper in 2003, where he reported on crime and courts and became a founding member of the paper's investigations unit.
He then moved to the Mail&Guardian in 2007, where he worked as a senior investigative reporter for three years. He is currently assistant editor for City Press.
Adriaan has been runner up and recipient of numerous distinctions, including the ‘Scoop of the year' award at the Beeld in 2003. He received the Media24 Investigative Journalist of the Year award in 2006 and again in 2008 when he was also co-winner of the South Africa Story of the year Mondi Shanduka Award. In 2009 he was also co-winner of the Taco Kuiper award as part of the Mail&Guardian team which produced a series of articles on the South African arms deal.
Winner: Francophone General News Award – Television
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Bio: Najlae's career as a journalist began in 2002 when she worked for the Maroc Hebdo. From 2004, while studying in the US, she worked as a freelance journalist in San Francisco, and directed the documentary Divided We Stand, filmed in Bosnia for Frontline/WORLD and broadcast on PBS. She also directed Banlieue Blues, a documentary on life in the outer suburbs of Paris after the Clichy-sous-Bois riots, and Waging Peace (broadcast on CNN), on the subject of US military presence in the Horn of Africa. For the next five years Najlae worked for 2M TV as a journalist and presenter for the investigative programme "Grand Angle". In 2011 she created her own production company, Nota Bene Productions.
Her other distinctions include Best Mediterranean News Report at the International Festival of Mediterranean Documentary and News Film in 2009 and in 2010 was received a CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Award.
Joint Winner: Digital Journalism Award
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Bio: Demelza is a Journalism graduate who has built up a solid portfolio of job titles within the media industry, from teaching assistant in a Multimedia Workshop and television journalist, to photographer. She has been working at the Mail&Guardian online since 2010, taking on the roles of videographer, photographer and journalist.
She has taken part in several collective exhibitions, such as Grocott's Then and Now exhibition at the Albany Museum and the Human Condition exhibition, at the National Arts Festival. Her work has also been exhibited in Europe, in the Waiting and Watching: South African Moments, at the deBuren Cultural Centre, in Brussels, Belgium. Demelza is also actively involved with a number of charities, including the SPCA, and is a keen contributor to the work of Gay and Women's Rights associations.
Winner: Portuguese Language General News Award – Television
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Bio: Arsénio Henriques began his career in journalism in 2002, and worked as a reporter for the sports weekly Desafio and for the TV Channel STV. In 2004 he began covering Current Events and Politics for both STV and the O País newspaper. The following year he started working as a presenter for the news, as well as editor.
His work so far includes moderating the political debate programme "Debate da Nação", working as a correspondent in South Africa for STV, covering the Football World Cup in 2010, as well as reporting on Presidential events abroad.
Winner: Portuguese Language General News Award – Print
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Bio: Isabel, who is originally from Zaire, studied journalism at the Agostinho Neto University in Luanda, Angola, and has worked as a print journalist for the weekly newspapers Independente and Novo Jornal.
Winner: Tourism Award
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Bio: Originally an engineer by training, in 2005 Ahaoma switched to a position as a Public Relations officer and from there he went on to work as Arts and Entertainment Editor of the National Daily newspaper in 2006, a position which he holds to date.
Since 2007 he has also worked as a Media and Publicity Coordinator for the Down Syndrome Foundation Nigeria, on a volunteer basis. This work has earned him a Recognition Award by the Down Syndrome Association of Nigeria (DSAN) in 2008, for raising awareness for people with Down's Syndrome in this country. Ahaoma's other achievements include being First Runner Up at the Golden Pen Awards and a nomination for the Olu Aboderin Entertainment Reporter of the Year in 2009 Nigeria Merit Award (NNMA), an award which he was again nominated for and received in 2010.
Joint Winner: Television News Bulletin Award
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Bio: Charles is a cameraman and editor with a Diploma in Film and TV Production. His broadcast media experience has seen him involved with the shooting of documentaries, media stories and features in Kenya and South Africa for a variety of local television stations. He works frequently for NTV, in his role as a communications assistant at World Vision, Kenya, where he is in charge of video production. His responsibilities include news gathering, video and editing and script writing for media stories and features as well as documentaries. Charles is a previous winner of a CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards, in 2010, as well as winner of the KEMEP Award for Best Television Journalist in Population and Development.
Joint Winner: Digital Journalism Award
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Bio: Craig McKune is a journalist with a scientific background having received a BSc in Botany in 2002 and has working as an Environment Officer at Table Mountain National Park. Since 2003 he has worked as a freelance journalist for publications such as the Big Issue, Stage Magazine and Concrete Wave, writing pieces on general subjects but also on areas as varied as Science, the Environment, Politics, Entertainment and Travel. He was a staff reporter for the Cape Times from 2008 to 2011 and is now an investigator for the Mail &Guardian Centre for Investigative Journalism.
