ST. JOHN’S ANTIGUA – This year’s CBU Caribbean Media Awards (CMA) demonstrated its continued appeal as the region’s premier competition for media professionals creating content for television, radio, digital and print platforms.

The event was held at Government House, under the auspices of Antigua & Barbuda’s Governor General, His Excellency Sir Williams and Lady Williams. They presided over a glittering event celebrating media output from 2022 at which, thirty-five Award winners were acknowledged with the presentation of plaques.  There were also fourteen (14) entrants whose submissions were given Special Mention by the panel of judges.

RECORD NUMBER OF ENTRIES: Three hundred and fifty-five (355) entries were received overall, a more than forty percent increase over last year’s total two hundred and forty-eight (248) entries.

STRONG PARTICIPATION BY NON-MEMBERS: Along with the many CBU members who participated, this round of the Awards saw a marked increase in the number of non-member organisations who submitted entries.  The numbers of organisations who are not currently part of CBU, but participated in the competition went up by thirty-five percent (35%) to fourteen (14) from nine (9) last year.The fourteen (14) non-member organisations represented Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and the Turks & Caicos.

NEW CATEGORIES: This year’s competition featured three (3) new themed categories in Media and Information Literacy, Healthy Food Nutrition Policy and Climate Change.  The category sponsors were the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC), the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC), the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), and Sagicor.

JUDGING PANEL: The hundreds of entries were judged by a four-member panel comprising Dr Sharon Marshall, Mr. Andrew Millington and Mr. Steve Maximay.  The late Chief Judge Ms. Beverly Sinclair was recognised during the In Memoriam segment of the Opening Ceremony of the Assembly.

NEW AWARDS SPONSORS: During the Awards event new sponsors for the coming round of the competition were announced including the Caribbean Division of The Nature Conservancy as well as SAEDI Consulting.  They along with returning sponsors will be presenting prizes at the Gala to be hosted in Belize on August 13, 2024 during the 55^th Annual General Assembly

The full list of Award and Special Mention winners for the 2022 edition of the CMA is presented below.

PRODUCTION AWARDS

1. PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD:
   • Winner – Antigua Observer Newsco Limited – “The Headkerchief” Produced by Joanne C. Hillhouse
2. BEST DOCUMENTARY PROGRAMME TELEVISION:
   • Winner – Guardian Media (CNC3, Trinidad & Tobago) – “Concordat” Produced by Ryan Bachoo
   • Special Mention – RJRGLEANER Communications Group (Television Jamaica) – “Girl from Wood Hall: The Story of Portia Simpson-Miller” Produced by Giovanni Dennis, Dionne Jackson Miller, Shernette Johnson, Ivan Shaw, Kemar Harris, Milton Reid, Uton West & Wendy Rudd
3. BEST MAGAZINE PROGRAMME TELEVISION:
   • Winner – TTT (Trinidad & Tobago) – “Penny on Point: The Hon Shamfa Cudjoe” Produced by Penny Gomez & Colin Greaves; Presenter Penny Gomez; Editor NH Productions TT
   • Special Mention – WESN Content Capital (Trinidad & Tobago) – “Nicole Larsen Show Broadcast Feb 12, 2022” Produced by WESN Content Capital
4. BEST NEWS ITEM TELEVISION:
   • Winner – CCN TV6 (Trinidad & Tobago) – “Manzanilla Marooned” Produced by Urvashi Tiwari-Roopnarine and Immanuel NunezSpecial Mention – RJRGLEANER Communications Group (Television Jamaica) – “Transportation Crisis” Produced by Anthony Lugg, Glenford Campbell and Uton West
5. BEST INVESTIGATIVE REPORT TELEVISION:
   • Winner – Great Belize Productions Ltd (Channel 5) – “Tracing Illegal Firearms in Belize – Origins and the Interventions” Produced by Duane Moody; Rick Romero Videographer/Editor
   • Special Mention – RJRGLEANER Communications Group (Television Jamaica) – “All Angles Investigates: Work & Travel Misfortune” Produced by Giovanni Dennis, Ivan Shaw, Jelani Campbell, Paul Davis, Marvin Moodie, Dionne Jackson Miller & Jevaughn Gordon
   • Special Mention – CCN TV6 (Trinidad & Tobago) – “Five and Under Vs Under Five” Produced by Cindy Raghubar-Teekersingh
6. BEST COMEDY ITEM TELEVISION: NO AWARD WINNER
   • Special Mention – TTT (Trinidad & Tobago) – “Penny on Point: Ian Alleyne” Produced by Penny Gomez and Colin Greaves; Presenter Penny Gomez; Editor NH Productions TT
7. BEST ENTERTAINMENT ITEM TELEVISION:
   • Winner – WESN Content Capital (Trinidad & Tobago) – “We Christmas: Divali Mastani” Produced by WESN Content Capital
8. BEST DOCUMENTARY PROGRAMME RADIO:
   • Winner – Instituto Cubano de Radio y Television – “By an Iron Way” Produced by Elizabeth Alvarez Hernandez
   • Special Mention – IRIE FM (Jamaica) – “Children’s Cry” Produced by Myesha Broadie
9. BEST NEWS ITEM RADIO:
   • Winner – RJRGLEANER Communications Group (RJR) – “Cost of Living Crisis in Jamaica” Produced by Giovanni Dennis

