The deadline for the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards has been extended to 21st March 2007. This is the final deadline and no further extensions will be made.
The winners of this prestigious annual Award will be announced at a gala ceremony to be held at Cape Town’s International Conference Centre on 21 July 2007.
Over the past eleven years, the competition has grown in size and status. In 2006, it attracted a record-number of entries from 43 African countries and highlights of the ceremony, which was held in Maputo, Mozambique, were broadcast in 39 African countries, on the Africa Channel in the US, the OB Channel in the UK and RTP Africa.
The 2007 Awards introduce a new category targeting journalists working for a magazine published in Africa and the proprietor must be based in Africa: The MIH Print Media Award – Best Feature in a Magazine. This award will recognise an individual’s excellence in magazine feature writing.
This year, the competition will award prizes in 16 categories: South African Airways Tourism Award; Arts and Culture sponsored by Celtel; Economics & Business Award sponsored by Coca-Cola Africa; Environment Award; Free Press Africa Award: MSD Health & Medical Award; The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Award for HIV/AIDS Journalism; MIH Print Media Award – Best Feature in a Magazine; Mohamed Amin Photographic Award sponsored by Camerapix; M.K.O. Abiola Print Journalist Award sponsored by Safebond Africa Ltd.; Radio General News Awards: Sport Award sponsored by Global Media Alliance; Television – General News – Feature/Current Affairs Award sponsored by IPP Media Tanzania; Television – General News – News Bulletin Award sponsored by The Table Bay Hotel, Cape Town; Francophone General News Awards (Print and TV/Radio); Portuguese Language General News Award. From these category winners, the judges choose the overall winner – The CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2007.
Finalists in the 2007 competition will be flown to Cape Town, courtesy of South African Airways, to participate in a four day finalists’ programme including workshops and a media forum, culminating in a gala awards ceremony on Saturday 21st July, 2007. Each category winner receives a substantial cash prize plus laptop computer with modem and printer. The CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2007 will receive an additional cash prize and a trip to CNN Center Atlanta with flights courtesy of South African Airways.
Shola Oshunkeye, from Nigeria, was awarded the top prize at the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2006 Awards ceremony. Shola, who was working for TELL Magazine at the time, won for his story, “Niger’s graveyard of the living’.’ He continued: “Winning this award has unlocked a door of infinite opportunities for me. I have been able to build a network of inestimable value not only on the continent but also across the world. I have been congratulated and hosted by Heads of Government in my own country, Nigeria, and also Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and The Gambia. The CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards has had a gargantuan impact on my life and I’d encourage all African Journalists to enter the 2007 competition. It may be your key to irreversible breakthrough, the biggest splash in your own ocean of possibilities.’
The competition is open to African professional journalists including freelancers across print, television, internet, photographic and radio. Full details on how to enter can be found by logging on at www.cnn.com/africanawards. The closing date for entries is 21st February, 2007 and the judging will take place in May.