Joint Winner: MSD Health & Medical Award
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Bio: Clive received his initial training in the television industry at the SABC where he worked from 1981 as a film cameraman for four years before being redeployed to the news department.
In 1993, the assassination of Chris Hani and its aftermath attracted considerable foreign media interest in South Africa. Having done some freelance work for various foreign media networks and news agencies, Clive subsequently secured a year's contract with the BBC, covering the build-up to the 1994 elections, right through to the inauguration of President Mandela. He then joined the Associated Press Television news agency, where he had the opportunity to travel extensively throughout Africa.
He then re-joined the SABC in 2001 as Manager for the News Camera department, where he stayed for six years, then went on to work for e.tv as a Senior Cameraman, a position he holds to date.
Winner: Arts & Culture Award
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Bio: Andrew Mulenga began his career as a graphic designer in 1994. In 2003 he was appointed Deputy Editor for the Education Post, a youth-oriented weekly pullout aimed at encouraging young readership. He is currently an independent Arts and Culture journalist and administrator, and continues to submit weekly art reviews, critiques and interviews to The Post in a column entitled ‘Mulenga's Hole in the Wall', as well as monthly contributions to the Bulletin & Record magazine in Zambia.
Since his days as deputy editor for the Education Post he has developed a passion for working with young people and is currently helping to organise a nationwide schools Art & Design competition. He is also a mentor for the Matero Girls High School Art Club.
Joint Winner: Television News Bulletin Award
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Bio: Nimrod Taabu Mwagamoyo began working for The Standard newspaper as an assistant reporter in 2000. Later in the same year he became news anchor and reporter for the Kenya Television Network, where he worked for the next four years. During this time, he produced a weekly Swahili News Round-up Programme for the Mombassa audience that eventually led to the establishment of a successful Swahili News Bulletin. In April 2004 he joined the Nation Media Group (Nation Centre, NTV) as a senior anchor and reporter in the Editorial department, where he remains to date.
Among his achievements Nimrod counts publishing a story for The Standard newspaper on the City Council's controversial plans to demolish houses in the Eastlands. The project had many loopholes and after the story was published it was abandoned by the Government. He was also the first anchor at KTN to present the news both in English and in Swahili, and hosted the first Swahili Television talk show in NTV entitled ‘Mahuluki'.
Joint Winner: Sport Award
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Bio: Jephita received his diploma in Film and Video Production from the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication in 2008 and has been working at Citizen TV, Royal Media Services, for the past four years as a cameraman and reporter.
Joint Winner: Sport Award
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Bio: Waihiga began his work in the media with an internship at the Nation Media Group, Business Desk in 2008. He has a BSc in Computer Science and is currently undertaking an MA in Communication – Electronic Media. He has been employed with Royal Media Services since 2009. His duties include working as a journalist with Citizen TV and hosting live interviews on the Power Breakfast show – the number one Breakfast show in Kenya. He also anchors sports news over the weekend on Citizen Weekend, and has taken on the role of assistant producer, working on several productions including Sakata – the popular dance competition show on Citizen TV.
Winner: HIV/AIDS Reporting Award
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Bio: John Muchangi Njiru graduated with a Bachelor in Arts, Language and Literary Studies from Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya in 2004. His journalistic career began a year earlier, as a features writer for The People Daily newspaper in the areas of Business, Environment and Developmental Issues. In 2005 he was promoted to the position of Science editor for the same publication, responsible for the Education, Environment and Agriculture pullouts. In 2007 he became features writer with The Star newspaper, covering Health and Environment news stories, a role which he fills to date.
Joint Winner: Digital Journalism Award
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Bio: Verashni Pillay received her Bachelor of Journalism degree in 2007 at Rhodes University, South Africa. She freelanced for several publications during her studies, including the Mail&Guardian and the Laugh it Off annual and was shortlisted for a Marie Claire student journalism award. In 2006 she received a full bursary from Media24 for her honours year and as a result was given the opportunity to work for News24 upon graduation, from 2007 to 2009.
In 2009 she was recruited by the Mail&Guardian online, where she produced a series of video interviews with the country's biggest political parties. She is currently tasked with overseeing and commissioning all editorial content online, spearheading convergence with the newspaper and setting up social and media platforms and running special projects. Verashni also writes a widely-read weekly column on current affairs and is a regular guest on radio and TV to comment on current affairs and social media.
