ZIMBABWEAN HOPEWELL RUGOHO-CHIN'ONO WINS CNN MULTICHOICE AFRICAN JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
By CNN International Press Office Press Release | Sun, 20 Jul 2008
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Hopewell Rugoh-Chin'ono, from Zimbabwe, has been awarded the top prize at this year's CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2008 Awards Ceremony.
Hopewell, founder and film director for Television International, Zimbabwe, won for his story 'Pain in My Heart', which was chosen from among 1912 entries from a record 44 nations across the African continent.
Hopewell was one of 23 finalists at the Awards ceremony on Saturday evening and was also the category winner in The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Award for Excellence in HIV/AIDS Reporting in Africa.
His Excellency J. A. Kufuor, President of the Republic of Ghana, presented him with the Award at a Gala Ceremony hosted by CNN and MultiChoice at The State Banquet Hall, Osu, Accra, Ghana this evening, Saturday 19th July. Tony Maddox, Managing Director, CNN International and Eben Greyling, Chief Executive Officer, MultiChoice Africa, were also on stage.
The 2008 Awards, which rotate location each year in tribute to their pan-African credentials, mark a welcome return to Ghana, West Africa, home to many of the competition's winners over the years, and birthplace of the Awards, first held in Accra in 1995.
Hopewell Rugoho-Chin'ono said: “The recognition this award gives me goes a long way to improving journalistic standards for many colleagues who are working under very difficult conditions. It is a huge honour and commitment and I will do my best to meet the expectations of my peers. I dedicate the award to all those struggling to be recognised, and I salute the ongoing challenge to achieve excellence across the African continent.”
Chairperson of the judging panel, Azubuike Ishiekwene, Executive Director, Punch Nigeria Limited said: “Hopewell Rugoho-Chin'ono is the overall winner of the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Award 2008, because in a continent where resources are a great problem in telling the story, he overcame this major difficulty, with a nose and a passion to tell the story. He goes on to tell the story in a compelling and sympathetic manner. A good nose and a passionate heart, that's what makes him the overall winner."
Tony Maddox, Executive Vice-President and Managing Director of CNN International, said: “The awards have become the pre-eminent prize honouring the best of what Africa has to offer, and the benchmark by which many African journalists measure themselves. Once again, this year has unearthed a wealth of voices from around Africa, each demonstrating a quality of journalism, and in some cases a resourcefulness and bravery in pursuing the story which has my deepest admiration.”
Eben Greyling, CEO MultiChoice Africa, said: “Congratulations to the winners this year; we hope that the recognition you received in this year's awards will encourage further excellence and success in your careers as we have seen with previous winners of these prestigious awards. To the many journalists who have not been recognised this year, we would like to salute and celebrate the vital role you play in the ongoing development of democracy and diversity on the African continent. Once again the judges were overwhelmed by the high quality of the entries which made the judging a very difficult process. One can see from the entries over the years the dramatic progress African media has made in reporting the African story.”
The CNN MultiChoice competition, now in its thirteenth year, is held in collaboration with The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Accra-based accommodation is provided by the official hotel sponsor The Holiday Inn Accra Airport. Other prestigious sponsors include: Coca-Cola Africa; Ecobank; IPP Media; Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD); MIH Print Africa; Safebond Africa Limited (SAL); Zain; Global Media Alliance (GMA) and Camerapix.
The Highlights' Programme of the Awards ceremony will be broadcast as follows:
CNN International's 'Inside Africa' programme will also report on the African Journalist Award on Saturday 26th July at 1730 BST.
The overall CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2008 wins a substantial cash prize, a visit to CNN Centre, Atlanta to attend the three week CNN Journalism Fellowship, along with the prize awarded to all category winners, which consists of a laptop computer, modem, printer and a cash prize.
www.cnn.com/africanawards
Winners in the individual competition categories are:
ARTS & CULTURE AWARD, presented by Zain:
Winner: Barbara Angopa, NTV, Uganda
Title: Teso's Peace Music
Judge's Citation:
The story is about a particular music, instruments and dance in Uganda. This television piece does a great job of bringing to the limelight a beautiful part of African cultural heritage. In this case, music and dance. The journalism here captures and conveys the role and power of culture in building and nurturing hope in societies shattered by conflicts or natural disasters. The journalist tells the story of culture preservation, adaptation and passing the heritage onto the next generation. Culture does bring people together. You can see that the reporter got into the cultural mood. She gets to the point where she has the confidence to join in.
ECONOMICS & BUSINESS AWARD, presented by Coca-Cola Africa:
Winner: John Grobler, Freelance Journalist for the Namibian, Namibia
Title: Mafia linked to Namibian gems
Judge's Citation:
A dramatic recipe that included the founding President Nujoma's son in business with a Mafiosi wanted in Italy. At issue: Namibia's ample diamonds and the competing interests seeking to mine them. After years of dogged work, Grobler revealed that the don Vito Palozzolo and his Namibian-based associates owned a string of companies seeking to cash in on the gem trade. With the history of Sierra Leone in sharp relief, the judges praised Grobler for this watch-dog work in ensuring that diamonds are not bloodied. The resource curse must be turned to a development boom, this piece shows journalists can be part of the quest.
ENVIRONMENT AWARD, presented by Ecobank:
Continued
Source: CNN International Press Office
Hopewell, founder and film director for Television International, Zimbabwe, won for his story 'Pain in My Heart', which was chosen from among 1912 entries from a record 44 nations across the African continent.