SPECIAL (ADVERTISING) AWARDS

1. BEST COMMERCIAL SPOT TELEVISION
   • Winner – Great Belize Productions Ltd (Channel 5) Christmas Card 2022” Produced by Great Belize Productions Ltd; Rick Romero Videographer / Joel Wesbey Editor
2. BEST PUBLIC SERVICE SPOT TELEVISION:
   • Winner – Teleislas Channel (San Andres Island, Colombia)– “Responsible Tourism” Produced by Yessica Cifuentes, Julius Bent
   • Special Mention – Barbados Government Information Service – “UNDP Human Trafficking Video 3” Produced by Paula Harper-Grant
3. BEST PUBLIC SERVICE SPOT RADIO:
   • Winner – Instituto Cubano de Radio y Television (Radio Encyclopedia) – “Drugs Silence You” Produced by Alfredo Zamora Mustelier

THEME AWARDS

1. Sponsored by Intra-ACP EU-GCCA+ Project, Enhancing Climate Resilience in CARIFORUM countries BEST CLIMATE CHANGE DOCUMENTARY TELEVISION:
   • Winner – Guardian Media Limited (CNC3, Trinidad & Tobago) – “COP 27 No Action, No Future” Produced by Kalain Hosein
2. Sponsored by Intra-ACP EU-GCCA+ Project, Enhancing Climate Resilience in CARIFORUM countries BEST CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS ITEM TELEVISION:
   • Winner – Great Belize Productions Limited (Channel 5) – “Vulnerability & Livelihood Assessment for Fisheries Sector” Produced by Duane Moody; Chris Mangar – Videographer/Editor
   • Special Mention – CCN TV 6 (Trinidad & Tobago) – “Sunset Beach Coastal Erosion” Produced by Cindy Raghubar-Teekersingh
   • Special Mention – Great Belize Productions Limited (Channel 5) – “A Space for Children and Youth at COP27” Produced by Duane Moody; Kenroy Michael – Videographer/Editor
3. Sponsored by Intra-ACP EU-GCCA+ Project, Enhancing Climate Resilience in CARIFORUM countries BEST CLIMATE CHANGE INVESTIGATIVE REPORT TELEVISION:
   • Winner – Great Belize Productions Limited (Channel 5) – “Is Monkey River Drowning?” Produced by Duane Moody; Kenroy Michael/ Rick Romero – Videographer/Editor
4. Sponsored by Intra-ACP EU-GCCA+ Project, Enhancing Climate Resilience in CARIFORUM countries BEST CLIMATE CHANGE PUBLIC SERVICE SPOT TELEVISION:
   • Winner – Great Belize Productions Limited (Channel 5) – “UNICEF Climate Change in Dangriga” Produced by Great Belize Productions Ltd; Rick Romero – Videographer/Editor
5. Sponsored by UNDRR COVERAGE OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION TELEVISION:
   • Winner – CCN TV 6 (Trinidad & Tobago) “Flashpoint” Produced by Alicia Boucher
6. ADVANCEMENT OF MEDIA AND INFORMATION LITERACY TELEVISION:
   • Winner – News Room Inc (Guyana) – “Guyana Made History By Earning Billions From Special Carbon Credits But What Does that Mean” Produced by Vishani Ragobeer (Journalist) Shatanand Anude (Videographer)
7. COVERAGE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC TELEVISION:
   • Winner – Great Belize Productions Ltd (Channel 5) – “Beyond COVID” Produced by Viannie Reyes; Videographer Rick Romero
8. Sponsored by Sagicor FINANCIAL LITERACY JOURNALISM TELEVISION:
   • Winner – Great Belize Productions Ltd (Channel 5) – “Learning Financial Literacy for the Future” Produced by Paul Lopez, Rick Romero Videographer/Editor
   • Special Mention – Great Belize Productions Ltd (Channel 5) – “Young Entrepreneurs Prepare for Super Sale” Produced by Paul Lopez; Joel Wesbey/ Kenroy Michael – Videographer/Editor
9. Sponsored by Sagicor HEALTH EDUCATION JOURNALISM TELEVISION:
   • Winner – WESN Content Capital (Trinidad & Tobago) – “What’s Up Doc” Produced by WESN Content Capital