Joint Winner: Print General News Award
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Bio: Piet Rampedi graduated with a BA in Communication and Political Science from the University of South Africa in 2001 and became a journalist with e.tv in 2002. The following year he moved to the SABC, where he became a TV news journalist. After five years with the SABC he was hired by City Press, covering general news and politics. Earlier this year he began working at the Sunday Independent as a Senior Investigative Reporter.
Piet was the recipient of the 2008 City Press Journalist of the Year award, and in 2010 he was the winner of the Media24 Newspaper Journalist of the Year Award, as well as the Vodacom Journalist of the Year award in the Print Media category.
Winner: Mohamed Amin Photographic Award
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Bio: Antoine de Ras is a photojournalist who has worked on assignment and as a stringer for AP, Reuters, AFP, EPA and UNICEF. In 2001 he became a full-time staffer at Rapport, an Afrikaans Sunday newspaper, and later moved over to Sunday paper City Press and from there to The Star daily, where he has been a senior photographer for the past four and a half years.
Antoine has covered some major international news, from Pope John Paul II's funeral, the ‘Hain' earthquake, the recent Somalia famine relief in Mogadishu as well as the Egyptian uprising in 2011 and coverage of the big ‘Choucha' migrant refugee camp in Tunisia near the Libyan border. Both of these last two assignments were self-funded and initiated. He is currently busy with a long-term documentary project dealing with the social interaction and integration of different ethnic population groupings in a new dramatic South Africa.
Antoine has won numerous national and international distinctions, including being nominated for the prestigious ‘Bayeux Calvados' Award in 2009.
Joint Winner: MSD Health & Medical Award
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Bio: Megan graduated in Journalism from Rhodes University in 2003 and worked at 702 talk radio station for two years as a current affairs producer and news reporter on weekends, then moved to e.tv's 3rd degree, where she has been for over six years.
Megan has tackled a broad range of issues during her broadcasting career, from exposing the plight of an HIV-positive teacher who was dismissed from her position because of her HIV status to investigating police negligence and alleged brutality. She has moderated studio debates on such controversial themes as the resignation of President Thabo Mbeki and the refusal of the South African government to allow the Dalai Lama to enter the country. Her story on elephantiasis sufferer Nana Ntoblela set a record for viewership of 3rd degree in 2011.
In 2007 Megan won the Vodacom Regional Award for an investigation into a murder that the police had not managed to solve. She has also won the Television Category for the Webber Wentzel Journalist of the Year 2011 award, for an investigation into the disbanding of the Directorate of Special Operations (Scorpions).
Winner: The Coca-Cola Company Economics & Business Award
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Bio: Joy is an experienced and award-winning television producer. In 1995 she began working for the actuality and investigative programme Carte Blanche, which is one of the longest-running television programmes in South Africa, and in 1997 she was asked to take over as story editor for the show. She spent 11 years in a variety of roles for Carte Blanche, including director of the live-to-tape broadcasts on Sundays, and managing editor of the local edition of the show.
Her honours include the Television Feature Category of the Vodacom Journalist of the Year in 2009 and the Siemens Science Profile Award in the Health category, as well as the National Press Club North-West University South African Journalist of the Year in 2010, and a merit award at the SAB Environmental Journalist of the Year Awards. In March 2011 she won the Television In-depth Features Award for Acid Mine Drainage from the National Press Club – North-West University.
Winner: Environment Award
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Bio: Gerald Tenywa graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1994, and went on to work at the Tropical Environment Foundation from 1995 to 2000. He then joined the New Vision newspaper as a freelance Environment reporter, and has been a full-time staffer for this publication since 2004, where his role has evolved with the express purpose of increasing the visibility of environmental issues in the media. From 2004 to 2007 Gerald also undertook postgraduate studies in Environmental journalism.
He has garnered several awards for his coverage of forest destruction, for communication and advocacy on Environment and for investigating pollution. In 2008 he was the winner in the Environmental category at the Business Journalism Awards, and in 2009 he was Media Award winner under the ‘100 years for Nature Awards' organised by Nature Uganda. He was consecutive winner, in 2010 and 2011, of the Print Category of the Sustainable Tourism Awards organised by STAR-Uganda, a USAID project, and in 2011 he also won the Ozone Africa Media Award given by the United Nations Environment Programme.
Highly commended
Bio: Tunde Akingbade is a journalist and published author who began his career in 1984 as a freelance reporter for The Guardian newspaper. He went on to work as a senior reporter and correspondent for the Sketch Press, The Guardian on Sunday and African Concord. By 1991 he was working as copy editor and then as editor for the African Science Monitor. Since 2007 he has been Environment writer on a freelance basis for The Guardian on Sunday.
