In partnership with Title Sponsor of the 35th Caribbean Media Awards – The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (NGC) – the CBU is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s competition.
On Tuesday, August 13, at the Umaya Hotel in Placencia Belize Award and Special Mention winners were announced in a live telecast hosted by Great Belize Productions Limited – Channel 5.
Presentations of trophies and certificates were made in fifty-five (55) categories. A record number of these – twenty-four (24) – were themed categories supported by category sponsors:
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- UNDP CariSECURE 2.0
- The Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre
- The Healthy Caribbean Coalition
- Sagicor Financial Company Limited
- The Caribbean Development Bank Basic Needs Trust Fund,
- The Nature Conservancy Caribbean Division,
- The Partnership Initiative for Sustainable Land Management and
- SAEDI Consulting Limited
NEW CATEGORY SPONSOR COMES ON BOARD
During the Gala event, the Caribbean Culture Fund (CCF) announced it will be partnering with the CBU for the 36th edition of the competition, with the prizes to be presented during the 56th Annual General Assembly scheduled for Barbados in August 2025.
TOP PERFORMERS FROM JAMAICA AND BELIZE
The organisation with the largest number of wins is RJRGLEANER Communications Group from Jamaica, with sixteen (16) awards and four (4) special mentions across its media services.
Next in line is Great Belize Productions – Channel 5 – with eight (8) wins and two (2) special mentions.
Trinidad and Tobago was well represented with Trinidad Express fielding five (5) award winners and garnering four (4) special mentions. From that country, TTT Limited was next in line winning four (4) awards as well as a special mention. The Guardian Group was successful in five (5) categories with two awards for CNC-3 and as well as two (2) special mentions for the television service and one (1) for the print arm – the Guardian newspaper.
FIRST-TIME WINNERS
For the first time the Nation Newspaper of Barbados won an award in the CBU competition while the first ever entry from the Cayman Islands, Department of Communication earned a Special Mention.
FULL LIST OF WINNERS
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
- AWARD: RJRGLEANER Communications Group (Television Jamaica) “Decades of Christmas for Seniors” – Romardo Lyons – Reporter; Ivan Shaw, Uton West – Editors
PRODUCTION AWARDS (RADIO)
- Best Documentary Programme
AWARD: RJRGLEANER Communications Group (Radio Jamaica 94FM) “The Men in Mental Health” – Dadrian Gordon
SPECIAL MENTION: Starcom Network (Barbados) “World Food Day 2023 Tribute” – Shantelle Legall-Gibson - Best Drama Programme
AWARD: RJRGLEANER Communications Group (Radio Jamaica 94FM) “A Place Called Yaad” – by Radio Jamaica 94FM - Best News Story
AWARD: IRIE FM (Jamaica) “Crime Puts Damper on Christmas Cheer” – by Myesha Broadie
SPECIAL MENTION: Starcom Network (Barbados) “Respiratory Illnesses & COVID” – by Vonardo Corbin - Best Sports Story
AWARD: RJRGLEANER Communications Group (Radio Jamaica) “West Indies Failure to Qualify for the World Cup” – Jerome Foster - Best Investigative Report
AWARD: RJRGLEANER Communications Group (Radio Jamaica) “White Collar Crime in Jamaica” – Giovanni Dennis - Best Comedy Item
SPECIAL MENTION: Starcom Network (Barbados) “The Corniest Joke I Ever Heard” – Michelle Spencer - Best Entertainment Programme