10. Sponsored by Intra-ACP EU-GCCA+ Project, Enhancing Climate Resilience in CARIFORUM countries BEST CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS ITEM DIGITAL:
    • Winner – Guardian Media (Trinidad & Tobago) “US$150M Funding for green energy projects coming to Caribbean” Produced by Kalain Hosein
11. Sponsored by Intra-ACP EU-GCCA+ Project, Enhancing Climate Resilience in CARIFORUM countries BEST CLIMATE CHANGE INVESTIGATIVE REPORT DIGITAL:
    • Winner – Caribbean Investigative Journalism Network (CIJN) “The Climate Test of Guyana’s Mangroves” Produced by David Nathaniel Papannah
    • Special Mention: – Caribbean Investigative Journalism Network (CIJN) – “The Cost of Being a Climate Change Champion” Produced by Esther Jones
12. Sponsored by UNDRR COVERAGE OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION DIGITAL:
    • Winner – Guardian Media (Trinidad & Tobago) “UN Spending 3.1B To Fix Early Warning Issue” Produced by Kalain Hosein
13. COVERAGE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC DIGITAL:
    • Winner – Caribbean Investigative Journalism Network “COVID-19 Reset, Barbados” Produced by Esther Jones
14. Sponsored by Intra-ACP EU-GCCA+ Project, Enhancing Climate Resilience in CARIFORUM countries BEST CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS ITEM PRINT:
    • Winner – Guardian Media (Trinidad & Tobago) “Antigua & Barbuda Moving Into the Blue Economy” Produced by Kalain Hosein
    • Special Mention: Stabroek News (Guyana) – “Solar power leads energy transition pathway amidst Guyana’s oil boom” Produced by David Nathaniel Papannah
15. Sponsored by Intra-ACP EU-GCCA+ Project, Enhancing Climate Resilience in CARIFORUM countries BEST CLIMATE CHANGE INVESTIGATIVE REPORT PRINT:
    • Winner – Skrifi Foundation (Suriname) “Paramaribo versus water: The Effects of Climate Change on Paramaribo” Produced by Kevin Headley
16. Sponsored by the Healthy Caribbean Coalition HEALTHY NUTRITION FOOD POLICY PRINT:
    • Winner – RJRGLEANER Communications Group (Sunday Gleaner – Jamaica) – “The Blood of Jesus Is Against That Lying Tongue” Produced by Tanesha Mundle
    • Special Mention: RJRGLEANER Communications Group (Sunday Gleaner – Jamaica) “The Sweeter The Better”Produced by Corey Robinson
17. Sponsored by UNDRR – COVERAGE OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION PRINT:
    • Winner – RJRGLEANER Communications Group (Sunday Gleaner – Jamaica) – “Poor Quality Building Blocks” Produced by Jovan Johnson
    • Special Mention: Winner – The Daily Observer (Jamaica)– “Shut It Down” Produced by Romardo Lyons
18. Sponsored by Sagicor – FINANCIAL LITERACY JOURNALISM PRINT:
    • Winner – RJRGLEANER Communications Group (Jamaica Gleaner) – “Wehby: Diaspora of Strategic Important to Jamaica” Produced by Andre Williams and Kimone Francis
19. COVERAGE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC PRINT:
    • Winner – Guardian Media (Trinidad & Tobago) – “T&T Crosses 3,000 COVID-19 Deaths” Produced by Kalain Hosein
20. Sponsored by Sagicor – HEALTH EDUCATION JOURNALISM PRINT:
    • Winner – The Daily Observer (Jamaica) – “Painful” Produced by Brittny Hutchinson

CONTENT CREATOR AWARDS

1. BEST VIDEOGRAPHER:
   • Winner – Kenroy Michael of Great Belize Productions Ltd (Channel 5)
2. BEST PRODUCER TELEVISION:
   • Winner – Doriel M. Vaughn of Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (Barbados)
3. BEST DIRECTOR TELEVISION:
   • Winner – Rick Romero of Great Belize Productions Limited (Channel 5)
4. BEST SOUND ENGINEER RADIO:
   • Winner – Giovanni Dennis of RJRGLEANER Communications Group (Jamaica)