The Tribune

By PEANDRA PRATT

THE Bahamas Press Club 2014, building on the success of its inaugural Pioneer Awards last year, has promised to be “all inclusive” with several new categories when it holds its annual media awards ceremony in November.

At the British Colonial Hilton on November 19, several new awards – including the prestigious and renamed Sir Etienne Dupuch Lifetime Achievement Award – are to be presented honouring the best talents in the fields of journalism and mass communications.

“We’ve expanded the categories because last November, we simply recognised some of the pioneers who laid the framework and set the pace for all of us who followed,” President of the Bahamas Press Club, Anthony “Ace” Newbold, said. “This year we’ve expanded the categories. We now have 15 categories of awards to be given out.

“This is the first time that members of the press on a large scale are being recognised for the work that they do. This has never happened before. Before last November nobody paid any attention to the press. For the job that we do, we record history. Somebody should show appreciation for that. We decided that if nobody will do it then we will do it for ourselves.”

Mr Newbold said that the recipient of the lifetime achievement award, now named after the long-serving former Editor and publisher of The Tribune, will be someone “who has crossed many barriers of media”.

The other award categories to be presented are the Eric Wilmott Award for Investigative Journalism, the Harcourt “Rusty” Bethel Award for Radio Journalism, the Leon Turnquest Award for Sports Print Journalism, Outstanding Sports Broadcast Journalism Award, the Bursell Bradshaw Press Photographer of The Year Award, the Kenneth Nathaniel Francis Award for Newspaper Design and Composition, the P Anthony White Award for Columnist of The Year, the Leslie Higgs Feature Writer of The Year Award, the Bahamas Press Club Award for Outstanding Political Journalism, Best Television Documentary, Best Television News Story, Best Editing for Television News Story or Documentary, Website of the Year, and The People’s Choice Award for Best Talk Show.

A panel of renowned individuals in the field of journalism and mass communications has been appointed as judges: Sir Arthur Foulkes, former journalist, politician and Governor General; Mike Smith, former Bahamas High Commissioner to Canada and journalist; Jessica Robertson, whose career spans print, radio, television and online both locally and internationally; Eric Ward, radio personality and President of Rum Cay Media Group Ltd; Antoine Ferrier, photographer; Julian Anderson-Rolle, Senior Producer, ZNS; and Valdez Ferguson, technical manager, Our TV at Rev Cable Bahamas.

At the first Pioneer Awards in November, The Tribune’s Publisher/Editor, Eileen Carron, received the Lifetime Achievement Award while Kenneth Francis (posthumously) was recognised for contributions to The Nassau Guardian; Wendall Jones, CEO of Jones Communications Network for The Bahama Journal, Love 97 and JCN television; Anthony Ferguson for Guardian Radio; the Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas for ZNS Radio and Television Network; Henry Saunders, for MORE 95FM; and Silbert Mills for Abaco Radio.

Mr Newbold expressed condolences to the family of Leroy “Camera” Pratt, a sports writer for The Nassau Guardian, who died recently. He also congratulated members of the media who were recently honoured for their work: Clint Watson, ZNS reporter for the ‘The Youth Zone received a Bahamian Icon Award while among the Cultural Legends honoured during the country’s 43rd Independence anniversary celebrations were Mary Kelly (Journalist); Calsey Johnson (ZNS); John Jefferson Scavella (Broadcaster); Gordon Lowe (Broadcaster); Ed Bethel (Journalist/Broadcaster); Elva Russell-Rolle (Broadcaster); Carl Bethel (Journalist/Broadcaster); Cindy Williams (Broadcaster) and Nadine Beneby (Broadcaster).

For information on the awards contact the Bahamas Press Club 2014 at 434-5643 or email to thebahamaspressclub@gmail.com.