AWARD: TTT Ltd (Trinidad & Tobago) “Saturday Brunch: Kyle Hernandez” – Executive Producer TTT Ltd; Talk City 91.1; Producer & Presenter Jayron “Rawkus” Remy
PRODUCTION AWARDS (TELEVISION)
- Best Documentary Programme
AWARD: TTT Limited (Trinidad & Tobago) “Best Village: Episode 2” – Executive Producer TTT Limited, Producer Shamelia Thomas-Ashby, Editor Renaldo de Bourg, Camera Romano Francois, Kashawn Cedeno
SPECIAL MENTION: Cayman Islands Department of Communication “Who We Are” – Department of Communications, Cayman Islands Government - Best Magazine Programme
AWARD: National Communications Network (Guyana) “Guyana Emerging” – Ilapil Bipta, Neaz Subhan
SPECIAL MENTION: Great Belize Productions Limited “Open Your Eyes: Easter Special” – Hosts – Sabreena Daly and John Palacio; Producers – Viannie Reyes and Brianna Bennett; Videographers—Rick Romero and Joel Westby - Best News Story
AWARD: Great Belize Productions Limited “A Competency-Based Approach to Education in Belize” – Reporter – Paul Lopez; Videographer – Darrel Moguel; Videographer – Kenroy Michael - Best Sports Story
AWARD: Great Belize Productions Limited “Robotics Officially Declared a Sport” – Reporter Paul Lopez; Videographer George Tillett - Best Investigative Report
AWARD: RJRGLEANER Communications Group (Television Jamaica) “Who Shall Live: Dialysis Dilemma” – Shemala Pullen, Uton West, Richard Brown, Milton Reid - Best Comedy Item
AWARD: RJRGLEANER Communications Group (Television Jamaica) “876 Comedy Club” – by Dahlia Harris, Trevor Johnson, Judith Alberga, Garnet Lewis, Johnny Live Productions and TVJ Studio Crew - Best Entertainment Programme
AWARD: Teleislas (San Andres Islands, Colombia) “True Islander II” – Teleislas, Antillean Films
PRODUCTION AWARDS (PRINT)
- Best News Story
AWARD: RJRGLEANER Communications Group (Jamaica Gleaner) “Piecing Together a Shattered World” – Tanesha Mundle
SPECIAL MENTION: Jamaica Observer “Shameful” – Romardo Lyons - Best Sports Story
AWARD: RJRGLEANER Communications Group (Jamaica Gleaner) “Senior SSL Officials Knew of Bolt’s Welljen Account” – by Jovan Johnson - Best Entertainment Item
AWARD: Trinidad Express “A Childhood Dream Comes True for Ancil Harris” – by – Essiba Small - Best Investigative Item
AWARD: Trinidad Express “Email Hacks and The Israel Connection” – Mark Bassant
PRODUCTION AWARDS (DIGITAL)
- Best News Story
AWARD: Trinidad Express “Loving Leela” – Richard Charan
SPECIAL MENTION: TTT Ltd (Trinidad & Tobago) “See Yourself: Plant One Tree And Eat For Free” – Executive Producer TTT Ltd; Journalist, Mahalia Joseph - Best Sports Story
AWARD: RJRGLEANER Communications Group (One Spot Media) “The Creation of a World Champion” – Jerome Foster - Best Entertainment Item
AWARD: TTT Ltd (Trinidad & Tobago) “Mash Up, the Music That Made Us – Rapso” – Executive Producer TTT Ltd; Producer Stacy Wyke; Camera Operator, Carlos Walcott
SPECIAL MENTION: Trinidad Express “The Closing Chapters” – Richard Charan - Best Investigative Item
AWARD: Trinidad Express “A Grave Far From Home” – Richard Charan
SPECIAL MENTION: Trinidad Express “The Dark Secret At St. Ann’s”- Khamarie Rodriguez
SPECIAL MENTION: Great Belize Productions Ltd “Bert Vasquez Stays on Remand” – Hipolito Novelo
ADVERTISING AWARDS
- Best Commercial Spot (Television)
AWARD: Great Belize Productions Ltd “UNITEX: No Worries With A Spark Beach Cruiser” – by Rick Romero - Best Public Service Spot (Television)
AWARD: TTT Limited “Ministry of Health Men’s Mental Health” – Executive Producer, TTT Ltd; Producer Cherisse Gibson; Editor Renaldo de Bourg