Hopewell was one of 23 finalists at the Awards ceremony on Saturday evening and was also the category winner in The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Award for Excellence in HIV/AIDS Reporting in Africa.
His Excellency J. A. Kufuor, President of the Republic of Ghana, presented him with the Award at a Gala Ceremony hosted by CNN and MultiChoice at The State Banquet Hall, Osu, Accra, Ghana this evening, Saturday 19th July. Tony Maddox, Managing Director, CNN International and Eben Greyling, Chief Executive Officer, MultiChoice Africa, were also on stage.
The 2008 Awards, which rotate location each year in tribute to their pan-African credentials, mark a welcome return to Ghana, West Africa, home to many of the competition's winners over the years, and birthplace of the Awards, first held in Accra in 1995.
Hopewell Rugoho-Chin'ono said: “The recognition this award gives me goes a long way to improving journalistic standards for many colleagues who are working under very difficult conditions. It is a huge honour and commitment and I will do my best to meet the expectations of my peers. I dedicate the award to all those struggling to be recognised, and I salute the ongoing challenge to achieve excellence across the African continent.”
Chairperson of the judging panel, Azubuike Ishiekwene, Executive Director, Punch Nigeria Limited said: “Hopewell Rugoho-Chin'ono is the overall winner of the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Award 2008, because in a continent where resources are a great problem in telling the story, he overcame this major difficulty, with a nose and a passion to tell the story. He goes on to tell the story in a compelling and sympathetic manner. A good nose and a passionate heart, that's what makes him the overall winner."
Tony Maddox, Executive Vice-President and Managing Director of CNN International, said: “The awards have become the pre-eminent prize honouring the best of what Africa has to offer, and the benchmark by which many African journalists measure themselves. Once again, this year has unearthed a wealth of voices from around Africa, each demonstrating a quality of journalism, and in some cases a resourcefulness and bravery in pursuing the story which has my deepest admiration.”
Eben Greyling, CEO MultiChoice Africa, said: “Congratulations to the winners this year; we hope that the recognition you received in this year's awards will encourage further excellence and success in your careers as we have seen with previous winners of these prestigious awards. To the many journalists who have not been recognised this year, we would like to salute and celebrate the vital role you play in the ongoing development of democracy and diversity on the African continent. Once again the judges were overwhelmed by the high quality of the entries which made the judging a very difficult process. One can see from the entries over the years the dramatic progress African media has made in reporting the African story.”
The CNN MultiChoice competition, now in its thirteenth year, is held in collaboration with The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Accra-based accommodation is provided by the official hotel sponsor The Holiday Inn Accra Airport. Other prestigious sponsors include: Coca-Cola Africa; Ecobank; IPP Media; Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD); MIH Print Africa; Safebond Africa Limited (SAL); Zain; Global Media Alliance (GMA) and Camerapix.
The Highlights' Programme of the Awards ceremony will be broadcast as follows:
- M-Net will broadcast the 'Highlights Programme' of the Award Ceremony:
M-Net Domestic (IS7) Wednesday 13th August 2325 CAT
M-Net EAST (W4 & IS10) Sunday 3rd August 18.00 CAT 19.00 EAT
M-Net WEST (W4 & IS10) Sunday 3rd August 20.00 CAT 19.00 WAT
AFRICA MAGIC (7) Saturday 23rd August 21:00 CAT
- Broadcasters in 44 countries on the African continent will be transmitting the 'Highlights Programme' during August and September.
- Internationally, the 'Highlights Programme' will be shown on OBE TV in the UK, The Africa Channel in the United States and on RTP Africa.
CNN International's 'Inside Africa' programme will also report on the African Journalist Award on Saturday 26th July at 1730 BST.
The overall CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2008 wins a substantial cash prize, a visit to CNN Centre, Atlanta to attend the three week CNN Journalism Fellowship, along with the prize awarded to all category winners, which consists of a laptop computer, modem, printer and a cash prize.
www.cnn.com/africanawards
Winners in the individual competition categories are:
ARTS & CULTURE AWARD, presented by Zain:
Winner: Barbara Angopa, NTV, Uganda
Title: Teso's Peace Music
Judge's Citation:
The story is about a particular music, instruments and dance in Uganda. This television piece does a great job of bringing to the limelight a beautiful part of African cultural heritage. In this case, music and dance. The journalism here captures and conveys the role and power of culture in building and nurturing hope in societies shattered by conflicts or natural disasters. The journalist tells the story of culture preservation, adaptation and passing the heritage onto the next generation. Culture does bring people together. You can see that the reporter got into the cultural mood. She gets to the point where she has the confidence to join in.
ECONOMICS & BUSINESS AWARD, presented by Coca-Cola Africa:
Winner: John Grobler, Freelance Journalist for the Namibian, Namibia
Title: Mafia linked to Namibian gems
Judge's Citation:
A dramatic recipe that included the founding President Nujoma's son in business with a Mafiosi wanted in Italy. At issue: Namibia's ample diamonds and the competing interests seeking to mine them. After years of dogged work, Grobler revealed that the don Vito Palozzolo and his Namibian-based associates owned a string of companies seeking to cash in on the gem trade. With the history of Sierra Leone in sharp relief, the judges praised Grobler for this watch-dog work in ensuring that diamonds are not bloodied. The resource curse must be turned to a development boom, this piece shows journalists can be part of the quest.
ENVIRONMENT AWARD, presented by Ecobank:
Continued
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