Tunde's published works include monographs on the Environment, Health, and Political essays. He has also adapted novels by Wole Soyinka and Amos Tutuola into radio plays.
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Bio: Idris Akinbajo has worked for Next newspapers since 2008 as an investigative reporter on the Enterprise desk, where he has written stories focusing primarily on regulatory failure, corruption and Human Rights abuses. He was part of the investigative team which exposed several high profile corruption cases including the involvement of Nigerians in the $180mn "Haliburton bribery scandal".
Highly commended
Bio: Edward is a photojournalist and blogger who graduated from the Makerere University in Kampala with a BA in Mass Communication in 2005 and has been a visual blogger since 2006, focusing on youth-related posts. He is a co-founder of the online paper/blog The Ivory Post, where he reported on University events around the country from 2007 to 2008. In 2008 he also became a journalist for The Daily Monitor, and later a photojournalist and blogger for The Observer.
Edward was awarded the Cranimer Mugerwa Photojournalism Award in 2009, and was one of the Top Ten shortlisted journalists for the ACP Photo Awards in 2010.
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Bio: Teresa is an experienced print and broadcast journalist who has worked at the A Semana newspaper in Cabo Verde for 14 years. She graduated with an Honours degree in Journalism from Universidade Nova, Lisbon in 1998 and then took an internship at RDP-África (Portugal). From 1999 onwards she worked in the "Jornal Económico" radio programme for Praia-FM radio station in Cabo Verde, and made weekly contributions for Rádio Comercial (Portugal), BBC Africa and RDP-África.
Highly commended
Bio: Ramusel has been a journalist and presenter for the television channel Televisão Santomense since 2000. He has also contributed on a freelance basis for the digital blog "Tela Non" and worked as a correspondent for IPSNEWS (Inter Press Service), Panapress (a pan-African news agency) and PlusNews, a news agency specializing in HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria news and analysis. Over the course of his career he has also produced Health news pieces and worked as a consultant for UNICEF. In 2008 he was the winner of the Gibela Award for Best New Journalist.
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Bio: Throughout Musikilu's career he has investigated and written extensively on politics, elections, corruption and human trafficking. His career began as a General Assignment reporter for the Nigerian Tribute in 1993 and he later worked as a reporter and researcher for Independent Communications Network and TELL Communications. In 2004 he became chief correspondent for Punch Nigeria (Investigations desk) before going on to be deputy enterprise editor for Timbuktu Media Limited. In the beginning of 2011 he became Enterprise editor for Next newspapers, and since January 2012 he has become managing editor for Premium Times News.
Alongside his work as a staff writer, Musikilu has also worked as a US Correspondent for The Interdependent in New York.
Highly commended
Bio: Peter began his career in Journalism in 2008 as an investigative reporter and photographer for NEXT Newspaper, where he primarily wrote investigative stories with a focus on Human Rights abuses, corruption and regulatory failure. He also provided audiovisual content for the newspaper's online platform. Since September 2011 he has been working as a freelance Human Rights journalist, providing in-depth reportage with audio-visual content for international and local media organisations.
Peter's particular field of expertise has lead to his taking on the duties of independent elections observer for Civil Society Organisations as well as undertaking commissioned investigations into Human Rights abuses. He has been the recipient of several professional awards, most notably the Wole Soyinka award for Investigative reporting (in 2010 and 2011), and the FAIR African Investigative Journalist of the Year in 2011.
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Bio: Elor Nkereuwem has spent the past three years working as the only female journalist in the investigations unit at Next, a Nigerian Daily newspaper. Elor has also recently graduated with a BSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics.
Highly commended
Bio: Stephen Ssenkaaba has over seven years experience in print media, having worked for Uganda's newspaper, the New Vision, since 2003 as a staff features writer. He has written extensively on varied subjects, particularly on Development, Education, Culture and the Visual Arts.
Major projects undertaken by Stephen include participating in educational promotional projects (‘Newspapers in Education') in different schools in Uganda and conducting interactive debates and learning activities in schools. These projects addressed issues on peace and conflict resolution, justice and democracy. They were aimed at raising awareness of important issues among secondary school children, as well as promoting literacy.
Highly commended
Bio: Nelson Wesonga has been working as a journalist since 2002, when he started writing for The New Vision as a freelance reporter. He then went on to write for the East African Procurement News and became a writer for Focus magazine in 2008. He has also worked as a freelance photojournalist for the Daily Monitor. In this capacity he took a photo of Dr. Robert Mugabe dozing during the SMART Partnership dialogue in Kampala which sparked some debate, as the big men appeared to ‘spend much time napping.' He was managing editor for the Lab Scroll in 2010, and later in the same year became staff writer for the Daily Monitor, where he remains to date.