SPECIAL MENTION: Teleislas “How To Love SAI” – by Teleislas and Joel Peñalosa
THEME AWARDS (RADIO)
- Best News Story on Poverty Reduction & Empowerment of Vulnerable Groups
Sponsored by the Caribbean Development Bank Basic Needs Trust FundAWARD: RJRGLEANER Communications Group (Radio Jamaica 94FM) “Period Poverty and Climate Change” – Giovani Dennis - Excellence in Responsible Reporting on Youth Involvement in Crime
Sponsored by CariSECURE 2.0
SPECIAL MENTION: Starcom Network “Truce Feature” – Vonardo Corbin
THEME AWARDS (TELEVISION)
- Excellence in Environmental Reporting on Mangrove/Seagrass Beds
Sponsored by The Nature Conservancy Caribbean DivisionAWARD: Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica “Protecting Jamaica’s Own” – by Carol Francis, Marlon Samuels and Gabrielle Samuels - Coverage of Healthy Nutrition Food Policy
Sponsored by Healthy Caribbean Coalition
AWARD: Government Information Service of Barbados “Grow Green Barbados: Episode 3 – Organic Farming” – Aisha Reid, Mikul Elcock, David Bynoe, Esther Jones, KathyAnn Husbands - Best News Story on Poverty Reduction & Empowerment of Vulnerable Groups
Sponsored by the Caribbean Development Bank Basic Needs Trust Fund
AWARD: Great Belize Productions Limited “Don’t Tax My Femininity” – Reporter: Duane Moody; Videographers: Darrel Moguel & Rick Romero - Excellence in Responsible Reporting on Youth Involvement in Crime
Sponsored by CariSECURE 2.0AWARD: CNC3 News (Trinidad & Tobago) “Youths And Serious Crime” – Carisa Christie Lee - Best Climate Change Documentary
Sponsored by the Caribbean Community Climate Change CentreAWARD: Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (Barbados) “Info Insight: Rum & Sargassum” – by Myles Eversley, Joshua Hinkson & Sherwood McCaskie
SPECIAL MENTION: CNC3 News (Trinidad & Tobago) “Woodland: The Saltwater Crisis” – Kalain Hosein, Kerlon Orr (Editor) Brent Pinheiro (Drone Operator) - Best Climate Change News Item
Sponsored by the Caribbean Community Climate Change CentreAWARD: Great Belize Productions Limited “Cultivating Hope: Belize’s Seaweed Farming Industry Takes Root” – Reporter Hipolito Novelo; Videographer Darrel Moguel - Best Climate Change Investigative Report
Sponsored by the Caribbean Community Climate Change CentreAWARD: News Room Inc (Guyana) “Washed Away: People Who Help Protect the Turtles Are Losing Their Home” – by Vishani Ragobeer and Shaconeil Burnette
SPECIAL MENTION: CNC3 News (Trinidad & Tobago) “Why is it Flooding?” – by Kalain Hosein - Best Production on Land Degradation Neutrality
Sponsored by the Partnership Initiative for Sustainable Land ManagementAWARD: News Room Inc (Guyana) “Why is Guyana Spending Big To Replant Patches In Its Forest” – Neil Marks, Shatanand Anude - Financial Literacy Journalism
Sponsored by SagicorAWARD: Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (Barbados) “Newspulse Episode 4: Financial Health with Exchange Museum” – Stacey N. Russell - Health Education Journalism
Sponsored by SagicorAWARD: Great Belize Productions Limited “Bridging the Gaps of Mental Illness Treatment” – Reporter – Paul Lopez; Videographer – Chris Mangar
THEME AWARDS (DIGITAL)
- Best News Story on Poverty Reduction & Empowerment of Vulnerable Groups
Sponsored by the Caribbean Development Bank Basic Needs Trust Fund AWARD: News Room Inc (Guyana) “The Women Running Forestry Operations in Guyana” – by Neil Marks and Yusuf Ali
SPECIAL MENTION: News Room Inc (Guyana) “Guyana’s Carbon Credits Deal” – by Vishani Ragobeer - Excellence in Responsible Reporting on Youth Involvement in Crime
Sponsored by CariSECURE 2.0AWARD: Caribbean Investigative Journalism Network (Barbados) “The Tropical Journey of a Firearm” – by Esther Jones
SPECIAL MENTION: Caribbean Investigative Journalism Network (Barbados) “Mental Break” – by Esther Jones - Best Climate Change Investigative Report
Sponsored by the Caribbean Community Climate Change CentreAWARD: News Room Inc (Guyana) “Money From Trees: Amerindian Chiefs Say Rights not Violated” – Neil Marks and Shatanand Anude
THEME AWARDS (PRINT)
- Coverage of Healthy Nutrition Food Policy
Sponsored by Healthy Caribbean CoalitionAWARD: The Nation Publishing Company (Barbados) “It’s War” – Donna Sealy
SPECIAL MENTION: RJRGLEANER Communications Group (Jamaica Gleaner) “Hungry Belly Children Can’t Learn” – Andre Williams - Best News Story on Poverty Reduction & Empowerment of Vulnerable Groups
Sponsored by the Caribbean Development Bank Basic Needs Trust Fund AWARD: RJRGLEANER Communications Group (Jamaica Gleaner) “Gulotta Calls for Removal of Mentally Ill Persons from Prisons” – Andre Williams
SPECIAL MENTION: RJRGLEANER Communications Group (The Star – Jamaica) “Seaview Gardens Jackson 5” – Simone Morgan-Lindo - Excellence in Responsible Reporting on Trafficking in Persons
Sponsored by CariSECURE 2.0SPECIAL MENTION: Trinidad Express “Bond Clears the Air: Human Trafficking Controversy” – Anna Ramdass - Best Climate Change News Item
Sponsored by the Caribbean Community Climate Change CentreSPECIAL MENTION: Guardian Newspaper (Trinidad & Tobago) “History at COP 28: Loss and Damage Fund Adopted” –Kalain Hosein - Best Climate Change Investigative Report
Sponsored by the Caribbean Community Climate Change CentreAWARD: RJRGLEANER Communications Group (Jamaica Gleaner) “These Classrooms Are Furnaces” – Sashana Small - Best Article on Land Degradation Neutrality
Sponsored by the Partnership Initiative for Sustainable Land ManagementAWARD: Jamaica Observer “Save the Mangroves” – by Romardo Lyons - Financial Literacy Journalism
Sponsored by SagicorAWARD: RJRGLEANER Communications Group (Jamaica Gleaner) “Breaking the Cycle of Old Age Poverty”– Sashana Small
SPECIAL MENTION: Trinidad Express “TT Falls Victim to Get Rich Quick Scheme” – Melissa Maynard
SPECIAL MENTION: RJRGLEANER Communications Group (Jamaica Gleaner) “Rita Threw Away Nearly 1BN” – Jovan Johnson - Health Education Journalism
Sponsored by SagicorAWARD: Trinidad Express “Who Cares for the Disabled? Developmental Disability and Access to Public Health Care” – Khamarie Rodriquez
CONTENT CREATION AWARDS
- Best Social Media Content Creator
AWARD: Government Information Service, Barbados – Mikul Elcock, Aisha Reid and Tyson Henry
- Best Videographer
SPECIAL MENTION: News Room Inc (Guyana) – Shaconeil Burnette
- Best Producer (TV)
AWARD: RJRGLEANER Communications Group (Jamaica) – Khadene Foote
SPECIAL MENTION: Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (Barbados) – Stacey Russell
- Best Director (TV)
AWARD: Great Belize Productions Limited – Rick Romero
- Best Sound Engineer (Radio)
AWARD: RJRGLEANER Communications Group (Radio Jamaica 94FM) “Behind the Headlines: Year in Review Part 4” – by Giovanni Dennis
SPECIAL MENTION: RJRGLEANER Communications Group (Radio Jamaica 94FM) “Lights, Camera, Action” – by Dadrian Gordon - Best Sound Engineer (TV)
AWARD: Great Belize Productions Limited “Open Your Eyes: Steel Band Performance” – Luis Sosa
